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Anyone towing with a Honda Pilot


SkiPablo

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I'm looking at a Sunsetter LXI with Tandem trailer.  Looking at my manual here my Honda Pilot is rated for 4500 lbs.    I'm guessing this Sunsetter will be close to that with some skis and gas.

Most of the time I only trailer to a lake that is 12 minutes away...  about once a month we hit some lakes that are 60-90 minutes away.

Sound reasonable ?

 

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On trips we sometimes use my mother's Pilot to tow our American Skier Volante over the passes.  I'd say similar size and maybe slightly lighter.  The Pilot does just fine.  

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Yes. She does just fine with our '09 23 LSV.  Would not advise long distance or hilly hauls, but I'm comfortable with flat road conditions. We elect not to pull it the 250 miles it takes to get to our lake, but if we were closer I wouldn't have a problem with it. It pulls out of the water without any problem and we have never broke traction on the boat ramp. 

image.jpeg

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You are correct in that you'll be right at your max rating with gas, gear, and crew. That said it is a good tow vehicle that I think punches above it's weight. My brother had an '03 MDX and a '14 Ridgeline--that all share the same driveline and brakes--and they towed his ProStar 190 just fine. Better braking and acceleration than my 96 Tahoe and enough size and weight to keep everything in a straight line.

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I tow a 2013 A20 with a 2011 Honda Pilot. Does great. I've done 3 hour drives with my boat, and some sort-of sketchy steep ramps. Handles it really well for a V6 SUV with FWD-Biased AWD.

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I also tow with a 2012 pilot.  I swear ours was rated for 5000 lbs, not 4500.   I don't tow it very far,  in and out in the spring and fall.   Once a year to "Wake the World" if I can make it.  But the pilot does fine.

Since I do a lot of local driving I will usually take it out of "overdrive" so it isn't hunting for gears all the time.  If I was doing more highway driving I would just leave it.   When I am at the ramp, I usually engage the VTM-4 Lock so I don't slip (or slip less)

 

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1 hour ago, CedarLakeSkier said:

I also tow with a 2012 pilot.  I swear ours was rated for 5000 lbs, not 4500.

From a quick Google search, the 1st and 2nd Gen Pilots are rated @ 4500 for a boat (less for everything else); 3rd Gen's ('16+) are 5000.

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right now i have a 4 pin connector on my pilot - does anyone know how to set it up for 5 pin ?    I think we found something but it looks like a hard wire vs the 4 pin convertor i have currently.  My pilot is a 2006

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1 hour ago, SkiPablo said:

right now i have a 4 pin connector on my pilot - does anyone know how to set it up for 5 pin ?    I think we found something but it looks like a hard wire vs the 4 pin convertor i have currently.  My pilot is a 2006

SkiPablo,

Not sure if you know this or not, but with 12 posts on file I thought maybe I would let you know.

I operated with a 4 pin on a 5 pin trailer for some time.  The 5th pin unlocks the trailer brake when you shift into reverse on the 5 pin setup.  There are a few things that you can do.

  • Option 1: The best would be to order yourself a 5 pin conversion kit for your pilot.  It allows you to keep the current 4 pins and hook up a 5th pin to your reverse light on your car/truck in order to disable the trailer brake when you are in reverse
  • Option 2:  You were probably given a small key-like device that you could put in the trailer to keep the brake from engaging when going in reverse.  If not, you could probably pick one up at the dealer for cheap.  Just make sure to remove this device before you get on the road again.
  • Option 3:  the 4 pin connector fits into the 5 pin with a missing slot, which is fine for driving.  When you get to the ramp, get out and reverse the 4 pin connector.  Let the connector with the rubber "slot" hang off the opposite end of the 5 pin, connecting to nothing.   Get back in your car and turn on the headlights.  This has the effect of sending the current needed to the correct trailer "pin" in order to disable the trailer brake.   Just make sure the flip it back after you load up the boat before you get on the road.
  • Like 4
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19 hours ago, oldjeep said:

doubt it is anywhere near 4500.  Should be fine.

Don't be so sure...

My 2004 SSLXI on tandem axle prestige trailer, skylon tower with speakers, full tank of gas and watersports gear for a day trip to lake was Cat scaled at just over 5000lbs.  No coolers were in the boat and this was before we surfed so no ballast (that didn't fully drain), no surf boards and we didn't wakeboard.  

