# My Honda Ridgeline pickup truck



## zannej (Jan 26, 2016)

Until a couple of years ago, I wasn't even aware that Honda made pickup trucks. They only make one and it is called the Ridgeline. Basically it is the body of a Honda Pilot with the top of the back chopped off. Since it is one solid piece, it handles better than most trucks.

It has pretty good gas mileage and turns nicely.

My previous vehicles were a 2005 Ford Expedition and 2010 Honda CR-V but on New Year's day, a 300 year old oak tree decided it was tired of vehicles driving over its roots so it keeled over and crushed the car port and both vehicles.

A branch had previously dropped off of it and totaled our 1999 Ford Ranger. We had an arborist look at the tree and he said it was fine because it looked ok from the outside. He didn't realize that it had gotten hollow on the inside.

Anyway, we used various car search sites to find a good replacement. We wanted something that could haul people similar to the Expedition but could also fill in for the old pickup to kill two birds with one stone. We found a good contender and it just so happened to be 15 minutes away from my cousin's house. 

Long story short, we are now the proud owners of a white 2013 Honda Ridgeline RTL.

We got it from a place called Planet Ford (which is HUGE-- and must make a ton of $ because they had DocuPad desks-- tablets built in to the desks).

The only feature on the truck I don't like is the moon roof. I would rather have a cargo rack on the roof.

I was hoping to get the silver one, but the white was what was available and I was getting nagged by the insurance company about getting out of the rental vehicle-- little side story on that: My insurance covered a rental for me so I paid in advance for 20 days. 10 days in, I was driving to the post office (since I don't get mail delivery at my house) and a tired/distracted woman ran a red light and took off the front end of the rental and totaled it. To add insult to injury, Hertz refused to let me have another rental until their vehicle was towed but it took a week. I ended up going with Enterprise at the expense of the other driver's insurance. I'd had the second rental less than 5 days when her claims agent called me before 8am to gripe at me that I needed to get out of the rental because it wasn't fair for his agency to have to pay for it for too long. I should have told him where to shove it, but he woke me up and I was half asleep so I just told him I would be done with the rental when I got a new vehicle and I first had to get the money for my totaled vehicles from my insurance company. The good news is, Planet Ford has an Enterprise office on the lot so I was able to turn the vehicle over when we bought the truck.

Anyway, the RTL is the top grade model of the Ridgelines and starting in 2013, backup cameras became standard equipment in pretty much all Hondas.

It has AWD, bluetooth, gray leather seats, heated front seats (butt cushion only for passenger side but butt and lower back for driver), navigation system, backup camera, air conditioning in front and back, separate temperature settings for driver and passenger, multidisk CD changer (6 CDs), an AC plug, multiple 12v outlets, and upgraded mud catching floor mats.

The advertisement claimed it had automatic headlights, but that turned out to be false.

Here is a front view after we purchased it and drove it down our road a few times:






Angled side view





One of the cooler features is that in addition to folding down like a normal tailgate, it also opens sideways like a door.





And what I think is one of the coolest features is the in-bed trunk (patented by Honda)





It can hold a full size cooler, sometimes people fill their trunks with ice and canned or bottled beverages. There is a plug in the bottom to drain it if it fills with water. Having the spare tire tucked away in there is also nice because it is harder to steal and it doesn't get covered in dirt on my road. The weight capacity of the trunk is about 200lbs.


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## zannej (Jan 26, 2016)

The steering wheel came wrapped in black leather, which was too cold to the touch in this weather and would be too hot in the summer, so we got a $10 cushy steering wheel cover





I didn't take a picture, but I got the little memory foam microfiber wrapped pads to go on the seatbelts to make them more comfortable. I re-used some of the ones from the totaled vehicles. I managed to "rescue" a bunch of them from the Expedition.

The navigation system is pretty neat-- it has a touch screen (although not a dynamic one)









If you hit the Open button on the bottom left it folds down to reveal the CD player





Dealer photos of exterior (plus one my brother took)
Dealer photos of interior 
Photos I took of the Ridgeline

I plan to get the OEM Rear Splash Guards because it only came with front ones.

