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Joined: 26 Aug 2016
Location: Hillsboro, Oreg
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Posts: 64 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Decisions - decisions - decisions
    Posted: 19 Feb 2017 at 6:57pm
1. Hondas do not have a serviceable transmission filter. Recommend using synthetic ATF and changing it every 30k miles. 
2. It costs to tow no matter what. So I enjoy the trip and accept the cost. Life is shorter than you think and getting shorter every day you wait. 
3. My wife had a stroke last year and made me smell the roses.  We are in the early 70s and I realized better enjoy now!
4  We have a 171 without a slide out. Yes bath is small but it works. Leave door open, more room. 
5. I pull with a Ford Flex, MARGINAL, but we are in no hurry.
6. Scan tools are cheep and some send info to a smart phone.  You can use while driving to monitor  tempt.
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Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
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Posts: 6418 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Feb 2017 at 6:00pm
Originally posted by furpod

Go to the Torque forum, one of the ongoing things there is tracking down the code strings and such to unlock modules and data that may not be native to the port interface. New truck puts transmission info right on the dash.. so, don't use torque anymore for towing. Still use it in the GTi.. Wink

I searched and apparently, there is no code string for transmission temperature. Thumbs Down There may be no sender that can interface with the OBDII device. I'll have to figure out some other way of monitoring transmission temperature. I don't want to add yet another device to do the task.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
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Joined: 23 Apr 2014
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Posts: 451 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Feb 2017 at 7:50am
Originally posted by BogieMeister

Currently I am in the decision mode. I'm torn between the r-pod 179 and the T@B. This will be my first RV, and I really don't want to have to replace it because I made a bad choice. I'm an old, big, guy( 6'1" 235 lbs) My tow vehicle will be a 2016 Honda Pilot AWD (tow capacity 5000 lbs) The transmission is a six speed, which drops to a four speed if you take it out of over-drive. Which about doubles the rpm at 55 mph. I will be traveling mostly by myself, but occasionally by sweetie will join me. We live in Texas, which is relatively flat-ish.

So, here's my question. With the miniature T@B (1670 lbs) I will be able to drive in overdrive, but will be living in cramped quarters. From the articles seen on this forum I assume that with the r-pod I will not be able to use overdrive. I believe this will over-tax the drive train and ruin my gas mileage.

What are your thoughts?

  My thoughts on your situation. You are a large guy. You will NOT like the R-Pod bathroom/shower BUT you can use it. If you intend to stay at campgrounds with showers/bathrooms, the T@B might be the best choice for sleeping. Some of them have small kitchens as well. The T@B is smaller, and lighter, but I think you should visit a T@B forum and ask owners there what they comfortably tow with.

 I totally get your thoughts on making the wrong choice. My first small camper was just as you described. I made a wrong choice with a camper that had a very small fresh tank, and only a little while later I bought my R-Pod. It was a huge step up in weekend livability. Now I have a small dual sport motorcycle, and along with my mountain biking habit, I want to take the motorcycle with me much further afield (cross country). This means getting a small toy hauler that is within the capabilities of my tow vehicle.  Research, research, research.
2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler
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Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Feb 2017 at 7:14am
Originally posted by StephenH

When we were towing with the Escape, I would put the transmission selector in the Sport (or, as I like to call it, Sclepp) mode. That locked out the top gear and worked quite well with the Escape's 6-speed transmission.

Now, with the Nissan Frontier with its 5-speed transmission, I leave it in drive most of the time. When we were in the Rockies, I did switch off the overdrive. However, on flatter terrain at a lower elevation, the transmission did not seem to be struggling and changing gear much, so I left it the OD engaged. I am using the Torque app, but the Nissan apparently does not have a sender that is available to the Torque app for transmission temperature. I wonder if one could be added in.


Go to the Torque forum, one of the ongoing things there is tracking down the code strings and such to unlock modules and data that may not be native to the port interface. New truck puts transmission info right on the dash.. so, don't use torque anymore for towing. Still use it in the GTi.. Wink
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Joined: 29 Nov 2015
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Posts: 6418 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2017 at 8:11pm
When we were towing with the Escape, I would put the transmission selector in the Sport (or, as I like to call it, Sclepp) mode. That locked out the top gear and worked quite well with the Escape's 6-speed transmission.

Now, with the Nissan Frontier with its 5-speed transmission, I leave it in drive most of the time. When we were in the Rockies, I did switch off the overdrive. However, on flatter terrain at a lower elevation, the transmission did not seem to be struggling and changing gear much, so I left it the OD engaged. I am using the Torque app, but the Nissan apparently does not have a sender that is available to the Torque app for transmission temperature. I wonder if one could be added in.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
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Joined: 23 Apr 2014
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Posts: 451 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2017 at 10:20am
 I have a 177 R-Pod and my friend has a older T@B. We both had 4Runners (he still has his 4Runner). I can say that both of us returned nearly identical results towing with 4Runners, whether it was an R-Pod or T@B. 

The distances were 480 miles round trip from Connecticut to northern Vermont. Both 4Runners returned about 10-12 mpg over a few trips of comparison. Also, both 4Runners had some tail wagging the dog effect when windy outside at highway speed (65mph), and neither can tow in highest transmission gear.

 You should check out both the T@B and the R-Pod, but the R-Pod has a bathroom, toilet, nice kitchen area, and large fresh, gray, and black tanks, which no T@B does to my knowledge. I haven't checked out T@B's in a few years so that may have changed. I never thought the T@B was worth the money they were asking for them compared to the R-Pod. But my friend bought his used, and he uses the dome/tent for his T@B and it works for him. He hasn't had any issues with it.
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Joined: 22 Sep 2011
Location: Chapel Hill,NC
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Posts: 1088 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Feb 2017 at 9:23am
I have no personal experience towing with a Honda Pilot.  However, one of our friends that we camp with regularly tows his MPG with a Honda Pilot.  the MPG is almost identical in size and weight to an R Pod. we have been all over the country together and he has had no issues towing with a Pilot. I don't know his exact model. engine, transmission, etc.   the only thing I notice is that he has to stop for gas more frequently because of a smaller gas tank.

I would watch your overall cargo weight limit , realizing that the tongue weight is part of that .
good luck with your decision-we obviously love our pod and would recommend it
Safe travels
Vann

Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179
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Joined: 07 Apr 2016
Location: Greenbrier, TN
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Posts: 3419 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2017 at 5:52pm
I never tow the Pod and use OD. Both GM and Ford have option to bypass OD. Significant difference in trans temp, while towing in OD. My difference in mileage form non-towing with OD and towing without OD is pretty high. But it is the price you pay. I like the T&B, it's priced like an Airstream product. I had a mid 60s 30' airstream, real quality, just took a 454 Chevy dually to pull it. My opinion go with the 179.
Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."
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Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
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Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2017 at 3:39pm
On a side note.. T@B does have a new model, the T@B 400... I have not seen one in person yet, but it's a USA model of the European T@B, and is bigger then the rest of them...
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Posts: 1221 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Feb 2017 at 3:25pm
Plus the T@B cost a few thousand more, that'll even out your gas expense for a few years.
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