How to Find the Towing Capacity of a 2011 Honda Pilot 4WD
Question:
I want to purchase a travel trailer. Interested in the rpod 180 which a dry weight of 2780 and a gvwr of 3780. Can the pilot tow this?
asked by: Diana
Expert Reply:
According to the owner's manual the maximum towing capacity of your 2011 Honda Pilot depends on the number of occupants. It maxes out at 4,500 pounds if you only have 2 people in the vehicle and decreases if you add more passengers. This is the 4-wheel drive model like you have, this decreased to 3,500 pounds for the 2-wheel drive model. This figure assumes each person weighs an average of 150 pounds and is seated from the front of the vehicle back. So the two passengers need to be in the front seats for the full 4,500 pounds. Plus, there can only be 15 pounds of cargo per person. More cargo also decreases the Pilot's towing capacity.
To tow your R-Pod if you fully load it to 3,780 pounds you can have up to 6 passengers as long as they meet the same criteria. According to the manual with 6 people the Pilot can tow up to 3,800 pounds.
So unless you're really packing the Pilot with a bunch of stuff and people to put you over the limit you'll be fine. All 2011 Pilots are equipped with a hitch from the factory but if you need trailer wiring I recommend part # 118253. It plugs into a connector behind the rear bumper on the driver side. Then you need to plug in the Modulite to another conenctor behind the trim panel on the driver side in the rear cargo area. I've linked a video on a 2010 Pilot for you.
The R-Pod 180 has electric brakes and the Pilot's manual also states that Honda recommends trailer brakes if the trailer's weight is more than 1,000 pounds. To activate the trailer brakes the Pilot needs an electric brake controller, like the Prodigy P3 # 90195. To install the P3 use the adapter # 3070-P. The adapter plugs right into a connetor under the Pilot's dashboard so there's no need to splice any wires. I've linked a video of this as well for you.
In addition to the videos I've also linked some articles on towing you might find helpful. Including one on selecting the correct ball mount by finding the difference between your trailer and receiver hitch. I've also linked our selection of ball mounts to fit your Pilot's receiver.
Products Referenced in This Question
Tekonsha Plug-In Wiring Adapter for Electric Brake Controllers - Honda
- Accessories and Parts
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Wiring Adapter
- Plugs into Brake Controller
- Vehicle Specific
- Tekonsha
more information >
Tekonsha Prodigy P3 Trailer Brake Controller - 1 to 4 Axles - Proportional
- Trailer Brake Controller
- Proportional Controller
- Electric
- Electric over Hydraulic
- Automatic Leveling
- Under-Dash Box
- Dash Mount
- Up to 4 Axles
- LCD Display
- Up to 360 Degrees
- Tekonsha
more information >
Product Page this Question was Asked From
Tekonsha OEM Replacement Vehicle Wiring Harness with 7-Way Trailer Connector
- Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring
- Trailer Hitch Wiring
- Powered Converter
- Custom Fit
- 7 Round - Blade
- Tekonsha
more information >
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on Custom Fit Vehicle Wiring
Derek A.
7/15/2020
Hi, I currently own a 2011 Pilot and purchased both the 7-way wiring harness, the P3 brake controller and adapter listed above and here: As a follow-up to the useful advice giving by Charles S., I'm looking into getting a pop-up trailer that's well within the towing capacity of my Honda Pilot (Dry weight of 2,153 lbs and GVWR of 3,063 lbs). My main concern is the hitch weight of the trailer which is 313 lbs. Honda states that with 2 people in the front of the car (150lbs each), my Pilot's maximum tongue load is 450lbs. It drops down to 330lbs. with four people in the car. If me and my wife are in the front seat and the kids are in back along with a full cooler and other items for camping, can my Pilot tow this pop-up safely? Does the tongue weight refer more to the GVWR or the dry weight. Our plan would always be filling up water, etc at the campsite. Thanks in advance,