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Whats pulling your RPod
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Tusten Traveler View Drop Down
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Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Location: Catskills NY
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Posts: 235 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Tusten Traveler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Whats pulling your RPod
    Posted: 07 Oct 2009 at 3:30pm
John thinks it pulls really well and throughout every trip says he "hardly knows it's back there" with no change in power or braking. We have no electric brakes on the truck (we did have them placed on the SUV) and no sway bars either. Just hook up and go. Works great and the only reason we are changing to the SUV is so we can secure some of our belongings better.
 
We get about 12 mpg on the open road.
John and Linda
One 14 lb Cockapoo
2010 RPod 174
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Oct 2009 at 3:08pm
How wll does the F 150 pull?  What kind of gas mileage do you get?  We are planning to use ours we we get the pod.
Pepperpod
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Tusten Traveler View Drop Down
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Joined: 22 Jul 2009
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Posts: 235 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Tusten Traveler Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Oct 2009 at 3:06pm
Ford F150 for now but will be getting the towing package on our SUV (didn't realize it didn't come with it until we took the plate off at the rpod dealer- boy, not a good surprise when you expect something to be there after driving 600 miles and it's not!) which will then be rated to 5000 lbs.
John and Linda
One 14 lb Cockapoo
2010 RPod 174
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Oct 2009 at 11:09am
Originally posted by Snooper

Our 2009 Tiguan has the 200 horsepower 2.0 L, 4-cylinder, in-line, turbocharged engine with a 6 speed 4-motion automatic transmission. The vehicle is rated for 998 kilograms or roughly 2200 lbs. so we’re pretty much pushing the limit for what the vehicle is rated when we’re towing the 171.

I don't really want to get into this discussion again, but I feel like it needs to be pointed out that with a 2200 lb tow rating you're way over the limit with a 171.  The 2100 and change weight listed for the 171 is the dry weight, which means no water and no propane.  Just adding those puts you around 300 lbs over weight, and that's before you add any gear or extra passengers in the vehicle.  It sounds like you're doing okay anyway, but personally I wouldn't tow that far over the rating.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 Oct 2009 at 12:50pm
I am going to use my new Beast (2010 Toyota Sequioa) to pull the r-pod.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Oct 2009 at 12:20pm
Roxy
I would conclude from all the data you collected that you 100% enjoyed the trip and 100% enjoyed your r pod .  So the conclusion is, the rest is pretty much irrelevant.
Glad you had a good trip and somewhere down the line I hope to pick your brains about the important aspects of your trip.
Post some details and pictures. Please.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 Oct 2009 at 11:50am
Just got back from Yosemite last night. I tow my 172 behind a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 5.2 liter engine which came with a tow package and up country suspension and I recently added a trans. oil cooler.
I drove 400 miles in one day to get there
Climbing my computer said I got 5 mpg.
Downhill with the cruise control on was 16-17 or so mpg.
Without the cruise control I took my foot off the excellerator pedal and would hit 30-40 mpg. Cruise control would keep trying to keep me at 55-60 and 'coasting' my milage was great! As soon as I tapped the pedal when I needed a little speed my gas milage DROPPED!
Going I avg. 9 mpg. Haven't checked my coming home amount yet.

I avg 14+ mpg in the jeep, pulling the trailer-9mpg. So would I say "I used 40 % more gasoline, lost 40 %, paid 40% more for gas?

Roxy

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gmandual View Drop Down
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Posts: 246 		Post Options Post Options   Quote gmandual Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2009 at 9:46pm
Just this summer started towing with my 2008 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.   If hybrid computer thing is to be believed. 
12mpg average at 55 on flat road while towing.
18-20mpg when driving 30-40 on back roads.
Got 8mpg climbing a 6% grade and 34mpg coasting down the back side. :)
27-30mpg driving around down when not towing.
 
3.3L engine in hybrid is only 200Hp, which "feels" a bit underpowered.    Tried towing the pod with a neighbors 3.5L non-hybrid and you don't "feel" the trailer load as much at highway speeds.    Unlike the regular highlander, the hybrid is basically a FWD vehicle (gas/electric on front) and electric only to the back (no mechanical connection to engine from back wheels).     Rear axel motors are high torque but generally low RPM, so they help you get going and make you accelerate strong from a stop.  But rear axel/motors doesn't appear to do anything much at highway speed.   So off the line vehicle has about 270HP, but about 40MPH you can feel the drop in power as rear electrics turn off, which is also about the point where the pod starts building its wind resistance.
 
Good handling, starting and stopping.   Regenerative breaking makes driving in hills much less work then pulling with my pickup.   Just downshift to "B" and don't even have to touch brake pedal going down hill.   Would recommend a WDH with this setup, to help make sure you keep good weight on front wheels where the power it put to the road.  Keeps vehicle from getting squirrely on bumpy or ice roads.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2009 at 9:12pm
My tow vehicle is a 2009 Buick Enclave CXL FWD with 3.8L V6, tow package.  Here's a pic:
 
 
The two vehicles are well matched.  The R-Pod is comfortably within the tow range of the Enclave (4500 lb), and the weight (4700 lb) and length of the Enclave make it a very stable tow rig.  I've had no need for a sway bar or WDH and I've taken the pair through 60 mph + wind gusts and towed the trailer up to 7200 feet altitude.
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Post Options Post Options   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 Oct 2009 at 5:26pm

2007 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. 4 liter V-6. Automatic. 2wd. Class 2 hitch. I love our Sport Trac. Half truck , half sport utility. It pulls our RP-175 just fine, even with a load of split wood in the bed.

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