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Post by callingmountains on Aug 8, 2021 9:13:57 GMT -5
We recently purchased a V6 pilot with transmission cooler and Honda says it can tow 5K. I find the advice on the web a bit confusing on how much weight I should be looking for in a travel trailer. Any particular spec I should be shooting for?
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senior
Weekender RV’er
2022 KZ280TH
Posts: 80
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Post by senior on Aug 8, 2021 10:28:14 GMT -5
That's a lot of weight for a little vehicle. Could you tow it...maybe...comfortably?  & for how long??? |
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Post by Edd505 on Aug 8, 2021 15:09:51 GMT -5
You might find this YouTube helpful in explaining all the weight stuff. It's one of the best I have seen and he explains it very clearly. Towng explained link |
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Post by jfspry58 on Aug 9, 2021 12:35:36 GMT -5
Keep in mind, in most cases you run out of payload capacity long before you exceed your tow capacity since payload includes everyone and everything inside the vehicle, the hitch, and the tongue/pin weight. And, the tongue/pin weight is ALWAYS more than the unloaded weight stated in the specs once you get propane, batteries, water, and all your stuff inside.
Jay
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dora
Newbie RV’er
Long Time RV'er
Posts: 27
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Post by dora on Aug 10, 2021 17:06:47 GMT -5
I personally stay below my vehicles towing capacity limits. It's easier on my transmission and engine and way easier climbing up the side of a mountain.
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Post by callingmountains on Aug 10, 2021 22:24:04 GMT -5
Staying below the tow rating should be obvious. The video was helpful but a tad overkill for an ultra light TT. Bottom line, my tow rating is 5000. The GVWR is 4245 on an Escape E191BHK. We are fairly minimalist campers and don't carry a ton of crap.
Seems pretty straightforward... What am I missing?
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Post by johnr on Aug 11, 2021 6:23:35 GMT -5
If you understand it, then you're not missing anything. Don't forget to add on the weight of everything you add into the Honda as well (people, coolers, chairs, bikes, hitch, emergency kits, etc.) because that counts in towing capacity. Basically the weight of anything that did not come stock on that vehicle from the factory. There is no magical spec, it's just a matter of weights and limits. It all boils down to what you're comfortable with. We're not experts here and we can't see what you have or how it tows. Get a good weight distribution hitch with sway control and take the time to set it up properly. Good luck! Staying below the tow rating should be obvious. The video was helpful but a tad overkill for an ultra light TT. Bottom line, my tow rating is 5000. The GVWR is 4245 on an Escape E191BHK. We are fairly minimalist campers and don't carry a ton of crap. Seems pretty straightforward... What am I missing? |
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Post by Edd505 on Aug 11, 2021 15:55:04 GMT -5
Staying below the tow rating should be obvious. The video was helpful but a tad overkill for an ultra light TT. Bottom line, my tow rating is 5000. The GVWR is 4245 on an Escape E191BHK. We are fairly minimalist campers and don't carry a ton of crap. Seems pretty straightforward... What am I missing? The video explains all the different weighs and it applies to any RV whether it's 5,000lbs or 14,000 like mine. You asked a question and all you need to do is plug the numbers in like the video explains, that will tell you what your truck capable of. Find the RV you like and plug in those numbers and it will tell you if the RV is too big or not. You will get tons of answers on what you can tow, do a search on the F150 and see all the comments. Only you can decide if the truck & RV combination is something you can live with, many tow over weight ...................
My personal opinion is any truck with a V6 will not be able to tow much, but again that my opinion and everyone has one.
