Mike Up
NW Indiana section of Chicagoland
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Joined: 05/29/2005
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cachingcampers wrote:Mike Up wrote:
How so??
I used to tow with an Expedition, w/rear coil, as does Gman22. RAWR is downrated as compared to it's big brother F150 and it's a labour to keep from going over RAWR and achieveing good weight distribution.
Been there, done that, bought a 3/4ton.
So NOT EVERYTIME is IRS/Rear Coils your friend. 
For the record, now that I KNOW how to set my Ex up, I wouldn't hesitate to tow with it again if I had to, but whay run at 100% od ratings when I can comfortably run at 75% of rateings with a better suited TV.
JMHO!
As far as axle ratings, that has nothing to do with IRS but what the manufacture want to use. Expeditions have been known to have soft rear ends. It's not a mystery but a well known fact. My IRS has been more robust than many trucks with solid axle and leaf springs.
Funny while the Expy's have been known to have a softer rear suspension, the Explorer's have been known to have a pretty stiff rear end. I can confirm that. While I got a lot of rear end sag in my Pathfinder SUV while pulling my Starcraft PUP, I hardly have any sag with the Sport Trac.
Also, your tow rating is based on your suspension/axle ratings as much as your braking and your drivetrain. Isn't the Expy rated about 1500 lbs less in towing than a F150?
Have a good one.
2008 Jayco Jay Flight 19BH
22.5' long & 3900#s dry
2008 Ford Sport Trac 4.6L V8 4X4
7000#/730# rating, 131" WB, 292 Hp/300# Torque
Reese Strait-Line 800 lbs Trunnion Bar Sway Control
Sleeping on ground > Tent > PUP > PUP w/HWH & Bath > Finally to a TT 
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Mike Up
NW Indiana section of Chicagoland
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Joined: 05/29/2005
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Road Ruler wrote:The Ridge is a very capable TV. You may be surprised to see what Ridgeline owners are happily towing with them. The IRS really helps these kinds of vehicles. The new Dodge Ram has followed suit and it too now has IRS upgrade.
Ridgeline Owners Forum
I went through the pictures and was actually amazed.
Not amazed that they were hooked up to larger trailers, but amazed that they would drive down the road like that.
Many Ridgelines that were pulling TTs with heavier tongue weights, and that were following Honda's recommendation not to use weight distributing hitches, looked like they were riding wheelies! Definitely not the safest especially considering these are automatic 4WD systems that are primarily front wheel drive cars.
You could hook any of the trailers, up to any crossover with similar power and get similar results. Longevity and safety of the combination is the difference of using a real truck with proper capabilities against using a crossover that is under rated, and doesn't have the capability overall, for the trailer.
The Ridgeline, within it's capabilities would do as well as any crossover or SUV with similar limitations.
I've seen small S10s and Rangers pulling similar trailers. They had less payload, less engine, and less weight, yet they were able to tow those trailers. They didn't tow them safely or within the vehicle's capabilities though and I surely wouldn't want to be driving anywhere near them on the expressway.
I think the Ridgeline should be used to tow Pop Ups or ultralight and Ultrasmall TTs as smaller FunFinders and those fiberglass shell TTs, nothing bigger.
Have a good one.
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cachingcampers
Niagara Region,Ontario
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Joined: 11/13/2007
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Mike Up wrote:
Also, your tow rating is based on your suspension/axle ratings as much as your braking and your drivetrain.
The EX IS an F150 as far as brakes/axles/frame drivetrain goes for all intent & purpose, just a difference with the rear coils vs rear leafs. And to appease my buddy Shum, a people hauler instead of a lumber hauler 
Rear coils IS the difference and reason for the down rating IN MY CASE.
So as I said, not every time is IRS/Rear Coils your friend. Experience my friend being my 100% teacher.
Quote:
Isn't the Expy rated about 1500 lbs less in towing than a F150?
Roughly yes, and most of that downrating is RAWR.
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345jeep
Fort Worth, TX
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Joined: 09/10/2009
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Mike Up wrote:I went through the pictures and was actually amazed.
Not amazed that they were hooked up to larger trailers, but amazed that they would drive down the road like that.
Ridgeline and the Airstream Bambi looked good.
The "dubbed out" one hooked to the 30 footer did NOT. Don't see an advanced hitch there.
Thread read as though these folks were trying to out-do each other as to how much weight and/or length that they could tow.
2010 Skyline Layton 190
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 5.7L V8 4x4 3.73 Axles
Me, DW, daughter, Golden Retriever and Goldendoodle
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Road Ruler
Canada
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Joined: 09/11/2003
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Too funny!
The Ridgeline website shows hundreds of happy Ridgeline owners showing off their stuff and the arm chair experts here who know nil to nothing about them trying to preach to the masses how baaaaad they really are.
Maybe we have a Billy Graham replacement here in the making... LOL
Airstreams.... the best towing trailers on the planet!
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Mike Up
NW Indiana section of Chicagoland
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Joined: 05/29/2005
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Road Ruler wrote:Too funny!
The Ridgeline website shows hundreds of happy Ridgeline owners showing off their stuff and the arm chair experts here who know nil to nothing about them trying to preach to the masses how baaaaad they really are.
Maybe we have a Billy Graham replacement here in the making... LOL
The Ridgeline is a nice CUV, no doubt about it. BUT you have to consider it's positives against it's limitations. I didn't consider it because of it's limitations even though it has a lot of nice features. I liked it's features a lot, but it's towing limitations made me not consider it.
Have a good one.
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fairhaven
Everson, WA
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Joined: 01/31/2008
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Is the Ridgeline REALLY a truck? It seems more like a soccer moms vehicle than a truck?
2010 Keystone Cougar 30BHS
2008 Ford F250 4x4 Super Duty Crew, 6.4 Power Stroke, 3.73
Myself (Bob) Retired (25 Years USAF)
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Vans
Orygun
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Joined: 08/06/2008
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fairhaven wrote:Is the Ridgeline REALLY a truck?
It is more like an oversized Hot Wheels truck.
Vans
2009 F-350 6.4l FX4 Crew Cab
2008 Fun Finder 250BHS
6th Ford truck and counting...
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Gman22
Burlington, Ontario
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Joined: 07/03/2008
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Road Ruler wrote:The Ridgeline website shows hundreds of happy Ridgeline owners showing off their stuff
If happy is latin for ignorance then you're right, they do look happy. Jets skis, utility trailers and perhaps small HTTs I get, but c'mon, large travel trailers and no WD. It's a general Ridgline forum. They are more intersted in knowing if the 20" bling bling wheels will fit, what diagnostic code 123 means or what performance chip works best. It's not really about towing and I'd guess, a large number of the members there (not all) know little if anything of towing.
Road Ruler wrote:and the arm chair experts here who know nil to nothing about them trying to preach to the masses how baaaaad they really are.
I don't need to know much about "the clap" either to know It's not good to have and I don't want it.
* This post was
edited 10/09/09 09:15am by Gman22 *
2009 KZ Spree 324BHS (LX)
2003 Ford Expedition 5.4L V8, 3.73
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mecreature
Indianapolis, IN
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Some of those people are seriously disillusioned if they think they should be towing that stuff the way it appears in those pictures.
A lot are not. I like the ridgeline.
98 Skyline Nomad 1950 Compact
2004 Silverado 1500 EXT. 5.3 3.42 Axle 2wd
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