Towing question

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Hi, my in-laws have a 2016 Honda Odyssey and are gearing up for a cross country trip. They are planning on towing a small harbor freight trailer with approx 250 lbs of stuff loaded onto it. They are wondering about a transmission cooler and if that is something they should look at before this trip. Any suggestions?

Thank you all and have a good weekend!
 
I can't say you need one but having one the right size installed correctly can do nothing but help. That plus an add on spin on fluid filter, too if you install the cooler.

Make sure you stick with Honda fluid and never use anything labeled "Universal". There are some high quality synthetic fluids out there that work just fine but if you're not informed about this kind of stuff and not 100% sure of what you're doing default default back to Honda fluid.

...and everyone knows how to drive carefully and this situation is one of those times. You'll still make it to where you're going even though you'll be a few minutes behind.

And last, get some test drives and visual inspections done before ever considering taking off on a trip. Check the fluid lever exactly as described in the owner's manual.

Don't take anyone's advice that is different from the manufacturer unless your sure you understand all this.

I used a $65 IR gun to check temps on my V8 4Runner after driving with out a load and also towing a loaded horse trailer on a summer day in the desert. I did not install a cooler because the temps using Red Line D4 were right in line with what was expected.

I switched away from Toyota fluid because I was familiar with the requirements and the performance of D4.
 
I think your biggest problem will be remembering its back there. Make sure you can see part of it, as you'll need to back up at some point with it.
 
What is the Odyssey rated to tow, and how much does the trailer weigh? Agree that they will likely not notice it, since the weight towed will only be the same as 2-3 people.
 
Originally Posted By: Kuato
What is the Odyssey rated to tow, and how much does the trailer weigh? Agree that they will likely not notice it, since the weight towed will only be the same as 2-3 people.


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How about one of those racks that is about 2' x 4' and fits into a class 3 receiver.

Or on the roof.

If they tow the trailer carry a spare tire and maybe a new hub if the bearings fail.
 
Yeah those Harbor Freight trailers are junk. I wouldn't haul one cross country, those bearings fail a lot.
 
That's a light load but a cooler to keep atf temperatures around 185-200 degrees would never be a bad idea for any transmission.
 
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I would recommend installing a cooler if they plan to keep the vehicle for a long time. I have one on my truck and have never towed anything...though I do some light off roading.

I am pretty sure the Odyssey is know for transmission issues, so again, long term I would say it will help a lot regardless if you never tow.
 
http://pitstopusa.com/i-5077198-derale-heavy-duty-transmission-cooler-18500-gvw.html
Just don't bypass the original trans cooler in the radiator. You WANT the trans fluid to be around coolant temperature. A good trans cooler setup will give you the thermal envelope you want for towing while not overcooling the fluid.

That being said,

That Honda Odyssey was engineered to be able to tow 3500lbs. You are looking at putting a load of less than 750lbs on it. Statistically speaking, you're more likely to have a transmission issue caused by some fault in the aftermarket trans cooler installation (creating fault points of added hose clamps, rubber hoses, decreased transmission line pressure, etc) than you would if you left it alone.

So leave it alone.
 
Thank you all for the input. I will advise them against the transmission cooler and also ask them to look into buying another trailer/looking on craigslist for a better quality one. I figured HF has decent tools so the trailer must be fair quality as well.
 
The mother in law probably weighs more than the trailer.
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Used my wife's HHR and my 4x4 HF trailer for a camping road trip and everything went fine. Your Odyssey is way bigger than the HHR as well.

Only precaution we took was to keep it at or under 65 MPH as the little 8 inch trailer wheels must spin pretty fast.
 
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