Honda pilot towing

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by dZtRailer

Question then. I've read and seen many individuals towing a 19' escape trailer with SUVs with the same tow capacity and people rave about towing it and the ability tow. And the weight isn't that much different.

I pulled my Escape 19 with an 09 Pilot with a 4,500 lb tow capacity most of the time for over six years. It performed very well. The only times it slowed was on really steep mountain climbs or into a strong headwind. Like any SUV it did drop in fuel economy quite a bit when towing, but was a fantastic vehicle to have for all the daily trips we took.

I did pull with a Ford Super Duty diesel a few times when just doing a trip through the mountains to BC where there would be little daily driving and had lots of climbs to do. Fuel economy was about the same as the Pilot and it barely knew the trailer was behind it. Not as comfy as the Pilot or the F-150 I have now though.

My brother pulls the new 19 with the same powered Pilot I had and it does quite well, and came with us on a 2 1/2 month trip this year. Pulled great most of the time with the exceptions of steeper uphills. Not the perfect tow vehicle, but it safely does the job, and it is what he has so makes do quite well until had needs a new vehicle, which may not be too long as it is now 10 years old.

[dZtRailer]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

..... new vehicle, which may not be too long as it is now 10 years old.

Thanks for the info Jim.

Again although I changed the question, I was more ultimately curious (Afterwards) how two trailers with generally the same weight have such a wide discrepancy on the TV. I understand the boxiness of a BF. I just didn't think that it would make that BIG of as difference.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by dZtRailer

Thanks for the info Jim.

Again although I changed the question, I was more ultimately curious (Afterwards) how two trailers with generally the same weight have such a wide discrepancy on the TV. I understand the boxiness of a BF. I just didn't think that it would make that BIG of as difference.

The Escape 19 dry weight is 3150 lbs, which sounds a fair bit lighter compared to the Bigfoot 17.

I had considered a Bigfoot 25, but the added weight, size and cost along with not being as towable as my Escape 5.0TA changed my mind. They are a very well built trailer though with lots of good features.

[dZtRailer]

Looking at Frederick L Simpsons trailer weights in the real world spreadsheet. Unless I'm reading it completely wrong
Shows a Bigfoot 25B175G @ 3620.

And a 2nd generation 19' escape anywhere from 3344-4400.

Again super confused

[trainman]

Originally Posted by dZtRailer

How careful does one need to be in the amount if gear they would be putting in their rig/TV, if say they wanted to tow a Bigfoot 25B17.5G.

TV is a 2016 AWD Honda pilot.

Thanks

I pulled our 17' Casita with a Honda Ridgeline, it towed it just fine, we only carried some 400 lbs. in the bed and back seat area and had no problem. Our rear end squat was 1 1/4 inches when hitched, we did not use a WDH and had no problems. I think with the Pilot you will probably need a WDH as the Pilot's suspension is not the same as the Ridgeline and your squat and vehicle towing experience will most likely need a WDH. Your concern here is towing with both the trailer and tow vehicle being level, for safe towing. Remember this, if you are involved in an accident and it is determined that you are not setup correctly for towing you could be liable and your insurance could deny the claim and you could be found guilty in court. Just remember to stay within the factory towing specs.

trainman

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Suggest you go to your Honda dealer with your VIN and find out what your vehicle is equipped with and what it is rated to tow. Then, go on from there.

Got to agree with Glenn . Get the actual numbers for your vehicle and then you can calculate exactly , based on your camping style what trailer will work with your vehicle . If you wait long enough someone will post that they tow their 25ft Bigfoot trailer with a VW bug , it tows great and they get 60 MPG when towing
I personally have a prefernce for trucks and would not tow with a small SUV but that’s my opinion

[Rockytop]

Originally Posted by dZtRailer

How careful does one need to be in the amount if gear they would be putting in their rig/TV, if say they wanted to tow a Bigfoot 25B17.5G.

TV is a 2016 AWD Honda pilot.

Thanks

I’d say pretty darn careful. While these 6-cyl SUVs often have 5,000 lb. towing capacity, the GVWR is pretty low after you account for curb weight. A weight distribution hitch may redistribute some weight off the hitch to the front axle, but the weight still counts in the gross, no matter which axle carries it. A 250 (probably more) pound tongue weight, a 200 pound man an a 150 pound woman, 20 gallons of gas (120 pounds), gets you up their in a hurry before you start adding any gear.

[tidewater]

I have a 2014 Bigfoot 2500 17.5 FB (front bed) that I pull with a Dodge diesel 2500. Prior to this trailer, I had a Casita 17' which I pulled with the same truck.

A couple of observations:

1. the 2500 series Bigfoot is a much heavier trailer than the 1500 series. That's the weight penalty for a true 4-season trailer. My CAT scale weights have varied from 3860 lb on the trailer axle (hitched) and 4360 lb (unhitched) to 4660 lb (hitched) when I was loaded heavy for an extended trip. As a result, I swapped out the 4400 lb standard axle for a 5200 lb axle. The hitch weight varied from 500 lb to 560 lb. I had plenty of truck so I didn't worry about weight too much. I travel with a full or nearly full fresh water tank (31 gallons) which is located in the forward third of the trailer, adding to the hitch weight. It should be the same for the 17.5G model. I have never used a weight distribution hitch.

