Towing with 2018 Highlander - Maiden Voyage

[trainman]

Originally Posted by Al Bear

Trainman,
I'm glad the Ridgeline has worked out for you. I would have been less skeptical about the "Low" setting on the tranny on the Ridgeline if at the time I had found someone who had experience towing a similar trailer with it.

One of the downsides of any WDH is that the head assembly is going to be pretty heavy. The Curt 1499 is probably the worst of the lot at 53 pounds. A more popular one I looked at weighs 37. You'll be picking that thing up and inserting it in the receiver at the start of every trip and also at each campground if you are going to go to town or to a trailhead with the TV. Practice that move with a rock or a chunk of concrete before you commit yourself to being a WDH user. Be careful of your back: engage your abs, use your legs as much as possible, squat rather than bending over. It's easier to pick up a 40-pound object from the ground and put it on a table than to pick it up and insert it into a slot that's about 15 inches off the ground.

Of course, almost any real pickup truck from a Tacoma/Ranger/Canyon/Colorado/Frontier on up is also not going to need a WDH for any of the Escapes. Just just check the official brochure to make sure that the towing capacity is at least 3500 pounds. (The reason I say "almost" is that I once owned a wimpy 1999 Ranger with 2WD and 4 cylinders that might not have been happy with 420 pounds on the rear bumper.)

Ridgeline AWD's ratings are 5000 lbs. trailer weight and 600 lbs. tong weight.


trainman

[Kip in Ga.]

I'm not going to jump on any particular brand of vehicles problems. Or how ugly I think they are. I've owned a good assortment of them and ride in friend's. and they do "all" have their share of problems. Even more problems are being created by the manufacturers quest for better fuel mileage, and "Gee whiz" gizmos.

Interesting how the folks that don't own, and have never towed with, and most likely never ridden in a Ridgeline, somehow know all about them.
Sad!

I cant speak to the G2 Ridgeline, but expect they do everything better than our '09 G1. They have more horse power, more torque, an extra gear, improved suspension, improved traction control and improved 4WD.

This post is to address some of the uninformed remarks posted in this thread that are not true of the G1 Ridgelines.

> The G1 Ridgelines have a subframe added that the Pilot did not and possibly still do not have.

>It came with factory installed 7 pin connector, hitch receiver, and extra tranny cooler.

> It came with a Trailer brake "pigtail" cable and correct fuse, with instructions in a bag in the glove box. I didn't have to "BUY" a cable.

It rides and handles better than the Pilot we traded for it. I can slip it into parking spaces that full size "real" Pickups only dream about. It also parks in a normal 20' long garage space and the garage door will close, and the RL doors will open.

Its rides way more comfortable than any of the 6 or 7 "Real" pickup we have owned. None of that famous "Jogging" and occasional rear end hop that's associated with the bed being separated from the cab. And contrary to some beliefs, gets better fuel mileage than most other brands. Normal weight 6 foot folks can ride in the back seat and their knees not touch the front seats, unless the front seats are all the way rearward.

I would like to have all of the safety features of the new vehicles. Have researched several brands and sizes. Mostly going to the forums where the owners "get real" and need answers. It is amazing the problems those folks are experiencing.

k

[Raz]

Kip, I've yet to meet a Ridgeline owner that didn't say great things. Many kept their Gen 1's until the Gen 2's arrived.

That said, when I looked there were several things that pushed me away. Lack of manual control on the gears, no room for a full size spare in the trunk, and no low range on the transmission are three that come to mind. But the biggest turn off was Honda marketing. They advertise a base model that none of the local dealerships could get. This forces the buyer to the upscale models. I decided to stick with a Frontier, my third, for $15k less.

[Kip in Ga.]

Originally Posted by Raz

Kip, I've yet to meet a Ridgeline owner that didn't say great things. Many kept their Gen 1's until the Gen 2's arrived.

That said, when I looked there were several things that pushed me away. Lack of manual control on the gears, no room for a full size spare in the trunk, and no low range on the transmission are three that come to mind. But the biggest turn off was Honda marketing. They advertise a base model that none of the local dealerships could get. This forces the buyer to the upscale models. I decided to stick with a Frontier, my third, for $15k less.

Raz,

Thanks for your reply .

