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MAX Towing Capacity

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#1 ·
So what is the heavies camper anyone has pulls with their Honda?

We want to upgrade our camper and was wondering how big we could go.

BTW were in Colorado, thin air.
 
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#3 ·
My pop-up is 3072 on the sticker. Naturally, I put some gear in it when we go, so I'm probably riding close to the 3500lbs limit. The Odyssey does it with ease and braking is no issue either with the Tekonsha Prodigy brake controller. I have the full Honda tow package except for the wire harness, which won't work if need have a trailer with brakes.
 
#4 ·
The official story is that the 3500 lb limit only applies when the van is empty, no passengers or cargo. As you add passengers and cargo, your tow limit decreases. For your 06, it's discussed in the manual here https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/om/HJ0606/HJ0606O00312A.pdf

It will pull more than it's rated to pull, especially over level ground, but the problem eventually becomes braking and handling, especially in the steep twisties.
 
#5 ·
The sad fact is car companies have been rating mini-vans at 3500lbs for probably for 15 years! I'll tell you straight-up, the Odyssey is a tank compared to the Montana's and Caravans on the road. Mine easily manages a 3000+ lb pup trailer.

Fine print: Make sure your trailer has electronic brakes, use a good electronic brake controller, and get sway control. Another thing - keep the tongue at the recommended % of weight which is usually 12-15%... I even through on airlifts for added measure.
 
#6 ·
I am fairly sure Honda UNDERSTATES what the vehicle can pull for CYA purposes. I have seen 3rd Gens with fairly large fiberglass boats attached to them...not that I would recommend that.........:stupid:
 
#7 ·
We just moved in July, and I had been planning to tow a trailer with the '05 Touring for quite some time. It's a 1,200 lbs empty with a GVWR of 2,995#, so we were within all the limits. The problem came when we ran out of space in the PODS for our normal household belongings and kept putting more and more stuff into the trailer. The day of the 1,000 mile trip, our poor van had over 5,200# in, on, and behind it. Needless to say, I had no choice but to see what happened and fully expected to buy a transmission... Well,

The van towed like a champ. I lost speed on hills and never dared to turn on cruise control, but went 60-65 mph on flat freeways. I would NEVER EVER DO THAT AGAIN without trailer brakes though. Trying to stop was part prayer and part luck. Stopping distance was at least doubled, probably tripled. I was paranoid the entire time, but it pulled through (no pun intended). Newport, RI to Woodruff, SC. There were big hills, but no mountains. I don't think I would have survived mountains without trailer brakes.

I can say with confidence that the van has towed over 2.5 tons over 1,000 miles, but I am not sure if I would want to do it very many times, if ever again, with that much weight.

The van goes in for trailer brakes tomorrow. With the appropriate stopping power, I will probably feel comfortable pulling 4,000# or so from Woodruff, SC to San Diego, CA along I-20. I'd rather it be more like 3,000# though. It's not a camper, but a 6'x10' enclosed V-nose trailer. I don't have weight distribution or sway control, either. It felt solid without it. Hope this helps.
 
#10 ·
That was in the loaded trailer only. Total weight was 9,640. 2,400 on front axle, and the other 7,240 between the rear and trailer axle. I ran across that weight ticket the other day and still shook my head at how something didn't go wrong.
 
#9 ·
I would have been more concerned with the axles being overloaded. When we moved from MD to IL last year, our cr@ppy movers decided to leave a some of our stuff on our driveway. After giving away what we could to our neighbors, we still had to cram what we could into our Ody. I'm sure our rear axle was overloaded as I'd never seen the rear end sag so much. With that said, the 700+ mile drive was uneventful. Braking distance was just minimally affected but I also wasn't pulling a trailer.
 
#12 ·
We are looking at Oddy’s. 2010 Touring specifically. Trading our 2007 Pilot because we are needing more room.

Currently pulling a #3200 pop up with the Pilot. The Pilot has a #3500 trailer limit and #4500 boat limit and it does just fine. We just seem to run out of room for our stuff J By time we load up with wood, cooler, clothes, and other misc stuff we seem to always be full. So, the Oddy seems like it will have a lot more room to swallow stuff and have more room to accommodate people traveling all other times.

