Ridgeline as a farm truck??

We're considering an unconventional option for a farm truck, a 2008 Honda Ridgeline. Looking for thoughts.

This is going to strictly be a utility truck; DH and I both have nice daily drivers. The truck will typically:
-Tow the Tumblebug to haul round bales around our property
-Take a *small* number of steers to the processor
-Haul smaller livestock-- goats and pigs, mostly
-Occasionally drive to town and back
-*Maybe* take our little travel trailer on some camping trips (I also tow the camper with my minivan.)

We have 20 acres (15 acres navigable by truck) of fairly flat terrain and only a few head of cattle. We'll be taking them to the processor maybe once every 8-12 mo. Likely, it'll be just one steer at a time, although we might want to take two on occasion. The steers will be the heaviest load we're likely to tow.

I like the Ridgeline because it's 4WD, has a crewcab but isn't a huge truck, and has good safety ratings. (I think a giant pickup is overkill for us, but I do need a crewcab.) And honestly, I like Hondas. On the downside, the Ridgeline can only pull 5000#. Two 1200# steers + a 2400# trailer is going to be pushing it.

WDYT? Worth it or not? The one we're looking at is $7000 with 190K miles.

The best work truck is finding something that will accomplish your needs. Mine is a 1500 series 4wd Silverado ext. cab. It stomps around on our 8 acres and over/through an open ditch pretty well. I scoop out the rabbit shed in the bed, and go dump it out, and hose it out. I haul bags of feed, fuel cans, sacks of lime or pine bedding pellets, pick up and haul my hay bales, pull a utility wagon or two, and haul my family to town or up to visit family in snowy weather, etc. I have pulled a hay wagon with abt 90 alfalfa bales, but do not have a tow package or tranny fan, so not far, fast or often

It sounds like for the light work you expect it to do, should be ok. Heavy pulling requires a larger series.

Sounds like a good farm truck to me. Even if you have to take one steer at a time, that is not that big of an inconvenience. Just how often will you take a steer to slaughter anyway? And all the things you can do with this truck the rest of the time will make it well worth the purchase.

my older sister has had a ridgeline as a farm truck for the past 9 years and she loves it. and frankly so do I because she does all of my hauling for me. it has about 125,000 miles on it. we have hauled 2 steers at a time, 3 large hogs, a dozen sheep and goats. last summer there was a fire in my pasture and we loaded 12 goats and 8 sheep in a 16 foot stock trailer plus rabbits and poultry in the back of the truck and had them ready to make a run for it. we use her truck to haul feed, 1000 to 1400 pounds at a time and it is still going strong. I am pretty short so the fact that the tailgate will either open like a normal pick up or will swing open sideways to allow you to get closer to your load is pretty convenient too. I also like that there is a lockable "trunk" in the bed of the truck where you can store things out of sight. the only thing we haven't been able to haul was a pair of mammoth mules, not because the truck couldn't but because the 2 of them wouldn't fit in the 16ft stock trailer. lol. I think you will like it if you decide to get it.

Thanks for the thoughts. The Ridgeline is sitting in our drive as I type.

DH got a good look at it yesterday. By the time we picked it up today, it was nearly dark, so I haven't done any more than glance inside. I'm looking forward to checking it out more tomorrow!!

I think you made a good choice. But then I have a Tundra so I am "weird" when it comes to farm trucks too. Last year we finally got rid of the '01 Tundra for a '10 Tundra. I needed more towing capacity as my DH has an 1948 Dodge firetruck he wants to haul. We live on a pretty steep road and the '01 was just get a little tired of towing 2000 lbs up the driveway on a weekly basis. It was rated for 7000, but had 250,000 miles on her...tired truck. The new one is rated for 10,000.

Hope yours serves you well.

@LMK17, just because i'm a curious kind of girl... how are you liking your ridgeline? hope it's working well for you.

Yes, we like it! We've been using it when we go into town, and I've been saving my Odyssey for longer trips. It handles well and does what I want it to. I drove it into the back pasture the other day and used it to haul a round bale up to the garden for mulch. Time will tell if the Ridgeline is as mechanically sound as I think it is, but so far so good.

The only thing that's annoying me is that the headliner over the backseat is falling down. Drives me bonkers. LOL I need to figure out a cheap fix for that. (It wasn't too bad until DS was like, "Look, Mom. The roof is falling down." -Yanks on it and pulls it down way more- "Ooops. Sorry, Mom. I didn't think it would do that.")

I had a mechanic friend who told me to get some of that sticky spray for fabric, put a straw on the nozzle hole so it would spray further, cut a tiny hole in the liner, stick the straw thru the hole and spray like mad then press the fabric back on the ceiling of the truck. I never tried it but he swore it worked. let me know if you try it and how it did.

Like spray starch? Sounds like a neat idea!