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04OUTBACK
05-03-2011, 01:50 PM
we have a 2011 Pilot 4WD.. rated for 4500lbs. CUrious if anyone is pulling an LSV with one. Specs say 3300 lbs.. guessing that excludes trailer?

Anyone have any feedback? Seems like someone on here was Honda Employee in FL that had used Pilot and Ridgeline.

I currently tow with my Silverado.. but may sell it..

rdlangston13
05-03-2011, 01:57 PM
I guestimate my LSV with tandem axle trailer, all the gear and a full tank of fuel to be at least 5,000 lbs

moombadaze
05-03-2011, 02:12 PM
fyi--Honda tow ratings only include the driver. You have to deduct for every passenger.

4500 for Pilot
5000 for Ridgeline.

maxpower220
05-03-2011, 02:36 PM
we have a 2011 Pilot 4WD.. rated for 4500lbs. CUrious if anyone is pulling an LSV with one. Specs say 3300 lbs.. guessing that excludes trailer?

Anyone have any feedback? Seems like someone on here was Honda Employee in FL that had used Pilot and Ridgeline.

I currently tow with my Silverado.. but may sell it..

Oh no, not this.

04OUTBACK
05-03-2011, 02:41 PM
Thanks Daze..

Sounds like no rush to sell the truck!

sandm
05-03-2011, 03:31 PM
Oh no, not this.

my thoughts exactly. here we go again :)

Sea N' Things
05-03-2011, 03:53 PM
You need something that can tow around 6000lbs comfortably. Boat 3000 + trailer 1000 + fuel + gear + passengers = TRUCK

rdlangston13
05-03-2011, 04:15 PM
You need something that can tow around 6000lbs comfortably. Boat 3000 + trailer 1000 + fuel + gear + passengers = TRUCK

or a diesel ford excursion!

wolfeman131
05-03-2011, 04:16 PM
I say go for it! If the guy in Austrailia is brave enough to pull with his car, then you should be OK with the pilot. Be sure to take a camera along. :)


*please note: I take NO RESPONSIBILITY to any personal or property damage that you may incur from following this idiotic advice.

Mikes
05-03-2011, 04:45 PM
You guys don't need no big truck..

Ian Brantford
05-03-2011, 06:25 PM
fyi--Honda tow ratings only include the driver. You have to deduct for every passenger.

4500 for Pilot
5000 for Ridgeline.

Honda tow ratings start at two occupants, plus an allowance for some gear in the rear storage. Here is the PDF for the owner's manual of the 2010 Pilot:

http://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/OM/ZA1010/ZA1010OM.pdf

See page 438.

The Ridgeline's manual that I have for my 2009 truck has a similar chart, starting with two occupants.

04OUTBACK, if you plan to use the Pilot for basic towing of your boat (maybe from lake to the shop), you can do it with NO gear and little fuel if you have the tandem trailer, or with a modest loading up using the single-axle trailer. The Pilot should not be expected to do the job if you plan to tow your LSV and simultaneously load the SUV for a road trip with family and supplies.

Even without extra load, I'd check the trailer's tongue weight. The Pilot's limit is just 450 lbs.

rdlangston13
05-03-2011, 06:38 PM
i used to tow my LSV short distances with my 3.0 liter ranger

viking
05-03-2011, 06:41 PM
I say go for it! If the guy in Austrailia is brave enough to pull with his car, then you should be OK with the pilot. Be sure to take a camera along. :)


*please note: I take NO RESPONSIBILITY to any personal or property damage that you may incur from following this idiotic advice.

Wolfeman - that's funny right there (i don't care who you are) :shock:

sandm
05-03-2011, 07:01 PM
ever since this topic came up with ed's purchase and the debate that came with it, I have tried to educate myself on what you can REALLY tow with a truck(thanks ian). I have learned a lot. there is soo much to deciding what vehicle to really use.

tow rating is just that, tow rating. the weight of the boat and trailer loaded should not exceed the rating of the truck. in this case, the pilot can tow a 4500lb boat.

gvwr will determine what you are hauling in the rig. lets take the 2011 pilot touring 4x4. it has a gvwr of 6096lbs and a weight of 4608lbs, meaning that you better not put more than 1488lbs of gear in it when you are towing that 4500lb boat, but you also need to subtract the tongue weight off the 1488lbs. don't know what a moomba boat weighs, but for the sake of this, we'll say 400lbs. this now changes your suv/truck to a load weight of 1088lbs. that could be 9 dallas cowboys cheerleaders, one morbidly obese man or me and 44.4 12pks of coors light. your choice.