I just want to make sure, and from what I think I have read in other threads I have searched, the Oddy should handle it ok. I see from what I have read too that the tow capacity is reduced by people weight and I account for two passengers. I want to make sure have everything correct that I will need.
  • Hitch, probally OEM because it is more hidden
  • Coolers-transmission and PS. Went OEM on the Pilot because it was under factory certified warranty and didn’t want to mess with any hassle. Will probally do the same if the Oddy is certified. Maybe aftermarket if not.
  • Will use my Prodigy P2 brake controller
  • Will need to get a WDH
  • Do I still need to add airbags with the WDH? I have airbags with the Pilot but can’t use a WDH with the Pilot.
Primarily most of the pulling is done here in the Midwest. Trips are anywhere from 50 miles, up to 300 miles from home. Would like to make a trip out west to the Rockies someday but would probally need to strategically plan the trip weight wise.

I am just not sure what other vehicle we would like to have other than this? We have wanted an Oddy for years. Would love a crew cab truck, but that isn’t really practical for a main family vehicle. A suburban will cost us too much.

Appreciate the feedback!
 
#13 ·
I see from what I have read too that the tow capacity is reduced by people weight and I account for two passengers.
Actually, I believe tow rating is based on a 150lbs driver. Any additional passengers and weight of gear comes right off the tow rating. If you still have not purchased a vehicle, I would look at other options, as IMO, I think your rig will be overloaded. Plenty of mid size suvs with more stout towing capabilities than the Pilot that are more spacious. The Toyota 4Runner comes to mind, so does the Acadia/Traverse/Enclave. As for the Suburban, we bought our 2008 LTZ for much less than our 2009 CPO EXL. It came with a lot of miles but had it checked by independent mechanic and got a good bill of health. Still made the dealer throw in a warranty but so far no issues and we have done a ton of doing with it taking our boat to our favorite area lakes ranging from 70-250 miles away.

If you're set on an ODy though, I think you've got what you need covered. I would pass on the airbags as the proper WDH will allow your suspension plenty of travel and will help reduce rear end squat. I would also recommend getting a weigh. It's eye opening for most people.
 
#15 · (Edited)
I have posted the towing chart from the 2010 Honda Odyssey owner's manual below.

There are 3 things that I find interesting:

1 - In the table, they factor in occupants at 150 lbs each, but they make no mention of cargo inside the vehicle. They discuss cargo in the Gross numbers below the table, but wouldn't one assume that 150 lbs of beer would mean that you have to move down a row in the "Number of Occupants" column to determine the towing capacity? A logical mind would make that adjustment...I'm just surprised that they don't mention cargo in the table, specifically referring only to "occupants".

2 - There is a 1,050 lb difference in the 7 occupant towing limit between the different models listed in the notes below the table. I assume that this is because the EX, EX-L, Touring and Canadian LX models are ~1000 lbs heavier and therefore you would be pushing the Gross weight limits at the higher occupancy levels. However, it seems to me that if we have to reduce the towing capacity at those occupancy levels due the extra weight of those models, then the towing capacity for the other models should be higher at the lower occupancy levels. If they are going to include 2 towing capacities at the 7th occupant level to account for the extra weight of those models, why not include 2 towing capacities at all occupancy levels? Shouldn't all the other models be able to tow 1000 lbs more at the lower occupancy levels? Is there some other factor that comes into play at the higher occupancy levels for those models?

3 - Why the drastic reduction in towing capacity when that 8th 150 lb occupant climbs into the van? In the EX, EX-L, Touring and Canadian LX models, that one extra passenger reduces the towing capacity by 900 lbs. The combined weight of the 8th occupant and the seat itself don't add up to 900 lbs so why the 900 lb reduction for that 1 extra occupant?