2. The B17.5 Bigfoot is wider, taller, and longer than the Casita 17", thus more wind resistance. The 17.5 Bigfoot is actually 18'5' tip to tip, comparable to the Escape 19' or the Oliver 18'.

3. I have met a number of folks who get along fine with a 17' Casita and a Pilot or a minivan but I think all or almost all used a WDH. Same with folks who have a 1500 Bigfoot.

4. I didn't notice where you plan to travel, but - if it's in the west of the continent - I don't think you would have enough tow vehicle and would be unhappy pulling a heavier Bigfoot. I wouldn't do it.

jack

[Rockytop]

A 4 wheel drive Pilot has a higher tow capacity than the front wheel drive model. When we were shopping for a tow vehicle for our Casita 17, we compared Pilot, Ridgeline, Highlander, Pathfinder, and Acadia. A truck would not have been suitable for the other chores (grandkid carpools, transporting elderly parents who couldn’t step that high). As I recall, Honda did not approve using a weight distribution hoitch on the Pilot.
As an aside, we have been all over the US and Canada with a Highlander Plus with a tow package and WDH for the last 6 years and have been quite happy with handling and gas mileage.Yes, there are some mountains that slow us down, but that’s fine because bigger trucks pulling bigger trailers are slowing down, too. But, we find we are limited not by vehicle tow capacity, but acceptable cargo weight restrictions. A Casita 17 tongue weight eats up almost 400 pounds of cargo weight capacity, my husband and I take up another 300. Kayaks on top add 80. Gas, 120. That does not leave us a lot to work with, so we are very careful about what goes in the car. Ironically, a 7 passenger SUV often would exceed its weight carrying capacity with 7 passengers! The Dexter axle on the trailer is rated for 3,500 pounds (but 400 pounds of the trailer is transferred to the SUV), but it’s still quite easy to get up to that (generator, 40 pounds, Clam 40 pounds, etc., so weight is always something you have to be conscious of with any SUV.

[KBand]

Originally Posted by dZtRailer

How careful does one need to be in the amount if gear they would be putting in their rig/TV, if say they wanted to tow a Bigfoot 25B17.5G.

TV is a 2016 AWD Honda pilot.

Thanks

We have a 21 ft BF and tow with a Mercedes ML350 diesel, which can tow up to 8,000 lbs. I still find this trailer a bit heavy to pull. This may be because our previous trailers were an Escape 17 and a Scamp 16, but I’d think your TV would be light.

[ninklink]

We moved up from a 17.5 BG towing with a 2016 Pathfinder that had a 5000lb capacity to a 21’ Bigfoot and a new 2018 Pathfinder that has a 6000lb cap. We tow it Auto 4x4 setting. Yes its slower on the big hill grades but so what? The Pathfinder pulls and tows well and we’re never towing over 100 miles from home. We did tow the 21’ with a 4x4 Sierra I had and that towed well but was terrible on mileage. Our camping season is rather short so i’m not going to sweat it. Happy with the 21’ Bigfoot and happy with the 2018 Pathfinder with WD hitch.

[JonRaw]

Originally Posted by ninklink

We moved up from a 17.5 BG towing with a 2016 Pathfinder that had a 5000lb capacity to a 21’ Bigfoot and a new 2018 Pathfinder that has a 6000lb cap. We tow it Auto 4x4 setting. Yes its slower on the big hill grades but so what? The Pathfinder pulls and tows well and we’re never towing over 100 miles from home. We did tow the 21’ with a 4x4 Sierra I had and that towed well but was terrible on mileage. Our camping season is rather short so i’m not going to sweat it. Happy with the 21’ Bigfoot and happy with the 2018 Pathfinder with WD hitch.

Just curious, have you ever had that set up weighed?

[ninklink]

Never weighed it but its a good idea. I will post when i know.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

The Escape 19 dry weight is 3150 lbs, which sounds a fair bit lighter compared to the Bigfoot 17.

noone tows a trailer's dry weight in the real world.

i prefer to use GROSS weight as the design target. if my tow vehicle can't handle the trailer GWR, then every loadout is going to have to be very carefully measured.

I just got home tonight from a 5 night solo run to a big annual star party. I found myself on some really rough back roads that were 55 MPH. my trailer got pretty tossed around but my overkill F250 diesel tow vehicle hardly noticed. I managed to break the middle shelf in my RMD8555 fridge. ugh, apparently that shelf is a $85 part?!?

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

noone tows a trailer's dry weight in the real world.

You may not be aware, but the brain trauma I suffered almost 10 weeks ago has really improved so I am not fully unaware of reality anymore.

[Jon in AZ]

Slow is okay as long as you stay in the right lane with the trucks and/or use pullouts to allow faster traffic to pass. In most states, towed rigs are viewed as trucks in terms of speed limits and lane usage. Many states have laws requiring you to pull over when traffic accumulates behind you.

If you can’t keep up with the flow of truck traffic, that’s a good indication you need a more competent tow vehicle.

Worst are RV’s that want to go faster than the trucks but can’t keep up with the autos, so they weave in and out of the fast lane. That’s dangerous.