[richiebowen]

I'm interested to see the responses on this also, I just purchased my Pilot and now looking at trailers.

 

[2bz]

I'm pulling a 2006 Fleetwood Bayside pop-up. Its a big pup, around 4100lbs. loaded. The Pilot does OK with it, the electric brakes are definitely needed. I would not want to go any larger, there is noticeable sag in the rear (no WDH) and the transmission shifts quite a bit on highway grades. I don't drive over 65mph with it (trailer tires are junk and I don't trust them any faster) and we do OK.

I just got back from a 2400 mile trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons and got 17.8 mpg for the trip. We were towing for ~2000 of those miles so I'm pretty pleased with the mileage. The 35mph tailwind for 300 miles helped a lot (20.1 mpg on that tank).

If I were pulling a hardside, I'd look for the lightest one that meets your needs. The popup doesn't add much in the way of wind resistance and I imagine that a hardside is going to tax the engine/transmission quite a bit more with the increased resistance.

 

[refotsirk]

3000 # Scamp 16 foot Deluxe. Electric breaks. One axel. Just drove 3103 miles to gulf and back to N. Wisconsin. Other than the crappy roads....and driving into 30 mph winds
it did great. Tried to baby it with speed, but on interstate roads, more of a hazard to
baby it. Always a breath of relief to get onto a 55 mph road again.

 

[mmmmark]

Pictures??


Via Piloteers.org mobile app

 

[towbie]

2012 EX-L AWD towing a 1964 Airstream Globetrotter, 19' long and 2850 dry and about 3300 loaded (we travel light). See avatar. One axle, duratorque independent rather than leaf springs, and a brand new axle. We've been towing with WDH; I've never towed anything else, but the AS has towed so smoothly behind our Tundra V6 that I forget it's there. I've just maneuvered the trailer around the yard with the new Pilot, I couldn't wait to hook it up. Looking forward to our first trip with it.

 

[RinconVTR]

2012 EX-L 4WD w/ Prodigy P2 brake controller mounted veritcally to the right of the steering wheel.

2012 Gulfstream Visa 23BHD - 4100lbs fully loaded per certifed truck scale. (400lb tongue)

Using a Equalizer E2 WDH.

As mentioned in other threads, pulling something of this size requires upgrading the tires. The OEM MXV4's are much too soft and squirmy to provide long distance stability. Stiff sidewall options like LT tires or ultra/high performance tire options are the way to go.

 

[towbie]

The tire info is helpful, thanks

 

[THOMTS]

I have a 2012 4WD Pilot and I was wondering what kinds of RV travel trailers all of you out there are pulling with your own 2012 4WD Pilots.



Let us all know your own specific trailer details, like:

• Brand
• Model
• Length
• GVWR
• 1 or 2 axles
• Stock hitch or load-distributing
• Electronic brake controller

Also, please let us know if you would recommend a lighter GVWR than your own, or if you think the Pilot 4WD could handle one a bit heavier.

Thank you! :29:

I pull a 23 ft Airstream Serenity with a GVWR of 6000 pounds. The dry weight is 4600 and I am likely carrying 800 pounds of water, propane, food amd clothing. The unit has tandem axles, a Hensley hitch and a Prodigy electronic brake controller. My friend pulls a 25 ft airstream which is 1000 pounds heavier than mine with a 2006 Ridgeline. It handles it well.

 

[flapilot001]

RV

2012 Pilot EXL
Pull 2011 Keystone Passport 3800# 320 # tongue weight
No wdh only drops rear 1 3\4"' use sway control
Keep speed around 55 mph gets about 10 mpg. Keep in third gear 3500 rpm
Towed up mountains in NC used second gear 45 mph no trouble.
Use prodigy brake controller.

 

[RinconVTR]

I pull a 23 ft Airstream Serenity with a GVWR of 6000 pounds. The dry weight is 4600 and I am likely carrying 800 pounds of water, propane, food amd clothing. The unit has tandem axles, a Hensley hitch and a Prodigy electronic brake controller. My friend pulls a 25 ft airstream which is 1000 pounds heavier than mine with a 2006 Ridgeline. It handles it well.

You gotta post pics of that set up!!!

You carry a full tank of water too? Holy crap.

 

[rcase13]

I tow a 4000lb Flagstaff 21FB. The picture shows our 2011 Pilot. We now have a 2012 Pilot. We bought a F150 because we were going to get a larger trailer but finances haven't allowed that. I prefer to tow with the 2WD F150 because it's got large (huge) tow mirrors. If we are going to go where 4WD is needed we take the Pilot.

