linzman

There are lots of people towing open trailexes (heck even enclosed trailexes) with Cayennes, Touregs. Tahoe’s, Suburban’s, Explorers, etc. You don’t need a big diesel pickup for this. I used to tow mine with an LR3, never had a problem. The Acura is probably on the light end for towing this setup though. The biggest problem you will have is the transmission, and the occasional swaying if the trailer is not balanced well with the correct tongue weight. It’s open, so driving by semis is unlikely to cause major issues, although your experience may vary.

PGas32

If you're towing 8k miles a year and it's not just to NJMP and back, bite the bullet and upgrade now. Any 1/2 ton pickup or even the more capable SUV's will be fine for a light open trailer, but think long and hard about where this is going before you buy anything...I have a one year old F-150 and am wishing I had done it right and purchased a SuperDuty from the start. Short trips to NJMP or the shop are fine, but I really wish I had a more stable setup for the long and hilly trips to WGI, VIR etc.

8k miles/year is a lot to be white-knuckled the whole time

dgrobs

Thanks. I will finish up this season with the Acura and go from there. The slope gets more slippery I suppose.
One more towing trip to VIR in a couple weeks. After reading the last bunch of posts, I am now on the fence about such a long trip with the MDX.
This will be my first trip to VIR.
We added a trans cooler to the MDX when we added the hitch and ball and trailering setup.
I was told by Acura (maybe biased, but the Acura service manager is a good friend who also trailers and used to race his own cars) that the new trans cooler would allow an additional 1500 lbs. of capacity bringing the tow rating to 5000 lbs.
I don't think that a good friend would put me in a dangerous towing situation, but now I am feeling a bit uncertain.
While the MDX is on the light side of tow vehicles, I do see many SUV's at every DE that are used as tow vehicles for open trailers. Most are stronger pickups and such, but I do see plenty of SUV's comparable to the MDX used as tow vehicles. Are we all using an unsafe tow vehicle?
Maybe I should just cancel VIR and call it a season.
Will the MDX be struggling on the trip to and from VIR?
It did fine for the 2.5 - 3 hours drive to NJMP (I am in very North Jersey).
I plan on taking the I-81 route to VIR from North Jersey. Will the MDX not be able to handle that towing trip? Maybe I should just cancel for VIR and suck up the $$?
It's going to be around 1100 miles round trip to VIR. I am now having some serious 2nd thoughts about it.

HoBoJoe

I think we found the real problem, it's not the tow vehicle it's the "track" car. Time to sell the street car and buy a race car, preferably a spec boxster.

Yellow996

No truer words than this.

The key is towing capacity and wheel base. I started with a Mercedes ML350 with an open Trailex and it was fine. However, even with anti sway control, big gusts of wind could be an adventure. I'm sure your MDX is just as capable.

Then, I moved to a Mercedes gas GLS and the longer wheelbase made a HUGE improvement on stability. Then, I moved to a diesel GLS for fuel economy (almost negligible difference compared to the gas GLS) and it, too, was terrific. I don't think I would have towed with any of the Mercedes if I owned any of them; they were all leases. I figured if the transmissions went, it would probably be after the 36 month lease or, if prior to that, covered under warranty.

Even though I no longer tow with a Mercedes, my wife loved the ride and utility of that vehicle so much that she still drives a GLS550 as her daily driver, now.

When/if you get an enclosed trailer, then it's big boy truck time. Why? Because it's go BIG or go home. I'm on my second F350 diesel, Super Duty, Lariat or higher trim level. Your family will figure out all kinds of reasons why a pickup truck is essential and you'll wonder how you ever got along without one. You'll move your kids' apartments, your wife will figure out all kinds of crap you need to pick up from Lowe's, Home Depot, Pottery Barn, etc. Be forewarned, when unladen, it drives like a moon bounce on meth. But when towing/hauling it is silky smooth and could pull the Statue of Liberty off her feet, if necessary.

Good luck and be smart, be safe.

DTMiller

I would not tow that far down 81 with that tow vehicle. You can rent a truck from enterprise for the weekend; I'd advise that.

