Can You Flat Tow A Honda Ridgeline? (Let’s See)
When it comes to towing your vehicle behind, flat towing is the most convenient method.
However, getting a Honda Ridgeline is a great car choice, but knowing its towing capability is also essential.
So can you flat tow a Honda Ridgeline? This article will tell you if flat towing your Honda RL is possible and ok.
You can’t flat tow a Honda Ridgeline for any reason; it’s not safe. The fact that you can with safety procedures and make some customization to haul it doesn’t make it flat towable. Honda does not recommend flat towing most of their cars, including the Ridgeline, because of the type of transmission.
Can You Tow Honda Ridgeline?
Yes, it’s possible, that a Honda Ridgeline can be towed, especially when the transmission is off.
The best way to do this is by using a flatbed trailer or a tow dolly if it’s a two-wheel drive.
A flatbed trailer is a towing method Honda recommends using if there is any need to tow.
Importantly, before towing a Honda Ridgeline or any other car, it’s advisable to check your user manual if it’s towable.
Also, if you do not have experience with towing a vehicle or you do, call a professional towing service to assist you. And let them know that using a trailer is recommended.
On the other hand, you should not consider flat towing because you might be warranting future spending on repairs.
Every car company has its way and reason for designing cars, maybe to beat the competition.
If you check the Honda owners manual, they strongly advise not towing with all four wheels on the ground.
Although flat towing is more convenient than any other dragging, it depends on your car.
For example, Honda Ridgeline carries mostly automatic transmission because it evolved from Honda Pilot and Honda Odyssey, which are also automated.
And primarily front-wheel drive and the recent year models with all-wheel drive.
All these listed disqualifies Honda Ridgeline from being flat towable. Also, a flat towable car must allow being put to neutral to keep the driveshaft safe, which Ridgeline can’t.
Finally, the transmission needs to be well lubricated, which most automatic transmission cars can’t without starting the engine.
A 2021 Honda Ridgeline with a towing capacity of 5,000 lbs is one of the best flat towing trucks made by Honda, but not the best towing vehicle.
Nevertheless, some fantastic features of this car will draw your interest, aside from being towable in every method extensively.
While towing another vehicle or a trailer with your car depends on its capacity, being towed itself depends on its transmission type and wheel drive.
However, before you decide to tow a vehicle and inquire if possible, there must be a reason behind it.
If it’s for moving a Ridgeline car to a location for repairs, due to damage and you must tow it with all four wheels down, make sure;
- You release the parking brake,
- Start the engine,
- Shift the brake pedal to D through to N and
- Turn off the engine.
So towing with a trailer is still the best to consider, but if it’s behind an RV, that’s more destinations to cover when traveling or on a trip.
Also, you will want the convenience of connecting and disconnecting, which a trailer tow won’t provide you with.
For this reason, flat towing is preferable but dangerous for a Ridgeline car.
Can You Tow Honda Ridgeline on a Dolly?
You can use a dolly for towing Honda Ridgeline only if you disconnect the rear driveshaft.
For me, pulling with a doll is also a no; you can’t have your car rotating with its rear wheels rolling.
Also, without disconnecting the driveshaft, you can cause damage to the transmission; after hours of driving, you’re likely to wear out the transmission.
If you do the disconnection properly, you should be able to tow your Ridgeline without causing damage to the driveshaft.
There are like four bolts where the shaft meets the differential. You can remove it when you want to tow and replace it when driving. You may learn whether Honda Head Bolts can be re-used or not?
A dolly has some safety equipment to keep your truck safe when towing, especially when making a turn.
So a doll can work, but only when you make sure nothing important is turning at the rear drive.
Disconnecting the driveshaft is an hours job, and you might have to invite experts to help you out.
Removing the driveshaft and fixing it back is not very safe, not to even talk of driving without it.
This is quite a risk and stress, so to save your money and time, stick to towing Honda RL on a trailer.
A tow dolly usually works with two-wheel drive (front wheel) cars to avoid damage to internal parts.
After trailer towing is the best towing option for the Honda Ridgeline, with a dolly is next.
Never try flat towing unless you follow pre-towing procedures, and it’s essential.
What Honda Vehicles Can Be Towed Behind a Motorhome?
When planning to tow a vehicle behind a motorhome, there are two towing options. The first is with a tow dolly, and the second is flat towing.
And to tow a vehicle, you will need to check the user manual to know if you can flat tow your specific Honda vehicle.
Fact most Honda cars are not suitable for towing, below are some Honda cars you can tow behind your motorhome;
#1. Honda Civic
The best way to tow a Civic behind a motorhome is with a dolly. The Honda Civic requires no special preparation while pulling it with a doll.
Using a dolly will lift the wheel drive from the ground.
#2. Honda Fit
The same goes with this Honda vehicle; you can tow it behind a motorhome with a dolly.
So even though it’s not safe to pull it flat, it is still possible to. It’s one of the best cars to be towed behind a motorhome.
You just have to follow safety procedures like disconnecting the driveshaft or starting the engine when towing.
This is still a car you can tow behind your motorhome.
#3. Honda Accord
Only a few models of this can are suitable for both flat towing and tow dolly.
#4. Honda Pilot
Honda Pilot is another great towable car behind a motorhome.
#5. Honda Element
Most year models of this car are suitable for towing behind a motorhome.
#6. Honda CR- V
Saving the best for the last, the Honda CR-V is the best toad there. It’s made to be flat towed or towing using a tow dolly.
What Honda Vehicles Can Be Flat Towed?
It is essential to know that many cars made by Honda are not suitable for flat towing. Honda warns against it for safety purposes, but few of their vehicles are flat towable. What about Honda Ridgeline, is it towable?
However, certain car specifications qualify a vehicle to be flat towed conveniently, they are;
- Having a manual transmission option
- And a two-wheel drive.
This doesn’t mean you can’t flat tow a car with manual transmission and four-wheel drive. The only problem with it is the stress of maintenance.
However, most Honda cars that are not flat towable nowadays have older year models with manual transmission. You may want to know if Honda Odyssey can be flat towed?
So it depends on the model year you have, primarily those below 2010. Below are some of these cars that can be flat towed;
Note: any Honda manufacturer’s recommended procedures are essential before flat towing.
#1. Honda CR-V
It is highly acceptable for flat towing out of other Honda products. For example, if you have a Honda CR-V from 1996-2011, you are safe to flat tow it.
#2. Honda Fit
The year models suitable for flat towing are from 2008- to 2013.
#3. Honda Pilot
You can flat tow most Honda pilot cars from 2005 and below.
#4. Honda Accord.
Most cars nowadays are built Without towing in mind, to the extent that almost all-electric vehicles can’t be flat towed.
Asides from the brands’ recommendations on towing, before any car is certified towable, it must undergo testing by professionals. By the way, can we flat Tow A Honda HR-V?
Conclusion
Honda Ridgelines are great trucks; meanwhile, towing them when not recommended will only reduce their reliability and warranty.
There are ways to customize your cars to be flat towed by professionals using fabrication pumps and driveshaft decouplers.
But this can be expensive and more difficult to maintain.
