Prospective R-Pod Owner - Slide Outs & Towing Ques

I have an OBDII ScanGauge in my truck and its interesting to see (in digital readout) the extra horsepower needed just to pull my r-pod 171 down a flat road with no wind. When pulling a grade, the numbers go pretty high. And mine is a 390hp V-8 engine.

Looking at your numbers, I think your added 811 lbs is not conservative enough. I have dual GC2 batteries and a single propane tank. Dual GC2's weigh in at about 130 lbs (not 90), so that would make your 811 about 850.  My 179 weighs about 950 over dry weight when I fill my fresh water tank. And I try to carry minimal tools and "stuff" in the trailer. Things still add up. For example, 90% likely you will want to get rid of the crappy OEM mattress and get a higher quality one which is going to add 20-30 lbs. Bottom line, as you obviously plan to boondock, I'd suggest you plan on around 900-950  over dry weight, which not coincidentally puts your trailer right around its max gross weight.

On to your tow vehicle. The smaller weight distribution hitches don't weigh 100 lbs, more like 60-70 or so, so you can save a little bit there. Curb weight is supposed to include a full fuel tank so there's a little more savings. I suspect that you'll have more than 200 lbs in the truck bed though. If you're boondocking you'll either need a generator and fuel (say 100 lbs) or a solar module (say 20-25 lbs), or both. There will be other stuff too. Firewood, a grill, the list goes on.  So maybe that washes out. Since you already have the Taco you could load it and take it through a public scale and then you'd know what it really weighs. 

Putting it all together I think you'll be maybe be couple of hundred lbs under your GCWR. That's not a comfortable margin but you could try it (driving very judiciously) and see how it feels. 

Where you will have more of a problem is on tongue weight. The propane tank, dual batteries and fresh water tank will probably roughly double your tongue weight, Mine did. If you're really limited to 350 lbs then that is a problem and its not solved by a wdh. The hitch transfers weight to the TV front axle and to the trailer axle but it does not increase your tongue weight rating. If you're right and the tongue weight has been derated for power reasons then maybe you're OK. I'd try asking on one of the Toyota forums and see if anyone there knows the real story. 

Personally, I'm not worried about your 4 cyl engine. Those things are bullet proof. I've had several over the years including a couple of class B RV's, with both manual and auto trannys.  I think that will be fine as long as you're not in a hurry. If you're in hot country you might want a higher capacity radiator, I did that in my class B back in the 80's when I lived in Phoenix and I could go straight up to Flagstaff at 7000 feet on a 115 degree afternoon with no sign of overheating. 

By the time you get it loaded, the hitch weight is likely to be above 350 lbs. The 4 cylinder engine is naturally aspirated. If you were only going to be towing on relatively level roads at low altitude, you might be okay. Throw a few thousand feet into the mix and you would very quickly find that the 3500 lb. tow rating is overrated. NA engines loose power as they gain altitude. If it were turbocharged (I had an Escape that had a 2L 4Cyl Ecoboost engine with the same tow rating), you would be better off. As it is, somebody probably installed the hitch since, as you say, it was not a factory option for the 4 cyl engine. Having the hitch does not increase the tow rating. There are more changes such as transmission cooler and (usually) heavier-duty alternator and possibly suspension parts that go into a factory tow package.

On top of the weight, you need to consider wind resistance. My Nissan Frontier which has a V6 sometimes struggles with a strong headwind. With a wimpier 4 Cyl engine, it would be nearly impossible to go down an Interstate at 60 mph with a 20+ mph headwind. The factor you need to consider is "frontal area." How much work is needed to push the truck with the trailer through the air. Resistance is not linear, but logarithmic. That is why a pop-up is better for your situation. Perhaps you should look into something like an ALiner. If on the other hand, you do decide you want to go with an RPod, you will most certainly find that you will be wanting to upgrade tow vehicles very quickly.

Regardless of your towing limits, IF you decide to get a new tow vehicle, DEFINITELY plan on an R Pod with a slide!! We owned a 173 for almost 6 years and loved it.  then the 179 bug hit us and we bought a 179 that has a slide. What a difference!! We have not had any issues with the slide.  It gives more room inside and makes the unit much more livable and comfortable-particularly when confined due to bad weather or night time.  I also was concerned about the slide, having read some horror stories.  However, I think the new models have been engineered so well that those problems are in the past.

We have visited both east and west R Pod factories and watched the slides being constructed and installed.  I have no doubts that the slides are well made, well engineerred and well installed.  I would not hesitate to buy an R Pod with a slide.

do you get the idea that we love our slide?

Good luck!!

Vann

Number two, Forest River and most RV manufacturers exclude rental trailers from consumer warranty coverage. If it is financed, they will want to know you are renting it out, and you will need commercial insurance, because regular insurance wont cover this. 

You might want to look into a pop-up tent trailer, and keep it for your own use.