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Post by callingmountains on Aug 12, 2021 10:33:13 GMT -5
Thanks again Edd. I fully admit I am not the best at math and know nothing of automobiles. I spent a bit too much time with a fishing pole in my hand I guess. So, I watched the video and about half of it went over my head. Then I found an online calculator and when I put the two together I felt much better. towcalculator.com/# helped me plug in the relevant numbers from the video and gave me a nice summary. Here is the image it spit out and my understanding, again with very little knowledge of cars. photos.app.goo.gl/ANFphYYjuCA7RWNy8 So, from a trailer weight perspective, we are good. 34% under towing capacity. From what I understand that means our transmission can function in a healthy manner. I also found out the Elite has a special trasmission for towing and I had a factory cooler installed. So I feel good about my transmission. From a vehicle weight perspective, we are okay - but not be a huge margin. I was very generous with payload and that puts us 7% under capacity. From what I understand, this means our engine can pull it safely but it will have to work hard on big inclines. Not unhealthy, just not easy. So short term we need to be considerate on the trips we take avoiding huge inclines up mountain passes or long haul trips cross-country. This will buy me some time to save up for a truck. From a combined weight we are in good shape. 18% under maximum. From what I understand this is mostly important for break functionality. Again, I would still avoid huge mountain passes and such, but our usual camping trips shouldn't be an issue. |
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Post by Edd505 on Aug 12, 2021 17:15:35 GMT -5
Thanks again Edd. I fully admit I am not the best at math and know nothing of automobiles. I spent a bit too much time with a fishing pole in my hand I guess. So, I watched the video and about half of it went over my head. Then I found an online calculator and when I put the two together I felt much better. towcalculator.com/# helped me plug in the relevant numbers from the video and gave me a nice summary. Here is the image it spit out and my understanding, again with very little knowledge of cars. photos.app.goo.gl/ANFphYYjuCA7RWNy8 So, from a trailer weight perspective, we are good. 34% under towing capacity. From what I understand that means our transmission can function in a healthy manner. I also found out the Elite has a special trasmission for towing and I had a factory cooler installed. So I feel good about my transmission. From a vehicle weight perspective, we are okay - but not be a huge margin. I was very generous with payload and that puts us 7% under capacity. From what I understand, this means our engine can pull it safely but it will have to work hard on big inclines. Not unhealthy, just not easy. So short term we need to be considerate on the trips we take avoiding huge inclines up mountain passes or long haul trips cross-country. This will buy me some time to save up for a truck. From a combined weight we are in good shape. 18% under maximum. From what I understand this is mostly important for break functionality. Again, I would still avoid huge mountain passes and such, but our usual camping trips shouldn't be an issue. Glad it all fell into place for you, the numbers look good and you will need to watch how much you load for trips. I think you truck will have a tow mode and you will want to use it towing as it changes shift points etc. That calculators look like a useful tool you might want to post a link to it as the can I tow question comes up all the time when someone new to the RV world buys or plans to buy. Happy camping & safe travels. - Edd |
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Post by jfspry58 on Aug 14, 2021 19:16:55 GMT -5
Thanks again Edd. I fully admit I am not the best at math and know nothing of automobiles. I spent a bit too much time with a fishing pole in my hand I guess. So, I watched the video and about half of it went over my head. Then I found an online calculator and when I put the two together I felt much better. towcalculator.com/# helped me plug in the relevant numbers from the video and gave me a nice summary. Here is the image it spit out and my understanding, again with very little knowledge of cars. photos.app.goo.gl/ANFphYYjuCA7RWNy8 So, from a trailer weight perspective, we are good. 34% under towing capacity. From what I understand that means our transmission can function in a healthy manner. I also found out the Elite has a special trasmission for towing and I had a factory cooler installed. So I feel good about my transmission. From a vehicle weight perspective, we are okay - but not be a huge margin. I was very generous with payload and that puts us 7% under capacity. From what I understand, this means our engine can pull it safely but it will have to work hard on big inclines. Not unhealthy, just not easy. So short term we need to be considerate on the trips we take avoiding huge inclines up mountain passes or long haul trips cross-country. This will buy me some time to save up for a truck. From a combined weight we are in good shape. 18% under maximum. From what I understand this is mostly important for break functionality. Again, I would still avoid huge mountain passes and such, but our usual camping trips shouldn't be an issue. I'm also glad to hear it will work. One thing to consider, when you're towing in the mountains, especially up and down passes, it places much more stress on your transmission than level ground. You possibly could need a heavier transmission cooler. As for the brakes, it is important to make sure your brakes on the tow vehicle are up to the task, but equally important that your controller is set up properly so that the brakes on your trailer are doing their share as well. As others have said, if the numbers are ok the rest depends on what you are or aren't comfortable with. Best of luck and safe travels! Jay |
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Post by laknox on Aug 16, 2021 14:54:20 GMT -5
Staying below the tow rating should be obvious. The video was helpful but a tad overkill for an ultra light TT. Bottom line, my tow rating is 5000. The GVWR is 4245 on an Escape E191BHK. We are fairly minimalist campers and don't carry a ton of crap. Seems pretty straightforward... What am I missing? The video explains all the different weighs and it applies to any RV whether it's 5,000lbs or 14,000 like mine. You asked a question and all you need to do is plug the numbers in like the video explains, that will tell you what your truck capable of. Find the RV you like and plug in those numbers and it will tell you if the RV is too big or not. You will get tons of answers on what you can tow, do a search on the F150 and see all the comments. Only you can decide if the truck & RV combination is something you can live with, many tow over weight ...................