It still has the standard dim bulbs so I want to upgrade to LED. I'm not certain which light package to go with, but I'm leaning toward Xenon Premium White LED (17piece) set although I'm considering the LED Package Interior + Tag + Reverse Lights (19 pieces)

I want to get a tonneau cover but I there are so many options and we still need to buy another vehicle so we can't spend a boatload. I've seen some pretty cool DIY ones, but I don't know if I would have the skill to make any. My requirements:
1. Easy to install / remove
2. Waterproof/watertight
3. Sturdy
4. Rails don't significantly interfere with opening of trunk (may consider a mod to trim rails so they don't interfere)
5. Not too expensive

I know price is relative on these things, but probably under $500 if possible.

More pressing than that is running boards to make it easier for my mother and her little dog to get in the truck. (Did I mention the back seats fold up and there is plenty of room for her walker?) She doesn't like nerf bars and wants something wide and nonslip. I was leaning toward some of the Westin running boards and wanted to get a light kit for those as well. Hopefully I could find cheaper prices on things than I've seen on some sites. I just need to figure out the max size running boards I can have with the standard tires. I think they said 85" might be too long. It only has a 5' bed, which is one of the drawbacks if we wanted to haul very large things, but it suited the purpose of hauling trash out to the bin (they don't pick trash up at our house so we have to drive it out to the end of the road). I believe the the tailgate down, we could fit a 4-wheeler in the back (if we had a 4-wheeler) although I think I'd want a "headache guard" for that.

Other than those few upgrades, I have a cheap throw blanket for the back seat, although I'm thinking of getting a more pet-friendly one-- perhaps even a 12v powered heating pad or blanket for the dogs to sit on when going to the vet. We want to protect the leather from dog claws.

One more feature I would like to add is a powered/manual tailgate lock combo. Pop & Lock sells one but it is horribly expensive and some members of the hondaridgelineowners form have figured out how to DIY their own versions of the powered ones for under $10. I think its over $80 for the pop & lock one and the combo kit is $150. If I could figure out how to make it out of scrap mental, I would do it. My problem is figuring out how to find a good key bezel and how to tie it in to the mechanism.

I know someone can just reach in to the back if there is no cover, but a lock might deter some of the lazier thieves from trying to take stuff-- and it would also make it harder to access the trunk (although, not many people know it has a trunk-- the Planet Ford dealers had no idea).


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## oldognewtrick (Jan 26, 2016)

Good for you zanne! Hope you enjoy your Ridgeline and........ Don't park under any trees


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## Chris (Jan 26, 2016)

Good looking car/truck. Does it drive like a car or a truck?


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## zannej (Jan 26, 2016)

Chris said:


> Good looking car/truck. Does it drive like a car or a truck?



It drives like a car, I think. I was used to driving SUVs. It turns better than the Ford Expedition but not as well as the CR-V. It certainly doesn't have the truck feel of the Ford ranger. Doesn't fishtail and is nice and steady. It does very well in crash tests (although I don't want to find out personally).

oldog, we had the poor 400-year-old oak tree trimmed back so it no longer hangs over that part of the driveway and house.

Before





After





Poor tree.


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## mustanggarage (Jan 28, 2016)

that's odd that there is no lock on the tailgate.  I like my truxedo low profile tonneau cover.  I just searched and they do make one for the ridgeline and I think it might suit your needs.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GKS0YW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## zannej (Jan 29, 2016)

mustanggarage said:


> that's odd that there is no lock on the tailgate.  I like my truxedo low profile tonneau cover.  I just searched and they do make one for the ridgeline and I think it might suit your needs.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GKS0YW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



Thanks. For some reason I think of fruit roll-ups when I read that it's a roll up cover. LOL. I was thinking of getting something like those plastic or aluminium panels that sit on a rail and can be removed. The biggest problem with the rail system is that it interferes with the opening of the trunk. Even the OEM honda tonneau has that issue, I think.


