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Honda Odyssey Towing/Trailer Hitch Questions

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Comments

  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Your owner's manual will have all that information. Further, look inside the driver's door for a plate with some information in it.
  • steelhedrsteelhedr Member Posts: 6
    Has anyone had any problems with Honda warranty service after installing aftermarket coolers, etc.?

    I have talked with my local service mgr and with Honda directly, and they both said that if i install any aftermarket tanny cooler, etc. and something happens to the tranny that they will not honor the warranty. their argument is that the aftermarket part has not be proven by Honda and therefore is most likely the problem. My argument is that that is BS because an aftermarket oil filter will not void the engine warranty.

    Honda told me something about i could have a detailed analysis done and if it was not due to the aftermarket parts then they would cover it, but if the cannot complete confirm then i also have to pay for the analysis (which is "intensive and most garages don't like to do it" Honda's words).
  • rlh_airbornerlh_airborne Member Posts: 1
    Curious as to how many people went with the Honda dealership wiring harness vs aftermarket and why. I haven't yet made my purchase, was hoping to get some insight here. thanks....
  • richardl5richardl5 Member Posts: 8
    If your car is under warranty you may be best at the dealer for the reason mentioned above. I have had the Honda dealer blame an ordinary accessory I had for problems with another Honda car I owned. When the accessory was removed the car still exhibited the problem. Some dealers are good and others are not. The risk of a trans repair issue is too expensive to give them the opportunity of a weasel situation. My 2007 Honda was out of factory warranty when I purchased it used. I went to trailer hitch specialty shop and it cost 1/2 of what the dealer wanted but in my case that made sense. You should spend the extra $300 - 500 (for hitch, wiring and cooler) from the dealer.
  • tempasonic2tempasonic2 Member Posts: 2
    If you have a costco or sams club membership; go through them to both buy a dealer certified used or new car, as well as accessories. You get a one price, no haggle deal. I'd start there and then try to bargin with the dealership.
  • elargozaelargoza Member Posts: 1
    Hello! I was wondering which Fleetwood trailer you have been towing? We have a 2007 Odyssey EXL and were going to purchase a 2004 Fleetwood Hemlock UVW 2890 lbs, GVWR 3770 lbs. Do you think the Odyssey can handle such a trailer? Thank you! This is our first trailer purchase.
  • pagaldesi4lifepagaldesi4life Member Posts: 1
    edited August 2011
    I have a 09 Odyssey and we're moving from GA to CT next week (900 miles, 16 hrs). I need to rent a small U-Haul trailer (either the 4'x8' or 5'x8' trailer, their gross weight is 2700 lbs but I don't think we'll have anything over 2000 lbs) and unfortunately we never got the tow hitch package because we have never towed anything period.

    Here are my questions:

    1) If I get the tow hitch & wiring kit installed by U-Haul, will it void the vehicle warranty?
    2) The vehicle is leased and due to be returned in a few weeks. Will Honda accept the vehicle back with the hitch installed or would I have to remove it prior to returning it?
    3) And since its a one time tow, would I need to get the tranny and ps coolers?

    Thank you in advance for your help.
  • steelhedrsteelhedr Member Posts: 6
    I called Honda about this specific thing a few months ago. The short answer is yes. If you have a hitch installed, you need the tranny cooler. If there are any issues with your tranny after the hitch is installed and the cooler is not on, then they will not cover it under warranty. I am not exactly sure how leases work in this regard as I am a buyer not a leaser, so i cannot speak to what will and will not be accepted for sure, but i would guess that you will be charged a fee (probably equal to the cost of installing the coolers).

    Here is the interesting thing, STRAIGHT FROM HONDA. If you have a cooler installed by a third party, they will still not cover the warranty on any transmission issues unless they can absolutely prove it was not related to the cooler. Their thinking is that they cannot confirm it was installed correctly so they will not cover any issues. My dealer told me they could run some checks and determine cause (but it is an expensive test) and if it turns out to be non-related to the cooler, they will cover the test and the work, if not, than you pay for work and now the test too.

    I would recommend asking your dealer with the lease their thoughts, but i am guessing they will tell you it voids any warranty. You could always have the hitch and wiring removed after you are done. Should be relatively easy to do yourself.
  • tnkhourytnkhoury Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2007 Honda Odyssey EX, with no towing package on it at this time. I plan to be towing some ATV's that we just purchased on various trip lengths of one hour on flat ground to 4-5 hours on hilly terraine. Wtih the ATV's and trailer, the combined weight will be around 3000lbs, and we will have two adults and 3 children in the van with luggage as well...probably around 650lbs of weight in the vehicle. Before I invest in a towing package for this vehicle, do you think it my odyssey can handle this workload without having major engine problems?
  • rmeronemormeronemo Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2006 without the tow package. We are moving and I would like to install a hitch to pull a
    small trailer only once to our new place, to carry items we will need until the movers deliver our stuff. After that I would use the hitch only for a bicycle rack. Anyone think I'll be ok with just a hitch and no tranny cooler?
  • steelhedrsteelhedr Member Posts: 6
    First, sorry for the delayed response.
    Your engine will be worked but should not be a concern much there. It is the transmission that you should be more concerned with. It will be at the limit of the capacity for sure, but i tow nearly that amount with our little camper and three kids and the Odyssey does fine with it. Uphill climbs are a lot longer and more challenging than without anything behind you, but slow and steady wins the race here. I like to try and get a little extra momentum going downhill to aid in the next uphill when possible.

