I am unfamiliar with the limits of an LR4's suspension; however, if the trailer weight you are trying to tow is such that you need a WDH, then you should probably get one.

It's extremely dangerous to tow without the proper weight distribution. The weight on the hitch can raise your front tires to the point that stability and control of the trailer is hampered.

When I was young and we were going to Moab, we had a full-size GMC Jimmy (blazer) pulling a 22' travel trailer. We came out of the canyon going downhill and got hit with a gust of wind. The trailer started to sway and my dad hit the trailer brakes to get it under control, but not soon enough to drift between lanes of the freeway, back and forth, until we were able to regain control.

I was scared to death. Luckily, we were going slow. And on the freeway (a 2 lane road could have been catastrophic). A WDH with sway control later and we never had an issue while we had that blazer and trailer.

The lesson was learned, and now that I'm starting to get old enough to take my family out, I overkilled and got a 3/4 ton truck, I'll still use a WDH, but better yet a fifth wheel hitch.

So in short (if you are still reading), if the weight is enough you require a WDH and your lR4 can't use one, then you shouldn't be pulling the trailer.

 

The owner's manual of the D2 instructs not to use a WDH; on a LR4 not sure. Having said that, I pull a 23' travel trailer with my D2, and for all the reasons stated above I have a WDH that has sway control. I pulled the used trailer home the first trip with no trailer brakes with just regular receiver drop hitch, and had a few scary moments on the interstate when semis passed. I have not been able to get an explanation from anyone on why a WDH would be bad for the D2. I have been towing this way for 3 year now. I do not have air suspension/load leveling, and have added stronger springs now, and with the WDH it is a much better ride. Still, a longer wheel based tow vehicle is in my future plans for towing long trailers.

 

Getting past the issue of brakes, how many miles are on that 04, are you still running the factory suspension, is it SLS or coil and what is the trailors tongue wait loaded????

 

The 04 now has 79K, and has the factory SLS. We still have not bought a boat, but I believe I would just have the tow package hooked up to the MDX, as that would be the long distance hauler. But, I am actually looking to pick up a small fishing boat (12') today with a trailer, so I'm looking around today to see what I need to do to hook that up. Likely just going to buy the ball and such at Harbor Freight, but need to figure out if I could do wiring without the proprietary 7 pin connector. Once I get this today, it will stay in the yard as it is for the lake behind my house, but would be nice to have the Disco set up for the other boat in case I would need it anyway.

 

http://forums.iboats.com/trailers-to...ow-551169.html

I can't imagine that MDX is going to tow better than the D2. What year is it? In 06 the capaicty jumped from. 3500 to 5000??? the disco I would imagine is much heavier, longer wheelbase and can control the weight better.

You won't me disappointed towing with the disco. Lots of towing miles on mine.

 

For my Disco II I bought the hitch assembly from ebay and it just bolts right on no problem. It came with the stock wire harness that plugged into the plug under the right rear tail light.

 

The MDX is actually considerably bigger than the Disco, especially in wheelbase where it has it by 9". It also not only has a great stability system, but also includes a trailer stability system built in. If I was just going to be towing locally, I would use the Disco. I will be dragging this up and down the coast from NJ to FL though, so the main reason for using the Acura is I would rather be towing long distance with a year old vehicle with 14K rather than a 9 year old one with 79K. Oh...and also the MDX is a lease

 

Nuff said...run her hard.

 

On the trailer wiring side of things, I am gearing mine up to tow my travel trailer. I have read that there is no 12v power to charge the trailer battery while driving. While I was checking the 9 pin factory connector on the wiring harness behind the tail light I found a pin in the top right hand corner that had 12v even without the key in.

Is there a reason that can't be used to charge with? Maybe current is limited?

Buzz, I know you will tell me it is in the Rave, but I cant find much wiring info in there.

 

Seems like you shouldn't use the one that does not turn off when the truck is off so the trailer doesn't drain the battery when it is sitting. Check for one that turns on with the key.