slider45
GA
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I met a local guy who tow with his Odyssey, and he mentioned he keep it at 2000 capacity.
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hertfordnc
Hertford, NC
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mkirsch wrote:Please understand the vast majority of participants here, myself included, tow almost exclusively with heavy duty pickup trucks. Their opinions of smaller vehicle tow capabilities are tempered by what they currently use to tow. They will tell you WHAT THEY WOULD NOT DO, not necessarily what can/should not be done.
see my profile, i've been here a long time. Someone on rv.net knows the answers to my questions. I thought about posting in the popup forum but then i figured i'd find people here who had graduated from a minivan to a real TV.
None of the towing guides mention any sort of tow package for the odyssey. They all just say "3500 lb"
And a lot people say it's a really great TV for a minivan. My hunch is that the 3500 lb limit is more about handling than about the power train.
Dave & Ellen Silva
Hertford, North Carolina
2002 Excursion
2007 Shamrock Hybrid
1972 Revcon
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Sjm9911
New Jersey
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https://letstowthat.com/honda-odyssey-towing-capacities/
Looked it up for you, you need the trans cooler etc for the 3500 lb capacity. Check the vehical per the chart.
2012 kz spree 220 ks
2020 Silverado 2500
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Formerly a pup owner.
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theoldwizard1
SE MI
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Grit dog wrote:Wireless brake controller is your easy solution for brakes. Can't comment on the suitability of the vehicle, but being the better part of 15 years old, the miles/condition of it are as important as the as-designed vehicle capabilities.
Change the transmission fluid AT THE DEALER and get a good overall inspection. Do not load much in the back of the van.
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Sjm9911
New Jersey
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hertfordnc wrote:mkirsch wrote:Please understand the vast majority of participants here, myself included, tow almost exclusively with heavy duty pickup trucks. Their opinions of smaller vehicle tow capabilities are tempered by what they currently use to tow. They will tell you WHAT THEY WOULD NOT DO, not necessarily what can/should not be done.
see my profile, i've been here a long time. Someone on rv.net knows the answers to my questions. I thought about posting in the popup forum but then i figured i'd find people here who had graduated from a minivan to a real TV.
None of the towing guides mention any sort of tow package for the odyssey. They all just say "3500 lb"
And a lot people say it's a really great TV for a minivan. My hunch is that the 3500 lb limit is more about handling than about the power train.
I posted the info, and its in the owners manual. I know like 4 people that tow with the odyssey. And depending on the year, it says it needs the cooler. The people that tow with them are on the pop up site. You can ask there, but will get the same answer. Or you can just look up the old threads on it. It can be a great tow vehicle for the right pop up. Have fun.
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hertfordnc
Hertford, NC
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Sjm9911 wrote:
I posted the info, and its in the owners manual. I know like 4 people that tow with the odyssey. And depending on the year, it says it needs the cooler. The people that tow with them are on the pop up site. You can ask there, but will get the same answer. Or you can just look up the old threads on it. It can be a great tow vehicle for the right pop up. Have fun.
Yes, that was very helpful.
I also failed to mention, I'm 700 miles from my daughter and her life is running at redline. My goal was to get the info and spoon feed it to her husband.
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agesilaus
North Florida
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"see my profile, I've been here a long time. Someone on rv.net knows the answers to my questions. I thought about posting in the popup forum but then i figured i'd find people here who had graduated from a minivan to a real TV."
Well that fits us, we went thru three popups and pulled one with a Dodge Minivan for a few years. From Florida to Yosemite and lots of other points out west every summer. As I mentioned above the big issue was the popup tires, 13 inch? Very small and the got very hot being pulled down the roads and when they got hot the blew out.
We never got thru a trip without several blown tires and finding a replacement 13 inch tire in Mule Scratch Nevada can be difficult.
So keep the speed down.
That isn't the only problem with popups of course, they are quite unpleasant in prolonged rain. They are tiny inside and it gets exceptionally crowded. But for short week long trips they are tolerable.
Thinking about weather, I don't think they would do well in a wind event out west. And boy howdy, was it windy everywhere all last summer.
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hertfordnc
Hertford, NC
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agesilaus wrote:
So keep the speed down.
That isn't the only problem with popups of course, they are quite unpleasant in prolonged rain. They are tiny inside and it gets exceptionally crowded. But for short week long trips they are tolerable.
Thinking about weather, I don't think they would do well in a wind event out west. And boy howdy, was it windy everywhere all last summer.
It will be about 10 days in CO. The popup will be rented, probably through OutDoorsey or some such.
i may just buy her a second spare at walmart and return it at the end of the trip.
But our Hybrid and the Excursion will provide emergency shelter for the nine of us if it really goes to ****.
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p220sigman
Tallahassee, FL, USA
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We towed a Pup with a Sienna for years. Loaded for travel, it was right at 3500. The Sienna was a great tow vehicle for it. It did come stock with a trans cooler so I didn't have to deal with that. Your daughter will need to confirm if her van has a trans cooler or not. I did add airbags to the rear springs. Unfortunately, this is the downside of using a minivan for towing. They are designed to carry people in comfort so the rear suspension is soft. Unless the Pup is pretty light, you will want to have your daughter upgrade the rear suspension with bags (if available) or some other spring support. No, it does not increase the towing/carrying capacity, just helps the van not sag as much. The bags also helped a lot when we had the bike rack on the van with the bikes so the hitch didn't drag on every driveway.
As has been mentioned, she will need a brake controller and likely a seven pin plug installed. I also echo the sway control as well. While I never had any sway issues, I did use a friction sway control. Not the best option, but pretty much all that was available for towing with the van.
I don't remember if you mentioned it, but obviously she will need a 2" receiver installed. One thing she may want to consider unless she plans to continue to tow in the future, she may can rent something that will tow it for about the same cost as she is going to spend getting the van set up, especially if she has to pay someone to add a trans cooler.
It can be done with the van safely as long as the Pup is not too big.
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wowens79
Georgia
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She might want to price renting a class C, it might work out better if this is a one time trip with the van.
2002 Chevy Silverado 1500HD 6.0l 241k miles and climbing
2016 Heritage Glen 29BH
2003 Flagstaff 228D Pop Up
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