1996 Honda Odyssey Owner's Manual - Page 128

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. The "tongue load" should never exceed 72 kg (160 Ibs). 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% of the total trailer package. For example, if the trailer and its load weigh 450 kg (1,000 Ibs), the tongue load should be 45 kg (100 Ibs). Adjust the trailer's cargo to change the tongue load. Start by putting approximately 60% of the cargo toward the front and 40% toward the rear. Never load the trailer so the back is heavier than the front. The combined weight of the car, 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 216 ). The combined weight of the car, 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 no exceed the GVWR but does exceed the GAWR. Improper trailer loading, and/or too much luggage in the cargo area can overload the rear axle. Redistribute the load and check the ax] weights again. * 1 : Including- driver. Based on 70 kg (150 Ibs) passenger * 2 : Seven-passenger model only Driving