Posted 2008-01-26 10:39 PM (#75351) Subject: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Member
Posts: 17
Location: KY
Hello all,
I have a great 2003 Honda Pilot that I drive daily for work. It can tow a max of 4500 lbs. I will usually haul one horse to horse shows around KY. It has a 3.5L V6. Can I tow a light horse trailer with this?
Posted 2008-01-26 11:32 PM (#75353 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
Yes you can, but........
The Pilot SUV is built more for comfort than it is as a tow vehicle. It has an independent rear suspension which is not noted for stability when heavily loaded, or when being pushed by a trailer. You have a small engine that doesn't produce much HP and then only at a relatively high RPM. Hills will be a problem, and for reliability you would probably have to immediately invest in a HD transmission oil cooler.
I don't know how much weight can be placed on your trailer hitch without a serious squatting problem. Do you have an auto load leveling system? Without it you may have to invest in a weight distribution hitch assembly.
With a light weight trailer and one horse you may be towing less than your advertised weight of 4500#, With two horses you will probably exceed it.
Yes you can pull a trailer. But you will be constantly testing the limits of the Honda's capabilities, and be using it very hard. You will need to have the Pilot professionally set up for the trailer you purchase. There will be several issues to address and they must be done correctly if you are going to be driving safely.
In my opinion. I would only pull a rig with your suv if I had no other choices. I've done it with a larger suv that was well set up. There are others that will argue against me, but I feel the safest when pulling with a truck.
Posted 2008-01-27 3:14 AM (#75357 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
With everyone getting rid of bigger trucks...it would be cheaper in the long run to get a new tow vehicle which would pull any average,(read cheaper), 2 horse trailer...than modifying your vehicle and buying a Brenderup Trailer...WARNING...make sure you are sitting down when you get a price quote...
Posted 2008-01-27 8:47 AM (#75365 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
IIRC the "max" of 4500# is for a boat, 3500# is for a "regular" trailer. Even though I am usually a voice of reason when the "got to have a big truck guys" show up, I would say your options are pretty limited with a Pilot. I suspect the typical light tongue weight of a boat is why the limit is more for a boat. Brenderups are really the only "low" tongue weight horse trailers you will come across. Good luck.
Posted 2008-01-27 3:56 PM (#75387 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Expert
Posts: 2615
I am currently on my third Honda vehicle,2 Accords,and a CRV.
I think there are more "cons" to trying to pull a horse trailer than there would be "pros" and so far I can't think of any pros myself.
You'll wear your vehicle out in a hurry,the tires aren't properly rated for a tow like this,ect ect.I know that the Pilot is one step above the Honda CRV,and my CRV couldn't pull squat.Even with a 6 cyl.engine they just aren't set up for it.The Honda pickup that looks similar to an Avalanche would be a much better choice,or a Titan,ect.
Posted 2008-01-27 7:41 PM (#75412 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 489 Location: CA
Oh, darn...I've been trying to get my husband to set his Pilot up to tow his boat, so he doesn't keep "borrowing" my truck. It would be a waste of a good husband if he crashed. I guess I'll have to keep sharing!
Posted 2008-01-27 11:47 PM (#75422 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Regular
Posts: 57
NO NO NO! I have a Honda Pilot, and I can tell a difference i handling when I have a heavy load in the cargo area. I can't imagine pulling horses with it. It is a GREAT vehicle as a daily driver, but I'll save the horse hauling for the 250.
Posted 2008-01-28 4:22 PM (#75464 - in reply to #75423) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Expert
Posts: 2615
I would think that by the time the OP made all of the necessary additions to her Pilot,and bought a Brenderup,because,it's sure as you know where not going to pull a 2H aluminum BP w/out problems,they'd be better off investing in a decent used LD pickup.
