Towing with a 2016 Honda Pilot LX AWD

Rerail

Hello Folks,
I am new here as my wife and I are considering a TAB 320 S-S.
We recently sold our Airstream and the tow vehicle which was a F150 Ecoboost rated at 10,000lbs with a max tow package

My question is has anyone towed with Honda Pilot?

We have a 2016 Honda Pilot LX AWD and the rated tow capacity is 5000 LBS. However I am always skeptical of the manufacturers claims. I know that in order to tow a 5000 lb trailer that I must install a transmission cooler.
Anyone out there use a Honda Pilot and if so what was the experience like. Would I require and equalized hitch etc?

Thanks in advance,
Keith Stamper
Port Colborne,
Ontario Canada 

rkj__

Hello and welcome. 

Out of curiosity, are you looking at buying from Smithville RV?  I'm curious how they are to deal with.  I've never been there myself, as my wife and I picked up our 2016 CS-S used from Niagara Trailers. 

The Honda Pilot, and most other midsize crossover vehicles with a 3,500-5,000+lb tow rating are well suited to towing a T@b 320.  An additional transmission cooler is typically fairly inexpensive, and a while maybe not critical for towing in flatter areas, it is definitely a good idea if you are going to head towards the mountains.  Most owners conclude a weight distribution hitch is not required for the T@b 320.

Here's a previous thread that discussed the Pilot as a TV.

https://tab-rv.vanillacommunity.com/discussion/5324/honda-pilot-fwd-as-a-tow-vehicle

lino

I tow with a 2016 Pilot with no issues nor sway bar

Rerail

Hi folks
I am currently looking at the trailer dealer in Smithville. Going there on Thursday when my is off work. A friend recently purchased from them and has nothing but good things to say about their service. He dealt with Justin. 

I know the transmission cooler is expensive, however we may go for the TAB 400 and I would definitely need to install a cooler. 

I really apprecte the feedback 
cheers,
Keith Stamper
Port Colborne
ON Canada. 

manny

@Rerail,  I tow with a Honda pilot (2016) LX-awd   I installed a trans cooler last fall. No problem towing my 2017 T@B 2017 cs-s    before the trans cooler I towed camper from Ohio to Seattle Wa.  and back no problem  6000 mi.   good luck and happy campin...

greggill

We towed our tab 320 with a 2012 Honda pilot and it worked well. It is sluggish on hills and mountains but if you watch your speed it's a comfortable tow vehicle.

rkj__

greggill said:

We towed our tab 320 with a 2012 Honda pilot and it worked well. It is sluggish on hills and mountains but if you watch your speed it's a comfortable tow vehicle.

The 250hp V6 feels sluggish?  That's surprising.  My old truck with 242HP seemed fine, but the most mountainous place it ever towed through was Pennsylvania.  I guess it's a good thing the 2016 has an extra 30hp.

Rerail

Thanks for the valuable information folks. We are going to look at the 320 S tomorrow and will make our decision soon. From what I read here the Honda should get the job done. As I mentioned in my first post, I towed the Airstream with an F150 Ecoboost and it could lay rubber with the trailer on the back if I was not careful. 

I Also towed a Taylor Coach way back in the 80's with a Pontiac Wagon. It was a real slug and had a huge problem out in Colorado as the engine was normally aspirated and could not get enough air at the higher altitudes. It crawled over the mountains.

I will be travelling to Colorado again and this is one of my concerns about the Honda and its ability to haul the trailer over those steep mountains.

Regards,
Keith Stamper
Port Colborne
On Canada.

rkj__

Rerail said:

Thanks for the valuable information folks. We are going to look at the 320 S tomorrow and will make our decision soon.

Pro tip:  Make sure the rear stabilizer legs are down, before you and your partner crawl into the back and lie down on the bed.  Haha, memories....

duckblind123

We have a 216 T@B Max S and we tow ours with a 2017 Honda Pilot LX (Not AWD).  We have towed our T@B with this vehicle from Northern Virginia all the way up to Bar Harbor, ME and all the way own to Key West, FL. and as to Arkansas through the smokey mountains.  We have had no issues towing the T@B with this vehicle.  We only have a regular trailer hitch, not a stabilizing hitch.  Only thing we have ever noticed is going up some of the mountain roads in VT and NH, we went up a bit slower (about 5-7 miles slower) than normal, but there were no issues with the vehicle or T@B.  FYI: We checked the weight of our T@B (fully loaded with all of our camping items) at a Pilot Gas Station CAT Scales and it topped out at just under 2000 LBS total weight.  So, I would think that you should have no issues.  Since we do not have the AWD version of the Pilot, our towing capacity is 3500 LBS, not 5000 like yours. Again, we've had no issues and I wouldn't think you would either.

lino

duckblind123 said:

We have a 216 T@B Max S and we tow ours with a 2017 Honda Pilot LX (Not AWD).  We have towed our T@B with this vehicle from Northern Virginia all the way up to Bar Harbor, ME and all the way own to Key West, FL. and as to Arkansas through the smokey mountains.  We have had no issues towing the T@B with this vehicle.  We only have a regular trailer hitch, not a stabilizing hitch.  Only thing we have ever noticed is going up some of the mountain roads in VT and NH, we went up a bit slower (about 5-7 miles slower) than normal, but there were no issues with the vehicle or T@B.  FYI: We checked the weight of our T@B (fully loaded with all of our camping items) at a Pilot Gas Station CAT Scales and it topped out at just under 2000 LBS total weight.  So, I would think that you should have no issues.  Since we do not have the AWD version of the Pilot, our towing capacity is 3500 LBS, not 5000 like yours. Again, we've had no issues and I wouldn't think you would either.

