| DaCarMan |
Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum. I'm expecting delivery of My Black Pilot EXL on 10/15/02. I have one consern, The main reason I decided to get an SUV(pilot) is because I'm getting a bass boat and I need something to tow it with that has lots of space for my family and gear. My consern is that I can't afford the $1,100.00 towing pkg right now. Will a a regular welded hitch do? My boat will be 1800LB so is not very heavy. Will the warranty be voided if I install a welded hitch to it? Any other alternatives?
Thanks for your imput in advance. |
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| N_Jay |
Get the factory kit, and puit it on yourself.
Buy it from Tim (or any other decent on-line vendor).
The hitch and wiring are not even a 2 six-pack job (maybe a case, if you are nice) for the motor-head kid around the corner.
The coolers are a bit more work. Actually not much more work, just more time taking off the bumper.
If you have a motor-head you trust, get an extra case of beer for him, else, Maybe a hitch shop will give you a good install quote on the factory package. |
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| jfrano |
I beleive you will VOID your warranty, if you tow and do NOT have the coolers installed. I have the Honda tow package/coolers. I think it was more like $800, installed!
Joe |
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| copilot |
| to go it for his cost plus labor if you can. I was lucky and had one of those dealers who said, "Pay me MSRP for the Pilot"; but threw in whatever accessories I wanted at his cost plus any labor to install. I think the total cost for the tow package was ~$800 including labor. That will be included in the total financed package and you get the full 3/36 warranty. If you install after purchase you only get 12month/12,000 warranty. You will love this truck.:D |
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| lxblack |
My salesman told me he can do it under the table for $100 labor. The tow package from Tim is $525. If you DIY, that's all that costs.
If you are not the DIY type, then pressure the sales guy to give you a good deal on install labor and match the Tim's price on part. |
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| MDXlite |
Boat towing is rated up to 4000lbs on the Pilot, so your little Bass boat will hardly register. It's always good to have the coolers and it's not a warranty issue unless something goes wrong. Then they would still have to prove you towed something too heavy without the coolers. Honda does allow you to mount the hitch only for light towing and bike carriers.
Whatever you do, at least get the Honda hitch, I just mounted mine and it was pretty easy. It's a very heavy, sturdy hitch that has add'l center mounting oints that you don't get on other aftermarket hitches. A very nice piece.
Personally, unless you live in very hilly terrain and tow very often, the Pilot won't even break a sweat pulling a Bass. So , the coolers while 'necessary', are really meant for the heavier stuff. Point being, you can always add them later but it's cheaper to buy the tow package. Are you aware of all the discount honda parts sites available? |
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| N_Jay |
It is the heat build up cause by towing that Honda seems woried about.
I believe Honda has changed the recommendation on the Odyssey, MDX, and Pilot so that coolers are required for all towing, rather than only over 1500 LBs.
Since the Power steering system already has a cooler, I am guessing that the fluid temsp are normally close to the limits.
Why risk it, I know lots of people who swear by coolers even for vehicals that never tow. |
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| jfrano |
Well I had a 1996 Subaru Outback, that had no coolers. I only towed a 14' Aluminum boat with a 9.9hp engine weight about 750lbs. Didn't seem like much, I could pick it up by the tonque and roll it around the back yard, fairly easily. A boat puts a big drag on a vehicle, you will especially notice the pull, when you hit bumps and hills. After a few years I incurred major engine damage. I can recall when towing how much hotter the engine compartment would get. You're purchasing a $30,000.00 vehicle and pulling a boat...break down and get the coolers! I'd hate to be you if 2 years down the road when you go to Honda with major engine damage and a 'non standard hitch/coolers'...won't be pretty.
Joe
PS Also if you're towing, be sure to change you're oil more often and consider using a synthetic or a blend. |
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| MG Pilot |
| Pulling a utility trailer with yard waste 2 to 3 times a year does not necessitate adding any coolers, even if it's 2000+ lbs...just my opinion- |
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| jfrano |
| Well that depends on several variables; are you going 100 miles or 2 miles, are you traveling up Mt Washington or relatively flat. |
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| MG Pilot |
quote:
Originally posted by jfrano
Well that depends on several variables; are you going 100 miles or 2 miles, are you traveling up Mt Washington or relatively flat.