I would wager that the pilot can start to haul that boat fairly easy, as most vehicles can out-accelerate what their tow ratings state, but the real issue comes into handling and stopping. just because a boat fits the tow rating of a vehicle, you need to look at what you plan to take with you. do you haul 4 friends, all the wakeboard gear and refreshments? fuel up on the water or at home prior? lots of different questions. and this is without touching the correct hitch and drop for your particular application.

all this is my .02, but based on the specs and what I know I do with my boat, the pilot is a no-go.

04OUTBACK
05-03-2011, 08:53 PM
if I keep the boat this summer, i'll keep the truck.. if I sell the boat, i'll sell the truck..

Not really sure I understand the ---Quote (Originally by maxpower220)---
Oh no, not this.
and
my thoughts exactly. here we go again :)
comments..

Trying to work through some options here ...

I have plenty of truck to tow the boat with.. just trying to determine if the Pilot would do the job SAFELY IF i sold the truck..

wolfeman131
05-03-2011, 09:12 PM
if I keep the boat this summer, i'll keep the truck.. if I sell the boat, i'll sell the truck..


WHAT?!?!?

Do you have thoughts of selling your baby? Have those Northern heathens gotten into your head? Have you not seen the sun in 4 months and the sweet memories of summer left your brain? Did that late April snow put a blanket over your anticipation of the first run of Spring?

Fear not brave friend! The sun will shine (sometime) and the snow should just about all be melted (except those big, black/gray piles in the shopping center parking lots). Your trusted friend is waiting for you to fill her up with some fresh ($4.00 per gallon) gasoline and turn the key. The smile will return to your face and all will be right with the world (except for the fact that nobody makes good grits in Rochester).

jmvotto
05-03-2011, 10:17 PM
drew it has rained here for what seems like six straight weeks......ugh.

Brad, if you gotta do it you always have a ride on Keuka...you know where the OBV lives....


btw the distance your traveling is not that far, but the truck is ceratinly the better option. my buddies silverado tows better than my suburban.. suv's just aren't trucks.

kaneboats
05-04-2011, 08:38 AM
Hey Brad, I'm pretty sure those comments were about towing with the Ridgeline because there was a multiple page heated discussion about it in the past. I think I know where you are coming from. I wouldn't be afraid to tow short distances with the Pilot.

mmandley
05-04-2011, 10:58 AM
I can agree with most of what Sandm is saying except the GVWR standard. It does not include the weight of the trailer. Its the TONGUE weight.

A gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR)[1] is the maximum allowable total weight of a road vehicle or trailer when loaded - i.e including the weight of the vehicle itself plus fuel, passengers, cargo, and trailer tongue weight.

The difference between gross weight and curb weight is the total passenger and cargo weight capacity of the vehicle. For example, a pickup truck with a curb weight of 4,500 pounds (2,041 kg) might have a cargo capacity of 2,000 pounds (907 kg), meaning it can have a gross weight of 6,500 pounds (2,948 kg) when fully loaded.

I was reading this and thinking about my truck. Its GVWR is 11800 lbs. My truck weights in at a heft 8500 with Myself and my dog of course.

With that said i can haul an additional 3K lbs eighter in the truck or on the hitch, or using a goose neck, 5th wheel application.

My total tow weight is another number its apx 16,000 lbs. This is due to it being 1600 lbs on my hitch, much to heavy as my hitch is a 12,500 lb hitch. At this point i have to switch to a 5th wheel or goose neck hitch.

The largest trailer i can safely pull is 13500 with my 1K weight distribution hitch due to it back loading 1K lbs of weight to my front axle due to the way a weight distribution hitch operates.

When you get to 5th wheel and Goose neck trailers you can tow quite a bit as there tongue weight is in the bed of the truck and if i recall mines like 4500lbs in the bed of the truck

So when you actually think of how much can my truck haul it.

Truck weight + people + gear + tongue weight but that only realistically tells you it can pull it, now to pull it at riad speed you need torque and horsepower. Neighter of which most 4 and 6 cylinders have.

sandm
05-04-2011, 11:03 AM
mike, tongue weight is in there. you are spot on to what you list.

the last paragraph is the key though. that pilot will tow that boat, but certainly not at-speed over hills. out here, it would be in the way heading to the local ramp going up the grade to the launch. the exact reason I sold my ranger v6 after the second trip to the lake. my supra fit within the tow specs, but 25mph up a hill doesn't net you any friends at the launch :)

Ian Brantford
05-04-2011, 06:12 PM
[..] that pilot will tow that boat, but certainly not at-speed over hills. out here, it would be in the way heading to the local ramp going up the grade to the launch. the exact reason I sold my ranger v6 after the second trip to the lake. my supra fit within the tow specs, but 25mph up a hill doesn't net you any friends at the launch :)

I can understand having your expectations lowered after trying the Ranger. :-) However, the Pilot and just about every other mid-size truck and SUV are very different. The Ranger was a good, small truck... but it is the pretty much the last of the truly small trucks. Even my old Sonoma could tow rings around it.

In some years, the Ranger was listed as being able to tow over 7000 lbs with a tow package. Yikes! SAE J2807 towing standard, are you here yet?

rdlangston13
05-04-2011, 06:44 PM
My 2003 Ford Ranger Edge Ext Cab 3.0 V6 was rated just under 5,000 lbs towing capacity. It had a class III hitch good for 5,000 lbs trailer and a 500 lbs tongue weight.

Seeing how my ranger would routinely down shift while unloaded going over an overpass I don't know who in their right mind gave it a near 5,000 lbs towing capacity. I did pull the LSV with it a couple times and around town and on short trips to the ramp and a back it was fine, looked funny but it handled it very well. However if I ever tried to get on the highway it was WFO and I could only do about 65mph and even then after about 10 mins the transmission would stink to high heaven.

This is why I upgraded to my current tow vehicle (2006 Dodge Ram 1500 5.7l HEMI).

I will also say that while some vehicle models are over rated for towing, the inverse can also be applied. I have a buddy I work with who owns a 2008 GMC Sierra 3500 Dually Quad Cab with the Duramax and Allison tranny. It is rated at 16,500 lbs and he pulls his 20,000lbs + gooseneck trailer and bull dozer combo with it on a regular basis and experiences no issues.

And mike I beg to differ on you 4 and 6 cylinder vehicle not towing food. Every 18 wheeler you see on the road is a 6 cylinder.

sandm
05-04-2011, 06:59 PM
this is probably one area where there will never be a consensus to what a vehicle can or cannot do.

agree to disagree. bottom line is that we each end up on the water with a boat we enjoy :)


pat answer should be: "can X vehicle tow Y boat?" check with your local dealer as there are too many variables other than just tow ratings to answer that question. ;)

skiyaker
05-04-2011, 08:14 PM
I tow my OBV with a Nissan Frontier only rated to tow 6100#- made it all the way to Kentucky and back so what's it to ya? LOL

seriously I do like how safety minded everybody is here. My mindset is that if you have a 10% safety margin on your tow rating and keep the GVWR in mind you can do the job if you keep the speeds reasonable. Matter of fact I'm going to try towing the boat some this summer with my wife's acadia rated for 5200#.

If you want to see some crazy towing jump on an RV forum- I've seen pictures of a frontier like mine towing a 25 foot airstream.

mmandley
05-04-2011, 08:26 PM
And mike I beg to differ on you 4 and 6 cylinder vehicle not towing food. Every 18 wheeler you see on the road is a 6 cylinder.