Maximum Total Trailer Weight

Number
-- of --
Occupants *1


1 ------------------ 3,500 lbs (1,580 kg)
2 ------------------ 3,350 lbs (1,520 kg)
3 ------------------ 3,200 lbs (1,450 kg)
4 ------------------ 3,050 lbs (1,380 kg)
5 ------------------ 2,900 lbs (1,310 kg)
6 ------------------ 2,750 lbs (1,250 kg)
7 ------------------ 2,600 lbs (1,180 kg) *3 1,550 lbs (700 kg) *4
8 ------------------ 650 lbs (290 kg)


*1: Including driver. Based on 150 lbs (70 kg) per occupant.
*2: See page 407 for information about fluid coolers.
*3: U.S. LX and Canadian DX models
*4: EX, EX-L, Touring and Canadian LX models

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR):
The maximum allowable weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the tongue load is 6,019 lbs (2,730 kg).

Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR):
The maximum allowable weight of the vehicle, all occupants, all cargo, and the tongue load must not exceed 2,910 lbs (1,320 kg) on the front axle, and 3,197 lbs (1,450 kg) on the rear axle.

Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR):
The maximum allowable weight of the fully loaded vehicle and trailer is 8,410 lbs (3,815 kg).
 
#17 ·
Ok my above reply to max towing weight being 0 lbs with an Oddy transmission
is suppose to be humorous.
I don't want anyone to go off the "edge" here and start a 5 page post about
the new and improved Honda transmissions!!! :)

2001 Oddy 176000 miles with original transmission
and yes, I never towed with it
 
#18 ·
Stay away from the early copies of the acadias. We had one for 6 months before we got our ody and it was a hot mess. I think it made some list of used cars to avoid. Newer ones I've heard are a vast improvement but then again, it is GM so you never know. Even with our good luck with our suburban so far, there have been no problems other than simple fixes and annoying rattles on the body. Another domestic you might consider is the new ford explorer, my wife's daily driver. Great and it has a good amount more room behind the third row than the pilot. The cabins though are pretty comparable.

Odysseys IMO should only tow very light weights and short to medium distances. I've heard people having good luck with them but coming from a dedicated tow vehicle to an Ody is like night and day difference.
 
#19 ·
...snip...

Odysseys IMO should only tow very light weights and short to medium distances.

...Snip...
What is your definition of "very light" and "short to medium" as it relates to towing with an Ody?

"Very light" can mean very different things to different people and can certainly mean different things in different situations. When compared to what a tractor trailer can haul, the 3500 lbs that the Ody is rated for would be considered "very light".

"Short to medium" could mean "around the block" when compared to driving across town or it could mean hundreds of miles when compared to driving across the country.

What do you mean by "very light" and "short to medium" in this specific case?
 
#20 ·
If you're looking for specific weights or distances from me, I can't oblige because I've never tried to find out what my limits to towing with our Ody are. I will say that I towed my 14' fishing boat with 3 additional passengers up to about 40 miles for some time before we got our suburban and felt pretty comfortable doing that with the Ody. Even on the boat ramps with a steep incline, was always able to pull the boat out of the water with just the Ody's FWD. Got invites to fishing trips to much farther lakes though and always offered to spilt costs to climb onto someone else's boat instead of tow that distance with the Ody. I just didn't want to risk it.

There are some that think they can tow anything as long as it "tows fine" and there are others who are the towing police. I think the take home message though is to use common sense. I always liked the rule of thumb that if you have to ask if you can tow it, then you probably shouldn't.
 
#21 ·
Honda manual is very clear about adjusting trailer load based on vehicle weight.
I think you need to up your budget and get a sequoia or Tahoe/burb. Chevy wins big time on space.
Acadia/traverse: 2013 onwards only WITH factory installed towing package that lifts towing capacity to 5000lbs.
 
#22 ·
#23 ·
My experience FWIW.

My '06 had the OEM tow package from day one, and we pulled a ~1,500 lb pop up camper (loaded) every summer with home being central Ohio. Trips to the east coast were our primary destination. I did 3X trans fluid drain/fill every 30K miles with Honda Z1. Then came the upgrade to a 3,500 pop up. I did a 4X trans fluid drain/fill and switched it to Mobil 1 just before a trip to Yellowstone. The van had about 120K on it when we left. By the time we arrived in Livingston, MT the trans was at the low mark on the stick, so I added a 1/2 quart of Mobil 1. It was still full when we arrived home. The next summer was a trip to San Diego. Again, a 4X Mobil 1 drain/fill before the trip, but this time no fluid loss the whole trip. The only conclusion I can draw is that the small bit of Z1 left in the case the first trip burned off and once that was gone the Mobil 1 was stable. The van had 140K on it when we left for San Diego and exhibited no signs of trans issues prior to its demise at 166K.

Now this 3,500 lb camper causes us to be over the GCVRW by 500 lbs at 8,900 lbs, but being low profile makes all the difference. I am otherwise properly equipped with a brake controller and weight dist. hitch. You do have to watch taking all the sag out of the rear end because you will overload the front axle. It is a delicate balance and there isn't much capacity left of the rear either, so scaling your rig is paramount. Also, I highly recommend the Reese single bar 400 weight dist. hitch as it is adjustable on the fly, unlike most other models.

The bottom line for me is I would never overload any individual axle, and the only reason I considered going over on the gross combined rating was because the same gen Pilot is allowed 9,600 for the same drive train. IMO if you equip properly and use synthetic trans fluid it is doable, but watch out for pop ups that don't allow a WDH. Those without a frame reinforced for it are at risk for getting bent using a WDH.
 
#24 ·
towing with my 2010

I see this thread is several years old but has great information. Wanted to add my 50 cents... Please don't bother replying with some statements from the owners manual. I have one in the glove box of the van which is a 2010 Touring

I recently bought a 20ft Crownline Bowrider with a Mercruiser 5.7 and a Bravo one outdrive. Weight of the boat loaded with a full tank of gas, ice, drinks ect is around 3500 lbs. Weight of the trailer it sits on ( VIP tandem axle with surge brakes ) 1200 lbs so that brings the weight of boat and trailer to around 4700 lbs. I have a family of 5. I installed a Hayden 678 tranny cooler and a Hayden 676 for the PS cooler. My hitch is a Reese class three standard hitch. ( No weight dist system) I also installed a set of Airlift 1000's and find those things to be about best $68.00 I have ever spent. Last weekend I took a 575 mile round trip to Norris Lake TN from Cincinnati Ohio. So a family of 5 plus luggage and supplies for a long weekend in the van and the boat on the back. I ran my rear tires at 44 PSI and the fronts at 40. Airlifts at 35 PSI. Boat Trailer tires at 50 PSI. The van pulled Fantastic and had no problem maintaining highway speeds (70-75mph) to include the foot hills of the mountains. I left it in D3 and set the cruise control. Tire pressure went up about 4 psi from cold which is normal. Once off the interstate on onto the hilly and winding roads getting to the lake was no issue either the van pulled that boat up any hill I asked it to with out issue or drama. When stopping for gas (11.5 mpg) the tranny fluid level was in the normal range on the dip stick.

In closing, any need I felt to buy a truck to haul that boat has vanished. The Ody is a fine towing vehicle. On a side note I use Valvoline Max Life ATF. I find it to be superior to Honda ATF. (crisper shifting) My 02 Ody had 178000 hard miles on it before I got this 2010 and no issues.
 
#25 ·
A single successful trip towing way above what it says in that little book in your glove compartment means nothing. Even multiple successful trips won't mean much.

Will you come back when your tranny eventually says "OK, that's enough. I'm done." and admit that you should have followed the recommendation in the manual?
 
#26 · (Edited)
I often get the "you can't do that" look when pulling the boat filled with everybody else's coolers, full tanks of gas, and 6 people on board the Odyssey as I pull into the boat ramp parking lot. I back down the ramp, disgorge the passengers, then launch Moby Dick. Once tied up at the dock, several hundred pounds of coolers make their way off the boat to the dock for the other boaters in our day party convoy to pick up....or I just launch and beach the boat with the coolers, though even with a variable pitch prop pushed by a 200hp Merc V6 it's tough to get on plane with an extra quarter ton up towards the bow. :D

The only tough item is I absolutely have to add some length to the trailer tongue to keep from submerging my exhaust pipe. :eek:

For those who don't think an intelligently set up minivan can't do the work, here's Andy Duess's rig: Triple Axle Airstream



I will admit that Mr. Duess did accomplish the equivalent of a mechanical engineering study on this rig to put it all together.

