Spreadsheet for Rpod & Tow Vehicle Loading

Hi Rpod Owners,

To help with loading my Rpod and tow vehicle I created an Excel spreadsheet to analyze the loads for each. Here are some screenshots showing the spreadsheet for an Rpod 171 HRE and Toyota RAV4:

<Screenshot>

Notice the Vehicle Capacities section, where there are some inputs for vehicle weights and capacities. Any cells that are shaded should not be changed, since they contain formulas for computing a value based on the contents of other cells. For both camper and tow vehicle you’ll see values for cargo capacity, actual cargo load and remaining cargo capacity. 

Also seen is the Loading Summary section, giving total loaded vehicle weights, tongue weight, camper axle weight, % of GVWR and % of cargo capacity. These numbers will change to reflect the loads in the Vehicle Loading section, shown below.

<Screenshot>

The Vehicle Loading section is where actual weights of load items are supplied. Each of these load weights is applied to either the camper or the tow vehicle in the appropriate column. Several items might be needed more than once such as passengers, personal items, kayaks, etc. Other items may be needed in less than the full amount (i.e. fresh water). This is taken care of in the multiplier column. For instance for fresh water with only 7-1/2 gallons loaded (25% of 30 gallons), the multiplier is applied to the full weight (25% of 251 lbs.) giving 63 lbs. actual load. Totals for trailer and tow vehicle cargo loading are shown at bottom. The same totals show up as Cargo Load in the Vehicle Capacities section.

It is interesting to see how things change in the Load Summary section as load items are moved from tow vehicle to camper or the reverse. Tongue weight is transferred from the camper axle to the tow vehicle. With the loading that I have applied my tow vehicle is close to being maxed out concerning GVWR (95%). About all that could be done is load the camper with fewer items or transfer more load from tow vehicle to camper. Also I’ll need to determine weights on front and rear axles of the tow vehicle to see if they are within the GAWR for these axles. This can be done at a public roadside scale. With that information the percent weight distribution (front/rear) can be adjusted. It might be advisable that I get a more capable tow vehicle, something like an F150 pickup with V8. But I'll see how the present setup works out. I'm glad we got the lightest Rpod.

 I am pleased how this spreadsheet has helped determine best load distribution between camper and tow vehicle. Otherwise I would just be guessing. My tendency would have been to put too much cargo in the tow vehicle. With over 500 lbs. of load capacity available in the TV, the GVWR could easily be exceeded with the addition of tongue weight. Still to be determined is how to arrange load in the trailer to get a 10% tongue weight.

In the spreadsheet any of the cells that are not shaded can be changed to reflect actual load items, weights and other specifics for the camper and tow vehicle. If anyone would like a copy of the spreadsheet, send me a private message with your e-mail address. I'll send you a copy. If there are any errors or faulty logic, please let me know so these can be corrected. I see one error already. The % of GVWR for the camper should be based on total camper weight (including tongue weight), not net axle weight.

 I hope this spreadsheet will be of use for those with Rpods or other trailers.