Towing R21ec

O

Oregon Trail

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 28, 2012
Messages
62
Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
Non-Fluid Motion Model
Cutwater 28
Vessel Name
Northwest Passage
Would a Honda Ridgeline AWD (max towing 5,000lbs) be up to the job of towing a R21ec?
Thanks,
Michael
 
I would say just fine.
 
Should not be a problem at all.

Cheers,
Mark
 
Weights: R-21 EC dry 2750 lbs
Trailer about 1500 lbs
10 gal water 80 lbs
Fuel. 145 lbs
Safety equip. 100 lbs (lines,fenders,life vests,Claire etc)
1 case beer. 25 lbs
Total 4,600 lbs. This is before any personal gear, fishing equipment and such
Will that truck do the job yes, but it's a judgment call on your part! I think the biggest problem will be the boat ramps and long hauls over mountains. Good luck Bob
 
Thanks all. Sounds like it would probably do alright, but pushing the limit.
Michael
 
Tow the boat as dry as you possibly can. Minimize the weight of fuel by shooting for 1/4 tank when you put the boat on trailer. And dump out all the fresh water before towing. Fuel up and get fresh water at the marina after launching.
I really can’t imagine the single axle trailer would for a R-21 would come in at 1,500 pounds.
Weigh your Ridgeline on one of the interstate truck scales when it’s closed (the guys staffing those scales are very helpful!) and then weigh the truck and trailer to get an actual towing weight.
You already have the Ridgeline so it’s not like you’re making a tow vehicle buying decision. But you do want to know how much margin you really do or don’t have!
Here’s a link to where the state operated scales are in Oregon:
http://www.coopsareopen.com/oregon-weigh-stations.html
 
Thanks for the good advice. I appreciate it.
 
Just for your info, a Eazyloader boat trailer model # EZB-19 22-24 3700 (single axle) standard has a shipping weight of 1100 to 1200 lbs, from the factory. By the time it's configured to fit your boat and add spare tire you will be surprised at the weight. Good luck Bob
 
This topic has come up several times here about towing a Ranger 21 - the boat is 4,500 lbs with trailer and fuel and sits high on the trailer. Just because you have an owners manual and specs that say a vehicle can tow 5,000 lbs doesn't mean that its the safe way to do it. Most people agree that at a minimum you allow for 1,500 lbs between actual and capacity. Having towed my 21 with several vehicles I can say that I would not do it with an under powered or marginal vehicle. There are several posts about folks losing a tire or coming to sudden stops with boats here that have been near disasters in vehicles that are rated for the load of the boat. The closer you push the margin between weight and vehicle capacity the less leeway you have when you need it. The 21 EC is 4,250 empty on a trailer - that leaves you a margin of 750 less gear, and other stuff. I would be reluctant to tow it with a 5k rated vehicle.
 
The car or truck manufacturers are covering their a***es thoroughly with their rated tow capacity. My 5,000 rated SUV does fine. It has a "sport" driving mode that might as well be called towing mode. It locks out top gear. It will tow the boat at 60 mph up any superhighway grade I have encountered at part throttle.

As far as braking, you do need to make sure your trailer brakes are properly maintained and functional. If so, the trailer will not contribute significantly to the vehicle brake demand.

As far as loss of control, I have had a tire blowout on my single axle trailer at 55 mph. loud bang, lots of rumbling, but absolutely no impact on directional control or stability.

I don't know what else to say. It works. You do have to drive intelligently and defensively, but that's true of any trailer towing undertaking.


Larry
 
I towed with a highlander awd for a few years and the mileage sure suffered. I took mine to a weigh station. No supples, just a full tank of fuel, total weight was 4300 on trailer and tongue weight was 400 pounds.
I now tow with a Sequoia and it tows much better. Going north fully loaded for the summer. Coming home I am a lot lighter!
 
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