There's nothing more exhilarating than being able to drive away from town at the start of a long weekend, travel trailer in tow, while you are headed for the campground with your family. If you're about to make the above dream a reality, it's important to make sure that you've got the correct truck to tow a travel trailer to your destination. While most pickup trucks can pull weight behind them, it's critical to know if the Honda Ridgeline that you've been eyeing is up to this task. Can a Honda Ridgeline tow a travel trailer?
The Honda Ridgeline can tow a travel trailer safely behind it so long as the weight does not exceed its towing capacity. Keep in mind that the Ridgeline is a mid-sized pickup, so it will not have the payload or towing capacity of trucks that are half-ton or larger.
If you've not done it before, you naturally will have some questions about towing a travel trailer behind your truck. If you're considering a Honda Ridgeline, you'll want to know the answers to the following: How much can a Honda Ridgeline tow behind it? Will the Honda Ridgeline come with a trailer hitch? Is the Honda Ridgeline good for towing? Keep reading for all of the details!
Highly rated travel trailer options for the Honda Ridgeline
You'll be happy to know that the Honda Ridgeline comes equipped to tow. But what travel trailer should you consider towing behind it on your weekend getaways? Below, we've listed some great options for you to consider.
Many come with the same conveniences you have in your own home. You'll find that even the smaller travel trailers that the Honda Ridgeline is more suited to tow will come with customizable options, including multiple floor plans and accessories to choose from. We've researched dozens of travel trailers that weigh under 3,000 pounds, and have selected five of them for you to discover here.
Forest River R-Pod Travel Trailer
This model travel trailer is spacious, durable, and comes equipped with the creature comforts you are accustomed to in your own home. The television, air conditioner, and shower take "roughing it" out of the camping equation. Most models will have a sturdy slide-out kitchen and have a large onboard dining area that is suitable for large family meals.
The Forest River R-Pod will sleep a minimum of 3 adults on its queen-sized beds, and more depending upon which floor plan you select. The base model weighs 2,437 pounds, making it fall well under the maximum towing capacity of the Honda Ridgeline.
KZ Sportsmen Classic Travel Trailer
With 9 available floor plan options, the KZ Sportsmen Classic Travel Trailer utilizes foldable tent space to increase its available space. You may choose beds and dinette sets that fold up, giving way to more floor space. The Sportsmen Classic also comes equipped with solar power. A fully equipped kitchen, bathroom with toilet and shower, and plenty of pass-through storage and closet space make this model spacious and comfortable.
The base model weighs 2,790 pounds but will weigh more depending on what add-ons you choose. It will sleep a minimum of three adults, with more being able to comfortably sleep inside depending upon which floor plan you choose.
Winnebago Micro Minnie
This smaller Winnebago model has twelve different floor plans to choose from. You might like that it comes with a toilet and shower, and a spacious and equipped kitchen. The kitchen has a sink, microwave, stove, and refrigerator. The Micro Minnie also comes standard with patio lights and exterior speakers so that you can enjoy the outdoors next to the comfort of your camper. This model weighs just under 3,000 pounds, and can easily and safely be towed by your Honda Ridgeline.
Happier Camper HC-1
This travel trailer is fully customizable and comes with a variety of floor plans and options for you to choose from. It's extremely lightweight, coming in at only 150 pounds. It's made from a sturdy but light fiberglass composite. Depending on how you customize the interior, it can comfortably sleep up to four adults.
TAXA Outdoors Cricket Camper
This model travel trailer will comfortably sleep two to three adults, or two adults and two children. Inside its sturdy aluminum composite frame is a combination furnace/water heater/refrigerator, and a galley table that's large enough to hold a family meal. It's also equipped with 12V USB outlets, LED lighting, and a ventilation system that's more than adequate. Weighing just under 1,800 pounds, this travel trailer falls well under your Ridgeline's towing capacity.
What is the towing capacity of the Honda Ridgeline?
The towing capacity of the Honda Ridgeline will vary by trim level. The overall capacity from trim level to trim level is rather low. Remember, the Ridgeline is a mid-sized pickup truck, not a half-ton, so it's not going to have the towing power of an F-150 or Nissan Titan.
The Ridgeline will be sufficient for hauling around a small trailer with your ATVs or for pulling a light travel trailer. Before you attach anything to the trailer hitch, it's pretty important to know the maximum towing capacity for the truck that you're driving. You should also know what the consequences could be if you exceed that capacity. We've broken the towing capacity down by trim level here:
- Sport towing capacity is 3,500 lbs
- Sport AWD towing capacity is 5,000 lbs
- RTL towing capacity is 3,500 lbs
- RTL AWD towing capacity is 5,000 lbs
- RTL-E AWD towing capacity is 5,000 lbs
- Black Edition towing capacity is 5,000 lbs
What Happens When You Exceed Towing Capacity
It's critical that you consult your owner's manual to be certain that you are not going to exceed the manufacturer's maximum towing capacity. Towing more weight than your Ridgeline was built for will result in critical damage to your truck. And it will create unsafe driving conditions for you and those with whom you share the road.
Weight in excess of what can be safely towed can damage your Ridgeline's frame, suspension, axles, and tires. Too much weight will also put unnecessary strain on your truck's engine and transmission, greatly decreasing their useful life.
In addition to the damage, too much tow weight will cause your trailer and truck to sway. This swaying can result in "jack-knifing," or can cause the trailer to detach completely. Pay close attention to the towing capacity of your Honda Ridgeline. Be absolutely certain of how much your fully equipped and loaded travel trailer weighs before you attach it to your hitch.
Does Honda Ridgeline have a trailer hitch?
The Honda Ridgeline will come equipped with a trailer hitch and a seven-pin connector. However, most models will not come with it wired. You'll need to do this yourself or have it done professionally.
Is Honda Ridgeline good for towing?
The Honda Ridgeline is a sturdy truck, built for carrying small payloads and hauling lighter cargo behind it. It's perfect for pulling a lightweight travel trailer. Many owners will use their Ridgeline to cart their four-wheelers or dirt bikes around on a light trailer.
If you're looking to pull another vehicle behind your truck or haul a 5th wheel, the Honda Ridgeline would not be an option. As the towing capacity is no more than 5,000 pounds, the Ridgeline simply isn't capable of pulling that heavy of a load. For towing those heavier items, you'd want to explore a good half-ton or three-quarter-ton pickup truck. Those are built to withstand a much larger towing capacity.
In Closing
We've learned that while the Honda Ridgeline is capable of towing, this pickup truck is limited by design to only tow lighter loads. If you would like to read more about Honda's Ridgeline mid-size pickup truck, the following articles contain a lot of helpful information: