Towing

[bradfordamark]

First off, Hello. I just found this great site. I have owned a pilot since 05 and many more hondas before this one.

Every since 05 I have wondered is anyone else using their pilot to tow with? If so I would like to hear your stories about how long, what you have towed, and if you have had any problems.

My main intrest in this thought came from wanting to purchase my first TT about 3500#'s worth!!

[Sportymonk]

I assume you mean an Audi TT car.

First off, the Pilot is "RATED" at 3500 pounds for towing a trailer and 4500 pounds for towing a boat. Most assume that is due to the aerodynamics of the boat.

As to towing a 3500 pound car, forget it. The trailer also weighs a chunk and the combined wight is well over the limit.

The Pilot is great for light to medium towing but towing a another car is stretching it.

Where will you be towing and how far. If you are just towing down the road a little ways in Florida, that is one thing but if you are towing from Virginia to California over th Smoky Mountains and the Rockies, again forget it.

[bradfordamark]

Sorry, I was useing "TT" as in Travel trailer. It is 3200 dry weight so about 4000# loaded and I would use WDH (don't plan on getting air bags). Mostly short distances in Indiana with the once ayear trips somewhere!!!

[fireflock]

Search the archives and you'll find a number of threads about towing campers and boats. My personal opinion is that you will be pushing the limits, but it probably depends on how well your trailer is set up and balanced. I tow a 1500lb popup with my Pilot and hardly notice it back there. On the other hand, a 3000lb boat I sometimes tow feels like it is pulling the Pilot all over the road and I don't like to tow it more than a couple of miles.

At that tounge weight, you probably want to look into Timbren bump stops or airbags of some kind.

Somewhere in the archives there are some pictures of a Pilot towing a hybrid TT IIRC.

Good Luck -

[whizmo]

I wouldn't buy a new car to tow this load. I'd try to finesss it - load carefully, make sure the trailer brakes are fully up to snuff, change tranny fluid more frequently, keep speeds down, try and avoid higher ambient temperatures, etc. etc. etc. The Pilot will do it, just not every elegently or with wide margins for error.

But if you were buying a new vehicle, I'd get something other than the Pilot, probably a V8 4Runner or, if you can stand an American car, a Tahoe.

- Mark

[rlapid]

Originally posted by whizmo
But if you were buying a new vehicle, I'd get something other than the Pilot, probably a V8 4Runner or, if you can stand an American car, a Tahoe.

- Mark

agreed. if you're going to be towing frequently, the pilot might, unfortunately, not be the best choice. the new tundra caught my eye; it can tow something around 10,000lbs! its not an SUV, but for a toyota, that is impressive!

[rocky]

Please do a search, and remember the weight of the trailer reduces the people and luggage carrying capacity of the Pilot.

[bradfordamark]

"Search the archives and you'll find a number of threads about towing campers and boats."

Thanks for the help. Is there an easy way to search the archives. I went there but it is just a list with no search engine. And it was only one page long?

[fireflock]

I use the 'search forums' box at the top of the page. For example - 'tow travel trailer' yields:

http://www.piloteers.org/forums/sear...by=&sortorder=