Yes, I travel 100 miles up steep hills to dump yard waste...;)
Actually, the yard is 10 miles from my house and yes, it's a very flat drive. Trust me, if I were hauling a boat, jet skis, whatever, I would get the coolers. |
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| DaCarMan |
| I plan to tow often but no more than 100 miles at a time. And I live in Oklahoma and is all flat down here. I thing I will eventually go with the towing pkg but I need a few months to recup. In the mean time I'll order the Honda hitch froma discount site and mount myself. |
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| davemac |
I fought the same battle with myself. Get the factory pkg from Tim ($525). The "piece of mind" will be worth the $. Don't ruin good fishin by worrying about tranny every time you pull the boat up a hill. :29:
ps. if you don't get the factory setup, I would pursue the Hidden Hitch at www.etrailer.com Run a search, as there are other threads regarding this. |
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| cincypilot |
| I took delivery of my white EX last Tuesday. I fought the same issue. I was somewhat put off by comments on installation of the coolers and the instructions, so I pushed my dealer on the cost. He quoted $1180 to start. I called around and found 2 dealers at $940. He eventually came down to $872. At that point it didn't seem worth the cost differential over purchasing via the net. Plus, I get the 3yr/36k warranty instead of the 12 months. BTW, handa-accessories.com has the kit for $442 if you are still interested in doing it yourself. I just bought some rear splash guards and wheel locks from them and all went well. |
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| Scoobs |
Personally I think the coolers are a good idea whether or not you plan on towing. They should come standard on vehicles. I remember my wife's 1990 Nissan Sentra came standard with a transmission cooler.
I got the towing package on my Pilot as part of my deal. |
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| N_Jay |
It does have coolers.
Just not the finned power steering fluid or extra transmission cooler. |
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| lxblack |
But after they charge me california sales tax and the shipping cost, it's about the same. I preferred Tim's service.
It's a deal worth considering if you live outside of Calif. and don't have to pay sales tax... |
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| N_Jay |
First let me say;
I am cheap.
Second, I like to reward people and companies I think are doing things right.
Third, I am cheap.
That being said, the trailer hitch package was the only thing that HandA had for less than Tim's price (at the 10% off introduction).
Since everything else was comming from Tim, so did the hitch. |
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| DaCarMan |
| Ok, remember I'm new here, but every one keeps refering to Tim. What's his website? |
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| A320Pilot |
I just picked up my Pilot and will be ordering the installing my tow package soon.
Just curious ... anyone know why the need for the steering fluid cooler? I can see it if you're doing a lot of maneuvering, especially at slow speeds, but on the highway does the power steering work that much harder?
--charlie
PS... On price I see HandA looks better, does Tim make it up on shipping or something? What's the best deal out there...? |
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| davemac |
| I believe Tim's price for Pkg is $525 including shipping. Saw a post yesterday indicating he was to update HAW website so as to clarify availability & price of buying entire "towing package". |
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| hondacuraworld |
Yesterday was a really bad "murphy" day, so I wasn't able to do it.
Today is a different story hopefully :cool: |
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| N_Jay |
The reason I have read for the Power Steering cooler is "Higher underhood temperatures while towing"
This makes sense. Most cars do not have any PS cooler, since we have one I assume it is already an issue, and Honda wants to make sure with the added heat from towing. |
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| hoppy |
| I bought the tow package from HandAaccessories. They are the only one advertised as a package. Others sell individual pieces, which added up way more than the package. Shipping from HandA was only $78. Shipping was very prompt. |
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| Unprejudiced |
| I also bought from HandA. I got the hitch pachage, rear mud guard and the running-board. The shipping for all is the same $78. All of these were for less than at Tim's. I've installed them all. Can't say it is easy, but it is certainly doable. The torque rench was the only tool I had to add to get the job done. I didn't take the rear wheels off for the mud guard job. Nor did I go to Sears for the special screw drivers. Nor did I re-drill with a real drill; no space for it. I just used used a pincers vise and a screw driver bit. The self-tapping screw that comes with the package is very sharp and I had no problem using it to pre-drill in the dimpled area. |
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| A320Pilot |
I did the instal on the tow package and splash guards this weekend. The only difficulty I encountered were the bumper-cover retainers where it meets the quarter-panel -- just in front of the wheel well. I was impressed at how tightly these things hung on. I wished for more specifics on which direction to pull on the bumper-cover to get them to disengage.
I ended up using a tiny flat-blade screw driver to release these hidden clips, but I had to be ultra-careful to avoid scratching the paint on the fenders.
The splash guards were easy. I used the floor-jack to lift the rear of the vehicle, and therefore I had easy access.
HandA service was very quick and included all instructions. Ground shipping was 2-days. I'm in Arizona.
441.60 for the tow package, 30.00 for the splash guards, and 26.78 for shipping -- 498.36 total |
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| slimjim |
| I got the towing package for 900.00 installed from the dealer. You really need the tranny cooler. |
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