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Somebody in this forum bought the Ridgeline as a haul vehicle, right?
I was decribing it to my dad (owner of many pickups). I told him about the trunk in the bed, which (judging by the pictures I have seen) contains the spare tire. So my dad immediately asked, "Is that the only way to get access to the spare tire? What if the bed were full of gravel and you got a flat?"
I was reduced to saying, "Um, good question. I don't know."
There is provision for attaching the spare to the side of the bed for exactly that type of situation. It's in the owner manual. Look at the bed on the passenger side and you'll see a grommet about 2/3 of the way from the tailgate to the cabin, behind that is a threaded boss for tire attachment; actual tie down parts are in the tool kit.
Although their is a provision to put the tire someplace else this is one of those silly weird things. How many of us wake up in the morning, yawn, realize we are going to have a flat today and then take appropriate actions for that upcoming situation?
If you are using the truck to haul gravel, sod, mulch, cow shit or whatever, you are not likely to remove the spare tire from its compartment and toss it in with your load. So yes Mike, you will be screwed and have to empty your load to get into the hiding compartment.
AND NOW - because you brought it up there is one thing I really do not like about the bed solution on the Ridgeline. If you buy the optional tonneau cover to keep your stuff dry/secure, you may keep it dry but you will not keep it secure. Honda never planned ahead to include a lock on the tailgate. Hello??? Nissan, Ford and I think Toyota all offer this feature on their 1/2-ton trucks.
The hiding compartment can be locked but that is it, you can not lock the full bed. The Ridgeline is sort of like the S, the hiding compartment can be locked or unlocked with the remote, like our trunk, and the electric release for that compartment is in the glove box so the truck can be left unlocked but the glovebox can be locked, thus keeping the hiding compartment secure.
Nice vehicle overall, but you have got to go check one out and report back to me regarding your opinion of the inner door handles on the front doors.
FYI - My 2005 Nissan Titan is due next month. 305 hp, 379 ft-lb, 9,500 towing capacity. I love trucks! When I start towing the S to the track I won't even know it's behind me...
I love those inner door handles on the front door. Once you hold it you don't want to let go as it feels so solid and perfectly positioned on the armrest, non-slip material on the back etc. If the Ridgeline didn't have things like these and the in-bed trunk, it would just be another plain pickup like the Titan, F150, Tundra .... If you want a truck to do regular work like haul gravel, buy a regular pickup.
Seriously though, once you look closely at the detailed design, fit and finish, and once you drive it to see how super solid and quiet it is, you will realize there is no other vehicle like it, especially when it comes to versatility. Right now it is THE vehicle I want to drive daily at any price, any category. (my S has been lonely in the garage for a couple months ).
The Ridgeline looks like a very nice light-duty truck. Too bad about the spare tire issue. I suppose it's similar to what we have to deal with if we get a flat in the S2000 with a full trunk. First unload, and then access the spare.
When you guys get serious about hauling, then you can move up to a "plain pickup", like one of these :
My Ridgeline is on order, and Car & Driver just gave it first place in a comparison with other "similar" trucks.
I have an '04 Tundra Crew Cab right now, loaded with TRD goodies including a supercharger (380HP), and I have never been so disappointed with a vehicle in all my life. That goes for the Toyota dealers in this area as well.
And I drove a Titan, but they seemed a little tinny and chincy to me. But to each his own.
Thanks for the answer. I know it was off-topic, but I also remembered someone in this forum had actually bought one.
I already have a very nice haul vehicle -- my dad's diesel F250. Now I just need a trailer (and to convince him to let me borrow it from time to time). The best kind of truck to have is one that somebody else has paid for!
Don't get me wrong, I like the Ridgeline very much!
Yes the Ridgeline has all the fit and finish of a Honda and for that alone it makes it a superb choice. For me however it is not enough of a truck for my needs. 5,000 pounds does not give me the towing safety margin I want, you see I grew up with the rule you never tow more than 75% of what a vehicle is rated for. And if you have ever had a trailer start wagging the truck you would know why; never been so scared in my entire life!!! Also keep in mind where I live, this is Upstate, I
05-10-2005, 10:54 PM
ridgeline question
there is one thing I really do not like about the bed solution on the Ridgeline. If you buy the optional tonneau cover to keep your stuff dry/secure, you may keep it dry but you will not keep it secure. Honda never planned ahead to include a lock on the tailgate. Hello??? Nissan, Ford and I think Toyota all offer this feature on their 1/2-ton trucks.
Once you hold it you don't want to let go as it feels so solid and perfectly positioned on the armrest, non-slip material on the back etc. If the Ridgeline didn't have things like these and the in-bed trunk, it would just be another plain pickup like the Titan, F150, Tundra .... 
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