Looking to purchase a R-Pod182G can a Honda Pilot
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Topic: Looking to purchase a R-Pod182G can a Honda Pilot
Posted By: tracy
Subject: Looking to purchase a R-Pod182G can a Honda Pilot
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 9:07am
Hi We are wanting to purchase an R-Pod182G. Can a 2017 Honda Pilot AWD(tow capacity 5000 lbs) pull it? I would appreciate any help! We live in WI so it's pretty flat around here. So we wouldn't be taking it through mountains or anything. Weight of the people traveling in the Honda is approx 350lbs in total.
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Replies:
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 9:19am
Check your owner's manual to see what is the tow capacity for the Pilot. Does it have a factory tow package? If so, then it would mean all you should have to add is a brake controller. If not, then you should consult with Honda. See this chart: http://news.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=9304-en
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...
http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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Posted By: tracy
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 9:21am
Originally posted by StephenH
Check your owner's manual to see what is the tow capacity for the Pilot. Does it have a factory tow package? If so, then it would mean all you should have to add is a brake controller. If not, then you should consult with Honda. See this chart: http://news.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=9304-en |
Yes you can buy a tow package for the 2017 Honda Pilot. So can Honda put a brake controller in the Honda Pilot for us?
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Posted By: tracy
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 9:23am
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Are we ok with buying a used R-Pod? Or is it better to buy new? We are hoping to use Solar with the R-Pod but the used one doesn't have the solar prep. Is that easy to have added when we want to add Solar?
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 9:24am
Originally posted by tracy
Yes you can buy a tow package for the 2017 Honda Pilot. So can Honda put a brake controller in the Honda Pilot for us?
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That is something I can't answer. You would need to see your Honda dealer. I got the Hopkins InSIGHT Flex-mount controller from etrailer.com. It works well and I have the display and manual control where I want them.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...
http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 9:41am
Originally posted by tracy
Are we ok with buying a used R-Pod? Or is it better to buy new? We are hoping to use Solar with the R-Pod but the used one doesn't have the solar prep. Is that easy to have added when we want to add Solar?
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Wow. That is most probably a personal decision of your own. There will be people on both sides of that decision. Many will believe that they need a new R-pod just so they don't inherit other people's problems, and are willing to pay the premium for it.
OTOH, many will argue that a "lightly used" R-pod will be a far better value. You eliminate the new vehicle premium, and "hopefully" the original owners have worked out any problems they may have had.
There are plenty of pros and cons to both of those arguments. The issue is to figure out what's most important for you, and follow through. Each and every one of us will weigh the various issues in unique way.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
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Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 9:46am
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I did a quick check on the 2017 Honda Pilot, and it has a listed towing capacity of 3500-5000 lbs. That sounds like the "base" Pilot (3500 lb capacity) would be marginal, but there is probably a towing package that will increase that to 5000 lbs.
So if this is a new car decision, I would say go for the tow package, and anything else you can do to beef it up.
Plenty of people have gone too small with their TV, and lived to regret it. The people that have gone the other way rarely regret it.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 9:54am
"Solar Prep" is literally a plug and some 10gauge wiring. You can add it any number of ways, and in fact most portable panels come with some sort of attachment method for the battery hook up.
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Posted By: tracy
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 10:02am
Originally posted by furpod
"Solar Prep" is literally a plug and some 10gauge wiring. You can add it any number of ways, and in fact most portable panels come with some sort of attachment method for the battery hook up.
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Ok that's good. We found a used R-Pod close to use and we are hoping it will work. We just need them to show us that everything works right? Is there anything else we need to worry about. The owner mentioned he took care of the seams.
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Posted By: tracy
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 10:03am
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Wouldn't hauling portable solar add a lot of weight to the trailer?
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Posted By: tracy
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 10:05am
Originally posted by GlueGuy
I did a quick check on the 2017 Honda Pilot, and it has a listed towing capacity of 3500-5000 lbs. That sounds like the "base" Pilot (3500 lb capacity) would be marginal, but there is probably a towing package that will increase that to 5000 lbs.
So if this is a new car decision, I would say go for the two package, and anything else you can do to beef it up.
Plenty of people have gone too small with their TV, and lived to regret it. The people that have gone the other way rarely regret it. |
Ok I had my daughter check her owners manual and her 2017 Honda Pilot is AWD with a tow capacity of 5,000lbs. The R-Pod 183G is about 3K pounds. So we should be good to go right?
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 10:24am
from my personal experience with a 2010 4WD Pilot and RP172 you will be on the margin with the 182. On flat ground at low elevations it will be fine but altitude and mountains will be a challenge. We pulled the Pod up and over some of Colorado's steepest paved passes and we made it, but parts were in first and second gears. The Honda gearing is strange in that there is a big hole between 1st and 2nd. A gear between would have been perfect. Don't even consider the 2WD version, or any other 2WD SUV. Most 2WD SUVs are front wheel drive (FWD) which makes no sense for towing. The 4WD Honda package includes a transmission oil cooler, beefed up alternator, and a beefier hitch. Be sure to get the 7 pin trailer connector and you'll want to add a transmission temperature monitor. That's critical when hauling up long steep hills. Don't rely on the factory supplied red idiot light. You'll also need a weight distributing hitch (WDH) like a 600/6000 E2. Makes all the difference.
