What would you buy?

[Montana Brad]

I have a 2019 Honda pilot set up for towing. It is rated to pull 5K lbs. I want a fiberglass trailer to pull behind on weekends. Living in Montana there would be some up and down passes. I would like a toilet. This is for two people and a small dog. I want to be able to stand up in it. I am 5' 10". The Casita 17 ' dry weight with hitch may be to much .Which I know people tow w/ pilots but I was thinking the weight might be to much for Montana.

[John McMillin]

Your Pilot's tongue weight and tow rating are over the Casita's specs. A 5000-lb rating is what they specify, so I wouldn't assume that you have a problem. Try it and see. Even if you added more power, the driver behind you doesn't know that. All they know is that they don't want to get stuck behind a $@?*% slow trailer again, so they'll rush to pass you even if you're doing the limit.

[floyd]

I have a Scamp13D front bath.
My wife and I have traveled extensively with it for 18 years, many trips for months at a time.
We have towed it with several TVs.
We now have a Ranger with a 7500# tow rating and 750# tongue weight rating.
We will not be getting a larger trailer any time soon, nor would we trade for anything else on the market.
We can tow any trailer we like... and we do!
BTW.. It is prefire and I am 6'0" tall and very comfortable with the Scamp.
A Post fire Scamp13 has a 6'3" ceiling height as does the 16.

[AC0GV]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

I have a 2019 Honda pilot set up for towing. It is rated to pull 5K lbs. I want a fiberglass trailer to pull behind on weekends. Living in Montana there would be some up and down passes. I would like a toilet. This is for two people and a small dog. I want to be able to stand up in it. I am 5' 10". The Casita 17 ' dry weight with hitch may be to much .Which I know people tow w/ pilots but I was thinking the weight might be to much for Montana.

But you will hit your head on the air Conditioner, I'm 5'7" and clear it. See the scale ticket below. The white insert is the CLAIMED factory weight, the scale ticket is the real thing. Another odd thing is tall people get in the door OK but sometimes bump the door frame on the way out.

[theremin]

I have a 2022 Scamp 13, front bunk. I'm 6'0" and fit in it fine. I can stand up easily, except under the AC unit, and there I have to stoop down a little bit. Not a big deal at all. But as Kenneth mentioned, I do bump my head occasionally getting out of the camper. You'd think I'd learn!

It tows very easily behind a 4Runner, and I imagine that it would behind a Pilot.

We got the big bed option, which I'm very glad we did. With the front bunk, two people and a dog would be an easy fit. With the front bath, I think it would depend on the size of the dog. Small dog should have plenty of room.

Dave

[ShelbyM]

Hey Brad/Bob Good to see you have made some progress! I'm with Floyd on this. Scamp 13' or similar. Your Pilot should tow that w/o any need for work-arounds and the size will let you access many great less developed campsites.

[Jon in AZ]

If you decide you want the Casita, I would recommend a light duty weight distributing hitch to even out the axle weights. The Andersen supplied by Casita works well. I have seen a number of late model Pilots and Passports towing Casita 17’ers with the Andersen set-up, including a number from mountain states like Colorado.

A Scamp 13’ or 16’ would be even lighter and not need WDH. Some have smaller beds, and it really comes down to what layout and bed arrangement you prefer. Each has options not available on the others.

It also depends somewhat on your performance expectations. Towing a bigger trailer like the Casita will definitely put you in the right lane on long grades. But even with a 13’ Scamp and four people on board, our 2011 Pilot takes long grades at a slower pace than passenger vehicles. I just blend in with the trucks and take my time rather than weaving in and out and generally annoying everyone.

[Montana Brad]

Yes-good answers here. Thank you for responding. It reaffirms my thinking and what my issues are. Things I have figured out myself by visiting trailers. Something everyone should do before buying ANYTHING. My problems are a casita is really to heavy to tow with my vehicle where I live. I do not live in Texas. So I would need to buy a truck which I do not want or need except to pull a trailer. Next the SCAMP. Yes you hit you head on the AC and that is exactly why I have not bought one. What a pain in the head. Such a cool and well built unit except the AC placement. So with this all being said is there something else that I could purchase ?

[Perryb67]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

I have a 2019 Honda pilot set up for towing. It is rated to pull 5K lbs. I want a fiberglass trailer to pull behind on weekends. Living in Montana there would be some up and down passes. I would like a toilet. This is for two people and a small dog. I want to be able to stand up in it. I am 5' 10". The Casita 17 ' dry weight with hitch may be to much .Which I know people tow w/ pilots but I was thinking the weight might be to much for Montana.

We had no problems pulling either our 2001 16’ Scamp with side bath at over 3,200 #’s for six years, or our 2007 17’ basic Casita at >2,600 #’s, with a 5(?) gallon fresh, no grey or black tanks, but a porta-pottie that slide underneath the front bench for five years with our 2003 Honda Odyssey. Both climbed numerous Rocky Mountain passes with ease. I don’t drive 70 though.

Considering your 2019 Pilot is so much newer than our 2003 Odyssey, with more horsepower and torque, you should have no problems pulling a 16’ Scamp, 17’ Casita or 17’ Escape fully decked out with all your gear.

We had no WDH or sway control, but I’ll second the suggestion of a simple Andersen hitch for sway control. Over the years my mind has switched concerning sway control. While a one ton truck doesn’t need weight distribution to pull most fiberglass campers here (excepting the 21’ and 25’ Bigfoots) ANY tow vehicle should have sway control. However, my father smoked cigarettes all his life, but didn’t die of cancer. Your choice.

