Questions on Camper towing and weight

[DerbyDave]

The engine is up to it. I have a 2007 Ridgeline with the 3.5 J35 engine and I have exceeded the recommended tow capacity with about 6000 lbs of trailer weight once plus many other times pulling close to the max 5000 lbs. There were no issues at all towing the weight. Gearing, suspension and brakes are what limit the Odyssey. Your transmission cooler is a excellent addition for towing and I would second a weight distributing hitch. Since you said you are new to towing you need to remember to keep about 10% of the total trailer weight on the tongue. Insufficient tongue weight will cause the tail to wag the dog. Scary if it happens and you don't expect it.

 

[Dave Sherman]

I used to tow my 10' popup (2000 pounds) with my Honda CR-V. Technically over the 1500 pound official tow rating for the U.S., however, the same vehicle was rated for 1500 kilograms (3300 pounds) overseas, despite having a smaller engine. It did OK, although adding electric brakes to the trailer made a big difference. Yes, adding 1500+ pounds will be noticeable. If your trailer has electric brakes, adding a brake controller to your van would be worthwhile.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: carguy996

It struggles hard to maintain anything over 65, kept shifting in and out of 6th gear. The owners manual says NOT to run it in D4 when towing loads on the highway. Also I was getting a fair amount of sway and the rear sags a lot. I was hoping that perhaps the Monroe Load Leveler shocks would be available for my van but they aren't. The only thing I saw was the Sumospring coil inserts but that doesn't look wise to me since the van has variable rate springs and I don't want to mess around with the spring rate.

I think you've got a couple things going on here... Can't understand why Honda would want all that shifting on the highway while towing but I'd defer to their manual vs what we all "think is right". Check your tires air pressure - camper - up to the max on the sidewall, van max on what Honda says. The sway is most likely the loading of the trailer - it's a popup so it's probably not the wind catching it like the bigger campers. Check your loading - put the heavy stuff in the front or near/over the axles. Rear heavy on the trailer will cause and amplify sway.

Towing is a different animal and your vehicle will feel 100% different than normal. We pull a 9500lb, 35' travel trailer behind our F150 (yes it's got the correct setup for it) and it's night and day with and without the trailer. Without it, the truck rides well. With it, it's a little bouncy and you know when you are about to get passed. Acceleration, stopping, and maintaining speed is completely different too. So expect a different feel. You will notice more shifting and that's fine - your engine will sing and it's perfectly fine. Just make sure you keep an eye on temps and oil level as with more RPM comes the chance to burn more oil.

 

[Kawiguy454]

Those sumo springs I have heard good things about and are cheap and simple. Old school people immediately know if it is struggling then put it in a manual lower gear ...its a no brainer ...or burn up your tranny your choice. One other thing I would look into Is a CAI and an plugin engine tuner with Tow Mode. Those things are no joke will add a lot of low end torque and pull some timing so you won't get spark knock and power loss and some trans tweeks. My F150 super-chips box made the truck night and day stronger towing.

 

[cappilot]

Lots of guessing going on in many of the replies. A couple of thoughts: 1. Will the torque converter lock up when the gear selector is set anywhere other than "D"? It won't in my older Odyssey, so a load (weight, hill, etc) that causes the converter clutch to unlock will result in rapidly rising transmission fluid temps; 2. The measured trailer axle weight plus the tongue weight plus the other items you listed exceeds 2000 lbs. Towing with no brakes on the trailer is an incident waiting to happen; 3. The J35 engine produces useful power and torque only at elevated rpms. The transmission is going to shift with every load change unless you force it to hold a gear low enough to hold the rpm fairly high. Probably 3000+; 4. The 250 lb tongue weight (and probably higher when the camper is loaded) will not be gracefully borne by the van. A weight distributing hitch will help handling, though the Odyssey is rather softly sprung and could use additional help such as air bags or custom springs.

 

[Traction]

For anybody that tows a trailer this old Lucy/Desi movie, "The Long Long Trailer" is a must see! It is actually pretty educational with lots of towing tips, including an actual 5th wheel dolly on a 53 Mercury convertible pulling a 34 foot camper cross country. It all comes down to TRAILER BRAKES! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxx4ijz3aig

 

[spasm3]

I'd select so that its not shifting constantly. Constant shifting is heat, and that will kill the trans. I'd let if rev a bit and keep speeds down. Hitch wise , if a WD is available go that way. If not, at least run a basic friction bar to help with sway.