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## mustanggarage (Jan 29, 2016)

I had a fiberglass one on my 99 f150 and it was ok for small things but everytime I needed to load something  big it was a pain, you had to pull the whole thing off.  with the rollup version it just rolls out of the way.  so good and bad I guess.


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## Chris (Jan 29, 2016)

I have a hard tonneau cover on my ram and I love it except for when I need to haul something that it gets in the way. I would like a sectional one. I had a metal roll up one but it took up almost a foot of space at the front for the roll.


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## zannej (Jan 30, 2016)

My problem is that anything with rails that are inside the truck bed will block the trunk from opening fully even when moved out of the way. The curve closer to the front tends to make it a lot harder for the covers that sit on top rather than inside to fit. I'm considering a soft-topper camper style one, but the only one I saw doesn't look very good and doesn't have side windows. There are some hard-top camper shells from Leer and A.R.E. that look decent, but are difficult to put on and off. I may just go without for awhile and hope they develop something better or find out a way to DIY something. Running boards and the splash guards are a higher priority right now.

I actually had a hard tonneau cover for my Ford Ranger and we had to take it off because it was in the way. It is still down in the barn. It had been up in the loft. I went to see if it was still intact and it is what is currently holding some stuff up and preventing the barn from collapsing more. I don't think I could extract it without the danger of the roof and remains of the loft falling on me. (I was thinking of seeing if it was in decent enough shape to sell)


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## zannej (Feb 3, 2016)

We've decided to call the truck Reggie since it sounds close to Ridgey. 
Noticed that this piece of plastic was broken around the light that shines up on the license plate.





Anyone know what that is called so I can get it replaced?

I know I need to get Reggie washed. Might drive it around back and hose it off if I have time tomorrow.


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## zannej (Feb 13, 2016)

It got a little bit of a natural wash from the rain, but I still need to hose Reggie off.

Found a DVD player under the driver's seat:





I'm not sure what the PCCARD thing is. And I'm not sure how to get it to operate. It opens and closes, but I don't know if it was hooked to something else or if it hooks to the navigation.

I'm thinking of getting covers for the door lock brackets (I think that is what they are called)





These ones on Aliexpress are actually cheaper than a lot of the plastic ones.


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## havasu (Feb 13, 2016)

That box works your navigation system. occasionally, you will need to upload software to receive current and newly built roads. If you go to the dealer, it will cost about $400. If you go through some pirate companies, you can get the software and instructions for about $80. Ask me how I know...


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## zannej (Feb 13, 2016)

havasu said:


> That box works your navigation system. occasionally, you will need to upload software to receive current and newly built roads. If you go to the dealer, it will cost about $400. If you go through some pirate companies, you can get the software and instructions for about $80. Ask me how I know...



Ahh! Thanks, havasu. I was wondering about that.
Here's a better picture





I can probably find some free instructions on the ridgelineownersclub forum. And I might be able to find the software somewhere legitimately for a decent price if I shop around. I just need to figure out which software to use. I'm not overly fond of the current stuff. I mean, if the voice command worked better, it wouldn't be so bad. I wish I could find the same style of navigation screen in LED with in-plane-switching (IPS) and anti-glare screen.


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## havasu (Feb 13, 2016)

Try running a did in it. They may,have bypassed the connection tons so you could watch movies in it.


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## zannej (Feb 14, 2016)

havasu said:


> Try running a did in it. They may,have bypassed the connection tons so you could watch movies in it.



I'll have to try that. I still need to figure out most of the options on the navigation console.

At least I found out about that light thing that was broken. Part number 34121-SJC-A11ZA. Unfortunately, I can't just get the housing, I have to get the full thing and it runs around $30 to $50. Trying to find it with free shipping. Most places are charging around $17 for shipping. That just seems absolutely ridiculous.


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## havasu (Feb 14, 2016)

Good lord. I typed that last post from my phone and pushed send. It should have said:

Try running a DVD in it. They may have bypassed the connection to it so you could watch movies on it.


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## oldognewtrick (Feb 14, 2016)

havasu said:


> Good lord. I typed that last post from my phone and pushed send. It should have said:
> 
> Try running a DVD in it. They may have bypassed the connection to it so you could watch movies on it.