    A few things you should definitely have with that much weight behind you:
    - a trailer with brakes that are connected to your braking
    - upgraded transmission cooler (required if any part is still under warranty and you are concerned about using said warranty)
    - load distributing hitch with anti-sway bars. I have the Equal-i-zer hitch. There are others, but this one works nice for me. I barely feel anything when passed by a semi. Of course wind gusts are a little more evident than not towing, but not as bad as they would be. I think it does a real good job.
    - upgraded power steering cooler is recommended. I have one, but not sure it is completely necessary.
  • steelhedrsteelhedr Member Posts: 6
    It really depends on how much you are planning on towing and where.

    With a 2006, I would guess that your warranty is pretty much done, so you do not have to worry about nullifying that (Honda requires a tranny cooler when a hitch is present or the warranty is voided). If you are only looking at the amount of material that I would consider typical luggage for an extended trip (you must include the weight of the trailer too mind you), then you may be okay. I am by no means a transmission expert, but do have some mechanical inclination. Bikes for sure you don't need one for, but if your weight is getting up into the 1000+lb range with the trailer weight and supplies, you may start to consider one. It is not worth losing the transmission over for sure. The total towing capacity is 3500 lb for the Ody, which includes passengers (driver excluded), luggage, trailer, hitch, and trailer load. So you must consider all of that.

    Think of it this way...The Ody seats 7 passengers (excluding driver). At an average weight of 150 lb, that is 1050 lb, throw in luggage at say 50lb per person you are at 1400 lb. That would be standard operation for the van on a trip with a large family. You would not use a transmission cooler for that without towing anything, so that may be a guide. These are just some numbers I threw out there.

    Considering that, plus the trip length, and geography (flat, hilly, mountainous), perhaps you can make a judgement call for your situation.
  • jmarschjmarsch Member Posts: 3
  • jmarschjmarsch Member Posts: 3
    I have the full tow kit on my 06 Odyssee. I use it to tow a pop-up camper. Every thing seems ok, except that it makes my van squat badly. So badly that the front wheels sometimes have trouble getting traction on gravel.

    How much real difference would a weight disti uting hitch make?
  • steelhedrsteelhedr Member Posts: 6
    jmarsch,

    A weight distributing hitch, if set up correctly, would make quite a bit of difference, IMHO. First off, if you are driving where your front wheels lose traction, that would seem unsafe, and it could cause an accident. :surprise: The weight distributing hitch will take some of the load and push it back through the frame allowing the tow vehicle to equalize.

    Imagine that you put a lot of weight on the very back of your camper. This would push down the back of the camper thus pushing up the tongue. This, in turn, lifts the back end of the tow vehicle which puts more weight on the front end of the TV pushing it down (i.e. weight distribution)...thus giving more traction to your front (pull) tires. This is what the WD Hitch does. It lifts the tongue and back of the TV allowing the weight to distribute throughout the entire package (TV and camper).

    I use the Equal-I-zer. Equalizer Website There are others that are just as good though, I just like this one. It also is an anti-sway. For all WD hitches, there is some adjusting that needs done initially and a small learning curve to set them up each time, but pretty straight forward.

    Hope that helps.
  • ramahanramahan Member Posts: 1
    Hi
    Just read a message you posted regarding towing.
    We were wondering what you tow on your Odyssey? We have a 2010 and had a tow ball attached thinking that it would be more than capable of towing our little pop up caravan that weighs in at 1200kg / 2650lbs...but when we checked out it's specs we accepted that our Holden sedan was going to have to be the camping car, as we didn't want to take the risk with the Honda!
    We are now considering upgrading our suspension to help with the load, so that we can use the Honda, but it doesn't like you did that. Are towing a reasonable size caravan/camper?
    Any more advice for someone who would really like to use their Odyssey a lot more!!
    Thanks for your time.
  • jmarschjmarsch Member Posts: 3
    I'm not sure what the capacity for the 2010 is (is that a different model year?). My camper weighs 1950LBS according to the coachmen site. Suspension is the biggest problem -- it squats badly, and that can cause traction problems going uphill on gravel (no weight on the front wheels). On the highway it does fine -- at 65mph, I get 14-16mpg. It noticeably increases stopping distance, so leave plenty of space.