• Make: Forest River Flagstaff
• Model: 21FB
• Length: 22'
• GVWR: 4000 (CAT Scale) Tongue weight: 460lbs
• 2 axles
• load-distributing w/ friction sway control
• Prodigy P3 Electronic brake controller (love it! - best money ever spent!)

 

[jonaz]

I dont see how some of you guys are towing trailers weighing more than 4000 lbs? Are you towing only on flat ground?

 

[RinconVTR]

I dont see how some of you guys are towing trailers weighing more than 4000 lbs? Are you towing only on flat ground?

Uh no, I wish the highways and interstates I travel were level! But I havent done grades over 6%, like down too the Mississippi river or Mountains. But I do plan to now that I'm so impressed with the Pilot.

If your towing a 3k lb travel trailer, another 1k and you'll hardly notice. Weight isnt everything when it comes to travel trailers.

But your also towing with a 2003, not rated for over 3500lbs, right? There's probably good reaosn.

 

[UK78ALUM]

Weight isnt everything when it comes to travel trailers.

With all due respect, some of the replies here are borderline delusional. Weight is precisely everything - a fact some of you will learn the first time traffic on the Interstate inexplicably and suddenly comes to a full and complete stop directly in front of you with no warning and that trailer decides it's going to either pull out and pass you, or that it wants to drive a while and starts pushing you down the road - with the trailer brakes locked and screaming.

We been RVers for over ten years now. We pull a 36 foot Holiday Rambler Presidential 5th wheel with 3 slideouts. It weighs probably 14K pounds and is a dual axle. We pull that with a Chevy 3500 Silverado, crew cab, duallie with a Duramax diesel coupled to an Alison transmission. And that gives me SIX tires on the road which I believe are either E or F load range and 10 or 12 ply (they were as high as I could get - whatever they are.).

I simply can't imagine towing anything larger than a utility trailer with the 6 banger Pilot, but if it's your only vehicle and you have no choice, then it is what it is. But hills have a way of sneaking up on you, and I'd be white knuckled as hell around here in KY, TN and GA. I don't even like them in my rig, and that duallie yanks around that RV as if it isn't even back there.

Finally, unless you are doing strictly primitive camping, why would anyone haul water? Just curious.

 

[RinconVTR]

With all due respect, some of the replies here are borderline delusional. Weight is precisely everything - a fact some of you will learn the first time traffic on the Interstate inexplicably and suddenly comes to a full and complete stop directly in front of you with no warning and that trailer decides it's going to either pull out and pass you, or that it wants to drive a while and starts pushing you down the road - with the trailer brakes locked and screaming.


.

You must think some of us are rookies. Think again.

Have you ever have the balls to do a full on emergency brake test with your rig? I bet not, not many have the balls to try it. But I did it, and the results were spectacular.

You should be able to rely on the TV brakes when towing a large trailer. The trailer brakes should take a high percent of the load off, however in an emergency, if the trailer brakes were lost, the TV should be able to stop the trailer.

I have seen COUNTLESS poor set ups with large pick-up trucks, vans, and SUV's over the years. So when I say weight isnt everything, thats a damn true statement that is very easy to prove. You can be well within all weight ratings, but have a poor set up (there are so many factors), and be FAR more at risk than well set up rig using the ratings to their fullest.

I'd be more than happy to prove it to you. Want to race up hill on an Interstate exit to exit and come to a complete stop? Cause I'll bet big money I'll beat that massive rig you got, and I'll stop a lot faster too!

So what makes you and that massive rig any safer than us towing with the Honda Pilot???


OH...and talk about delusional...you dont know dont know the loaded weight of your trailer??? Your screaming at us about weight being EVERYTHING...and you dont know that critical number. Nice.

And properly set up trailer brakes will NEVER lock. WOW.

 

[THOMTS]

Towing with a 2012 pilot touring 4wd

you gotta post pics of that set up!!!

You carry a full tank of water too? Holy crap.

i don't carry a full tank (39 gal ) unless i know i won't have access to water at my destination. I do like to have some good water in my tank for drinking/coffee, etc. Bear in mind that the shape of an airstream reduces wind resistance significanly. No trouble maintaing 60 mph on highway hills.
terry

 

[jonaz]

I would say the braking and handling when towing with our Pilots is excellent. The Pilot seems to be the perfect size for towing a 21 footer, maybe just a little bigger. I had a Ford Exploder before, and I can definitely tell a big difference in stopping power, with no trailer brakes attached.
Extra weight does play a big factor when towing, especially in the hills in the mountains. For example, I can feel the strain of 250 lbs of water when my water tanks are full and Im going up a 6 or 7% grade.
I wish I had RincolnVTRs trailer, just for the aerodynamic profile. My trailer feels like a big parachute when Im accelerating.