Tell the truth, drunk texting, weve all been there.....


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## zannej (Feb 14, 2016)

havasu said:


> Good lord. I typed that last post from my phone and pushed send. It should have said:
> 
> Try running a DVD in it. They may have bypassed the connection to it so you could watch movies on it.



LOL. I figured out the gist of what you meant. I thought it was another one of those autocorrect things messing it up.


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## Chris (Feb 15, 2016)

oldognewtrick said:


> Tell the truth, drunk texting, weve all been there.....



I may or may not be there now.


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## zannej (Feb 24, 2016)

So, after I bought my truck, Honda expanded the list of vehicles affected by the deadly airbag defect. I checked my vin and it wasn't on the list, but I just checked it again and it *is* on the list. Apparently ALL of the Ridgelines between certain years are affected.

But they won't have a remedy until summer and even then, I don't know how long it will be before I could get it fixed. Honda is saying people should not drive their vehicles until it's fixed. It's my only vehicle though.

It was a Ford dealership that sold the truck to me, so I doubt they would have the parts or inclination to replace the airbag. Someone in my state was already killed by one of the defective airbags and another was permanently scarred and lost an eye.

I'm seriously considering having the driver airbag disabled to avoid chance of shrapnel flying out.

Other people were going on about how dangerous that is. Part of me thinks that if I've survived this long without airbag deployment, it isn't likely I'll have to worry about it. But, I have crap luck...

It's only a matter of pulling a relay switch to temporarily disable the airbag.

What do you guys think?


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## havasu (Feb 25, 2016)

Keep in mind, not all air bags blow out shrapnel, just a few. Airbags save thousands of people daily, so I would certainly leave it with the hope of never needing it rather than disconnecting it, because that would certainly kill you. Most of the hooplah about recalls/replacements/lawsuits is being driven by lawyers seeking a huge payday.


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## zannej (Feb 28, 2016)

havasu said:


> Keep in mind, not all air bags blow out shrapnel, just a few. Airbags save thousands of people daily, so I would certainly leave it with the hope of never needing it rather than disconnecting it, because that would certainly kill you. Most of the hooplah about recalls/replacements/lawsuits is being driven by lawyers seeking a huge payday.



Yeah. I decided to leave it. Especially since it's mostly the older models that seem to be having the problem.

I was thinking of going to buy a CR-V on Monday, but the dealership won't give me a straight answer on what methods of payment are accepted and they want to ask me all sorts of questions rather than just answer so I told them that I wasn't going to deal with them if they couldn't answer a simple question.


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## zannej (Mar 1, 2016)

I wonder if the running boards from a 2002 Honda Pilot would fit. I saw perfectly good running boards on a wrecked Pilot at the U-Pull-It. There were no ridgelines on the lot.

Also, the place where I purchased Reggie has a 43 acre lot. I thought it was about as big as my yard, but that is over 10 acres larger than mine.


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## oldognewtrick (Mar 1, 2016)

Have you not joined the Honda Ridgeline Talk Forum. I think Havasu's a ADMIN over there too. He is the ADMIN of the universe...

http://www.ridgelineownersclub.com/forums/


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## havasu (Mar 1, 2016)

Hell, I ain't even a moderator on House Repair Talk, but I know a few who are Admins there.....


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## Chris (Mar 1, 2016)

I'm not an admin there. I suck at being an admin. I can moderate all day but don't make me think.


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## zannej (Mar 2, 2016)

heh.  Yeah. I'm a member on the ridgelineownersclub forum. I joined as soon as I got the truck. People just aren't quite as responsive sometimes though. Maybe because I'm a newbie there.


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## zannej (Mar 11, 2016)

It's been raining and the road has been pretty nasty. I walked out of the Chinese place and went to get in my truck and saw this:


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## oldognewtrick (Mar 11, 2016)

Where's the penis pic?


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## zannej (Mar 11, 2016)

oldognewtrick said:


> Where's the penis pic?



LOL. Washed it off. I should have taken a pic though.