Keep on "truckin'", Renew! :cool:

OF

P.S: I'm not the only one using one of these monsters. It's about the size of the radiator that was on my Honda CRX from way back:



Yes, we use a thermostat.
 
#27 ·
No sir. If that time comes I'll drop $3000 on a new transmission and still come ahead than if I had bought a truck. So for now I'm just going to beat the hell out of the thing for next 10 years hauling around my family and boat making great memories that are priceless. Have a good evening.
 
#28 ·
I wish 2 things for you:

1 - A timeframe that lasts anything close to 10 years.
2 - That the tranny says "Enough" at time other than when you are hundreds of miles from home trying to pull the boat out of the water. That memory would surely be priceless. :)
 
#29 ·
Brother you need wish me nothing. I have never seen or heard so much fear and loathing in the litter box when it comes to a vehicle transmission. There are folks (maybe you) that obsess over their transmission to the point that they change the fluid four times a year and worry that the wife is going to put more than two gallons of milk in the back when going to the grocery cause they fear the transmission will fail. After all of the that the transmission goes out anyway. Why I bet you treated your 04 LX like a prized possession only to have it stuck down by an act of God. ( Now that's a priceless memory) So with that I raise my beer mug to you with a toast " In life, here's to no guarantees." The Ody is great tow vehicle that can EASILY tow the same 5000 lbs that its platform mates ( Pilot, Ridgeline, Acura MDX ) with the exact same engine and transmission do when one takes the steps to enhance the suspension, and transmission.

Feel free to have the last word. In fact if you tow with your ody, write about it here. That is what the thread was all about in the first place.
 
#31 ·
Search these forums and you'll find that I do (and did) tow with my Ody.

Search these forums and you'll find that I replaced the tranny on my ’04 at about 110K and clearly stated that I don't know if it was due to towing or not.

Search these forums and you'll find members with a lot less attitude than you. I don't know what got under your skin, but I hope, for your sake (and ours) that it clears up.

Why do I doubt that you'll let me have the last word as promised?
 
#32 ·
Thought I’d give another example.

We have 03 that dealer replaced trans and ECU at 80k. didn’t tow or change the fluid until 145k when we bought a popup.

At that point, put on big 12x12 trans cooler all by itself (doesn’t use radiator as well), flushed with Honda’s newest fluid 3x and off we went.

Phoenix to rocky point Mexico isn’t much up or down. We’re about 1100 feet and we get to 2000 just before the border and then down to ocean in RP. Everything very gradual. But hot, hot, hot. Summers here and there easily 100 degrees. Even though we have biggest jayco they made in 99 (2 kings and slide out dinette) I think it’s <3000 pounds.

First trip uneventful but noticed front tires worn on outside edges. Next trip got higher hitch. Same thing. Next trip, air bags inside the rear coil springs. Wow, what a huge difference. We were still tongue down and nose up, but the stability was 10x better. Still thought it was wearing front tires though. 4[SUP]th[/SUP] trip got adjustable height hitch that went to 8” lift. This was the ticket. Drove same but fronts didn’t look scalloped more.

Next trip is what you want to hear about. We bought 4200 pound dry Rockwood hybrid. I got new front tires (previous were Chinese with really rounded shoulders, these BFGs are square and look all of the 225 they are). 45 psi front and back and 40 in the bags. Even with 8” hitch lift, we’re tongue down again.

But going from posts here, we decided old blue could do it, even at 150k miles. Flushed trans again (4 trips on it you know) and did premium gas this time.

Around town, it was nothing different. Crazy, but true. On the freeway though, that brick behind us was undeniably “back there”. It was easily 2’ taller than the van.

My day job is a tuner. I have a dyno and do hp stuff. I know what an engine is doing like you know when you’ve got to go the bathroom. Brought a good scanner and here’s what I found.

