Tow vehicle - total confusion

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clumsyhamster

Member
Joined
Sep 21, 2021
Posts
8
Location
Houston
Total newb/green horn here. Purchased my first rv 3 months ago. It is 4200 lb dry weight (5200 max) rv, double axle, and am looking at upgrading my tow vehicle to better accommodate it. I currently have a 2018 Honda Ridgeline and it maxes out at 5000 lb for towing. The numbers all say it can tow it and it does. I haven't had any big adventures with the rv yet. Only local and flat lands. I'm a bit concerned about the Honda's health for mountain passes or similar.

The confusion is that I've been checking out other vehicles for the next tow vehicle and I don't think I need anything beyond 1/2 ton for the size of the rv. Then I check out the numbers for some of the vehicles, say F150 and a toss up between the 3.5 and 5.0 engine and I'm more confused. Then I like the Tundra and it says its numbers are similar to the F150. The thing is that I want extra going up the pass without issue and no trouble going down.

I'd like to hear what all you veterans out there have to say about this. Thanks.
 
Many may and will disagree with my sentiments, but, I firmly believe that there is some built in safety values in the tow ratings.

I personally, wouldn’t be concerned with a few hundred pounds. Perhaps 15 or 20 percent over....but, not a couple hundred pounds! memtb
 
What does the yellow bordered sticker on the drivers latch post say your cargo capacity is. It will say something like the total weight of cargo & passengers must not exceed xx. This sticker is unique for each vehicle. The more options you have in the car, the lower the number will be.

Tow weight is calculated with a driver and nothing else in the car. For every pound you put in, it reduces the tow weight.

Ignore dry weight. Max weight, or properly GVWR or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the important number.

Back to cargo capacity. It is the next thing to be concerned about. To tow safely, their must be at least 10% of the loaded trailer weight on the hitch ball. Yours has a GVWR of 5200 so that means you must have at lease 10% (12% is better) or 520lbs on the hitch ball. You have to subtract that from your car’s cargo or payload number. What is left is for luggage, wife, dog, tools etc.

When you go look at trucks (yes, go look at them), look at the yellow sticker. Take a picture. Payload is almost always the limiting factor for towing.

You want mountains, get big motor.
 
Go with the numbers, but you have to consider a bit more than Max Tow Rating. Payload (cargo weight) and the weight of passengers and gear in the truck is also a factor. So is the trailer hitch rating for tongue weight. As memtb suggests, the engineers have built some margin into their ratings, but it's also true that wear & tear on the truck increases with every lb or cargo and towed trailer. The wheels don't fall off the instant you go 1 lb over a rating, but over the longer term both reliability is impacted. Furthermore, ease of handling decreases as you push or exceed the limits of the ratings

Then I check out the numbers for some of the vehicles, say F150 and a toss up between the 3.5 and 5.0 engine and I'm more confused.
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Please be more specific - what are those numbers and the confusion you have about them? Generally a half ton pick-up will be quite capable of hauling a 5200 lb trailer while carrying a family, but there are always truck configurations that are more or less capable than the typical.
 
Another consideration is the Tow Ratings are set to give a minimally acceptable performance level using a perfectly balanced low profile trailer with a load of steel or a concrete block on it to create the required weight. Usually a flatbed trailer that doesn't add much wind resistance. Or something like a small utility trailer or a horse trailer.

A tall and wide RV trailer needs more power to carve a hole through the air at highway speeds and is more vulnerable to side winds blowing it off course. This, along with the additional weight of passengers and cargo in the towing vehicle is why it's unwise to push the ratings with an RV style trailer. Many experienced RVers like to keep about 20% capacity in reserve to improve the performance aspects, i.e. if the vehicle is rated to tow 10,000 lbs, don't let an RV trailer exceed 8,000 lbs. Same for axle and payload ratings. Recreational towing is supposed to be a pleasant experience, not something that requires your full and undivided attention going down the road.

I'm a big fan of the Ford Towing Guide. Other manufacturers also publish tow ratings for their products but the Ford guide is the most comprehensive and understandable. It provides a good starting point even if you're considering another make of vehicle. Pay attention to the section on Total Combined Frontal Area for each vehicle. They seem to improve the readability and information in the Guide every year.

Download the 2022 Ford Towing Guide here, previous years are also available if you're considering an older vehicle.

https://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/
 
The Ridgeline is a nice truck. But, you are wise to upgrade to a more capable tow vehicle. As Gary says, the F150 3.5 or 5.0 should be good for towing a 5,000 lb trailer. Since you like the Tundra, it should also be capable of towing your trailer. But again, as others have said, check the door sticker.

Please let us know what you decide and how it works out for you. And enjoy that RV.
 