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Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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Posted By: tracy
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 10:34am
Originally posted by CharlieM
from my personal experience with a 2010 4WD Pilot and RP172 you will be on the margin with the 182. On flat ground at low elevations it will be fine but altitude and mountains will be a challenge. We pulled the Pod up and over some of Colorado's steepest paved passes and we made it, but parts were in first and second gears. The Honda gearing is strange in that there is a big hole between 1st and 2nd. A gear between would have been perfect. Don't even consider the 2WD version, or any other 2WD SUV. Most 2WD SUVs are front wheel drive (FWD) which makes no sense for towing. The 4WD Honda package includes a transmission oil cooler, beefed up alternator, and a beefier hitch. Be sure to get the 7 pin trailer connector and you'll want to add a transmission temperature monitor. That's critical when hauling up long steep hills. Don't rely on the factory supplied red idiot light. You'll also need a weight distributing hitch (WDH) like a 600/6000 E2. Makes all the difference.
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Ok she had a company called Toys For Truck put on Hitch on her Honda Pilot. I will have to make sure they put on a 7 pin trailer connector. Does she need a transmission cooler added on her Honda AWD? It didn't come with one on hers but one can be added. We live in a pretty flat driving area.
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 30 Jun 2017 at 10:09pm
I would add the transmission cooler. In 2010 it came as part of the 4WD and/or towing package. Transmission coolers are cheap and transmissions are expensive. Make sure the hitch is at least a class 3, preferably class 4, and outfit it with a good WDH. If you stay low and on relatively flat ground the Pilot ought to do fine. We still have the 2010 and we love it but it no longer tows the Pod because we moved up to a 24 ft. CampLight and Tacoma.
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Charlie
Northern Colorado
OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD
PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD
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Posted By: Will&Melissa
Date Posted: 08 Jul 2017 at 7:46am
Just adding my 2 cents here. We've been pulling a 2017 176T with our 2007 Honda Pilot AWD for almost 2 weeks now. We started in Fort Worth, TX, went to El Paso, Albuquerque and we're now in Taos,NM (elevation 6,900). Leaving for Denver today. Headwinds and mountain passes are a killer. We're going over most steep hills at 50mph. We're also averaging 10mpg. On flat ground it tows nicely at 70mph and 3200 rpm.
Ours didn't have the factory tow package, but I installed the hitch and transmission cooler myself, the local uhaul installed the brake controller. Go to uhauls website to locate an installer near you. I also installed a K&N air filter just to let the engine breath better. I'd also HIGHLY recommend you install a sway control kit as well. We didn't have one when we left and I couldn't go over 60mph without the trailer starting to sway pretty significantly. We have one now and no more issues. We got the Curt ball mount with sway control tab (https://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts/Curt/D320.html) from etrailer because I didn't want to find someone to weld on the tab that comes with the sway kit and it had a 3/4" rise, making it the perfect height for hitching up the trailer.
Your weights sound fine, but always check them at the scales. Most truck stops have them and will only cost you $11. Most scales have different sections for the different axles so you can situate yourself on them so that the loaded Pilot is on one and the loaded trailer is on the other. You should be able to use your Pilot owners manual to estimate the tongue weight. There should be a table that tells you the estimated weight based on how many inches the hitch lowered when the trailer was hitched up. You want 10-15% of your total trailer weight to be on the tongue. This will also help with trailer sway.
Also check your owners manual for tow capacities. Ours has a max tow rating of 4,500lbs, but that's only if your towing a boat. 3,500lbs max for everything else. We have two adults and two kids (4yrs and 2yrs) in the Pilot and the trailer storage areas are pretty much maxed out. We never travel with water in the tanks and our trailer loaded weight is 3,200lbs.
Towing with the Pilot can be done safely and within limits, just be sure you verify all fully loaded weights and don't have any illusions of winning a drag race, or passing anyone. I've become very acquainted with the right lane.
Hope this helps and enjoy your Pod.
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Posted By: kansasfrogs
Date Posted: 09 Jul 2017 at 5:47pm
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We bought a 182 G last year and tow with a Pilot. We had Honda put in the connector and the rest of the tow package. If you aren't planning on going to drastic altitude changes, or carrying a lot of extra weight, you will do fine. Our tongue weight is at the top end, so I don't carry a lot of extra heavy things up front.
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FROGGY
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Posted By: gncourtney
Date Posted: 11 Jul 2017 at 1:17am
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Yes! We have a 2012 pilot and last weekend we picked up our 2018 182G and we are in love! We live in WA and have to travel over mountain passes and it's doing great! my husband worked in the service department for honda for 13 years so he did his research. In the future we might add an exta coolant just to be safe.
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