In 2006 we towed our 2400 lb popup on a 3 week trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons. That was me, mama, the 2 boys (they were only 6 foot tall then), maw maw and all her stuff! I was driving a 2003 Toyota Sienna van...another one of those totally unacceptable tow vehicles that the live axle folks complain about. To say I was at least at maximum weight goes without saying. No, we were not the fastest thing going up the Rockies, but with some patience and plenty of gas stops, we made it fine. Even the 50 mph spring cross wind gusts in the Badlands were not a problem. Would I want this rig for a 5 year tour of america? No. Do I want to drive a vehicle that gets 10 mpg when not towing? No. Most folks can not buy anything they want, so the secret is buy what you can and live within it. And dont pay too much attention to reviews and advice you read on forums...yeah, mine too.
2012 Pilot 4WD: What RV are you towing?
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:
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:
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:
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Delusional or not, I'd rather be pulling too much with a Honda Pilot 4WD than any other SUV of the same weight.
Ya wanna know 'real delusional' ?? Last week I ate lunch on the road with a guy riding a Gold Wing 1800 (6-cyl) bike. He was towing a 10' pop-up camper with his 'Wing. He said the trailer weighed 500 lbs and had with no brakes at all, electric or otherwise.
I am speechless...
I tow a 2011 starcraft ar-one 15rb that is 2600lbs dry with a 2011 honda pilot touring 4wd . I towed this trailer dry from las vegas to phoenix and what I can say is that I had to tow in D3 the whole way. If I left it in D the transmission would constantly shift from 4th to 5th gear about once a minute driving at 65 mph. Actually it didn't matter what speed I drove at in D 50mph to 75mph, it would hunt for gears. The wind resistance of a fixed wall trailer is too much for the pilot to tow in D, even on flat ground. The only time I could tow in D was on a significantly steep down hill. I can imagine that all of you that are towing these big TV's are towing in D3 all the time. My trailer is only 17 feet long from the tip of the tongue to the back. I just put it in D3 and drive 55mph at 3200rpm's.
http://images.rvs.com/34124/164835/P4140101.JPG
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6 Posts
Casita SD - 17', self contained. Hook up with a lightly loaded Equal-i-zer weight dist. hitch. Tows like a dream. About 15mpg on the road at 60.
Fully loaded with twin 20gal propane tanks and 20 gal. of water, it's about 3500 lbs. It has brakes with a prodigy controller.
Being able to tow this trailer AND being able to get great mpg when not towing, is the reason we settled on the Pilot as the perfect vehicle.
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74 Posts
Thanks everyone for the generally germane responses! The one from Thresher above nicely confirms why I bought a 2012 4WD Pilot.
I am looking at the Pilot as a replacement for my 2002 Odyssey, which we use to tow a 16" Scamp SD. The weight is somewhere around 3000# when loaded.
With the Odyssey we average about 18-19mpg when not towing, and around 13-14mpg when towing - with lowest being 11.5 and highest 16.5. The Odyssey has 3500# towing capacity.
The newer Pilots (we are looking at the 2013) seem to have a little more power and torque than the Odyssey, with a slightly higher final drive ratio gearing. I don't think that towing would be an issue, but what I really want to know is the real-world gas mileage for towing and not towing.
I live in Western PA which has rolling hills. My commute is about 60% highway, with the rest back roads and some traffic in town (not city). I like the Pilot, but am concerned with towing hit on mileage. I have seen as low as 10mpg, and someone else said about 30 to 50% less than without towing.
Any help would be appreciated. I am only looking for actual with 2011 and later models as this seems to be the best possible mileage and closer to the 2013 I am looking at.
With the Odyssey we average about 18-19mpg when not towing, and around 13-14mpg when towing - with lowest being 11.5 and highest 16.5. The Odyssey has 3500# towing capacity.
The newer Pilots (we are looking at the 2013) seem to have a little more power and torque than the Odyssey, with a slightly higher final drive ratio gearing. I don't think that towing would be an issue, but what I really want to know is the real-world gas mileage for towing and not towing.
I live in Western PA which has rolling hills. My commute is about 60% highway, with the rest back roads and some traffic in town (not city). I like the Pilot, but am concerned with towing hit on mileage. I have seen as low as 10mpg, and someone else said about 30 to 50% less than without towing.
Any help would be appreciated. I am only looking for actual with 2011 and later models as this seems to be the best possible mileage and closer to the 2013 I am looking at.
If you are expecting better MPG while towing the same trailer with the Pilot vs Ody, you are mistaken. The Ody is a GREAT towing option for most items under 3500lbs, and much better than the Pilot IF you are comparing MPG.