Yes but there not 4.0 Liter and below Gas engines. LOL There 12L diesels with 1500 lbs of torque lol.

evoimport6
05-04-2011, 09:24 PM
I have a ridge line and It tows my lsv with ease.

rdlangston13
05-04-2011, 10:57 PM
Yes but there not 4.0 Liter and below Gas engines. LOL There 12L diesels with 1500 lbs of torque lol.

you think you're so smart dont you??? hah

mmandley
05-05-2011, 08:37 AM
you think you're so smart dont you??? hah

nope not at all mang you might be a hill billy redneck from TX but i is just a Southern AZ Redneck and moved up to the NW

sandm
05-05-2011, 09:24 AM
you're not a redneck yet mike. you don't have stacks on the truck yet :)

mmandley
05-05-2011, 09:27 AM
you're not a redneck yet mike. you don't have stacks on the truck yet :)

True that and i dont fly the Rebel Flag on my truck or front porch.

dusty2221
05-05-2011, 09:28 AM
That can be fixed ^. lol

rdlangston13
05-05-2011, 09:48 AM
stacks are ugly but there is nothing prettier than a girl in a rebel flag bikini.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_gK7uHltSOBs/TNkFGBXg7dI/AAAAAAAABVE/ba-GQzKWuTw/s400/rebel-flag-bikini-1.jpg

dusty2221
05-05-2011, 09:53 AM
Win.
/end thread. lol

kaneboats
05-05-2011, 09:56 AM
Well now we know what ole Hank was thinkin' about:

If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie
I don't wanna go
If heaven ain't a lot like Dixie
I'd just as soon stay home
. . .

moombadaze
05-05-2011, 10:05 AM
nice flag holders

wolfeman131
05-05-2011, 11:41 AM
and, once again, a thread on this board has gone wildly astray!

mind you, I'm not complaining one bit with this one . . .

moombadaze
05-05-2011, 12:27 PM
I agree and find it strange when thread stays on track

sandm
05-05-2011, 12:31 PM
under 2 page derail. not bad.

I will have to comment on the dixie flag bikini. hope I never see that up here :) we prefer our women in potato sacks.

deepcove
05-05-2011, 12:40 PM
I have been towing my Mobius LS with a Honda Pilot with a tow package for 6 years. It seems to handle it fine.

Canuckle Head
05-05-2011, 12:45 PM
I tow my OBV with an Acura MDX and other than the back end sagging, it seems to be able to handle it pretty well.

sandm
05-05-2011, 02:12 PM
I agree and find it strange when thread stays on track



I like pie.

Canuckle Head
05-05-2011, 05:48 PM
I like pie.

Dixie Pie? :D

sandm
05-05-2011, 06:09 PM
any pie. as long as it has a cherry on top..

newty
05-05-2011, 06:44 PM
I really like the direction this thread is going. A lot of really useful info!:D

rdlangston13
05-05-2011, 07:51 PM
i cant think of anything to say that is not inappropriate right now....

hurray for xxl surfing awards on fuel tv

bergermaister
05-05-2011, 08:03 PM
Aren't moderators supposed to be like the watchdogs? Not runnin around throwing gas on the fires - haha...

My brother has towed a 21ft Alumaweld fishing boat on the freeway only with a Honda Pilot. Tows the travel trailer with his Silverado until they get to the campground. Then hooks it to the boat.

I suggested throwing mine on the back of his Honda to run down to the launch with all the kids and was met with a blank "S-T-F-U you idiot" stare... What, I was just tryin to be helpful.

rdlangston13
05-05-2011, 08:43 PM
I suggested throwing mine on the back of his Honda to run down to the launch with all the kids and was met with a blank "S-T-F-U you idiot" stare... What, I was just tryin to be helpful.

i launched and retrieved my lsv with a 3.0 ranger...if the ranger can do it a pilot can do it.

but then again the ranger is built ford tough.


My brother has towed a 21ft Alumaweld fishing boat on the freeway only with a Honda Pilot. Tows the travel trailer with his Silverado until they get to the campground. Then hooks it to the boat.

i wouldnt think your boat would pull the travel trailer very well...go figure

bergermaister
05-06-2011, 09:09 AM
Haha - come on man, we'll call it a house boat! :p