Enjoy,

Perry

[Steve Outlaw]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

I have a 2019 Honda pilot set up for towing. It is rated to pull 5K lbs. I want a fiberglass trailer to pull behind on weekends. Living in Montana there would be some up and down passes. I would like a toilet. This is for two people and a small dog. I want to be able to stand up in it. I am 5' 10". The Casita 17 ' dry weight with hitch may be to much .Which I know people tow w/ pilots but I was thinking the weight might be to much for Montana.

I’d look at the Oliver Elite. It will weigh about 4000 pounds ready to camp and will outlast and outclass everything else. Nobody was ever sorry they bought the best there is.

[John McMillin]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

\

It also depends somewhat on your performance expectations. Towing a bigger trailer like the Casita will definitely put you in the right lane on long grades. But even with a 13’ Scamp and four people on board, our 2011 Pilot takes long grades at a slower pace than passenger vehicles. I just blend in with the trucks and take my time rather than weaving in and out and generally annoying everyone.

Regarding this issue, perception matters more than performance. My VW Tiguan, with a GTI engine, was capable of holding the speed limit on any highway grade in Colorado, but still other cars would rush to pass me by. All they saw of me from behind was the trailer, which registered to them as a slow obstacle which they'd better pass ASAP. That psychology works the same even if you're pulling with a Porsche or Maserati SUV.

There is such a thing as too slow, of course. I would never again ask a 4-cylinder non-turbo to pull a Scamp 16 up Rabbit Ears Pass, for instance. That was the worst, and thirty-five in third gear was an embarrassment!

Given the limitations of a Scamp's tiny tires, I'm much more comfortable in the slow lane.

[Keith2000]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

Yes-good answers here. Thank you for responding. It reaffirms my thinking and what my issues are. Things I have figured out myself by visiting trailers. Something everyone should do before buying ANYTHING. My problems are a casita is really to heavy to tow with my vehicle where I live. I do not live in Texas. So I would need to buy a truck which I do not want or need except to pull a trailer. Next the SCAMP. Yes you hit you head on the AC and that is exactly why I have not bought one. What a pain in the head. Such a cool and well built unit except the AC placement. So with this all being said is there something else that I could purchase ?

I live in Texas but tow in New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming to get away from Texas.

Here is what a jeep engineer thought of the ridgeline towing a much heavier load than you are discussing.

https://jalopnik.com/this-2017-honda-ridgeline-towed-a-classic-mustang-over-1785097265/amp

Not sure how different your vehicle is from that one.

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by John McMillin

All they saw of me from behind was the trailer, which registered to them as a slow obstacle which they'd better pass ASAP…

That is true, but having been on both ends of that situation, the issue is not wanting to be behind a vehicle that limits forward visibility. If I’m towing I will drop back and follow another RV at a distance. But if I’m not towing, I will speed up and pass when it is safe to do so.

And this. Given the high speed limits out West, if an RV is going the same speed as I’m driving when not towing, they’re going too fast and I don’t want to be anywhere close.

[Montana Brad]

Not really anything new for me here that I did not know. Thanks for you replys. I looked at theKeith2000 link posted. The thing is I want tow this many times up and down passes without putting a strain on my newer 2019 Honda pilot. Considering looking at a Toyota sequoia. If I could find a used one with lower miles. Good luck with that I think. I like the Armadillo trailer but I am not giving someone a 50% deposit for a build a year plus out. I asked them about that and they said that's how they make it in business. Living on the come is not a good sign.

[AlanKilian]

Originally Posted by John McMillin

Given the limitations of a Scamp's tiny tires, I'm much more comfortable in the slow lane.

Given the limits of my brain, attention span, reaction time and the limits of my putting up with idiots and maniacs, I'm much more comfortable in the slow lane also.

[Meadowlark]

We have no problems pulling our Casita SD with our 2011 Toyota Tundra with the 8 banger 5.6L engine. It will happily fly at 70 but we never go that fast, 62 is our limit and so we stick to the right hand lane. Even so, we'll get some yahoo who either gets so close to the rear of the Casita that he's unseen, or he blasts past with a middle finger indicating his IQ. The wierd thing is, there's usually plenty of room in the middle lane for him to pass without ever having to be ''''stuck''' behind us.



And, I've been known to pull over into a safe spot to let people pass, when we're in a single lane road, but only if it's safe for me to do so. I really appreciate states that put in 'slow vehicle lanes", I use those all the time, even if I don't really need to.



YEars ago when I was stationed in Texas, it was understood that if you pulled over as far to the right as was safe, the person behind you took it as an invitation to pass.

That was usually in the rural areas. I don't know if they do that anymore or not. I try to stay out of Texas.

[ShelbyM]

Originally Posted by Montana Brad

Not really anything new for me here that I did not know.

Yep, not anything new since the last rodeo.

[Meadowlark]

Montana Brad, I've slept since then, but I remember a few years ago, Toyota came out with a warning buried deep in their manual that said do not tow faster than 45 mph in their trucks.

I don't know if it's still the case-it smelled more like CYA rather than the truck's capacity to tow,. But while I think it's insane to tow anything at 70mph, still, too slow, like 45, is dangerous, too.

[tooter]

I tow my 2013 Casita LD in BC up and down mountain passes with no issues with my 2018 Honda Pilot.
Have also towed it with a 2012 Honda Ridgeline and it performed well.
No WDH needed it is well balanced.

[Casita Ed]

We tow our Casita SD17 with our 2018 Honda Ridgeline RTLE with ease, so your Pilot should also tow it just fine. We use a WDH so we get a smooth comfortable ride, but the truck handles the weight without it. We often travel over steep mountain passes here in the Pacific Northwest. Our Casita fully loaded with camping gear, water and propane weighed in at around 3500 lbs with 425 of that as hitch weight. Well within the limits set by Honda. Have fun camping!