I would like to get a Honda Ridgeline - towing capacity of 5,000 lbs. I have a trailet and a 15 hand quarter horses. anyone have knowledge based on experience towing with a small truck? thanks.
15h QHs can weigh 1500lb - how much do yours weigh?
How much does your trailer weigh, and is it a GN or BP?
A 125" wheelbase is pretty short, which makes stability for harder stops more of an issue.
I’d say it’s a hard no, unless all your trailering is short distances on pretty flat ground, even assuming your trailer + horses + tack doesn’t come close to maxing out that 5000lb capacity
5 Likes
A few posters here have 4Runners - but they are hauling very lightweight Euro style trailers with surge brakes and all that. 4Runners used to come with a V8 and had a higher towing package as well.
Hard no on the Ridgeline + Trailet due to wheelbase alone UNLESS you’re just going 5 miles down a flat road to get to the trailhead.
Why the Ridgeline? Chevy makes a diesel Colorado that handled my 2500lb no tack room trailer just fine in flat flat flat south GA, and it’s about the same price as a Ridgeline (configured for 7700lb towing). I didn’t love it for more than around town due to the wheelbase but it was fine for one horse day trips to the covered.
ETA the Colorado got a whopping 30+mpg highway so even at today’s prices the fuel mileage was worth it.
4 Likes
If you own a basic 2 horse BP Trail-et with no tack room, and if you load 2,000 pounds of horses, you will be very, very close to the maximum rated towing capacity for the 2024 Honda Ridgeline trucks. Any other than the basic 2 horse Trail-et and you will have exceeded the Ridgeline’s rated towing capacity.
Can you tow it? Sure, it is your horse and your decision. But towing right at capacity reduces safety and puts more stress on the vehicle and increases risk of breakdowns. The Ridgeline comes with “average tires” which are suitable for most commuter vehicles. If you are buying one and towing a trailer, I’d try ask the dealership to upgrade you to tires better suited for the stresses of horse trailer towing as part of the deal. I’d also worry about the brakes, but there’s nothing the Honda dealer is likely to be able to do to upgrade those. Just be very careful and don’t follow too closely.
5 Likes
I wouldn’t do it, I think the minimum towing capacity for hauling around 2 horses is 6k. That’s my personal limit. I did it myself, on a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Note I’m the queen of defending people pulling rigs without 250k invested (ie, smaller rigs). You don’t need an F450 dually like some might suggest, but you need a little more suspension and tire than what the Ridgeline is going to get you.
4 Likes
Hard no no matter the distance or terrain. It’s the sudden stop that will get you killed.
7 Likes
@FitToBeTied, I 1000% agree. Towing capacity isn’t the same as the ability to manage the trailer in high wind, sudden stops, or any other less than perfect conditions. Hard no.
4 Likes
Boats and U-Hauls and other inaminate objects don’t jump around in trailers either
5 Likes
Or scramble and throw weight forward when you slam on the brakes. Think about towing a pool full of 2000lbs of water vs 2000lbs of concrete blocks all ratcheted down and balanced. Oh and the pool is on stilts so the weight is hovering 3ft off the ground.
6 Likes
I wouldn’t tow anything other than a euro style trailer with a Ridgeline.
2 Likes
Thanks everyone. It’s an overwhelming …NO
9 Likes
