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Old 06-15-2018, 10:54 AM   #1
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Ridgeline for towing 21' Escape

We are thinking of buying a new Honda Ridgeline to tow a 21' Escape.

The Ridgeline has a tow capacity of 5000 lbs. The 21' Escape has a dry weight of 3210 lbs. Any ideas on what a loaded Escape would weigh? The trailer would be equipped with A/C, solar, extra insulation and the insulation underneath.

Research shows that the Ridgeline is capable of towing near its limit but I would like some room for margin. I'm estimating a loaded weight of around 4300-4500 lbs. There will only be two of us so that will increase our payload.

Anyone towed with a new Ridgeline to provide some insight into how it tows?
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Old 06-15-2018, 11:02 AM   #2
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Use the Search feature to see previous discussions on towing with a Ridgeline. Enter term in the bottom search box.
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Old 06-15-2018, 11:36 AM   #3
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Anyone towed with a new Ridgeline to provide some insight into how it tows?
My son in law has the 2017 Ridgeline - there is no way I would tow my 21 with it for a long trip. You might want to view this towing review from Autoguide.

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Old 06-15-2018, 11:50 AM   #4
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Living in mountainous country, you'd have to be willing to climb grades at 35-40 mph while listening to high engine RPM. I think it could shorten the service life of the vehicle.


Be sure to read Matt's Hyundai Santa Fe review, posted yesterday. The Santa Fe has similar power and tow rating.
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Old 06-15-2018, 12:05 PM   #5
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We are thinking of buying a new Honda Ridgeline to tow a 21' Escape.

Research shows that the Ridgeline is capable of towing near its limit but I would like some room for margin.

Anyone towed with a new Ridgeline to provide some insight into how it tows?

I have not towed with the Ridgeline, but I have towed with that same engine/transmission in the Odyssey minivan. We were towing a 13' Scamp fiberglass trailer. The engine did fine in almost all situations, but there were a few times on mountain passes when I could not maintain highway speeds where I became convinced I would need a more capable vehicle if I got a bigger trailer. We pick up our 21' in 2 weeks with a F-150. I looked at the Ridgeline seriously because I have been happy with my Honda's, but the 21' was too big for my comfort level. I liked the F150 's towing weight capability and the power available (especially at altitude).



Note that we travel all over the USA and I like to have some margin also. Others may have different expectations and needs. I know some people tow the 21' with a similar engine in a Highlander and have been satisfied.



Also, there are actual measured weights on the forums from a variety of owners if you have not found them yet if that is useful to you.
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Old 06-15-2018, 12:25 PM   #6
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Towing 19' with Ridgeline

I have a 2006 Honda Ridgeline with over 300,000 Kilometers on it. It is a great truck, has great features and is incredibly reliable. However, I purchased a new 19' Escape this year and drove it from Chilliwack to Calgary over the mountains. On steeper grades, the engine was working pretty hard and RPM's exceeded 5,000 so when I replace the Ridgeline in the next year, I will be looking for a vehicle with greater torque and towing capacity. I would not want to tow a 21' with the Ridgeline.
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Old 06-15-2018, 12:28 PM   #7
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My classic 21 weighed 4300# and I estimate the newer models to be heavier, maybe 2-300# more, so you will be really near/close to your limit.
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Old 06-15-2018, 07:57 PM   #8
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Thanks all for your insight. I really like the Ridgeline but I did suspect it might not be quite enough truck for the 21'.

Interesting that the 19' is only a few hundred pounds lighter. I'm guessing fully loaded it too will be too much for the Ridgeline.

I don't really want a full-size truck so I'm leaning towards the Tacoma or a Canyon/Colorado with the Duramax. Looks like the Duramax makes for a good tow rig and well within limits towing a 21'. The efficiency, even while towing is also quite appealing.
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Old 06-15-2018, 08:22 PM   #9
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That would be my choice........
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Old 06-16-2018, 09:03 AM   #10
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As a Tacoma owner pulling a 21, while I love the truck, I suggest looking at the Duramax. In either case, do a careful evaluation of the payload. I'm switching to a F150, although I probably carry a bit more stuff than most since I'm on the road for 8 - 10 months.
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Old 06-16-2018, 11:14 AM   #11
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Thanks all for your insight. I really like the Ridgeline but I did suspect it might not be quite enough truck for the 21'.



