Ridgeline towing

testerdahl

testerdahl

Administrator
Staff member
Hey guys, help me out here with understanding the beating I'm taking in the comments. Apparently, I didn't read the manual thoroughly enough. I did read it and I showed myself reading it in the video. I'll post the video down below.

The main complaint is towing in Eco mode. People are blasting me for using that mode. The Ridgeline doesn't have a tow/haul mode which is what I was looking for in the manual. The Eco mode, apparently, got turned on by someone and I didn't even notice it.

IMO - that's a fail on Honda's part not mine. If they didn't want you to tow in Eco mode, then it should be automatically disabled once you hook a trailer up to the truck. And Ridgeline should have a tow/haul mode which disables it.

On my end, I didn't notice it was on. Plain and simple. The owner's manual does NOT state to turn off Eco mode when towing.

Here's just one exchange:

@WayneKnight_Rider
Towing requires vehicle specific knowledge concerning operation and safety. If the reviewer had taken 5 minutes before filming to read the Ridgeline manual online (easily accessible) or a Ridgeline forum, he would have seen all recommendations by Honda. Enable Sport mode, disable Eco mode, use Premium fuel, keep speed below 65 mph. The lesson here, reviews in which the reviewer has not done his or her due diligence concerning operation and safety are in general misleading. Not at all impressed with this review.


@Pickuptrucktalk
Enable sport mode? It is on premium fuel. Drive slower than 65??? What in the world???

@Pickuptrucktalk Take a few minutes to read towing recommendations for each car and you’ll be towing safer and making better reviews!

https://www.youtube.com/@Pickuptrucktalk
@WayneKnight_Rider I did read the manual. Heck I even showed it on camera.

@Pickuptrucktalk Gotcha. Maybe do what the manual says. : )

@WayneKnight_Rider Just read the owner's manual again. What page are you saying it says to drive in sport mode?

@Pickuptrucktalk pgs. 355-356, Section titled "Driving Safely with a Trailer". Recommends driving in S mode when transmission shifts frequently or you are on hilly terrain. A quick search on the ridgeline forum shows most users just leave it in S when towing. Also, top speed is listed as 62 mph.

@WayneKnight_Rider I read that as IF the transmission shifts quickly, use S mode. It doesn't say use S mode ALWAYS when towing."Shift to the (S position if the transmission shifts frequently."Also, top speed of 62 MPH? I'll own that one for sure. That is a ridiculous thing IMO. I've been towing videos for years now and no owner's manual I've seen says to drive that slow.Also, the Ridgeline had premium fuel. So, really, your complaint boils down to I drove too fast. I did everything else by the book.

Screenshot 2024-08-20 at 11.29.49 AM.png


 
I'm seriously considering doing a reaction video to the comments. Really frustrating to spend all that time setting up cameras, trailer, reading the owner's manual, editing a video, etc... to be called out for something that is NOT in the owner's manual.


@davekintz7170

Please read your manual.................BEFORE doing your test!................. Do not use eco mode for towing!
 
And I changed the title of the video based on the feedback from the comments over Eco mode.
 
My takeaway after reading through this is that Honda doesn't want you to tow with the Ridgeline.

As for the main commenter he seems like a typical manufacture-based forum fan, He's got it all figured out and you don't even have to ask him... he'll just tell you.

I think it warrants a reaction video just to go over the specifics you mentioned. Eco mode, when to use sport mode and the speed limiter. Is it mentioned in the manual anywhere not to tow in Eco mode? I know back in the day with a lot of trucks it was stated in the manual not to tow in overdrive and I have always felt that eco mode is basically just overdrive for all gears not just top gear.

It seems like Honda and Honda fans in general really want the Ridgeline to be considered a midsize truck but with the limitations in speed I don't see how it can be compared.
 
testerdahl said:
I'm seriously considering doing a reaction video to the comments. Really frustrating to spend all that time setting up cameras, trailer, reading the owner's manual, editing a video, etc... to be called out for something that is NOT in the owner's manual.