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2 hours ago, wedge88 said:

Don't be so sure...

My 2004 SSLXI on tandem axle prestige trailer, skylon tower with speakers, full tank of gas and watersports gear for a day trip to lake was Cat scaled at just over 5000lbs.  No coolers were in the boat and this was before we surfed so no ballast (that didn't fully drain), no surf boards and we didn't wakeboard.  

The stats I read said boat is about 3k dry, figure probably 900-1200 for trailer, leaving about 3-600 lbs. to play with depending on trailer.  Gas and other items can add up quick, so I can see popping passed 4500 with a full tank and some gear.  I sure would not want to load the boat with crap and then also fill the car to capacity with peeps and gear.  

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Not sure if anyone mentioned it but GET THE TRANNY FLUID COOLER!!!!  If you get the factory tow package for $1000 or so, it should come with it and a power steering fluid cooler. If you get a uhaul kit, it's just the bolt on hitch. Those tranny's are already weakish as it is. Towing any significant distance is goin to be hard on it, although I think the biggest stress on it is going to be pulling it out of the water. Use the VTM-4 lock mode even though it doesn't gear it down. 

I know gen 1 MDX's were 3500# trailer and 4500# due to the more aerodynamic boat (or so they said). I would think gen 1 and gen 2 pilots would be the same since its the same VTM-4 awd system. 

Edited by isellacuras
  • Like 2
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On 03/07/2017 at 7:34 PM, NMMalibuFamily said:

Yes. She does just fine with our '09 23 LSV.  Would not advise long distance or hilly hauls, but I'm comfortable with flat road conditions. We elect not to pull it the 250 miles it takes to get to our lake, but if we were closer I wouldn't have a problem with it. It pulls out of the water without any problem and we have never broke traction on the boat ramp. 

image.jpeg

Yikes that looks a little sketch... glad your not towing long distance.  You have some serious rear sag going on with potential bump steer.  Have you considered at least adding rear air bags?  You have to be way over weight at a 4500 lb Max tow.

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4 hours ago, SkiPablo said:

i emailed a dealer and they said they come in around 4500-4800 with the tandem trailer.

I'll retract my flippant "does fine" comment.  My skier and trailer are sub 4k dry.  I would not start with a boat and trailer dry over weight; its only going to be heavier with gas and toys.  And the passengers eat into the tow rating.  

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17 minutes ago, Fman said:

Yikes that looks a little sketch... glad your not towing long distance.  You have some serious rear sag going on with potential bump steer.  Have you considered at least adding rear air bags?  You have to be way over weight at a 4500 lb Max tow.

I've never considered myself to be the weight police, but.....

My 2014 23LSV is 6050 pounds on the trailer empty.  I figure I am 6500 pounds ready for the lake.  I sometimes tow with a Yukon XL, and I am not ecstatic about the way it tows.  I can't imagine towing with something smaller.

Glad that NMMalibuFamily is happy the way it tows.  Perhaps his trailer is set up better than mine is.  Very possible.

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this has been a cool thread !  thanks Guys !!   I do have the tranny cooler - when I toll my Bayliner it like it not even there - but it only weighs 2600 lbs wet with trailer.

My pilot took a crap last night and is in the shop getting a new belt tensioner and belt.    Half temped to sell it when i get it back and upgrade to something newer.   We have had the car a long time.  We need the 3rd row so I'm looking at the Traverse as it looks to tows 5200 when setup correctly -  just don't know if that is real world better or not.   Or course I could go big and get the Nissan Armada or Toyota Sequoia.

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16 hours ago, CedarLakeSkier said:

SkiPablo,

Not sure if you know this or not, but with 12 posts on file I thought maybe I would let you know.

I operated with a 4 pin on a 5 pin trailer for some time.  The 5th pin unlocks the trailer brake when you shift into reverse on the 5 pin setup.  There are a few things that you can do.