D3 was just too much rpm, I didn’t like it. Nearly 4000 to hold 60 and it would but seemed stupid. If I managed a steady throttle (about 35-40%) it would stay in 4[SUP]th[/SUP] with the convertor unlocked. This let me hold 60 at about 2850rpm. Down side was it was in full power enrichment (not closed loop) despite the low throttle. The map reading (the computer’s main load input) was 75-90%. Result was 10 mpg. No joke, 10 mpg. At one point we were seriously worried about making it to the border. We hadn’t expected this. There was really no need for it but I can’t change the programming on this Honda computer. Slowing to 45 let it go back into closed loop and a much higher air/fuel ratio and thus mpg. But who’s going to go 45?

Reality is, the ody is awesome. Tried the truck scale in Gila bend, but it was closed. I’m sure the rv was 4600 pounds with all our crap in it. In the van, it was just wife and two 9-11 year old kids. Maybe 450 pounds as we put all cargo in the rv and behind the axle.

Last trip was not summer, but thanksgiving, so temps WAY lower. About 60, not 100. computer showed coolant a steady 198 and trans 220. not sure how it would do in summer with this load and heat and a/c running in the van.

I also wanted to get a weight distribution hitch but it was just a ton of money to get one with low tongue weight (<500 pounds) like you’re supposed to do. If we keep up with this, I will though because there was a lot of tugging from the trailer. Never unstable, but always made you aware. Surprisingly enough, the new front tires had zero outside wear despite a near 1” rise from stock.

Here’s my conclusion. Other Hondas say 5000 pounds towing and I think that works across the board. But you need to do other things to safely do it. I think there’s no substitution for the air bags (less than $125!) and good tires. You need a big boy trans cooler, the OEM one is a joke. As well, I checked p/s fluid with an infrared and it had NO heat. Glad I didn’t do that cooler too. 3000 rpm just doesn’t really heat it up. Suppose if you had to do D3 for really long periods, it might.

Talking with others the weight distribution hitch with properly matched tongue weight is also huge benefit. Like I said, if another trip, I’ll have that.

Other thing I noticed was that premium gas was no benefit. Used it on the way there and 87 way back. Scanner let me watch ignition timing and if there was any knock retard. Timing same both ways and never any knock. Likely all the fuel it was using for power enrich mode kept any bad things away.

So now conundrum is keep van or get truck. I think the utility and 7 passenger capability of the van is unsurpassed. It gets 18-21mpg and a truck would get best 15 in town and don’t really know towing. Maybe 13 since <5000 isn’t a big load for a 1500 truck, but given 98% of our miles would be in town, it’s trading about 19mpg for 15mpg all the time. Is that cheaper than 10mpg for a 500 mile round trip a few times a year? Guess I need an excel sheet….

So that’s my 2 cents. Your mileage may vary (literally!).

Probably won’t check this forum again, so if you have questions my email is caenews at hotmail. Put ody towing in the subject so I’ll notice it even in my spam folder.

tk
 
#38 ·
As well, I checked p/s fluid with an infrared and it had NO heat. Glad I didn’t do that cooler too. 3000 rpm just doesn’t really heat it up. Suppose if you had to do D3 for really long periods, it might.
Friend with a 2001 asked about max towing...so I searched and led him to this thread.

That led to the question: "He used an IR gun to read the power steering fluid temp? Does that work?" Hmmmm. Searched, and dug up this gem from the past: watt-man's instrumented run up Loveland Pass in his 2001 Odyssey

For any of you who ride any water-cooled Kawasaki's, watt-man is the engineering genius behind durably manufactured cooling system upgrades for KLR's and Ninjas.

In short, his use of a K thermocouple in the PS reservoir in direct contact with the fluid for a "real time" indication trumps an IR thermometer read from up front or from inside the engine bay (a lot of IR "noise").

Just to make sure all understand, 3rd gear in a B7TA 4-speed transmission is a great towing ratio with comfortably lower revs than 3rd gear in the BYBA 5-speed transmission, so it's not an apples-to-apples comparison. Also, it only took 7 minutes for the PSF to reach 210F, and would have gone higher were it not for him cresting the pass. D4 in the 6-speed would also do the same in terms of less revs than D3 in a 5-speed.

Food for thought.

OF
 
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