Towing A Trailer - Honda 1998 Odyssey Owner's Manual

Towing a Trailer

Your Honda is designed primarily to
carry passengers and their cargo.
You can use it to tow a trailer if you
carefully observe some general rules.
The total weight of the trailer and
everything loaded in it must not
exceed the weights shown in the
table below.
1: Including driver. Based on 150 Ibs (70 kg)
*
per passenger
2 : Seven-passenger model only
*
Driving
The "tongue load" should never
exceed 160 Ibs (72 kg). This is the
amount of weight the trailer puts
on the hitch when it is fully-loaded.
As a rule of thumb, the tongue
load should be 10 percent of the
total trailer package.
For example, if the trailer and its
load weigh 1,000 Ibs (450 kg), the
tongue load should be 100 Ibs (45
kg). Adjust the trailer's cargo to
change the tongue load. Start by
putting approximately 60 percent
of the cargo toward the front and
40 percent toward the rear. Never
load the trailer so the back is
heavier than the front.
The combined weight of the
vehicle, all passengers and their
luggage, and tongue load must not
exceed the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating. The GVWR is printed on
the Certification label attached to
the driver's doorjamb (see page
246).
The combined weight of the
vehicle, all passengers and their
luggage, and tongue load also
must not exceed the Gross Axle
Weight Rating. The GAWR is also
shown on the Certification label. It
tells you the maximum load for the
front and rear axles. It is possible
that your towing package does not
exceed the GVWR but does
exceed the GAWR. Improper
trailer loading, and/or too much
luggage in the trunk can overload
the rear axle. Redistribute the load
and check the axle weights again.