Has anyone towed a Hunter 216 with a Honda Minivan? If yes how far. I am wondering if I need a new tow vehical for a 216 I am considering or if I can tow with the Honda Odessey. Thanks!
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No Problem
I don't own a 216 but my friend owns one which I sail on often and you should have not problem at all pulling it with the mini van. He pulls his with a Toyota small pickup. The 216 is not that heavy. Try it and see how it works before you buy a new tow vehicle. Unless your looking for an excuse for buying a new tow vehicle? If thats the case, go for it.
I don't own a 216 but my friend owns one which I sail on often and you should have not problem at all pulling it with the mini van. He pulls his with a Toyota small pickup. The 216 is not that heavy. Try it and see how it works before you buy a new tow vehicle. Unless your looking for an excuse for buying a new tow vehicle? If thats the case, go for it.
Towing a 216.
Not quite the same but I tow a Highlander(20') with a Chrysler T&C. The Highlander is heavier than your H216 but then you might have a heavier trailer. My trailer is pretty standard with two 15" wheels and a channel frame. I would not hesitate to drag it from Ohio to Florida if it had new tires and a wheel-bearing job. The WVA mountains would be slow going though. Even on the flat I am conscious of the weight and leave lots of braking room.
Not quite the same but I tow a Highlander(20') with a Chrysler T&C. The Highlander is heavier than your H216 but then you might have a heavier trailer. My trailer is pretty standard with two 15" wheels and a channel frame. I would not hesitate to drag it from Ohio to Florida if it had new tires and a wheel-bearing job. The WVA mountains would be slow going though. Even on the flat I am conscious of the weight and leave lots of braking room.
What kind of hitch?
You'll probably need a weight distributing, anti-sway hitch to prevent the back end from squatting too much (which makes the alignment bad, which you don't want while towing) also, what year is the van? the newer ones (with 5 speed transmissions) have a lot mor power than the older ones.
You'll probably need a weight distributing, anti-sway hitch to prevent the back end from squatting too much (which makes the alignment bad, which you don't want while towing) also, what year is the van? the newer ones (with 5 speed transmissions) have a lot mor power than the older ones.
Towing
Once you spend a few minutes getting the data together, you'll be better able to answer your own question. Most cars can tow just about anything given the right circumstances. It's the stopping, fried transmissions and broken suspensions that you have to worry about. An often cited rule of thumb is that the load should be no more than 75% of the Gross Trailer Weight Rating of the tow vehicle. To be more precise you need to know the following: 1. Actual weight of the boat -- don't rely on dealer/manufacturer dry weight, insist on an actual weighing at a commercial scale before sealing the deal. Or, failing that, add 20% to any figure the dealer/PO gives you. Check your owners manual for the following: 2. Weight capacity of vehicle alone: (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)). 3. Towing capacity of the vehicle ((Gross Trailer Weight Rating(GTWR)). 4. Combined weight capacity of vehicle and boat/trailer. (Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR)). This is the most important number. 5. Weight capacity of trailer (Gross Trailer Weight (GTW). 6. Tongue weight of the loaded trailer (Should be around 10% of total load). The towing capacity of the Odyssey varies. If it does not have the trailer towing package (trans cooler, suspension upgrades, class III trailer hitch/wiring), you may be able to increase towing capacity by adding these things cheaper than replacing the vehicle. Some dealers can help you with these items but I've found the best source of advice is usually a RV dealer. Or, you could just wing it and rely on what others say you can get away with.