 

[UK78ALUM]

Rincon:
I normally don't respond to juvenile posts such as "Want to race up hill on an Interstate exit to exit and come to a complete stop? Cause I'll bet big money I'll beat that massive rig you got, and I'll stop a lot faster too!", but yours deserves making an exception.

Since when are "balls" (read: masculinity) determined by how hard you can mash a brake pedal? You clearly have led a sheltered life if your claim to fame is that you have slammed on your trailer brakes and lived to tell about it. "There I was, surrounded by hostile Chevy drivers, but by God I showed "em! I locked that baby up after racing up an on ramp!" WOW indeed.

Basic math seems to escape you as well since you don't understand that I have over 1.5X times the tire surface on the pavement that you do (six larger tires as opposed to 4 smaller ones). What does the extra rubber buy me? How about stability when an 18 wheeler passes me? And by your own assertion, since weight doesn't matter, then the extra weight I'm hauling is clearly offset by the extra tires.

And no I can't quote you the exact weight of my rig. With a 36 gallon diesel tank, it will vary depending on fuel load, and the trailer will vary based on what we happen to be taking along on this trip. But not being near my truck's ability to pull means I have the luxury of a fudge factor of 500 pounds or more, no problem.

"You must think some of us are rookies. Think again." Let's be clear here. No one has appointed you as the official spokesman for "some of us", I'm speaking strictly to you. If you truly don't understand the difference between the safety and stability of a 16K rated 5th wheel hitch located directly over the rear axle (and 4 tires) of the towing vehicle versus something mounted to a "come along" hitch located completely behind the towing vehicle, then "rookie" would be a compliment. In fact "obtuse" would seem to be a better fit, or "obtuse, but with balls" just to be fair in your case.

Look, I actually know that I'm comparing apples to oranges here, OK? Why that's personally offensive to you escapes me, but learn to live with it.

 

[RinconVTR]

Rincon:
I normally don't respond to juvenile posts such as "Want to race up hill on an Interstate exit to exit and come to a complete stop? Cause I'll bet big money I'll beat that massive rig you got, and I'll stop a lot faster too!", but yours deserves making an exception.

Since when are "balls" (read: masculinity) determined by how hard you can mash a brake pedal? You clearly have led a sheltered life if your claim to fame is that you have slammed on your trailer brakes and lived to tell about it. "There I was, surrounded by hostile Chevy drivers, but by God I showed "em! I locked that baby up after racing up an on ramp!" WOW indeed.

Basic math seems to escape you as well since you don't understand that I have over 1.5X times the tire surface on the pavement that you do (six larger tires as opposed to 4 smaller ones). What does the extra rubber buy me? How about stability when an 18 wheeler passes me? And by your own assertion, since weight doesn't matter, then the extra weight I'm hauling is clearly offset by the extra tires.

And no I can't quote you the exact weight of my rig. With a 36 gallon diesel tank, it will vary depending on fuel load, and the trailer will vary based on what we happen to be taking along on this trip. But not being near my truck's ability to pull means I have the luxury of a fudge factor of 500 pounds or more, no problem.

"You must think some of us are rookies. Think again." Let's be clear here. No one has appointed you as the official spokesman for "some of us", I'm speaking strictly to you. If you truly don't understand the difference between the safety and stability of a 16K rated 5th wheel hitch located directly over the rear axle (and 4 tires) of the towing vehicle versus something mounted to a "come along" hitch located completely behind the towing vehicle, then "rookie" would be a compliment. In fact "obtuse" would seem to be a better fit, or "obtuse, but with balls" just to be fair in your case.

Look, I actually know that I'm comparing apples to oranges here, OK? Why that's personally offensive to you escapes me, but learn to live with it.

Wow...cant find a bit of humor in my race comment I see. The point I was making is that I can accelerate quicker and brake in much less distance than your rig any day, any time.

About "BALLS", stop focusing on the words I used if you cant find the humor in that either. You know the point. How many have tested their set up in an emergency/panic brake situation to see how things handle? I've never met anyone who has. I did it just because people like you have put in peoples head that if I panic brake in my mid-size SUV with travel trailer in tow, all hell will break loose and I'll die. Well, surprise.

I was and still am offended by your posts due to poor and unknown information on your behalf which you claim is so critical and you called "us" delusional. And you cant understand why I took offence to that???

I also never said weight doesnt matter. Do not twist my words.

You are no more safe or unsafe safe than I am. Than WE are. In fact, I feel you are more at risk because you do in fact take a MUCH longer distance to stop, if thats how you're looking at this. If we are within our ratings and have a well set up rig, how do you get off calling us delusional? You never answered why we are so unsafe towing with a Pilot.

Not everyone who tows needs a 1 ton pick up with 6 tires on the ground to tow a travel trailer safely.

Get off your virtual high horse.