Posted 2008-01-28 5:05 PM (#75468 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Member
Posts: 32 Location: indiana
I was towing a standard 2 horse bumper pull with a 6 cylinder toyota 4runner, Never pulled more than one horse, never got too far from the neibhorhood. Started to drive 180 miles round tip for lesson's every week. I felt something had to give so I bought a brenderup last summer. It tow's better and I really like the low tongue weight an inertia brakes. I paid around 16,000 for mine but it did have some options on it. Bottom line I still would like a better tow vehicle although the people at Brenderup said what I have is fine. Going up hills or on the interstate I still feel like I need more power. You could call them and they could tell you if what you have would work, I image for a Brenderup trailer it would be fine. Thing is I don't really think I save very much if anything in gas but never did really measure it, just know that it takes me about a full tank with either trailer to make my weekend trip. I would recomend if you do decide to look into Brenderups to see if you can try one before you would buy it.
Posted 2008-01-28 6:05 PM (#75473 - in reply to #75462) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Regular
Posts: 65 Location: TN
It is a 1997 Baron TC, found it in Dallas TX four years ago for 6500.00. Brought it back to Tennessee, my husband cleaned and buffed for three days, looks like new. Spent about 200.00 in replacement parts.
Posted 2008-01-28 7:04 PM (#75475 - in reply to #75464) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by crowleysridgegirl on 2008-01-28 5:22 PM
I would think that by the time the OP made all of the necessary additions to her Pilot,and bought a Brenderup,because,it's sure as you know where not going to pull a 2H aluminum BP w/out problems,they'd be better off investing in a decent used LD pickup.
Posted 2008-01-28 8:58 PM (#75491 - in reply to #75473) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
Originally written by smoothride on 2008-01-28 6:05 PM
It is a 1997 Baron TC, found it in Dallas TX four years ago for 6500.00. Brought it back to Tennessee, my husband cleaned and buffed for three days, looks like new. Spent about 200.00 in replacement parts.
You got a great deal...
You will probably make money when you finally sell it...
Posted 2008-01-29 7:01 AM (#75506 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Elite Veteran
Posts: 648 Location: Coconut Creek, FL
Brenderups are very roomy inside. A good friend had one and I was skeptical that my 15.3 very wide long bodied QH would fit. We loaded him up and to my surprise he had plenty of head room, length & width. They are larger inside than they look. She's on her 2nd one, sold the first one for what she paid for it and the person still has it. They certainly fill a need for many people.
Posted 2008-01-29 7:52 AM (#75509 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
How about "RICE" horse trailers. There were several around my area back in the early 80's, they belonged to several "hunter folks" and they pulled them with Jeep Cherokee's (XJ), haven't seen a new Rice trailer in years. Are they (U.K.) still importing them to the U.S.?
Posted 2008-01-29 6:13 PM (#75554 - in reply to #75351) Subject: I got the point!
Member
Posts: 17
Location: KY
I got the point, guys! How about a Tahoe or Yukon? What kind of rear end does it need to pull just about any horse trailer? I'm thinking of a 2 or 3 horse slant with dressing room now that I know I need a bigger truck. BTW....The filly in the picture is a TWH, she is only 14.3 now and will be 2 in April. My other is a TWH broodmare and is 16 hands and about 1150 lbs.
Posted 2008-01-29 6:27 PM (#75555 - in reply to #75351) Subject: RE: Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
Veteran
Posts: 270 Location: Roanoke IL
If you're going for a tahoe or yukon, you may as well just get a truck. Those don't get any better gas mileage than a truck. My chevy 3500 crew cab diesel gets 17mpg, and my friend's gas tahoe only got 15 if she was lucky....and that's not even pulling anything. Most of those hitches are only rated at 5000lbs. A trailer with dsg. room and 2 horses would be close to maxing that out...you don't want to have to weigh everything that you put in your trailer and worry about merging or going uphill.
If you do decide to go with an SUV, get a weight distributing/equalizer hitch setup.
Can I tow a light horse trailer with a Honda Pilot?
