Ridgeline for towing 21' Escape

[BCnomad]

Originally Posted by StanLewis

The exact point I was planning to make.

And the exact opposite of mine.

I will make a note to pull in beside one again for an eye ball comparison with my Ram.

[StanLewis]

Originally Posted by marcus

Have you experienced any problems with yours? I've read of some emissions issues with the DEF and after treatment system. Also, who makes the engine? Is it Isuzu or VM Motori? I also believe the engine is belt driven. Do you know what the replacement interval is?

I had one unexplained issue with the diesel particulate filter regeneration cycle which has never repeated and was likely addressed by a recent update to the ECM programming. (Details in another thread on this forum if you're interested.) Otherwise it has been trouble free. Only thing I've had to do with DEF is dump in a 2.5 gal jug about every 2500 hundred miles or so. (Consumption is 1gal DEF/50 gal diesel.

The engine is a VM Motori based design built by GM in Thailand that's been in widespread use outside North America since 2011. The engine drive belt and timing belt are recommended for replacement at 150,000 miles (240,000 km).

[StanLewis]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

And the exact opposite of mine.

I will make a note to pull in beside one again for an eye ball comparison with my Ram.

I was going to agree to your guesstimate of 7/8 scale for the Canyon, but when I compared actual specs (short bed crew cab Canyon vs. short bed crew cab Sierra 1500) the Canyon turns out to be about .925 scale. About 17 inches shorter, 6 inches narrower, and not quite as tall. Doesn't really seem like much put that way, but it makes it a lot easier to drive and park in town and the Canyon fits in my garage; the Sierra wouldn't.

[cpaharley2008]

Sort of like the difference between 19 and 21, 18" or between 17 and a 19....

[StanLewis]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Sort of like the difference between 19 and 21, 18" or between 17 and a 19....

Too true. I wonder what it means that we went bigger on the trailer and smaller on the truck?

[AnJ]

We first bought a small truck, looked at Tacomas, Rangers, Frontiers and Colorados and settled on a 4.0L Ranger. While it was an awesome little truck and suited our needs, we were surprised when we upgraded to a 5.3L Silverado that it was just as fuel efficient, but with more room and power when we needed it for towing. A lot of the full sized pickup trucks are coming out with more fuel efficient and smaller engine choices that might be worth exploring.

[AnJ]

Phil Edmundson's Lemonaid books are awesome resources for getting unbiased ratings of vehicles, kind of like Consumer Reports, but more in depth, talks about secret warranties, owners experiences, etc. They have been a great resource for us with each vehicle we've bought. They also have advice on how to negotiate with dealers and what to watch out for.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by StanLewis

Too true. I wonder what it means that we went bigger on the trailer and smaller on the truck?

So your total footprint did not grow, that is good!

[Bellinghamster]

We have purchased a 2014 '21 and we have a new 2018 Ridgeline with a weight-distribution anti-sway hitch. Our first trip was over two mountain passes and it towed beautifully. We have since had several more trips and find ourselves more pleased with each trip (averaging about 16 MPG on journeys with only one mountain pass)

[John in Santa Cruz]

oddly enough 16-17 MPG is what I got on my F250 longbed 7.3L turbodiesel, half full of gear, towing the E21 to and from the Sierras. Probably be better if I wasn't stuck for an hour+ in stop-n-crawl traffic at rush hour on memorial day weekend each way. next month, we're doing a ~3000 mile trip, be interesting to see what we get.


someone called my truck a dinosaur, hah!

[Nitram987]

Our 2018 Sport Ridgeline tows our 19 foot 3500 pound dry weight single axle TT with a WDH effortlessly.

[marcus]

Originally Posted by Bellinghamster

We have purchased a 2014 '21 and we have a new 2018 Ridgeline with a weight-distribution anti-sway hitch. Our first trip was over two mountain passes and it towed beautifully. We have since had several more trips and find ourselves more pleased with each trip (averaging about 16 MPG on journeys with only one mountain pass)

How do you find the stability and braking ability down hills? Any sway issues? Do you know your loaded towing weight?

[marcus]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

oddly enough 16-17 MPG is what I got on my F250 longbed 7.3L turbodiesel, half full of gear, towing the E21 to and from the Sierras. Probably be better if I wasn't stuck for an hour+ in stop-n-crawl traffic at rush hour on memorial day weekend each way. next month, we're doing a ~3000 mile trip, be interesting to see what we get.


someone called my truck a dinosaur, hah!

The 7.3L is a solid and well proven engine but it's an old design that any modern diesel will run circles around. Yes, the added complexity of the modern diesels are a downside but they produce a great deal more power and capability while producing a fraction of the emissions.

[Nitram987]

Originally Posted by marcus

How do you find the stability and braking ability down hills? Any sway issues? Do you know your loaded towing weight?

With Tekonsha P3 brake controller and Eaz-Lift Trekker WDH, all works very well with a 2018 Honda Ridgeline & 3500# dry wt TT loaded for a month on the road.