Bolt on 2" receiver - Event Date: 18 Feb 2017

150 watt inverter sounds like a good way to go. You just need a 12V power port somewhere to connect it to. You can get them on Amazon inexpensively. If you get one with a usb port then your phone or other device can be charged that way, more efficient than going through the inverter. You can also get them with a voltmeter which does a much better job than the crummy battery level lights.

This is an easy DIY job, you just need to find a place to tap 12V, like the power to the stereo. If you tap the main battery line be sure to add an inline fuse at that point.
15 amps for 14 gauge, 20A for 12 gauge. 14 gauge will be fine for a 150 watt inverter.

A hitch crane sounds like way too much work not to mention the additional weight. Seriously, if you do later decide you need a generator get a Honda 2.2 or equivalent and an Easy start. Easy to lift and carry around without breaking your back. That's what I used. Propane operation is also much better than gasoline if you're keeping the generator and/or the fuel in the SUV. No fumes or fuel leaks.

As for farming, you are giving me too much credit. I'm retired and we just have a small hobby farm. Other than friends and family we're not in the ag production business. Keeps us active though and we get lots of exercise. But it does ground you at home, other than a rare occasional overnight trip we can't travel, farm animals need attention every day.

If you don't need to run an a/c or the microwave then by all means dispense with the generator. If you do want to use either appliance you can do that with a sub 50 lb 2kw generator. You would need an Easy Start device installed in your a/c. Works well by reducing the startup load on the compressor motor so the 2kw inverter can run it.

If you're thinking about running either the a/c or the microwave from an inverter, don't consider it. You don't have enough energy storage in your battery for that. Well possibly for the microwave but only for a few minutes at most, and you'd need about a 2kw inverter.

If you just want to run a few small electronic devices then you can use a small portable inverter or run the devices directly on 12V. For example, you can get a dual voltage TV that will automatically select 120Vac if it's available and 12Vdc if it's not. Not expensive and more efficient than the inverter option.

You can tap off a 12V supply to provide the power for either the devices or the inverter. Where you tap depends on the trailer model and where you want the 12V receptacle to be. In my 179 I tapped the supply to the stereo and ran it through the closet wall to the receptacle. The receptacle had a couple USB ports on it too.

Once again thank you. Your information is convincing me to sell the generator and forget about doing any hot weather lotdocking at truck stops and to find a campground for the night. The reason I got the generator was so I could power the A/C when lotdocking or doing some boondocking.

Did anyone install an inverter in their R-Pod? I didn't realize or discover that my 2017, 177 didn't have a 12v outlet like my previous trailer until I was on the way home from the Illinois dealer to Michigan. I bought an inverter but haven't gotten it installed as every RV service (dealer or just service) I've talked to has a 6 to 8 week wait before they can get it in to work on and you have to leave it with them for the wait.

20+ years ago with my 1st trailer, I drilled a hole through the front wall of the trailer near the floor to put the wires through and connect to the battery. I stopped doing things myself on my vehicles years ago getting them professionally done.

Still too much I think. With a Highlander you are limited by both tongue weight and rear axle weight as well as trailer weight and fore aft balance, and bending stress on the trailer frame. Also CGVWR. All those factors come together to make your weight carrying options pretty limited.

In general, loading everything as far forward as possible in the combined rig is the way to go.   I towed with a Highlander and ended up with a Honda 2K converted to propane and an extra cylinder both of which I loaded as far forward as possible just behind the seats in the Highlander. I highly recommend converting your generator to propane, especially when towing with an SUV. Also you can run everything with a 2 or 2.2k Genny if you install an Easy Start on the a/c. Saves a lot of weight.

I also had dual batteries and carried water (you have to account for water you will be carrying which might be in any of the three tanks at some point). Only the spare on the back. I was right at 500 lbs on the tongue with full fresh water and at 11% tongue weight with full gray water. My rig weight was about 10% under the Highlanders CGVWR which is about as high as anyone should go IMO. I used a wdh of course.

I suggest you load up everything and everybody and weigh your rig at a scale and use a towing calculator to see what you have (if you search my posts I have described how to do that and provided a link to a good calculator).

Once you have a set of baseline actual weight numbers you can see what happens if you move load around without re-weighing. Think of the trailer as a teeter totter, weight in front of the axle increases tongue weight, load aft of the axle decreases it.

So, say you add 100 lbs weight on the rear of the trailer. The effect of that on tongue weight is:

old tongue weight - 100 x (distance in inches from axle to weight/distance from axle to ball).

So you can try a variety of combinations and run them through the calculator before making your mods.