hard towing with Honda Pilot - HELP

Originally posted by GlueGuy Originally posted by furpod Even my super duty recommends a higher octane when towing.   I thought Super Duties were all (mostly) oil burners? Where do you get high octane diesel?

I tow a 179 with a Ridgeline (basically pickup version of Pilot) and our mileage when towing drops from 20-24 avg w/o trailer to 11-13 avg with trailer.

Originally posted by flat6s Ben...are you using high octane when towing with your Ridgeline ?

My wife and I have towed a 2013 178 with a 2011 Pilot around the hills of central Pennsylvania for several years.  Our mileage as I recall was around 12-13 MPG. We have since purchased a 2015 Sliverado with a 5.3L V8 and get around 14MPG. I agree with the other members the fuel octane makes a difference but also where you purchase fuel. Fuel purchased at some of the convenience stores is low quality. Google " Top Tier gas" for explanation. 

Other things I noticed about pulling with the Pilot.  Although the Pilot towing capacity is rated at 4500 lbs the 3500lb loaded camper was a challenge for the V6 at times on hills around here. A Long hill would tax the engine and transmission. The V6 always did the job and we never had any problems mechanically but it always felt like we could use more power.

On the issue of the camper being level the incorrect hitch drop is a concern. Make sure you install the correct drop to level camper before starting out.  We installed a Fastway E2 WDH (weight distribution hitch). This helped with sway and ride quality. Many on the forum don't think a WDH is necessary but  with the Honda Pilot it handled better in cross wind and porpoising after a bump in the road.

One other thing to check for mileage is camper tire pressure. We would pressurize original factory tires to the max 50PSI but even at max pressure the tires always looked low. I have since refitted the camper with "D" load rated tires at 65PSI. There is less sidewall flex and it pulls allot better.

One last thing, I always engaged the trailer towing button on the gear shift as needed on hills. This would run the engine at higher RPM (2500-3500) for more torque and less shifting. I wish you well on your trip and If you have any questions feel free to PM me.
Markie

I towed a 172 with a 2010 4WD Pilot for more than a year. On level ground at sea level the pilot is adequate but in the mountains it strains. I was able to negotiate the Rockies but sometimes in second or even first gear. The Pilot transmission is odd in that both fourth and fifth gears are overdrive with third gear being straight through. Honda compensates for this with a high rear end ratio. Best towing is in third gear which is D3 on the shifter. Gas mileage should be 10-12 MPG at 60 MPH. Definitely use premium gas. I found it made a 2 MPG difference when towing. You should also install a transmission temperature gauge such as the ScanGauge and watch it. Heat is an enemy for transmissions and transmission oil.