Honda Pilot - Tow Capacity; per Honda America

[Denny_A]

I spoke with a Honda America Cust Svc Rep today. He was not typical - i.e., he was way more knowledgeable than the standard issue rep.

The subject: 4500 lb vs. 3500 lb tow limits given for the Pilot.

He concurred that the 4500 lb limiit for boat/trailer combo is considered reasonable in light of much lower aerodynamic drag. When asked about the flat plate drag effect of a boat's windshield, he said it is, all things considered, smooth and aerodynamic. [ Editorial: Not! Turbulence and suction drag behind an open windshield is not insignificant.]

I raised the issue of the tongue weight limit of 450 lbs. He paused (how'd he know about that?) for a bit before concurring - after I pointed out I had seen that number in a Honda Pilot shop manual (or brochure). More discussion ensued, re tongue weight on a hitch with and without a WDH. I.e., if a WDH is used, trailer tongue weight of up to 675 lbs. could be tolerated without exceeding 450 lbs carried on the hitch. He conceded the point. All TrailManors would qualify if the hitch were the only limit.

We finally got back to travel trailer aerodynamics. A typical TT might have 36 to 40 SqFt of fl eqivalent flat plate drag area. I posited that a low profile trailer, with somwhere around 12-13 total suare feet of equivalent flat plate drag area would not generate much more drag then a 4500 lb boat/trailer rig. So, couldn't Honda be a bit more precise in specifying the aerodynamic limits for those of us who have low profile trailers?

Impasse. He said that Honda uses this approach for "liability" purposes. Saying that the typical customer is not in a position to rationally analyze anything more complex than their current limits. Numbers had to be kept simple.

I asked if my intuition, re a low-profile trailer was correct. He of course said he could not comment one way or the other. Neither confirm nor deny (Calls are probably recorded for their own protection). However - he could have said the numbers we publish are inviolable. He really said "figure it out for yourself" - didn't he?

My personal feeling is that almost all of the single axle TM's will be just fine hitched to the Pilot. But, if one were to burn up a tranny, or engine while towing something over 3500 lbs (if proveable) the warranty would be invalidated. Catch-22. You can easily tow a 3500 lb + Tm , but if caught, you can't.

I think that's the end of the line for my investigation into the Pilot towing limit question!

Cheers,

Denny

Denny:

Great effort on your part. Of course you hit the great corporate impasse -- common sense versus the liability bottom line. All said, I'd really have to be in love with the Pilot beyond belief to put my trust (and wallet) in a product that may or may not do the job adequately. If it works, I'm the winner -- if it doesn't I lose, and that loss will be almost $30,000.

So I say there are far too many TVs out there that will do the job without all the computational gymnastics involving coefficients of drag, moments of inertia, tongue weight versus gross weight, etc.

Life's too short to waste it worrying if my TV's tow capacities are right. Head down to your friendly Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota dealer's and get something you know will work -- hook up the TM, head to the woods, and pop a beer, sit back, relax & say, "Ain't life great?"

Ed

I don't necessarily disagree with anything said here, and Denny did a great job with the research. The outcome, of course, was predictable - I have had similar experiences when asking manufacturers "outside the box" questions.

Like Denny, I think that the Pilot would do fine with most TM's. I think the prospective owner just needs to use basic judgement. If you tow 3x a year in "average" terrain, you probably don't need large TV. If you tow a lot, and over steep grades, you might want to upsize from a Pilot. Don't forget though, on the really steep grades, most people are going slower (or should be), so aerodynamics don't play as big a role (IMHO). Same thing going downhill. The Pilot is rated for 4,500 lbs. max, and my guess is that when you're going below highway speeds, neither it's brakes nor it's engine will really care whether the trailer is a boat or a TM, as long as you're under the 4,500 and have a proper setup.

Like most of us, any TV also has to double as a daily driver, which (for me) means that I will sacrifice ultimate max towing capacity for other needs. I still think the Pilot represents a balanced choice.

[Denny_A]

Oops! I forgot to mention - I have no futrher interest in the Pilot. Too many "intuits" needed to self-justify (called subjectivity) towing with a Pilot. I am trying to stay committed to objectivity.

Keep on lookin'! Pathfinder is lookin' better and better.


Denny 8)

Life's too short to waste it worrying if my TV's tow capacities are right. Head down to your friendly Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Toyota dealer's and get something you know will work -- hook up the TM, head to the woods, and pop a beer, sit back, relax & say, "Ain't life great?"

Thanks Denny for sharing the thought processes and research on the TV. Some of us would not think about these kind of variables without being prodded by such examples. We were fortunate to be in the place Ed recommends having previously bought a beefy TV for other purposes. And sitting there with our beer, we did look around and say "Ain't life great!"