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Will There Be A New Baja?

56 messages,  Last post on Feb 14, 2011 at 2:20 PM

You are in the Subaru Baja Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru Baja, Future Vehicle, Truck

Messages Page 6 of 6

#47 of 56 Re: Competitor? [rsholland] by xwesx

Feb 10, 2011 (12:51 am)

Replying to: rsholland (Feb 09, 2011 5:58 pm)
Quite true, Bob! I agree with you, and I feel that aside from perception, the Ridgeline (along with other mid-size pickups, though perhaps not to the same extent) simply falls into the category of a 'tweener, and these are polarizing times in which we live.

#48 of 56 Re: Competitor? [rsholland] by ateixeira

Feb 10, 2011 (10:11 am)

Replying to: rsholland (Feb 09, 2011 8:38 pm)
With a Duramax diesel, too!

#49 of 56 Re: Competitor? [ateixeira] by paisan

Feb 11, 2011 (4:55 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 10, 2011 10:11 am)
The Ridgeline may be RATED to tow 5000lbs but I'll be honest I would be very very scared to see it actually towing such a load. The racecars I've seen towed by a ridgeline are under 5k in the trailer (open trailer w/racecar).
 
I'm sure it could tow it a few miles, like if you have a lake house and need to tow the boat to the ramp down the road a piece. But to put 5000lbs behind a ridgeline is ridiculous. I've seen folks towing 5000lb camper trailers behind them and that is downright scary.
 
The problem is most folks think it's the power (as juice pointed out) that effects towing. In actuality it's not the power at all.
 
Wheelbase, chassis strength, axles, cooling, are the determining factors of how well something will tow. Wheelbase and trailer balance is really key. For instance, my Armada is rated to tow 9100lbs with a weight distributing hitch. I used to regularly tow my 11,500lb cigarette boat behind it w/o weight distributing hitch. It wasn't scary because the trailer was custom built for the boat and was a triple axle trailer. The weight of the boat was perfectly matched to the trailer and axles and brakes on the trailer. I have towed a 7000lb enclosed car trailer behind my truck with weight distribution and it was a lot to handle due to the wind resistance and weight distribution inside the trailer (car placement).
 
If you went strictly by the "numbers" one would say the car trailer was ideally situated for my truck, and the boat was way way over weight for it. In reality one must really think long and hard about towing before they purchase a vehicle for towing. Test it out with your own trailer to make sure you feel comfortable towing in it. There is "legal" and there is "safe and at-ease driving" a big difference between the 2 of them.
 
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor

#50 of 56 Re: Competitor? [paisan] by xwesx

Feb 11, 2011 (5:51 pm)

Replying to: paisan (Feb 11, 2011 4:55 pm)
I agree with you, Mike.
 
I have done a lot of towing and the actual weight of the load often has little to do with how well the tow rig handles it.
 
Those enclosed trailers and travel trailers are amongst the most cumbersome!

#51 of 56 Re: Competitor? [paisan] by rsholland

Feb 12, 2011 (7:51 am)

Replying to: paisan (Feb 11, 2011 4:55 pm)
No doubt Mike. I'm not advocating that owners of any mid-size trucks, Ridgeline or otherwise, hook up a 5K trailer. That's best left to full-size trucks.
 
Also keep in mind the Ridgeline was never intended for that kind of duty. It was aimed squarely at all the Harry Homeowners out there, most who never tow anything over 3K. As such, this truck is fine.
 
Edit: Here are a bunch of photos of Ridgelines towing, several hooked up to car trailers. Note there is one image in there of a tow vehicle and trailer flipped over. The image is incorrectly identified as a Ridgeline. It appears to be a Chevy Tahoe.
 
http://www.google.com/images?client=safari&rls=en&q=Ridgeline+towing&oe=UTF-8&um- - - =1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=952&bih=1016
 
Bob

#52 of 56 Re: Competitor? [rsholland] by paisan

Feb 12, 2011 (9:16 pm)

Replying to: rsholland (Feb 12, 2011 7:51 am)
Bob,
 
My point being that the rating is not always accurate in terms of what is safe to tow. I was only refuting it because you guys were pointing out the 5k towing limit.
 
Getting back to the Baja, I would not suggest anyone tow anything with a Baja built on any current Subaru chassis above 2k lbs safely due to the wheelbase at highway speeds/interstates. I would just not be safe.
 
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor

#53 of 56 Re: Competitor? [paisan] by rsholland

Feb 13, 2011 (7:38 am)

Replying to: paisan (Feb 12, 2011 9:16 pm)
Mike, I don't disagree with what you're saying. As you probably know, there is a law in the works (may even be passed?) in which vehicle tow ratings must become more realistic. For many brands—especially for full-size trucks—tow ratings have become nothing more than bragging rights, a powerful sales tool if you will. So that will soon come to an end.
 
As to tow limits: Vehicle manufacturers are always concerned about safety, especially in this litigious era that we're living in. I doubt that Honda, or anyone else, would risk having a host of lawsuits being presented against them by over-inflating their tow limits.
 
Also, if you read the Ridgeline's owner's manual in the towing section (pages 223-237 of PDF below), you will clearly see that 5K is the absolute max load. When you start adding passengers, cargo and taking the tongue load into consideration, that limit is reduced—and can be reduced considerably. So the reality is the owner will be towing less than 5K, much less.
 
https://techinfo.honda.com/rjanisis/pubs/om/AJC080/AJC0808OM.pdf
 
Bob

#54 of 56 Re: Competitor? [rsholland] by paisan

Feb 13, 2011 (9:31 am)

Replying to: rsholland (Feb 13, 2011 7:38 am)
Oh I know, that tow rating is SUPPOSED to subtract everything in the vehicle except the driver. I think that is actually on all towing capacities. However, most folks don't actually read that part. They go out and say "My truck can tow XXX lbs" and that's all they consider when they are trailering.
 
If someone wants to tow a small utility trailer to the hardware store and home or what not, yeah, the crossovers and ridglines and bajas are fine, but once you get into the >2000lb towing or going a long distance at highway speeds, you don't want something with a short/narrow wheelbase to do that towing.
 
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor

#55 of 56 Re: Competitor? [rsholland] by ateixeira

Feb 14, 2011 (1:34 pm)

Replying to: rsholland (Feb 12, 2011 7:51 am)
Yep, def. not a Ridgeline, check out the D-pillar. I agree it appears to be a Tahoe that flipped.
 
I personally would prefer to have a vehicle that is heavier than its trailer, to avoid any tail-wagging-the-dog scenario.

#56 of 56 Re: Competitor? [ateixeira] by paisan

Feb 14, 2011 (2:20 pm)

Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 14, 2011 1:34 pm)
Well once you get up to a certain towing level, you can have a heavier tow vehicle than the trailer but eventually you get to the point where it's not possible. That's where wheelbase, width, and trailer balance come into play big time.
 
-mike

Messages Page 6 of 6

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