Results 21 to 30 of 34
Thread: Tow Vehicle/Pickup truck HELP
-
10-12-2010, 10:21 AM #21
comming from a Ridgeline i could say that pulling my boat on the highway it was not strong enough it was very hard on gas if your pulling more than 3500 LB i would`t buy a Ridgeline . My new truck is a f 150 with a 5.4 it pulls great and cheaper then the Ridgeline on gas on the highway.2012 Mobius LSV
05 Outback LS SOLD
-
10-12-2010, 11:06 AM #22Senior Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2005
- Location
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Posts
- 718
What year of Ridgeline did you have? I bought a 2009 model (when 2008 models were still around and discounted) specifically because of the engine/transmission revisions that were made then. While its peak torque/power is barely changed, it has significantly more mid-range torque. Yes, you have to let it rev up on the uphill areas. It's made to do that, though it feels weird if you are used to V8's. I expect that when more people start using Ford's new high-output 3.5L V6 Ecoboost engine for trucks, there will be a lot more popular comfort with this notion.
Yes, the fuel efficiency drops quite a bit when towing heavy, possibly even lower than a recent V8 full-size when on the highway. Given that the handling is stable and that towing accounts for a minority of my driving time, I would not trade the Ridgeline for a vehicle that is far less appropriate for my needs the rest of the time. I have a full-size truck available (Dad's Silverado) anytime that I want to use it. I don't.
I do have a concern with the other mid-sized trucks (Tacoma and Frontier). They have solid axles and leaf springs. They aren't that heavy themselves compared to the their advertised hauling capacity, which is made to rival a basic half-ton full-size truck. Their rear ends tend to bounce a lot when not heavily weighed down -- more than mid-sized SUV's with softer suspension. That could be a problem on a bumpy road... or when towing a trailer that does not have a lot of tongue weight.Last edited by Ian Brantford; 10-12-2010 at 10:07 PM.
2005 XLV, upgraded ballast, Comptech swivel wakeboard and hydrofoil racks, Monster cargo bimini
-
10-13-2010, 09:50 AM #23
All good points but the only thing I can add is get 4x4.
I have a montero with V6 and get 20mpg on the highway, 15 city, 7-8 towing our at the limit when loaded with gear boat. I'm waiting for a used Audi Q7 TDI to come my way. I won't take our V6 through the mountains. Already upgraded suspension and brakes, just the engine/tranny scare me. stopping is the most important part. The MDX/Ridgeline is very similar to our truck but a bit better MPG.
If you have your wife's suv for harder towing then I think something like a ridgeline or F150 V6-eco would be good choices and might get you into 20mpg+ on the highway. Used ridgeline as usually nobody tows with them and only used to haul home projects the wife makes you do to/from the Home Depot. You can get one for $20k pretty easy and look for no marks on the inside of the hitch.
-
10-13-2010, 12:27 PM #24Senior Member
- Join Date
- Oct 2007
- Location
- Panama City Florida
- Posts
- 1,798
Note: The Porsche Cayanne, the VW Touareg and the Q7 are all the same platform all made on the same assembly line. Same chasis, brakes, engines (different states of tune here) exhaust etc. The Porsche's hold their value due to the name. The VW Touareg prices drop quickly, unless you just want the Audi version check out the V-8 Touareg. I would tell you to check the V-10 TDI diesel like mine but since they stopped selling them in the US the value of these are actually rising. It is good to know that I can still get what I paid for my Touareg even after owning it for 2 years and putting 30k miles on it.
-
10-13-2010, 01:38 PM #25Senior Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2005
- Location
- Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Posts
- 718
I had not read anything about the Montero until today. That's interesting that they went with independent rear suspension and unibody for the 3rd generation. It handled bumps better, but still had handling problems at speed. I can see why you upgraded the suspension. Kudos for going to the trouble to get the handling that you should have.
The Ridgeline handles like an AWD sports sedan. Some owners report that it is still stable when hitting the limiter at 112 MPH. A stunt that Honda did at a customer appreciation event was to take some of them as passengers (professional driver), with 1000 lbs of unsecured lead shot in the bed, through a wacky obstacle course at up to 70 MPH. Nice.
If you have your wife's suv for harder towing then I think something like a ridgeline or F150 V6-eco would be good choices and might get you into 20mpg+ on the highway. Used ridgeline as usually nobody tows with them and only used to haul home projects the wife makes you do to/from the Home Depot. You can get one for $20k pretty easy and look for no marks on the inside of the hitch.2005 XLV, upgraded ballast, Comptech swivel wakeboard and hydrofoil racks, Monster cargo bimini
-
10-13-2010, 04:37 PM #26Senior Member
- Join Date
- Jul 2010
- Location
- Northern VA
- Posts
- 132
I've got a Tacoma, and I can agree with whoever was talking about bumps when not towing or weighed down. It's a far cry from a sport SUV...
But I've had no issues towing an LSV with it. Taken several 2 and a half hour trips with it. Around 11 mpg when towing on the highway around 65. Up hills it definitely doesn't feel like it's going on its own- you need step on it, but it hasn't been an issue and I'm not needing to go 70 up a hill. Haven't been in a situation where I needed 4x4 yet, but I like not worrying about when that situation may arise. I get 20 sometimes 21 mpg when not towing. Yes ideally it would be a full size truck, but it is what it is- this worked out better for me.
ALSO hasn't surprise accelerated on its own yet! I'm holding my breath waiting for that oneLast edited by schuylski; 10-13-2010 at 04:40 PM.
-
10-13-2010, 09:32 PM #27
dodge ram 1500! I bought mine last fall and I have just over 35K on it. Absolutely love it.... Tons of power and when I took the 8 hour trip to pick up my 04LSV I got 22.5 mpg ( not us mpg either!!!) and on the way home I averaged just over 17. The ride is the best out of any truck I have ever owned and I've owned all of the big three!
geoff2014 Mondo with da flow!!! Exile towers, stock everything else.... for now!
-
10-14-2010, 10:04 AM #28Banned
- Join Date
- Oct 2005
- Location
- Durham, NC
- Posts
- 649
One thing to not forget when calculating tow weights, the trailer can weigh almost 1000 pounds, making a 3000# boat a 4000# load.
-
10-14-2010, 11:32 AM #29
yep.... my boat is 3000lbs and the trailer is 800lbs according to the sticker.
05 lsv2014 Mondo with da flow!!! Exile towers, stock everything else.... for now!
-
10-14-2010, 05:35 PM #30