  • Option 1: The best would be to order yourself a 5 pin conversion kit for your pilot.  It allows you to keep the current 4 pins and hook up a 5th pin to your reverse light on your car/truck in order to disable the trailer brake when you are in reverse
  • Option 2:  You were probably given a small key-like device that you could put in the trailer to keep the brake from engaging when going in reverse.  If not, you could probably pick one up at the dealer for cheap.  Just make sure to remove this device before you get on the road again.
  • Option 3:  the 4 pin connector fits into the 5 pin with a missing slot, which is fine for driving.  When you get to the ramp, get out and reverse the 4 pin connector.  Let the connector with the rubber "slot" hang off the opposite end of the 5 pin, connecting to nothing.   Get back in your car and turn on the headlights.  This has the effect of sending the current needed to the correct trailer "pin" in order to disable the trailer brake.   Just make sure the flip it back after you load up the boat before you get on the road.

thanks Man !  that is really helpful info to know :) 

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18 hours ago, CedarLakeSkier said:

SkiPablo,

Not sure if you know this or not, but with 12 posts on file I thought maybe I would let you know.

I operated with a 4 pin on a 5 pin trailer for some time.  The 5th pin unlocks the trailer brake when you shift into reverse on the 5 pin setup.  There are a few things that you can do.

  • Option 1: The best would be to order yourself a 5 pin conversion kit for your pilot.  It allows you to keep the current 4 pins and hook up a 5th pin to your reverse light on your car/truck in order to disable the trailer brake when you are in reverse
  • Option 2:  You were probably given a small key-like device that you could put in the trailer to keep the brake from engaging when going in reverse.  If not, you could probably pick one up at the dealer for cheap.  Just make sure to remove this device before you get on the road again.
  • Option 3:  the 4 pin connector fits into the 5 pin with a missing slot, which is fine for driving.  When you get to the ramp, get out and reverse the 4 pin connector.  Let the connector with the rubber "slot" hang off the opposite end of the 5 pin, connecting to nothing.   Get back in your car and turn on the headlights.  This has the effect of sending the current needed to the correct trailer "pin" in order to disable the trailer brake.   Just make sure the flip it back after you load up the boat before you get on the road.

You forgot about option 4 (the approach taken by many) - a problem develops in the trailer brake system, it's not fixed, therefore you don't have to disable it while backing up.

  • Like 2
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15 hours ago, SkiPablo said:

this has been a cool thread !  thanks Guys !!   I do have the tranny cooler - when I toll my Bayliner it like it not even there - but it only weighs 2600 lbs wet with trailer.

My pilot took a crap last night and is in the shop getting a new belt tensioner and belt.    Half temped to sell it when i get it back and upgrade to something newer.   We have had the car a long time.  We need the 3rd row so I'm looking at the Traverse as it looks to tows 5200 when setup correctly -  just don't know if that is real world better or not.   Or course I could go big and get the Nissan Armada or Toyota Sequoia.

If you want something Traverse size, but better at towing, take a look at the Dodge Durango.  Pretty sure they go up above 7000 pounds.

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13 hours ago, RyanB said:

If you want something Traverse size, but better at towing, take a look at the Dodge Durango.  Pretty sure they go up above 7000 pounds.

Those are the two I ended up looking at when we were shopping 3rd row SUVs that could handle our boat - Durangos and Lambdas (Traverse/Acadia/Enclave/Outlook).  For whichever you look it, you have to make sure they have the factory tow package, as the max limits will be much different without.  If they just bolted on a hitch, it's likely missing the other items that went into the tow packages.  For the Durango, the engine options also made a difference.  For me, I had an extremely hard time finding a used Durango near us that ticked all the boxes I needed it to, as it seems so many of them were ordered as suburban mom kid haulers.....  So, we ended up with a Saturn Outlook and have been fairly happy with it, and it actually tows better than I was expecting for our boat which is ~4500 lbs.

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On 3/7/2017 at 9:34 PM, NMMalibuFamily said:

Yes. She does just fine with our '09 23 LSV.  Would not advise long distance or hilly hauls, but I'm comfortable with flat road conditions. We elect not to pull it the 250 miles it takes to get to our lake, but if we were closer I wouldn't have a problem with it. It pulls out of the water without any problem and we have never broke traction on the boat ramp. 

image.jpeg

No offense but I hope you are never behind me when traffic comes to a sudden halt.  You are probably over 150% of the tow rating of your vehicle.  

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Just now, Lees23 said:

No offense but I hope you are never behind me when traffic comes to a sudden halt.  You are probably over 150% of the tow rating of your vehicle.  

Or in front of me, or next to me, or passing me in the opposite direction.....

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