Nice to see someone else from NOVA

Rerail

Thanks Duckblind 123.
We just returned from the dealer and they have a few 320's in stock including two used models. As of now we are leaning towards a new 2019 Boondock Lite. I like the larger wheels and more rugged look of the unit. Also, the Yakima rack on the back looks like a good solid mount for a bike rack. I am keen on the Boondock Lite.
Thanks for the feedback.

Sharon_is_SAM

You might want to check the weight limit on that rack.

klenger

For 2019, the Boondock Lite (which is what I have) does not include the Yakima rack, unless ordered as an option.

Rerail

@klenger . Thanks for the information. We looked at about 4 trailers on the lot all of them 320 models and only one was a Standard 320. All the others were the Boondocks Lite or Boondocks Edge. The dealer also had a used Boondock Edge in stock and I believe you you are correct in that the Lit does not have the Yakima Rack. The spare wheel was located under the rear section of the trailer. It did have a solar panel. We are still procrastinating and will decide within the next few days. I agree, you only live once and I am about to turn 70. We had an Airstream which was too much trailer for our needs plus it became a maintenance nightmare as it aged.
My wife and I will make our final decision tomorrow as to whether we want to go back to trailer travel. We both miss this lifestyle and I lived in hotels for most of my working career as I travelled extensively. Now, I just dislike travelling and staying in a hotel.
Thanks,
Keith Stamper
Port Colborne
Ont Canada

klenger

I recently traded down from a 34' travel trailer and Ram 3/4 turbo diesel tow vehicle to what I have in my signature.  I do not miss driving the truck around as a daily driver and I can park the T@B most anywhere you can park a car.

Sharon_is_SAM

Here is a scarey Honda Pilot story from the TaG forum - just posted.

“My wife and I headed to Hualapai Mountain Park last weekend outside of Kingman, Arizona with out T@G Outback 6W. Long windy mountain road up to the campground. The person at the entrance charged me the camping fee and directed me to an upper loop in the campground. Well, about half way up the steep, one-way road my transmission temperature light came on (bad). I stopped immediately (good) and turned the car off (not the best choice - should have put it in park and idled it). Popped the hood to help cool (good), and scouted behind me for an escape. I ended up backing down about 300' of 8% grade one lane road (did I mention it was around a curve too, ugh!) to a point I could disconnect the trailer, turn the TV around, and reconnect. By the time I got to the bottom, the light had gone out (tranny cooled while I was backing). But I thought I could smell hot transmission fluid and feared the worst. We went back to the lower loop and found a good spot to stop for the night and worry. I checked the transmission fluid level after it had cooled some more, and the level was good. But I could smell a strong petroleum odor on the fluid. Crap. I ran the diagnostics on the bluetooth ODBII reader I had picked up a few weeks ago, and no error codes from the engine. That was good. It was time for a fitful sleep.

We returned home the next day (about 90 miles), and I made an appointment at the local Honda shop to have the transmission checked out. I think we got lucky. The mechanic said the fluid smelled "slightly burnt", but he didn't find any fibers in the fluid. Whew. He changed the fluid and suggested I come back in 1000 miles for a second fluid change. My wife has the vehicle in CA this week, and we'll change the fluid again when she gets back.

So I was kind of lulled into a little complacency by the fact that our TV (2015 Honda Pilot AWD) has a tow rating of 4500 lbs, a 3.5 liter V6 engine, and a transmission cooler standard. We didn't have much equipment since it was a quick trip (maybe 100 lbs), and the trailer didn't have any gear except the 11 gallons of water on board. And it was only 70 degrees outside. Why did the transmission heat up so much? Well, it must have been the slow speed due to the narrow roads (I was going 30 mph max on the way up for about 10 miles and then much slower in the campground) and the steep grades. Not enough air flow. As WilliamA said in another thread, the heat will kill a transmission. But still, I'm curious about folks towing with much smaller engines in mountainous areas. A number of folks in the forum have mentioned using smaller Subaru's with 2 liter engines to tow around Colorado and other places. Is there something else I'm missing in the equation of TV tow rating and engine size? And I would have thought the transmission cooler would have helped more. Thoughts?

I've had a bluetooth ODBII reader for a while now, but I'm having a devil of a time figuring out the Honda PID code for the transmission temperature sensor so that I can have a readout of the temperature on my phone using the ODBFusion app. I'm going to have another go at the Piloteers forum and try to figure the code out again. Even the Honda shop couldn't find the right code on their professional reader to share with me. @#$% Honda.”

rkj__

It is hard for a transmission to stay cool on a steep, slow climb, due to the stress, and lack of air flow. In the video linked below, a 2017 Ridgeline overheats it’s transmission on a rocky road, without a trailer even. Fast forward to the 15:00 mark for that event. 

https://youtu.be/B5eE697aqEg

BogieMeister

I Too have a 2016 Pilot AWD. During my journey home from the dealership I was really concerned about the performance and horrible gas mileage. It wasn't until I was almost home ( after traveling about 200 miles) that I realized that I had the car in the ECO mode. After that it was smooth sailing.