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## zannej (Jun 25, 2016)

Saw this on my windshield wiper this morning. I'll have to wait and upload the video later. It was slowly flapping it's wings to attract a mate.





Also, it rained extremely hard on the way up to Texas Roadhouse-- so hard that almost every other driver was pulling off to the side of the road and parking to wait it out. I had to slow to about 35mph, but I still had just enough visibility to keep going.

I'm very glad to have the use of Reggie back.


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## zannej (Sep 12, 2018)

Getting TPMS error. Pretty sure it means the tire pressure sensor needs a new battery (from everything I've read about it). Asked Honda dealership to put the new battery in. They said they would have to do a diagnostic for $120. Got another airbag recall that I need to take care of.
Last week the error message saying "Check emissions system" popped and the computer diagnostic said it was some solenoid valve for the fuel or something. Ordered the new part, went to pick it up in the package from the post office & the error message went away. I'll store it for later use in case it becomes necessary. I've got 5hrs of driving ahead of me on the trip to Shreveport tomorrow (well, later today-- brain won't let me sleep because I have to get up early).


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## zannej (Nov 12, 2018)

I mentioned in other threads I was in a wreck Oct 20. Drunk driver tried to pass me on the left in a no-passing area of an intersection while I was making a left turn. He acknowledged that he saw my blinker on & knew I was turning and thought he could gun it to get around me in time. About $5k worth of damage.
My tire ripped-- had about $31 worth of wear on the tread. Insurance said I will be getting another Perelli Scorpion Verde tire to replace it. Rim apparently wasn't bad enough to need replacing. Fender and bumper were dented & have to be replaced. Insurance is giving me about $4,500 or so. I'll have to get the rest out of the other guy's insurance-- although my insurance said they will negotiate and then fwd any extra $ to me. I'm debating filing a separate claim for anything not covered by my insurance when all is said and done. Fortunately, I didn't need a rental this time. Repair estimate was to take 8 days, but it sat in impound over 10 days.
I'll have to take Reggie in for some TLC at the dealership later bc he's due for some maintenance. If the repair guy doesn't do the TPMS sensors, I'll have to get the dealership to do it. Needs fluid checks & stuff. I just had an oil change not too long ago and got a new filter. cabin air filter was changed recently as well. Need to get that done on the CR-V.


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## zannej (Feb 24, 2019)

I got the truck back in December. Repair guy took the $ & when I asked for a receipt he said "just a minute" closed up his shop, jumped in his car, and drove away. I had to call the towtruck guy who recommended him to get in touch bc he wasn't returning calls. Towtruck guy got him to give him the receipt & gave it to me. But, between the receipt thing, when I first started driving, the steering started going wonky. After dropping off the CR-V at home, I told my mother something felt very wrong & I wanted to take it straight to the dealership. Turns out they hadn't secured the tie rod & it was coming loose. I had to pay for the alignment to be done out of pocket & get a new tie rod (other one bent). TPMS sensor is still not fixed but the dealership wanted $$$ to fix it. I'm still getting a DRL error message (and the daytime running lights don't turn on) & the "check emissions" error has been coming on. Not sure if that is related to the accident or not, but I already got the replacement part needed. I just need to get things installed & get the dealership to fix the DRL-- which requires pulling the bumper off. They recommended replacing the 2nd strut (bc only one was replaced) so they will be more even. They aren't hard to install so I would just need to order one.

The tire sounds like it is rubbing the inner fender when I turn the wheel as far as it can go to the right, but I need to get that looked at by the tire guy (who I hope can replace the TPMS sensor).

The other driver's insurance called while I wasn't home & wanted me to call back. I've called back 10x and only got an answering machine. I left messages but they never called me back. They sent me a letter claiming that they tried "numerous times" to contact me & that I "failed to respond" & gave me a # to call. I might just go to the Safeway office in town & talk to one of the agents there about the situation if nobody answers the phone when I call the # they gave me.

But, Reggie is still running & I was able to haul some appliances & a door for a friend & I'm happy with having Navigation again.


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