I don't really want a full-size truck so I'm leaning towards the Tacoma or a Canyon/Colorado with the Duramax. Looks like the Duramax makes for a good tow rig and well within limits towing a 21'. The efficiency, even while towing is also quite appealing.

I would not be comfortable towing on the interesting roads I tend to go on with a Ridgeline.



When The GMC twins came out, I did a shopping mall parking lot comparison of sizing by parking next to one. My take away is that the 'small' truck wasn't really small. Maybe 7/8th scale if you take my meaning. Now, the exhaust brake and mpg's....
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Old 06-16-2018, 02:08 PM   #12
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Anymore “small” trucks aren’t much smaller than full sized trucks. Compare the dimensions and I think you will be surprised. Now the 1981 Toyota SR 5 trick I had, it was small! Great truck too! Won’t tow much of anything.
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Old 06-16-2018, 10:48 PM   #13
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I would not be comfortable towing on the interesting roads I tend to go on with a Ridgeline.



When The GMC twins came out, I did a shopping mall parking lot comparison of sizing by parking next to one. My take away is that the 'small' truck wasn't really small. Maybe 7/8th scale if you take my meaning. Now, the exhaust brake and mpg's....

You're right that the GM twins are not really small but when you have one sitting next to a 1500 Sierra/Silverado they sure are.

I went to a lot today and looked at one. The exhaust brake built in along with the integrated trailer brake controller makes it much more a tow rig than either the Ridgeline or the Tacoma. The Tacoma is also out after reading previous comments and threads on towing a 21'.

The real downfall for the GM twins is the price relative to feature content. It is a very basic truck for over $50k CAD. No sunroof, HID/LED headlights, no smart key or push button start and no advanced safety features such as blind spot warning and automated braking.

I wouldn't mind as much if it was a $40k truck but at $50k, it is a bit disappointing. All of those features come standard on the top of the line Ridgeline. 2019 should be a face lift year so we will see if they add some features.

Also mulling the idea of a F-150 2.7 Ecoboost. The problem is that they are very big to drive in the city and since we are in a condo, parking space is at a premium. A full size pickup will not fit entirely in the stall. I know because a neighbour has a crew cab F-150 and boy it is a chore to park.
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Old 06-16-2018, 11:08 PM   #14
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those new truck prices are why I went and found a very clean 2002 F250 7.3 Diesel. that was the last full year for the last Ford diesel that doesn't eat large money in regular repairs.. yes, the truck is ridiculously overkill for my needs, but that means I never need worry about payload or axle weight, or GCWR. for $13K I got an XLT in very nice shape.
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Old 06-16-2018, 11:50 PM   #15
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those new truck prices are why I went and found a very clean 2002 F250 7.3 Diesel. that was the last full year for the last Ford diesel that doesn't eat large money in regular repairs.. yes, the truck is ridiculously overkill for my needs, but that means I never need worry about payload or axle weight, or GCWR. for $13K I got an XLT in very nice shape.
The truck will be also daily driver so no way an 3/4 ton diesel would work. A 7.3 would be great if you need a solid tow rig, but no so great when using as a DD in the city.

Those old 7.3s were great trucks but they are dinosaurs now.
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Old 06-16-2018, 11:55 PM   #16
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You're right that the GM twins are not really small but when you have one sitting next to a 1500 Sierra/Silverado they sure are.
The exact point I was planning to make.

Following up on Jon's point about payload (which in my research turned out to be the true limiting factor for almost every tow vehicle we considered):

Payload of our Canyon: 1457 lbs
Fiberglass cap + stuff that lives in the bed when we're camping: 477 lbs
Tongue weight: ~440 lbs
Available payload for the two of us and anything else: ~540 lbs

Neither one of us is as svelte as we were in our youth, so that leaves less than 200 lbs for "anything else". Not a problem, but not a lot to spare, either.