Recon different parts of the country stock different items. My son, next door neighbor and a friend all have the base models with the gray painted wheels. All are G1s and all were bought new. Mine is the Sport model, which is updated somewhat.

I would definitely love to have paddle shifters, for selecting which gear to be in when the tranny starts searching. It is still not available. I have no need for a two speed transfer case. Had one and never used it, other than for novelty.
And yes, a full size spare would be comforting, although I haven't needed a spare in years, I would get one if it would fit.

I fully understand how something minor to one person can sometimes be a deal breaker for someone else.

Really surprising that a 4 door Frontier V6, with automatic tranny, low and high range transfer case, auto AWD, and manual gear control, can be purchased for $15k less than the least expensive RL you were able to find. Seems, the Frontier to be a real bargain.

Here in this neck of the woods there was only a couple thousand difference in the Frontier, Tacoma, and Ridgeline when comparably equipped. But that was 2010 and things have apparently changed.

Main thing is that we each have what we want!

Thanks,
kip





















is was the

[Mike Magee]

I recall test driving a Ridgeline in '07, and I chose the Highlander instead. To me the Ridgeline didn't seem to have as much pep and wanted to (in a very noticeable manner) downshift if I wanted to speed up just a tad from, say, 40 to 45 mph. That was the biggest minus in my perception at the time.


In Sept or Oct '07 when I bought the 2008 Highlander, I definitely wanted AWD. But all the dealers in Oklahoma stocked only higher-end models, and hardly any in AWD. I located a base model AWD with factory tow prep just across the border in Independence, KS. I was told that KS and OK were in different marketing regions for Toyota, and all the dealerships in my region were given fancy, well-equipped vehicles for the city buyers, whereas the region to the north catered more to the rural folks who wanted stripped-down models.

[trainman]

Originally Posted by Kip in Ga.

I'm not going to jump on any particular brand of vehicles problems. Or how ugly I think they are. I've owned a good assortment of them and ride in friend's. and they do "all" have their share of problems. Even more problems are being created by the manufacturers quest for better fuel mileage, and "Gee whiz" gizmos.

Interesting how the folks that don't own, and have never towed with, and most likely never ridden in a Ridgeline, somehow know all about them.
Sad!

I cant speak to the G2 Ridgeline, but expect they do everything better than our '09 G1. They have more horse power, more torque, an extra gear, improved suspension, improved traction control and improved 4WD.

This post is to address some of the uninformed remarks posted in this thread that are not true of the G1 Ridgelines.

> The G1 Ridgelines have a subframe added that the Pilot did not and possibly still do not have.

>It came with factory installed 7 pin connector, hitch receiver, and extra tranny cooler.

> It came with a Trailer brake "pigtail" cable and correct fuse, with instructions in a bag in the glove box. I didn't have to "BUY" a cable.

It rides and handles better than the Pilot we traded for it. I can slip it into parking spaces that full size "real" Pickups only dream about. It also parks in a normal 20' long garage space and the garage door will close, and the RL doors will open.

Its rides way more comfortable than any of the 6 or 7 "Real" pickup we have owned. None of that famous "Jogging" and occasional rear end hop that's associated with the bed being separated from the cab. And contrary to some beliefs, gets better fuel mileage than most other brands. Normal weight 6 foot folks can ride in the back seat and their knees not touch the front seats, unless the front seats are all the way rearward.

I would like to have all of the safety features of the new vehicles. Have researched several brands and sizes. Mostly going to the forums where the owners "get real" and need answers. It is amazing the problems those folks are experiencing.

k

Kip, I would get too into why many don't like the Ridgeline, as you have to remember that the Ridgeline's are produced in very low numbers and just not that many out there for prospective owners to justify there want for one. Several things turn off new buyers on the Ridgeline, from what I can gather from reading on these forums is, (1) Not many on the road as compared to other vehicles, (2) Honda sales personal have no idea on what the Ridgeline can tow, thus they pretty much turn off new buyers, (3) At rallies you are lucky if you find 1 in 125 with a Ridgeline as the tow vehicle, (4) There is always the frame thing that many just can't get past, even if the Ridgeline does a good job when towing within its limits. (5) The cost factor is always there on a Honda, no factory discounts, or rebates, your lucky to get $1500 off of MSRP on Ridgelines, thus new buyers feel they can get a better deal on other vehicles and in many cases they can.


trainman

[Raz]

Really surprising that a 4 door Frontier V6, with automatic tranny, low and high range transfer case, auto AWD, and manual gear control, can be purchased for $15k less than the least expensive RL you were able to find. Seems, the Frontier to be a real bargain.

