Reviews and General Information: My Experience Towing with a Honda Pilot

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My Experience Towing with a Honda Pilot

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URL: https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12089
Printed Date: 23 Oct 2026 at 1:27pm
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Topic: My Experience Towing with a Honda Pilot

Posted By: PilotPodder
Subject: My Experience Towing with a Honda Pilot
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2018 at 7:27pm

Just put a video together talking about my experience towing with a 2014 4WD Honda Pilot. Hope it will help folks think through a decision like this.

https://youtu.be/WAIMgWv7Zjo - https://youtu.be/WAIMgWv7Zjo

~PP

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Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — https://johnmarucci.com/r-pod-video-list/ - My RPod YouTube Videos

Replies:

Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2018 at 8:55pm

Great video. Am curious about one item you neglected to mention. In all the vehicles I have towed our 177 with which include: '94 F-150 4x4, 2008 Ford Explorer, 2013 Ford Explorer all came with transmission coolers. Did either or both or your tow vehicles have this item?

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God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."

Posted By: PilotPodder
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2018 at 9:05pm

Jato, Yes the 2014 4WD Honda Pilot came with the transmission cooler as standard equipment. For the 2016 and later Pilots it is an option and not standard. ~PP

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Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — https://johnmarucci.com/r-pod-video-list/ - My RPod YouTube Videos

Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2018 at 9:34pm

John,

Good video on the Pilot/Pod combo. Seems a popular combo. This question has been asked many time and I've answered it many times. Interesting to hear of the upgrades to the 2016 model. I think you give them a fair and honest review.

I started with a 2010 4WD Pilot and elected to go with the 172 because I knew I would be spend lots of time in the CO Rockies. Engine performance of a naturally aspirated engine at altitude is a big and mostly overlooked factor. Overall it did well but climbing grades at 10K ft. definitely exposed the limits of the Pilot. There were only two of us and I was at 20MPH in first or second gear at times.

One misunderstood item, and you mentioned it, is the use of a WDH. I consider it an absolute necessity with the Pilot. The Pilot manual does not recommend a WDH but it does not prohibit it. Their reasoning, at least in my 2010 manual, is that a maladjusted WDH can be worse than no WDH. Absolutely correct but true for any WDH installation. The idiot dealer that installed my WDH apparently had no clue so I almost had a disaster on my first trip home, but that's another story. My WDH recommendation to new campers is Read the instructions, Understand the instructions, Follow the instructions, and Check your work. I never had any problems with the Unibody of the Pilot. One other thing I recommend is a transmission temperature gauge like the ScanGauge. Climbing mountains, even with a transmission cooler, is tough on the tranny. It needs watching.

Your advice to look at a larger TV when considering the larger Pods is right on. I think the 171 or 172 is the limit for the Pilot unless you're staying on level ground near sea level.

Good video. Thanks.

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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

Posted By: PilotPodder
Date Posted: 22 Aug 2018 at 6:48pm

Thanks CharlieM! Excellent real-world experience explained well. I may be asking to quote you at some future date. ~PP

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Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — https://johnmarucci.com/r-pod-video-list/ - My RPod YouTube Videos