    One other thing -- you mentioned the hitch ball, but do you have the heavy transmission and power steering coolers (they are add-ons)? I wouldn't try towing without those, from what I've read, the transmission really won't tolerate towing without the heavy cooler.
  • steelhedrsteelhedr Member Posts: 6
    edited November 2012
    I tow a TrailManor Bifold Camper. It is about 2600 lb I think. The rating for my Ody is about 3400 total i believe (gear, people, tow). Our kids do not weigh too much, yet. :-) So we can use it fine for a while. jmarsch is correct about the squatting, but with a load distributing hitch you can shift that weight quite well and eliminate (or significantly reduce) the squatting. I highly recommend that. As for pulling, it does great. I did get the heavy duty coolers installed. Ody trannys are not something you want to mess with too much, so the extra cooler is certainly worth it. I get the same mileage that jmarsch does when pulling (13-16 mpg). Of course that is in the Appalachians. Probably better on flatter ground. Oh, and get the electric brakes installed. It greatly helps with the stoppage. Some states require them, like mine, but it is about safety and a must for me.

    Honestly, I am very surprised with how well the Odyssey handles things with the right hitch. Very good tow vehicle. Now if I were camping year round every weekend it may be a bit much for wear. Unfortunately, we are probably going to have to upgrade in a couple years or sooner since our family has added a couple more additions, and with them growing larger, that adds weight. ;) That is a good thing though. :D So a bigger camper, and a bigger TV?$?$?$ :cry: IMHO, there just is no other minivan, so we will keep it for day trips, etc.
  • niosakiniosaki Member Posts: 1
    I was offered a 2011 genuine Honda trailer hitch, but my Odyssey is a 2008. Could it be made to fit without too much trouble, or is this completely out of the question? The hitch would have to be shipped to me, so I am unable to answer this with my own visual inspection. I'm not planning to tow anything with it: it's purely to carry a hitch-mounted bike rack.
  • richardl5richardl5 Member Posts: 8
    In the fit list from eTrailer the fit for a 2008 and 2011 model are the same. This is not probably a 100% guarantee but it would indicate you have a good chance it will fit.

    http://www.etrailer.com/fitguide.htm
  • richardl5richardl5 Member Posts: 8
    Also one last note - Some Odyssey hitches require the rear facia panel to be trimmed. If you are nervous about cutting out the plastic body work below the bumper you may find that is necessary.
  • wanna_campwanna_camp Member Posts: 2
    Hi. I'm new to this forum, but it seemed like a good place to post my question. I have a 2012 Odyssey with the Honda dealer-installed towing package. I'm looking at travel trailers or hybrid travel trailers (trying to avoid tent trailers) with dry weights in the low 2000+ lbs range. I've been wading through manufacturers' web sites looking for something light enough to tow with our family of 4 in the van.

    Anyone have suggestions? I know Chalet has some options.
  • richardl5richardl5 Member Posts: 8
    edited April 2013
    The lightweight hard side trailer that many of us use is the T@B (capacity 2 people) or T@DA (Capacity 2-4 people depending on model). The T@DA is no longer made since 2010 so you would be looking at a used trailer. Info on these is available via the Yahoo T@B group or the Facebook T@B and T@DA group. I'm a contributor on both those groups and can put you in touch with owners and trailers for sale. These are appropriate for an Odyssey and very cute. You will need to fit a brake controller for these trailers as they have electric brakes but any good RV shop can do it for you. Look here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/87969923985/ or here: http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/tabtrailers/
  • wanna_campwanna_camp Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the tip on the T@DA. I'll check it out!
    Anyone else have suggestions?
  • traveller10traveller10 Member Posts: 1
    Hello everyone, I am considering towing a 3000lbs camping trailer 21 hours away to northern Ontario with my 2002 odyssey with 300000k on it.
    It's rated for towing up to 3500lbs, I have an electric brake, and I believe there was a recall on it where they added a tranni cooler.

    What do you all think? Do you think I will have any issues?
  • cjlcancjlcan Member Posts: 1
    I only want to install the trailer hitch for attaching the bike mount, I have no intention to towing anything. In this case does it matter whether I install at the dealer or U-Haul or similar places?

    I read about it potentialling voiding warranty that tranny cooler is not installed. Does it apply if I just want the hitch for bike mount?

    Thanks.
  • cl45musuccl45musuc Member Posts: 1
    Looking for some advice. I have 2012 odyssey just purchased certified with low mileage from dealer, so it's going to be covered by warranty for a good long while. Going to have dealer install Honda tow package including the transmission cooler.
    I am looking to tow a 1000 lb utility vehicle on a utility trailer for 100 miles maybe once or twice a month.

    I have yet to purchase the trailer and here is my question.
    Do I purchase lightweight single axle 6x 12 trailer that weighs 750 lbs without trailer brakes? Makes for 1750 lb combined towing weight.
    Or do I purchase double axle 6x12 trailer with trailer brakes that raises weight of trailer to 1400lbs? Making for combined towing weight of 2400 lbs?

    Service manager at dealership recommended the single axle trailer without brakes to keep the weight as low as possible.

    Any advice appreciated!
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