My personal opinion is any truck with a V6 will not be able to tow much, but again that my opinion and everyone has one.
Unless it's a 375 hp, twin turbo EcoBoost...  Lyle |
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Post by laknox on Aug 16, 2021 15:09:22 GMT -5
I agree with Edd and Jay. It's doable, but you'll need to really watch your temps and pressures. I'd get an OBDII monitor so you can get more detailed, and accurate, engine/trans data. Also, with gas engines, they're =designed= to be revved higher, as that's where your h.p. and torque is produced. When you're on a grade, don't be afraid to let the engine rev up to the max h.p. range and just take whatever speed you get. (You'll also get better mileage doing that than by trying to use a higher gear.) This means manually shifting to the appropriate gear and just leaving it there until you get to flatter ground. On downgrades, you also have to use your engine to brake as well as your wheel brakes. Properly set up, your Pilot stops itself and the trailer stops itself. You should not feel the trailer pushing you; pulling you just a bit isn't a bad thing, but you have to make sure it's not too much. Personally, my style of braking with my old Duramax is to let my speed run up to my current tire's 65 mph speed rating, then brake hard, down to about 55 and ride the engine back up to 65. My engine braking is usually enough to give me about 90-120 seconds of brake cooling before I have to do it again. My "usual" grades aren't so long that I'm at at a huge risk of overheating my brakes by doing this. On the few steeper sections, I'll end up braking down to about 50, when the trans shifts down to 3rd (original Allison is only a 5-speed, with no manual 4th gear selection), and that will get me up to about 60 before I start to go into redline territory.
Lyle
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Post by Edd505 on Aug 17, 2021 13:13:55 GMT -5
The video explains all the different weighs and it applies to any RV whether it's 5,000lbs or 14,000 like mine. You asked a question and all you need to do is plug the numbers in like the video explains, that will tell you what your truck capable of. Find the RV you like and plug in those numbers and it will tell you if the RV is too big or not. You will get tons of answers on what you can tow, do a search on the F150 and see all the comments. Only you can decide if the truck & RV combination is something you can live with, many tow over weight ...................
My personal opinion is any truck with a V6 will not be able to tow much, but again that my opinion and everyone has one.
Unless it's a 375 hp, twin turbo EcoBoost... Lyle Doesn't matter what engine you put in it it still has limited tow capabilities, and almost zero before your at vehicles max weight. Put a 1000hp turbo what ever your still limited on over all weight. I pulled a 5000lb 5W with a half ton GMC once, not enough truck. The 1/2 ton what ever is a grocery getter and not serious tow vehicle, JMHO. The ECO Boost has to have the max tow package and some other stuff to get a decent rating. The F250 will cost less and will have a decent tow rating & load capacity, as you step up in trim you go down in weight capacity. Son in Law has a F150 Raptor, yes its fast but towing sucks.
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& for how long???
