mkirsch
Rochester, NY
Senior Member
Joined: 04/09/2004
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hertfordnc wrote: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.
Those are the worst kind, like ex-smokers on the subject of smoking, folks who have lost a lot of weight on the subject of being fat, and recovering alcoholics on the subject of drinking.
Putting 10-ply tires on half ton trucks since aught-four.
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blofgren
Surrey, B.C.
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Joined: 11/26/2005
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It will likely tow fine, but most Honda and Acura vehicles require both a transmission cooler and a power steering cooler to reach the full tow rating. We had a 2005 Acura MDX that required it; when we bought our boat 3 1/2 years ago I thought about adding them as well as the hitch and wiring. The more I looked in to it, I was still afraid of toasting the transmission so ended up buying a 3rd vehicle, a 2001 GMC Yukon, which is a much more capable tow vehicle. That said, the Acura likely would have done just fine.
2013 Ram 3500 Megacab DRW Laramie 4x4, 6.7L Cummins, G56, 3.73, Maximum Steel, black lthr, B&W RVK3670 hitch, Retrax, Linex, and a bunch of options incl. cargo camera
2008 Corsair Excella Platinum 34.5 CKTS fifth wheel with winter package & disc brakes
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Rick Jay
Greater Springfield area, MA
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Joined: 02/02/2003
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wowens79 wrote:She might want to price renting a class C, it might work out better if this is a one time trip with the van.
I think this is the best suggestion yet. Will it be pricey? Sure, but so is adding a tranny cooler (if it needs it), a tow hitch & wiring. For things that will probably just be used once. And I will tell you that there is NO BETTER WAY to travel with a family (young kids especially) than in a motorhome. Having a potty, snacks & meals at the ready is REALLY nice, especially on longer trips. I'm not sure how many people are in your daughter's family, but if there are several kiddos in the bunch, they WILL appreciate the Class C.
We have a 2001 Odyssey. When we started our search for our first RV back around 2002, our plans were to get a lightweight pop-up or hybrid to tow with our Odyssey. Well....two years of research later and lots of GREAT advice from the folks on these forums, we purchased our 36' Class A as our first RV and we tow the Odyssey behind it. And we still have it and LOVE IT! Obviously, I'm NOT going to suggest you buy your daughter a Class A motorhome. (But think it over? LOL) ![[emoticon]](https://forums.goodsamclub.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
Seriously, though. When we looked into the limitations of what the Odyssey could SAFELY tow, it was obvious for our family of 6, it was not going to be up to the task. Could it have done it? Probably. But as we learned later, our era Odyssey was susceptible to a transmission failure (I think in 2nd gear?), so I'm glad I didn't tow with it. And I had already installed a 2" tow hitch, auto-tranny cooler and wiring. I did that because before we bought the RV, when we took long trips we had the minivan loaded with a rooftop carrier and a hitch mounted trunk along with our brood of 6. So we were pretty heavily loaded on those trips. The van did fine with the six of us, and one time we had an extra adult with us, but that wasn't towing.
The problem with the tow ratings published by Honda are the exclusions. That 3,500 lb. rating some are quoting is with a minimal passenger & luggage load. It requires a tranny cooler. Start adding in passengers and cargo and that 3,500 limit quickly finds itself down to the 2,700 lb. and less range. And if you're not familiar with loading the trailer properly, the tongue weight might not be correct, which can further exacerbate potential handling issues.
And being front wheel drive, that extra weight on the back can lift the front wheels and reduce traction. Again, could it do it? Probably. I just wasn't convinced it would do it safely. As an engineer, I will admit I do frequently over-analyze these things, but I'd rather have MORE vehicle than I need than less. On dry, level pavement. Probably OK? But what about when it rains? Or winds? Or even snow? I just couldn't convince myself that it would be a safe option for our family.
I know rentals are a good chunk of change, whether a car or a Class C, but I think that would be the wisest option to consider at this point.
Good Luck in your choice. I hope you and your family have a great vacation.
~Rick
* This post was
edited 12/23/21 03:02pm by Rick Jay *
2005 Georgie Boy Cruise Master 3625 DS on a Workhorse W-22
Rick, Gail, 1 girl (26-Angel since 2008), 1 girl (21), 2 boys (22 & 19).
2001 Honda Odyssey, Demco Aluminator tow bar & tow plate, SMI Silent Partner brake controller.
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