@davekintz7170

Please read your manual.................BEFORE doing your test!................. Do not use eco mode for towing!
Click to expand...
You might want to reach out to your contact at Honda before making the video and see if they can explain it. That should end the argument on how to interpret the owner's manual. Then the commenters can critique Honda instead of you.
 
Fightnfire said:
My takeaway after reading through this is that Honda doesn't want you to tow with the Ridgeline.

As for the main commenter he seems like a typical manufacture-based forum fan, He's got it all figured out and you don't even have to ask him... he'll just tell you.

I think it warrants a reaction video just to go over the specifics you mentioned. Eco mode, when to use sport mode and the speed limiter. Is it mentioned in the manual anywhere not to tow in Eco mode? I know back in the day with a lot of trucks it was stated in the manual not to tow in overdrive and I have always felt that eco mode is basically just overdrive for all gears not just top gear.

It seems like Honda and Honda fans in general really want the Ridgeline to be considered a midsize truck but with the limitations in speed I don't see how it can be compared.
Click to expand...
So, I’m thinking of emailing Honda PR and asking for an engineer to interview to discuss my towing video. Instead of a typical “your wrong, here’s why I’m right video,” I’m thinking let’s have Honda engineers weigh in.

Thoughts?
 
testerdahl said:
So, I’m thinking of emailing Honda PR and asking for an engineer to interview to discuss my towing video. Instead of a typical “your wrong, here’s why I’m right video,” I’m thinking let’s have Honda engineers weigh in.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Yep. Contact Honda and let them screen the video. But since you were critical of the high rpm and saying it needs a new powertrain, don't expect too much help from that direction. It is what it is, fanboys and haters will never be satisfied. If you had it in S they would have bitched that you had the quad too far forward on the trailer or that you should have driven up the hill with the sun at the wrong angle. I mean shit, if you can't tow a single ATV on a trailer in ECO mode, da fuq is it got a hitch for? It's not like ECO made it that much worse. Bet my neighbor's Kia Sportage could do that tow, probably the same rpm.
 
Dusdaddy said:
Yep. Contact Honda and let them screen the video. But since you were critical of the high rpm and saying it needs a new powertrain, don't expect too much help from that direction. It is what it is, fanboys and haters will never be satisfied. If you had it in S they would have bitched that you had the quad too far forward on the trailer or that you should have driven up the hill with the sun at the wrong angle. I mean shit, if you can't tow a single ATV on a trailer in ECO mode, da fuq is it got a hitch for? It's not like ECO made it that much worse. Bet my neighbor's Kia Sportage could do that tow, probably the same rpm.
Click to expand...
I need to think this over some more. I mean is there value in calling out the commenters and saying they were wrong? I don’t think so. That seems a little petty on my end and it might backfire.
 
I would not make a video calling commenters out. At the end of the day, you were in fact towing in eco mode and it does not really matter if the truck makes it complicated or not. It's ok to make mistakes just own it and move on. The internet will always be there to judge and bitch about everything and that sucks.

But the idea proposed above to get Honda in a video and explain how to tow with the Ridgeline is a great idea. You can do a follow up video, towing with the Ridgeline again while using what Honda recommends and see if there's actually a difference.

I still agree with you, the Ridgeline is not setup for towing, does not make it clear to the owner and how to properly setup the truck and seems to be underpowered or not gear properly. My neighbor has a Ridgeline and always looks to me when he needs something towed, and I only have a Ranger... lol
 
And also, based on how the Toyota Tacoma manual was written, I think the manufacturers need to be better here. Beyond that very few people will read the manual anyway. I think the engineer video would be good, it addresses the comments without calling them out. I also think it would be interesting to get someone from a team who writes these manuals to talk about how that process. I'm sure it's not easy, but it's interesting when information is missing or incorrect how that happens and what they can do about it.
 
testerdahl said:
I need to think this over some more. I mean is there value in calling out the commenters and saying they were wrong? I don’t think so. That seems a little petty on my end and it might backfire.
Click to expand...
Exactly, the only value is your satisfaction. No one ever wins an internet argument. Create a fake YT profile to call them out in the comments to get the same level of satisfaction if you want.
 
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