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Old 07-22-2014, 07:11 AM   #1
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Tongue weight and RPM's

We bought a 2015 z17x and was surprised by the tongue weight. Has anyone tried to move battery or spare tire to lighten the weight of the tongue?

I'm using a 2011 Honda Pilot Touring V6 - 3.5 as TV. . Which seems to be just a little small. I was hoping to be at 70-80% of my tow capacity (4500 lbs) but instead I'm 90%. I did not take into consideration the stuff I would be hauling in the TV. I'm constantly revved at 3000 rpm at 55-60 mph. Is that a problem?

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Old 07-22-2014, 07:57 AM   #2
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If tongue weight is 10-15% of total trailer weight, I wouldn't worry about moving the spare or battery around.

As for the Pilot, 3000rpm's is fine. I assume you're towing with OD off. In the flats of Illinois, I would normally tow in 4th at 65mph with the RPM's just under 3K. On a recent trip through hill and wind, I towed for 16 hours in 3rd gear at just under 4K RPMs and the truck actually seemed to like that better...
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Old 07-22-2014, 08:27 AM   #3
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Tongue weight has nothing to do with your RPMs. Lightening the tongue will not change the RPMs your Pilot is running at. Its the total weight of both the TV, trailer, and your stuff, i.e. the GCW of everything that effects your TVs performance. The closer you are to your capacities, the harder it is for your vehicle to tow.

Engines are tested for thousands of hours running at high RPMS, much higher than 3k, so I would not worry about it. I think perhaps you just aren't used to towing a brick.
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Old 07-22-2014, 10:00 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by DocBrown View Post
Tongue weight has nothing to do with your RPMs. Lightening the tongue will not change the RPMs your Pilot is running at. Its the total weight of both the TV, trailer, and your stuff, i.e. the GCW of everything that effects your TVs performance. The closer you are to your capacities, the harder it is for your vehicle to tow.

Engines are tested for thousands of hours running at high RPMS, much higher than 3k, so I would not worry about it. I think perhaps you just aren't used to towing a brick.
+1

I've not towed with the pilot, but I have with an XTerra (different animals, I know). Anyway, gas engines hit their power band at MUCH higher RPMs. For example, my truck will maintain 55-60 mph going uphill in 3rd gear at about 4K RPM as long as I don't slow down! I generally leave it in 4th and run about 27-2800 on the tac at about 65 mph and don't get any shifting unless I'm on a long grade or have to slow down.

You just gotta play with it to find our what speed, and gear your TV likes. It really depends on load, conditions, gearing, etc... But there is surely a sweet spot where you and your TV are happy.
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Old 07-22-2014, 10:01 AM   #5
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Dzimmer,

Welcome to JOF

Might be time for a visit to a CAT scale, which will tell you just about everything you need to know about all your weights/weight distribution, limits, etc., with your particular TV/HTT combination.

CAT how-to: http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3871

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Old 07-22-2014, 10:08 AM   #6
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If tongue weight is 10-15% of total trailer weight, I wouldn't worry about moving the spare or battery around.....snip
Your correct about the recommended 10% to 15% loaded tongue weight..., but until 'Dzimmer' visits a CAT scale he doesn't know where his tongue weight falls, so relocating some X17Z cargo still remains a possibility.

I have heard of some folks relocating the spare tire to their TV, but with the limit payload capacity of the Pilot this may not be an option.

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Old 07-22-2014, 04:49 PM   #7
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We tow with a '05 Pilot and a X17Z. I am very close to the " published limit" for an '05. However, I have done much research, visit piloteers.org and search the towing forum. We travel very light and our kids are only 6 and 8. But we are at 95%. Honda over engineered the pilot and is very conservative with their ratings. So much so that they still do not recommend a WDH. The factory hitch for an '05 has 12 attachment points. Aftermarket has 6 to 8 depending on which one you get and all have the same 350 tongue 3500 total rating. Alos, keep in mind that Honda rates the towing with 4 adults and their luggage on-board.

Regardless, I tow in D3 and go 55-60 mph. The engine is at 3200-3300 and will rev at that all day long happily, it is an amazing engine. Step up the engine and trans maintenance.

Happy trails.
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Old 07-22-2014, 08:20 PM   #8
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So firsts thx to all for the comments. As I'm a newbe to hauling campers (bricks), for our first outing I did visited the cat scale and know I'm pretty close to all the limits of the pilot ( front axle, rear axle and gross, with the exception of the tongue weight. The owners manual says 450 max and I'm at 500. Tongue weight is at 14%.

Rpm wis - my normal driving (not hauling) is 1500 - 2000 so I'm while 3000 is new to me I'm glad it's not going to cook the engine or Trans.
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