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offgrid View Drop Down
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Joined: 23 Jul 2018
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Aggravations
    Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 8:31am
Don't see how that could work. 

Many people own trailers that they don't have vehicles to tow. The are permanently set up at campgrounds, or on private property. Or they rent or borrow a capable vehicle a couple times a year to move them. 

The general concept of having some kind of clearer go/no go reference point is a good one but not sure this is a place for restrictive government intervention. 

Maybe a reference website where a prospective owner can put in his particular situation and get an estimated set of recommendations would be appropriate. There are lots of similar .gov websites, for example for Medicare supplements, roof solar systems, auto fuel economy. The are not regulatory but to help educate folks and are independent of the manufacturers who are just trying to sell you something. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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pedwards2932 View Drop Down
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Posts: 333 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 9:46am
800 lbs added to the advertised dry weight would be 3500 not if your dry weight is actually 3050.  I don't tow with any water in the systems. Battery and Propane = ~100 lb, removed table almost 40 lbs.  I am under 3500 when loaded.....we don't carry much.  The Escape allows for 850 carry cap so with the 2 passengers and 350 tongue weight we have about 200 lbs carry cap in the car. 
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 10:28am
Go through the scales all up fully loaded, fuel and passengers, cargo in both the trailer and TV, generator, hitch, tools, water in the water heater and lines, etc. See what you get for gross combined vehicle weight. Compare to the number on the MCGVWR on your
door sticker. Then decide if you’re comfortable with that or not. Don’t forget this is supposed to be relaxing and fun, not a high stress white knuckle adventure.
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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RoverPod View Drop Down
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Joined: 07 Mar 2020
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Posts: 118 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 12:30pm
What is the actual factory weight of the trailer on the stickers on the trailer? (Not the "advertised" weight.)
2017 F150 XLT SuperCab
2020 rPod 180
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podwerkz View Drop Down
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Posts: 966 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 12:46pm
The other side of the coin is that, many times a new owner will come onboard here about to buy a brand new r-pod, and they have a 14 year old minivan or compact little 4 banger SUV, and the r-pod dealer says 'oh you'll be fine'...and I come in pounding thor's hammer saying it wont work...and I AM NOW THE BAD GUY.

This has happened MANY times. 

The OP is not alone in being a bit mislead by numbers printed on a sticker or in an owners manual, or the salesman's 'puffery'...

Many times in this forum and other forums I have stated that you really need 'towing authority' to be safe, comfortable, and relaxed while towing. This cannot happen with a trailer that weighs (supposedly) 3000 pounds and a tow vehicle that can pull 3500 max.

Yeah the dealer says, no problemo...I say otherwise and I AM CORRECT every time.
r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2702 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 1:10pm
The reality is that trailer manufacturers always lowball the weight (hence they advertise the empty weight, which no trailer is ever towed at). The vehicle manufacturers always highball the weight they will handle (our F-150 has an advertised max towing capacity of 11,700 lbs, which you "could" do, but getting there is almost impossible).

The solution is to always figure your trailer at the max weight, and to do a reality check on what your tow vehicle can actually handle. After we subtract people and gear, we come in at a max towable weight of around 9,000 lbs. This handles the Rpod with ease, and so we go without any worries.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6417 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 1:21pm
Originally posted by offgrid

Re FR actually weighing the trailers, I'm quite certain mine was not. My sticker weight numbers are identical to the published ones, the likelihood of that happening is near zero, and I've never been able to account for about 150 lbs of weight when I've compared my actual weight to published numbers.


I was at the factory and saw them weighing the trailer in order to generate the sticker. I stand behind my comment as being accurate.
StephenH
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ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
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pedwards2932 View Drop Down
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Posts: 333 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 1:38pm
Mine had factory weighed sticker and it was 3050.  I bought it used from an individual so I can't blame a dealer.  Again I have no discomfort with my towing so far.....I brought it back from Penn to Virginia and I only pulled between 55 and 60 with absolutely no swaying.  I am retired and am not in a hurry.  I really don't want to beat a dead horse on the TV if I feel the need to replace I will as I am a very careful person and have been towing trailers since I was 17.  My original complaint is the advertised dry weights on these trailers is deceptive.  R-Pods were designed to be an upgrade from a teardrop to give you extra room and be light.....lot fo advertising around being light.  If I had my way on mine I would get rid of the shower as I never intend to use it.....probably save weight and gain space.
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6417 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 3:15pm
If you compare them with other units, they are light by comparison. In this case, "light" is a relative term. I think you will be okay. You have lots of experience and you already are not trying to be the first one there. One of these days, the opportunity to upgrade tow vehicles may present itself and then you can do so. We towed on a number of long trips before our accident and would likely have still been using the Escape but for that. I'm impressed with the 2L Ecoboost engine and the additional gears that the Escape had that the Frontier lacks. I did find that if I were in hilly country, it helped to put it in "Sport" mode, which I called "Schlepp mode."  That locks out the overdrive so the transmission does not do as much seeking in the hills. On flat ground though, I left it in normal mode.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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pedwards2932 View Drop Down
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Posts: 333 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2020 at 4:50pm
I haven't tried that mode.....I guess that is where you use the hand shifters on the wheel?  I didn't need it in the foothills bringing it home. I haven't owned the Escape that long and with the virus going on we haven't done a lot of traveling with it.  The r-pod is going to be our way of getting out and doing something which is reasonably virus safe.
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