2026 Honda Ridgeline towing capacity

US & Canada

Every rating Honda publishes for the 2026 Ridgeline, read from Honda's own documents, in pounds and kilograms.

How much can the 2026 Honda Ridgeline tow?

5,000 lb Max conventional towing (2,268 kg)
Not published Max fifth wheel or gooseneck
1,583 lb Max payload (718 kg)
600 lb Max conventional tongue load (272 kg)

Honda rates the 2026 Honda Ridgeline to tow up to 5,000 lb (2,268 kg) on a ball hitch in 4 configurations, for example Ridgeline Sport, 3.5L V6, i-VTM4 AWD, at 9,986 lb GCWR, with accessory towing equipment. Source: Honda (hondanews.com), 2026 Honda Ridgeline Specifications & Features. Maximum payload is 1,583 lb (718 kg) (Honda (hondanews.com), 2026 Honda Ridgeline Specifications & Features). The highest conventional tongue load Honda publishes is 600 lb (272 kg) (Honda, 2026 Ridgeline Owner's Manual (PDF), pp. 346 to 350 and 556).

A maximum is one truck, not yours. The rating that applies is the one for your exact cab, bed, engine, drive, axle and packages, and it is printed on the labels in the driver's door opening. Find your row in the table below, then check payload and GCWR as well: a truck often runs out of payload before it reaches its tow rating.

2026 Honda Ridgeline towing capacity chart

Conventional (ball hitch) ratings, one row per configuration Honda prints, grouped where the guide repeats a figure. Pounds are Honda's figures; kilograms are converted from them.

2026 Honda Ridgeline: maximum loaded trailer weight by configuration, conventional hitch
Configuration GCWR Max trailer Payload Needs Source
Ridgeline Sport, 3.5L V6, i-VTM4 AWD 9,986 lb 4,530 kg 5,000 lb 2,268 kg 1,583 lb 718 kg accessory towing equipment Honda (hondanews.com), Weight table, footnote 5
Ridgeline RTL, 3.5L V6, i-VTM4 AWD 9,986 lb 4,530 kg 5,000 lb 2,268 kg 1,544 lb 700 kg accessory towing equipment Honda (hondanews.com), Weight table, footnote 5
Ridgeline TrailSport, 3.5L V6, i-VTM4 AWD 9,986 lb 4,530 kg 5,000 lb 2,268 kg 1,521 lb 690 kg accessory towing equipment Honda (hondanews.com), Weight table, footnote 5
Ridgeline Black Edition, 3.5L V6, i-VTM4 AWD 9,986 lb 4,530 kg 5,000 lb 2,268 kg 1,509 lb 684 kg accessory towing equipment Honda (hondanews.com), Weight table, footnote 5
About the figures.

Two Honda documents disagree on GCWR: the hondanews.com spec sheet prints 9,986 lb for every trim, while the 2026 owner's manual prints 10,031 lb (4,550 kg). The table uses the lower spec sheet figure; check the label on your truck.

Honda's US site also lists TrailSport+HPD Wheels and Black Edition Two-Tone; the hondanews.com spec sheet does not print separate weights for them, so they are not given their own rows.

What the Ridgeline needs to tow its rating

These come from Honda's own documents, cited in the sources below.

  • Honda: "Maximum towing capacity is 5,000 lbs. Towing requires accessory towing equipment. Please see your Honda dealer for details."
  • The 5,000 lb limit assumes 2 occupants. The owner's manual steps it down as seats fill (150 lb per occupant plus 17.6 lb of cargo each): 5,000 lb with 2, 4,875 lb with 3, 4,750 lb with 4, 4,500 lb with 5.
  • Tongue load limit, same basis: 600 lb with 2 occupants, 585 lb with 3, 570 lb with 4, 540 lb with 5. Honda wants 10 to 15% of trailer weight on the tongue (5 to 15% for boat trailers).
  • Honda: "Your vehicle has a class 3 trailer hitch as standard equipment." A 7-pin connector sits next to the hitch.
  • Honda: "Your vehicle is designed to tow without the need for a load distributing hitch."
  • Trailer brakes are "Recommended for any trailer with a total weight of 1,000 lbs (450 kg) or more"; a 4-pin gray connector under the dash is pre-wired for most electric brake controllers.
  • Owner's manual: "Operating speed when towing a trailer must not exceed 62 mph (100 km/h)." Avoid towing during the first 600 miles (1,000 km).

Payload, tongue weight and GCWR: the limits you hit first

Our guidance, not a rule. This is how the ratings above fit together, not a figure from Honda.

The tow rating is only one of five limits. The trailer's tongue weight sits on the truck, so it comes out of payload along with every passenger and everything in the bed, and it loads the rear axle. The truck and trailer together must stay under GCWR. A truck with a big crew and a full bed can reach its payload or GCWR with a trailer well under its tow rating. Run your own numbers in Can I tow this?, which checks all three at once and names the one you hit first, or work through them one at a time with the payload calculator and the tongue weight calculator.

