Towing A Trailer - Honda 2008 Odyssey Owner's Manual

Towing a Trailer

Your vehicle has been designed
primarily to carry passengers and
their cargo. You can also use it to
tow a trailer if you carefully observe
the load limits, use the proper
equipment, and follow the guidelines
in this section.
Exceeding any load limit or
improperly loading your vehicle
and trailer can cause a crash in
which you can be seriously hurt
or killed.
Check the loading of your
vehicle and trailer carefully
before starting to drive.
396
Load Limits
Total Trailer Weight: The
maximum allowable weight of the
trailer and everything in or on it
depends on several factors. See page
397 for the driving limits for your
towing situation. Towing a load that
is too heavy can seriously affect your
vehicle's handling and performance.
It can also damage the engine and
drivetrain.
Tongue Load: The weight that the
tongue of a fully-loaded trailer puts
on the hitch should be approximately
10% of the total trailer weight. Too
much tongue load reduces front-tire
traction and steering control. Too
little tongue load can make the
trailer unstable and cause it to sway.