Here's the elevation profile for the trip in:

rnh204

You'll be fine. If you're able to tow to the glen assuming you're going up Route 17 its just as if not more moutainous.

MSR Racer

When you approach VIR, there is a steep downhill through the mountains. You probably will not like it. It’s probbaly not worth it either. As you can see, there are lots of opinions. If you want a personal opinion, Ask someone who has ‘graduated’ Up though multiple tow vehicles....that will be an eye opener!!

For dedicated tow vehicle, HD trucks are the way to go FORD F250+ etc
But 1/2s will be more than adequate too for 4500 lb weights.
F150/ Tundra

hf1

5-10yr old, gas, 2500hd (with tow package) silverado/ram/gmc, under 100k miles for around/under $10k. Will be perfect for you now and when/if you decide to go enclosed later. Plus great for running errands and picking up stuff around town/house, without worrying about scratches or where you park it. Reliable, comfortable + dirt cheap maintenance too. No need for $70k brand new or diesel truck.

And as already suggested, since you seem to have got bitten by the track bug hard, consider getting a dedicated track car. A spec boxster + the tow truck above may cost less than what you could get for your street car before you turn it into a race/track car.

mmuller

The thing with towing is, it isn’t what works or goes right with, it’s all about what goes wrong. As others have expressed here, your vehicle will tow fine 98% of the time, it’s the 2% that you will find the MDX is at its limit. A combination of wheelbase and weight are the biggest reasons. A shorter wheelbase in your tow vehicle means it will be nervous when at the 2%. A vehicle that is close to the weight of what it’s towing will also be nervous at the 2%. This is why so many are towing with bigger vehicles than the MDX.

The trans cooler will help the MDX endure the towing load, but it won’t help it when your in a ‘situation’.

Would I go to VIR with your setup. Probably. But I would be just as careful as I was going to NJMP. I think going to VIR will help you feel better about if to upgrade or not as it’s a longer trip with hills and long driving stints.

Will the MDX work? You already proved that it does. Is it a good choice longer term? I think you have heard the consensus is, probably not.

dgrobs

Thanks All. Appreciate the info.


Lots to think about.

the_vetman

There's no question that the best option is a 3/4 ton diesel pick up truck, especially if towing enclosed. However, not everyone wants a dedicated tow truck or a big diesel to daily (turning radius of a moon, can't fit in many places, ride can be harsh, etc.).

If dual purpose, I'd personally recommend a diesel SUV. No, it's not the best option, but they tow very well and I know of many people who tow even enclosed trailers without problems. Turbo diesel for torque and fuel economy. Cayenne diesel, Touareg TDI, Audi. BMW X5d tows well also, but last time I checked it was only rated for 5,000 lb. vs. 7700 lb. of Cayenne and Touareg. Having said all that, pick-up trucks can be very useful for a variety of endeavors.

My bigger concern would be trailer tires. They blow all the time. Well, let me take that back a little. I used to have a Trailex 8045 with E-rated tires that I towed everywhere without popping a tire. From eastern PA to Road America, Road Atlanta, Mosport, Mid-Ohio, VIR, etc., and of course all the nearby tracks. Kept tire pressures at 55-60 psi.

Then I down-sized to a Trailex 7541 with D-rated 14" tires. Tire pressures at 45 psi and checked frequently. It's nice and much more maneuverable, and have slightly better fuel economy, but I've been blowing multiple tires/year. It's really a hassle. I bought the Goodyear Endurance tires and will start using them next year, I think. We'll see how those hold up.

Thundermoose

This. I bought a 2001 GMC Duramax Diesel with camper cab. I can store 12 track tires + 2 trailer tires + ramps an 2 gas cans easily in back. I have traveled from Houston to WGI and back twice. No issues. It has 200,000 miles but 500,000 miles is pretty common on these trucks.

Dr911

If it were me trailering from NE to VIR, I would swing by my local enterprise truck rental and pick up (no pun intended) something like an F250. For a cheap 400 bucks, I get peace of mind and safety.

sbelles

3/4 ton Suburban fits the bill perfectly for me but my 13 was the next to last year they made them. I hope they start again in the next five years or so or I'll have to look at something else when I wear this one out.