10-12mpg is actually really good for towing travel trailers, and there are no other options to tow your trailer and get 13-14mpg on the interstate besides a small diesel. But even then, 13-14 is extremely good. Otherwise, stay off the interstate and run 55mph all day, you'll see 12-14mpg because its mostly about wind resistance at this point.
Regarding real MPG while not towing, we get 18-19mpg driving 90% city/suburban and 22-24 on the interstate trips without trying.
We've seen as high as 27 @ 60mph for many straight hours and purposely trying for high mpg.
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58 Posts
excellent thread... we're in the process of looking for a camper for our Pilot... we seem to be leaning towards getting another pop-up (we had one years ago). My thought is that the pop-up is so much lighter and creates very little drag when towed. Also we found when it comes to 13-21 foot travel trailers, any mid sized pop-up is a lot roomier in the living area and comes with 2 actual sized beds (full, queen, or king). Certainly there are some trade offs... I'm open for any corrections/discussion?!?
You're spot on with everything. Most of it is personal preference, but one fact remains...the Pilot will tow nearly any pop up better than a tall hard side trailer/camper no matter how long or heavy either one is.
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We've pulled both a Rockwood popup and the Casita fiberglass. They are very different and the choice ultimately comes down to personal needs, however I would never go back to a popup. The only benefit to a popup is slightly more sleeping room, but that's about the only benefit. With the Casita we just bring a tent if there are extra kids and they are thrilled to not be with the parents. But the Casita is so easy to pull, quick to setup, and so quiet inside. We love being able to pull over and go inside to have lunch and a nap. And no wet canvas! :29:
I pull a Forest River r-pod 171 which I used to haul with my 2006 Saturn VUE. The Pilot pulls it much easier, but the key to getting the best MPG and not pushing the vehicle too hard is taking the highways and keeping it at 60 MPH max - if that means taking two days instead of one to get to my destination then so much the better, since the older highways are dotted with towns and gas stations and make for a more pleasant, "retro-style" journey.
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2013 Pilot Touring towing a 2006 Trailmanor 3023, single axle. Trailmanor is 3800# weighed on CAT scale, tongue weight 440# (moved battery off tongue to rear storage area and only use single propane tank). Curt 600# weight dist hitch just to level things out.
Towed for the first time yesterday, only 40 miles through hills in NE PA to a friends house. No problems and Pilot tows nice. Averaged 12.6 mpg according to the Pilots gauge.
Towed for the first time yesterday, only 40 miles through hills in NE PA to a friends house. No problems and Pilot tows nice. Averaged 12.6 mpg according to the Pilots gauge.
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104 Posts
2011 Pilot 4 WD Touring towing a Dutchman Kodiak 172E (Tent Ends) 3100 lbs dry. Took it out through the mountains to a KOA about 2 hrs away recently. Mix of D and D3.....about 40 mph up the mountain when the speed limit was 45 at 3500 rpms and 60 mph on the highway. P3 brake controller and discovered I need an E2 WDH.....close but I'm doing it.
Most impressive is the gearing.....nice and steady down the mountain without the need to get on the brakes every 3 seconds.
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Most impressive is the gearing.....nice and steady down the mountain without the need to get on the brakes every 3 seconds.
Sent from AutoGuide.com App
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104 Posts
Zombie thread..... We're trading up from a Coleman Westlake to a 17-19" hybrid. Which tows better (fully loaded weight), 3300# single axle or 3800# tandem axle? I know from towing U-hauls a tandem axle seemd to track straight with much less chance for sway.
I tow a Visa 19Rsd 2012 with a E2 WDH. The trailer weight close to 4000lbs with the camping gear, me, the madame, my two little girls and the bikes, I'll say that the Pilot do a really good job.
No white knuckles driving. I was pulling the same trailer with a Dodge Journey RT 2010 prior the change for the Pilot. Let's say that I changed it after only two shorts camping trips. Travel trailer sales men are not always right... or honest. Anyway, I bought the trailer without doing my own researchs. I'm always fast on the trigger when in "buying mode".
Will be changing the trailer next year for a bigger one, so again, new tow vehicule.
No white knuckles driving. I was pulling the same trailer with a Dodge Journey RT 2010 prior the change for the Pilot. Let's say that I changed it after only two shorts camping trips. Travel trailer sales men are not always right... or honest. Anyway, I bought the trailer without doing my own researchs. I'm always fast on the trigger when in "buying mode".
Will be changing the trailer next year for a bigger one, so again, new tow vehicule.
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