My $ .02's worth. with a payload that close to 5k ? is pushing the limits on the ridgeline. as others has said, NEVER GO BY DRY WEIGHT !. You won't be camping pulling an empty camper ...right ?, so you must think ahead of what all you are going to bring along, even down to small tools...IT ALL ADDS UP !. I see members posting alot about checking the yellow sticker on the driver side door frame ?, hmmm..my 2000 silverado 2wd, 1/2 ton, hd tow package never came from the dealer ( bought brand new in 2000 ) did not have a yellow sticker on the frame door ?..but it did have a white sticker, maybe they changed them back then ?..not sure ?. but i do know the weight of what this truck can pull, numbers do not lie. i am not you, nor do i claim to be !, but if i wanted to be safe, and safe to all the folks on the highway around me ?, i'd at least consider using at least a 1/2 ton truck, set up with a tow package that can SAFELY MIND YOU !, pull that camper down the road.
 
Keep in mind at you look at ratings that they are the maximum and not the recommended amount to be towed constantly. If you tow at maximum then you need to expect less than ideal handling and avoid towing in bad weather. You also need to realize that you will be at the very limit of what your tow vehicle can stop so drive accordingly. And remember there will be added risk to all of your passengers and not just you.
 
Thanks everyone for your input. The payload limit for the ridegline is 1477 and after estimates of add-ins for passengers, cargo, hitch weight I'm left with around 390 lbs. The numbers for the rv give about 700 lbs reserve on the RV. I'm using a calculator from Big Rock Media that calculates the numbers for the RV. It's an Excel doc that you plug the numbers into.

From what I can tell from using the 20% mark, the RV should not had exceeded 4000 lb but I went over. The RV has a max rating of 5200 so upgrading the TV is a definite for a better experience.

From the sounds of things I need to start making some trips to the different dealers to look at the numbers. Online is challenging to get the numbers.
 
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clumsyhamster said:
Thanks everyone for your input. The payload limit for the ridegline is 1477 and after estimates of add-ins for passengers, cargo, hitch weight I'm left with around 390 lbs. The numbers for the rv give about 700 lbs reserve on the RV. I'm using a calculator from Big Rock Media that calculates the numbers for the RV. It's an Excel doc that you plug the numbers into.

From what I can tell from using the 20% mark, the RV should not had exceeded 4000 lb but I went over. The RV has a max rating of 5200 so upgrading the TV is a definite for a better experience.

From the sounds of things I need to start making some trips to the different dealers to look at the numbers. Online is challenging to get the numbers.
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yep, by the time you toss in fuel, water, battery, propane, food, clothes, and everything else that you may need ?, that 390 lbs will go very fast !..lol. deff think about a larger truck..or smaller camper..either way, be safe out there !.
 
Memtb said:
Many may and will disagree with my sentiments, but, I firmly believe that there is some built in safety values in the tow ratings.

I personally, wouldn’t be concerned with a few hundred pounds. Perhaps 15 or 20 percent over....but, not a couple hundred pounds! memtb
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I'm glad you said that. I may not totally agree that you should knowingly and consistently tow overweight but my Jeep Liberty tows about 5,000# like the OP. I have towed probably 6000# short distances (40 miles) on highways not freeways and with out too many downhill grades (brake capacity)

I also think that trailer weights and truck weights are not infinitely variable. You'll never find a 9,500# trailer and a truck that tows 9,500# precisely.

The OP current situation is that he is at max gross pretty much all the time. That may be fine (couple hundred pounds is "OK" to me temporarily but it is gonna eventually wear out the tow vehicle in bad ways) - but I think he's indicated he notices the performance isn't great.

IIMO he'd be fine and happy with a F150, 1500 class truck. I just traded off my Liberty (V6) for a Ram 1500 Classic. I got 3600# more towing capacity and the truck is not "too big" to be a daily driver.

But again the devil is in the details and if ordering and buying new pay close attention to the options sheet and what that does to cargo and towing capacity...
 
Quick update on this. I purchased a F150 a month or so ago. It came with the max tow package and a whopping 36g tank. Will be great for the trips but will sting during fill up times. Should be all set now for the long term. Thanks everyone for your input.
 
Wow as a newbie who is still trying to match truck to rv (yes I think I will go with trailer instead of class C) I have learned alot! To sum up everything that I have read that you all have posted, it would be better to have more truck than what is needed. A better safe than sorry feeling I get from that thought. As I understand from other full-time RVers it common to switch RVs through the years of full timing so I wanna make sure that whatever travel trailer I get, my truck will be fine pulling it. And I hate to say it but I am not a truck person so this is where the difficulty comes in. I would love to have a 1972 Chevy but with gas the way it is, especially today when the price is just jumped again, I better think smart instead of nostalgic lol… Thanks again for all these posts for all of us newbies.
 