That said, I really like the Canyon Duramax as a tow for our 21 (which weighs in at ~4600 lbs loaded as we usually do for travel - note that we usually travel with the fresh water tank more or less full in consideration of the places we like to go). Pulls easily at 60-65 mph on any grade we've encountered, and mileage of 14-17 mpg gets enough range to be tolerable. (I don't really care about mileage per se, but I do care about range.) But:

The diesel was several thousand dollars more expensive to buy;
It's more expensive to maintain; and
Diesel is more expensive than gasoline and less widely available (not hard to find, but not available everywhere either). This pretty much eliminates any advantage from greater efficiency.

We bought the Canyon specifically to tow the trailer because I highly value the performance characteristics of the diesel in that application. Interestingly enough, had I been buying a mid-sized truck just to be my daily driver, it probably would have been the Ridgeline.

And if Ford were to offer the 2.7L Ecoboost in the upcoming Ranger, I'd look real hard at switching tow vehicles. But they're not going to do that.
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Old 06-16-2018, 11:57 PM   #17
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The truck will be also daily driver so no way an 3/4 ton diesel would work. A 7.3 would be great if you need a solid tow rig, but no so great when using as a DD in the city.

Those old 7.3s were great trucks but they are dinosaurs now.
this is my daily driver. it has a sunroof, too!


and, I'd rather have a dinosaur then something that goes through $5000 computer boards and snaps head bolts
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Old 06-17-2018, 12:48 AM   #18
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The exact point I was planning to make.

Following up on Jon's point about payload (which in my research turned out to be the true limiting factor for almost every tow vehicle we considered):

Payload of our Canyon: 1457 lbs
Fiberglass cap + stuff that lives in the bed when we're camping: 477 lbs
Tongue weight: ~440 lbs
Available payload for the two of us and anything else: ~540 lbs

Neither one of us is as svelte as we were in our youth, so that leaves less than 200 lbs for "anything else". Not a problem, but not a lot to spare, either.

That said, I really like the Canyon Duramax as a tow for our 21 (which weighs in at ~4600 lbs loaded as we usually do for travel - note that we usually travel with the fresh water tank more or less full in consideration of the places we like to go). Pulls easily at 60-65 mph on any grade we've encountered, and mileage of 14-17 mpg gets enough range to be tolerable. (I don't really care about mileage per se, but I do care about range.) But:

The diesel was several thousand dollars more expensive to buy;
It's more expensive to maintain; and
Diesel is more expensive than gasoline and less widely available (not hard to find, but not available everywhere either). This pretty much eliminates any advantage from greater efficiency.

We bought the Canyon specifically to tow the trailer because I highly value the performance characteristics of the diesel in that application. Interestingly enough, had I been buying a mid-sized truck just to be my daily driver, it probably would have been the Ridgeline.

And if Ford were to offer the 2.7L Ecoboost in the upcoming Ranger, I'd look real hard at switching tow vehicles. But they're not going to do that.
Good to see your payload numbers worked out. I think some full-size trucks have some pretty low payload caps so 1457 lbs isn't too bad for a smaller truck like the Colorado/Canyon. The Ridgeline has a 1500 lb payload which is really decent for what it is, but the towing capacity is just not enough for a 21'.

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 agree the 2.7 in the Ranger would be great but at the end of the day, I think both GM and Ford don't want to make their mid-size trucks too competitive with their full sized-offerings. And pricing them close to their full-size trucks with little incentives is one way to do it.

For example, the local GM dealer has incentives for up to $12000 off a new Silverado or Sierra. On the mid-size trucks it's a measly $1200. Granted they are trying to make room for the new 2019 Sierra/Silverado, but it is still something to take note of.
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Old 06-17-2018, 12:49 AM   #19
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this is my daily driver. it has a sunroof, too!


and, I'd rather have a dinosaur then something that goes through $5000 computer boards and snaps head bolts
Nice! I have a 300CE coupe. The older Mercedes coupes and cabriolets are timeless.
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Old 06-17-2018, 12:54 AM   #20
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Nice! I have a 300CE coupe. The older Mercedes coupes and cabriolets are timeless.
this is also a 300CE, but the 1993 model with the 3.2L engine also used on 94/95 E320's. I find it the perfect car for a retired couple in a beach community I had convertibles in the 80s, got rid of them when the kids arrived, now the kids have flown the coop, it seemed like it was time again...
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