Honda Ridgeline and Tab 360

EasternJL

Just curious if anyone is hauling a regular Tab 360 with a Honda Ridgeline and how it's been handling.  I towed a 320 for a while in my Ridgeline and thought that was probably the limit for what I'd want to tow with it.  Keeping in mind that we often had bikes, and/or kayaks and lots of gear in the camper and truck.  I don't like the idea of getting to close to the limits of the truck, but I also don't like the idea of buying a new truck!  

GBL_citruscountyfl

I tow my 400 with a 2018 Ridge line front wheel.drive(measured 550lbs hitch weight) and about 1400 lbs in the bed and cab.  Tows better than any v8 dodge I've ever had, and tows better up I-70/81 hills.  I do run a huge transmission cooler the size of my radiator and a scan gauge for temps, and never been above 130/140 F on the steepest grade hauling in over drive.  I have zero squat when hooked up with the rear suspension.

I drive 60-65 mph and stay around 2k rps on most hills, and never had any issues with wearing parts or feeling like I was towing too much.  Any speed above 65, and you will see the transmission temperature climb a few degrees for each mph over.

I also 2-3x drain and fill my transmission oil every 7-10k miles.  It costs be about $80 a year for the oil, and about 15 min of time, for each drain and fill.

Another trick I've learned is that the two engine fans don't run all the time, so in heavy traffic or where I'm not moving fast enough for wind to cool my transmission cooler,I turn the AC on high, and it activates both fans on high, dropping the transmission temperature 20+ degrees.

marcinOre

I'm towing a 2024 TAB 400 with a '21 Ridgeline, and it's no problem. The rig climbs the hills from the Willamette Valley out to the coast easily, though it sometimes needs a few revs to get it done. (Honda's 3.5L V-6 is not the torquiest engine in the world.) The Ridgeline's chassis handles the 400 just fine. 

EasternJL

Thanks.  I hate to get close to capacity, but it's nice to hear that others are hauling something with similar weight.  Maybe they'd let me pull one down the road at the dealership1

ScottG

FWIW, years ago I crossed paths at a rest stop with couple towing a 400 with a Ridgeline. They were having issues with their transmission overheating. I can't say if it was related--or if they had a transmission cooler--but the cooler seems like a good idea for the heavier trailers.

marcinOre

ScottG said:

FWIW, years ago I crossed paths at a rest stop with couple towing a 400 with a Ridgeline. They were having issues with their transmission overheating. I can't say if it was related--or if they had a transmission cooler--but the cooler seems like a good idea for the heavier trailers.

It's fairly well known in Ridgeline circles that the earlier models with the 6-speed have had issues. So far, the later ZF 9-speed as fared better, though it's still recommended to tow in the S mode rather than in D. When summer comes to Oregon, I'll definitely do an OBD link to watch trans temps, though. 

tphaggerty

2019 Ridgeline with 6 speed tranny towing a 2018 T@B 400. Have well over 35k miles towing, cross country 3 times, up and down the Rockies and almost every mountain range in the country. Had the tranny overheat once in LA traffic. Since then we drive in D4 at 62 mph (mostly) and keep up on tranny servicing and had no problems.  We use a Scanguage to track tranny temps as well.

Overall, the Ridgeline has been great. If you want to tow on highways at 70 or 75 mph, then no, get an f150 or suburban. If you are fine doing 65 or less, the Ridgeline is a great tow vehicle- quiet, roomy, comfortable.