Sorry to mislead here. There were no base models. In fact you could not get a front wheel drive up here either. The cheapest Ridgeline at the dealers was approaching 40k and I bought a base model Frontier left over. Having owned two Civics and currently a CRV I'm a big Honda fan. I've often said if Honda made a pickup I'd buy it but unfortunately you have to go with the best fit for you at the time.

[Kip in Ga.]

Originally Posted by trainman

Kip, I would get too into why many don't like the Ridgeline, as you have to remember that the Ridgeline's are produced in very low numbers and just not that many out there for prospective owners to justify there want for one. Several things turn off new buyers on the Ridgeline, from what I can gather from reading on these forums is, (1) Not many on the road as compared to other vehicles, (2) Honda sales personal have no idea on what the Ridgeline can tow, thus they pretty much turn off new buyers, (3) At rallies you are lucky if you find 1 in 125 with a Ridgeline as the tow vehicle, (4) There is always the frame thing that many just can't get past, even if the Ridgeline does a good job when towing within its limits. (5) The cost factor is always there on a Honda, no factory discounts, or rebates, your lucky to get $1500 off of MSRP on Ridgelines, thus new buyers feel they can get a better deal on other vehicles and in many cases they can.


trainman

Yes John, Most of what you wrote stems from Honda's poor efforts promoting the Ridgeline. And the dealers hire as many people as they can to be " sales persons" . They are not trained properly and don't know their product line.


Chances are good that one of those "Sales Persons" will tell you the Ridgeline is simply a Pilot with an open bed. WHAT?


When people stop at our campsite to inquire about the Ridgeline and say they didn't know Honda made a truck, it speaks volumes of Honda's poor promotion efforts. I mean COME ON HONDA, the truck has been around for 12 +/- years and people don't know they even exist???

Before purchasing our new 09 Ridgeline, I did some serious research.
RL has a fairly substantial sub frame. The Pilot did not. RL rear differential was physically larger and internally stronger than the Pilot. The RL engine had a different cam configuration for torque to come in at lower PM. Tranny and/or differential had a different ratio gear set. It was rated to carry as much or actually more weight in the bed than the other midsize trucks. The tow package had a 7 pin connector instead of the 4 pin. Not a single sales person told me any of that.

I suspect the G2 Ridgelines are very impressive , but the general public will never know. Leading to the demise of the Ridgeline.

Thanks,
Kip

[rlsooby]

My 2017 Highlander with tow package (I added brake controller and 7-pin connector) has towed my 2018 17' Casita SD very well through mountains, wind, and rain on gravel, dirt, and highway for 10 months now. I was going to add a WDH, but it tracks so purely behind the car in all conditions I have not felt the need. (I do not exceed 62mph.) As the car gets older, I might shore up the rear suspension or add air lifts. The only clearance problem I've had on some fairly rough boondocking roads is the 7-pin connector hanging under the back bumper. So far, no complaints.

[julmar]

Originally Posted by rlsooby

My 2017 Highlander with tow package (I added brake controller and 7-pin connector) has towed my 2018 17' Casita SD very well through mountains, wind, and rain on gravel, dirt, and highway for 10 months now. I was going to add a WDH, but it tracks so purely behind the car in all conditions I have not felt the need. (I do not exceed 62mph.) As the car gets older, I might shore up the rear suspension or add air lifts. The only clearance problem I've had on some fairly rough boondocking roads is the 7-pin connector hanging under the back bumper. So far, no complaints.

My mechanic’s wife had 2017 highlander. Tranny went out @ 4000 miles. Seems to be issue for 2017’s. They traded her a 2018. She found lots of info on Toyota forum about issue.

[rlsooby]

I'll keep eyes and ears out for any of these signs. At 20K, doing OK.

[disneydoc]

+++1, me too

Originally Posted by rlsooby

I'll keep eyes and ears out for any of these signs. At 20K, doing OK.

I have a 2017 Highlander XLE V6 AWD, the 21000 miles have been smooth & uneventful, some towing but the majority have been non towing.