Lu1964 said:
Wow as a newbie who is still trying to match truck to rv (yes I think I will go with trailer instead of class C) I have learned alot! To sum up everything that I have read that you all have posted, it would be better to have more truck than what is needed. A better safe than sorry feeling I get from that thought. As I understand from other full-time RVers it common to switch RVs through the years of full timing so I wanna make sure that whatever travel trailer I get, my truck will be fine pulling it. And I hate to say it but I am not a truck person so this is where the difficulty comes in. I would love to have a 1972 Chevy but with gas the way it is, especially today when the price is just jumped again, I better think smart instead of nostalgic lol… Thanks again for all these posts for all of us newbies.
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1 - IMHO a trailer is a better choice overall than a class C as it offers ore flexibility.

2 - Yes - Go inside some trailers up to 27-28 foot. Imagine being in there for a week of rain. For a couple I think it would be fine. For a family of 4-5 + pet(s) it would be really constricting. So if you think you'll go bigger later then get the truck for it now.

3 - My class A is my starter RV. It was super cheap and it allowed me to understand my needs and wants. The downside of a Class A is if the engine or tranny goes out you are basically done with the RV or face the expensive proposition of replacing the item. With a truck/trailer you can replace one, the other or both as needs fit. The downside of a trailer is that you can't tow an additional toy in most states and I love having my bike with me.

I am in casual trailer research mode and am looking at toy haulers for that reason...

4 - I wasn't a truck person either until I got my crew cab. I was an SUV guy. I definitely miss having the enclosed cargo area. Next go around I will likely get something like the Ford Expedition. It tows more than my Ram 1500 and may be an option for you. In the meantime I might get a shell or at least a bed cover.
 
clumsyhamster said:
Quick update on this. I purchased a F150 a month or so ago. It came with the max tow package and a whopping 36g tank. Will be great for the trips but will sting during fill up times. Should be all set now for the long term. Thanks everyone for your input.
Click to expand...
It could be worse.. Read where someone complained how much it cost to fill 'er up (his truck took over 40 gallons) based on a 400 miles per tank full range (kind of standard) that's less than 10 MPG. or about the same as a class a motor home with towed.... My Jeep 25 overall. 30 freeway 65mpg pushes 40 at 55mph. It is big enough for me.
 
Ex-Calif said:
I definitely miss having the enclosed cargo area.
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Which is why I have a nice canopy on mine, with a small tool section on the driver's side where a side window might go, and a small door on the passenger's side, matching, in addition to the tailgate. And it's why I have a crew cab, too. But I had it long before I got a motorhome, just a Trailmanor 2720 (4K lb folding, hardsided TT).
 
Larry N. said:
Which is why I have a nice canopy on mine, with a small tool section on the driver's side where a side window might go, and a small door on the passenger's side, matching, in addition to the tailgate. And it's why I have a crew cab, too. But I had it long before I got a motorhome, just a Trailmanor 2720 (4K lb folding, hardsided TT).
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Having a hard time visualizing this but it sounds intriguing. Got any pics?
 
Ex-Calif said:
1 - IMHO a trailer is a better choice overall than a class C as it offers ore flexibility.

2 - Yes - Go inside some trailers up to 27-28 foot. Imagine being in there for a week of rain. For a couple I think it would be fine. For a family of 4-5 + pet(s) it would be really constricting. So if you think you'll go bigger later then get the truck for it now.

3 - My class A is my starter RV. It was super cheap and it allowed me to understand my needs and wants. The downside of a Class A is if the engine or tranny goes out you are basically done with the RV or face the expensive proposition of replacing the item. With a truck/trailer you can replace one, the other or both as needs fit. The downside of a trailer is that you can't tow an additional toy in most states and I love having my bike with me.

I am in casual trailer research mode and am looking at toy haulers for that reason...

4 - I wasn't a truck person either until I got my crew cab. I was an SUV guy. I definitely miss having the enclosed cargo area. Next go around I will likely get something like the Ford Expedition. It tows more than my Ram 1500 and may be an option for you. In the meantime I might get a shell or at least a bed cover.
Click to expand...
Oh no, it's just me, myself and I - the three musketeers 😉 .... and, doing my research, discovered that if I take away the footage of the driving area in the 30-35 ft C I wanted all I need basically is about 20-25 ft. No kids (unless my grands want to tag along), no pets, just me in my new chapter of life.

I'm keeping my options open and remain flexible regarding Class C or TT. Life is more fun that way. No disappointments, no let-downs. Just need to find a truck. I'm in No. Wisc. right now and know from years past that Arizona offers the best choice for used cars - no road salt. My ex got both his classic Mustangs there. Just hate to get anything out of the 80s and 90s. No character. Blah! But what can ya do when you want to full-time and retirement is another 9 years. Gonna be putting miles and use into the truck for sure.

On an off note, cool to see you were a liveaboard at one time. That was my plan before I decided to rv instead.

Thanks for all the info ✌🏻
 
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