Once you spend a few minutes getting the data together, you'll be better able to answer your own question. Most cars can tow just about anything given the right circumstances. It's the stopping, fried transmissions and broken suspensions that you have to worry about. An often cited rule of thumb is that the load should be no more than 75% of the Gross Trailer Weight Rating of the tow vehicle. To be more precise you need to know the following: 1. Actual weight of the boat -- don't rely on dealer/manufacturer dry weight, insist on an actual weighing at a commercial scale before sealing the deal. Or, failing that, add 20% to any figure the dealer/PO gives you. Check your owners manual for the following: 2. Weight capacity of vehicle alone: (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)). 3. Towing capacity of the vehicle ((Gross Trailer Weight Rating(GTWR)). 4. Combined weight capacity of vehicle and boat/trailer. (Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR)). This is the most important number. 5. Weight capacity of trailer (Gross Trailer Weight (GTW). 6. Tongue weight of the loaded trailer (Should be around 10% of total load). The towing capacity of the Odyssey varies. If it does not have the trailer towing package (trans cooler, suspension upgrades, class III trailer hitch/wiring), you may be able to increase towing capacity by adding these things cheaper than replacing the vehicle. Some dealers can help you with these items but I've found the best source of advice is usually a RV dealer. Or, you could just wing it and rely on what others say you can get away with.
Previous Odessey Owner
Had a 2003 Odessey with trailer tow package. Pulling a single axle trailer for my 16 ft. daysailer made the rear end squat pretty bad. Toung weight was less than 100 pounds but with a car full of vacation stuff and a 2 year old, caused the car to ride poorly. I had spacers installed on the springs to stiffen them up and that worked well, but the Odessey did not live up to expectations, in "out of the box" configuration. Regards
Had a 2003 Odessey with trailer tow package. Pulling a single axle trailer for my 16 ft. daysailer made the rear end squat pretty bad. Toung weight was less than 100 pounds but with a car full of vacation stuff and a 2 year old, caused the car to ride poorly. I had spacers installed on the springs to stiffen them up and that worked well, but the Odessey did not live up to expectations, in "out of the box" configuration. Regards
my odessey experience
I have put many miles on my odessey towing my hunter 170. It does ride "squatty" as Mergatroid suggested. But it gets me there. Many of our trips involve going from SE Michigan to NW (UP) Michigan (about 10 hours each way) with a kayak strapped to the top of the van, 4 people and enough camping gear for 30 people to survive for a decade in the arctic circle. I am sure that if we could have figured out how to strap 4 bikes to the top of the kayak we probably would have taken them too. Not sure if the stress has shortened the lifespan of the van, but it is ten years old and has 180k miles on it and so far is running really well. I did get a transmission fluid cooler installed before I towed anything. I think the dealer was going to do that for about $300, and my local guy did it for $50 or something. Not sure how much more a 216 weighs. john
I have put many miles on my odessey towing my hunter 170. It does ride "squatty" as Mergatroid suggested. But it gets me there. Many of our trips involve going from SE Michigan to NW (UP) Michigan (about 10 hours each way) with a kayak strapped to the top of the van, 4 people and enough camping gear for 30 people to survive for a decade in the arctic circle. I am sure that if we could have figured out how to strap 4 bikes to the top of the kayak we probably would have taken them too. Not sure if the stress has shortened the lifespan of the van, but it is ten years old and has 180k miles on it and so far is running really well. I did get a transmission fluid cooler installed before I towed anything. I think the dealer was going to do that for about $300, and my local guy did it for $50 or something. Not sure how much more a 216 weighs. john
towing w/front wheel drive
I currently tow a 240 behind a Chrysler Twon And Country. The only time I have ever had a problem is coming a steep wet ramp. Make sure you have good tires. A transmission oil cooler is essential.
I currently tow a 240 behind a Chrysler Twon And Country. The only time I have ever had a problem is coming a steep wet ramp. Make sure you have good tires. A transmission oil cooler is essential.
Thanks for the feedback
Thanks for all the feedback on the towing. Based on these posts and some other research I did I think the Honda Odessey could probably manage short hauls with the 216. I am now considering a new tow vehicle or the 170 which seems like it would work. Thanks again!
Thanks for all the feedback on the towing. Based on these posts and some other research I did I think the Honda Odessey could probably manage short hauls with the 216. I am now considering a new tow vehicle or the 170 which seems like it would work. Thanks again!
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