2026 Honda Ridgeline towing capacity in Canada

Honda Canada's 2026 Ridgeline spec sheet lists Sport, TrailSport and Black Edition, all rated 2,267 kg (Honda's own conversion of 5,000 lb), with payload of 687, 679 and 677 kg and a 2,730 kg GVWR. The owner's manual gives a Canadian GCWR of 4,550 kg. Source: Honda Canada, 2026 Honda Ridgeline Specifications (PDF) ; Honda, 2026 Ridgeline Owner's Manual (PDF), pp. 346 to 350 and 556 .

On a Canadian truck the certification label gives GVWR in kilograms, labelled both GVWR and PNBV (Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations (C.R.C., c. 1038), s. 6(1)(e)(i)). The figures to trust are the ones on your own door opening.

Check your own Ridgeline

Sources

Every document below was opened and read on the date shown. Ratings are the maker's; we have not tested them.

  • Honda (hondanews.com), 2026 Honda Ridgeline Specifications & Features: Every 2026 Ridgeline trim (Sport, RTL, TrailSport, Black Edition) is rated 5,000 lb with GCWR 9,986 lb and GVWR 6,019 lb; payload is 1,583 / 1,544 / 1,521 / 1,509 lb and curb weight 4,420 / 4,480 / 4,495 / 4,504 lb by trim. Quoted: "[5] Maximum towing capacity is 5,000 lbs. Towing requires accessory towing equipment. Please see your Honda dealer for details." Checked 2026-10-24.
  • Honda, 2026 Ridgeline Owner's Manual (PDF), pp. 346 to 350 and 556: Trailer weight limit 5,000 / 4,875 / 4,750 / 4,500 lb and tongue load limit 600 / 585 / 570 / 540 lb for 2 to 5 occupants; GVWR 6,019 lb and GCWR 10,031 lb (Canada 4,550 kg); class 3 hitch standard; no load distributing hitch needed; trailer brakes recommended at 1,000 lb; 62 mph towing speed limit. Quoted: "Tongue Load Number of occupants Weight 2 600 lbs (272 kg) 3 585 lbs (265 kg) 4 570 lbs (259 kg) 5 540 lbs (245 kg)" Checked 2026-10-24.
  • Honda Canada, 2026 Honda Ridgeline Specifications (PDF): Canadian 2026 Ridgeline Sport, TrailSport and Black Edition are each rated 2,267 kg towing, 2,730 kg GVWR, with payload 687 / 679 / 677 kg. Quoted: "26. Maximum towing capacity with the required accessory towing package. Packages are available at an additional cost as a dealer-installed item. See your owner's manual for proper towing operation." Checked 2026-10-24.

Common questions

What is the towing capacity of the 2026 Honda Ridgeline?
5,000 lb for every 2026 Ridgeline: Sport, RTL, TrailSport and Black Edition. All are 3.5L V6 with i-VTM4 AWD. Honda adds that towing requires accessory towing equipment, and the 5,000 lb figure assumes only 2 people aboard.
What is the max towing capacity of a Honda Ridgeline with passengers?
The owner's manual lowers it as seats fill: 5,000 lb with 2 occupants, 4,875 lb with 3, 4,750 lb with 4 and 4,500 lb with 5, assuming 150 lb per person and 17.6 lb of cargo each. Anything extra in the bed comes off the trailer allowance too.
What is the Honda Ridgeline payload capacity?
1,583 lb (Sport), 1,544 lb (RTL), 1,521 lb (TrailSport) and 1,509 lb (Black Edition). Payload includes everyone in the cab, everything in the bed and the trailer's tongue load.
What is the Ridgeline tongue weight limit and hitch rating?
Every Ridgeline has a standard class 3 hitch with a 7-pin connector. The owner's manual tongue load limit is 600 lb with 2 occupants, 585 lb with 3, 570 lb with 4 and 540 lb with 5.
What are the Ridgeline GVWR, GCWR and curb weight?
GVWR is 6,019 lb on every trim. Curb weight is 4,420 lb (Sport), 4,480 lb (RTL), 4,495 lb (TrailSport) and 4,504 lb (Black Edition). Honda's spec sheet lists GCWR as 9,986 lb, but the owner's manual says 10,031 lb. Plan on the lower figure unless the label on your truck says otherwise.
Does the Honda Ridgeline need a trailer brake controller?
Honda recommends trailer brakes for any trailer of 1,000 lb or more. The Ridgeline is pre-wired for one: a 4-pin gray connector under the dash, with a jumper harness and trailer brake fuse in the glove box. Have a qualified mechanic install the controller.