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Topic ClosedAbout to buy a 196 - advice?
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trajoi View Drop Down
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Joined: 18 May 2020
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Posts: 31 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: About to buy a 196 - advice?
    Posted: 19 May 2020 at 11:23am
Hmmm... I was looking at the 4runner - which is this: Does anyone this this will suffice?
PERFORMANCE
Base engine size4.0 Liters
Base engine typeV-6
Horsepower270 Hp
Horsepower rpm5,600
Torque278 Lb-Ft.
Torque rpm4,400
Payload1,495 Lbs.
Maximum towing capacity5,000 Lbs.
Drive typeFour-Wheel
Turning radius18.7 ''
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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Posts: 1214 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2020 at 12:00pm
Trajoi, If your thinking Suv, how about the Nissan pathfinder. It has a 6,000 pound tow cap, and a payload of 1324 - 1700 pounds, depending on model. I personally think it's a better choice over all 
2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2020 at 12:05pm
I would say no. You should work off of gross trailer weight not empty weight. You're going to be boondocking so carrying water in the water heater and the tank(s), plus batteries, supplies, gear, etc etc.  GTW is about 4800 lbs on the 196. The 4runner has a tow capacity of 5000, but that's with nothing in the vehicle except the driver. You will be carrying gear and passengers. Then there is the hitch weight. With water and batteries the nominal 360 lbs is going to be over 500, and I think the 4runner's hitch capacity is 500, again with nothing in it. And a weight distribution hitch does not increase your hitch capacity unless the manufacturer says it does, it only helps balance the load out. Do you really want to be at or over your vehicle's capacities from the start?

 If you want to tow with that size vehicle (I do) then get a lighter trailer. I think my 179 is the heaviest I would ever want to go and I keep things as light as I can. Again, power is not the issue, its handling the weight safely. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
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trajoi View Drop Down
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Posts: 31 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2020 at 12:15pm
Ok. Thank you! Great points about the added weight! You are absolutely correct.
I will keep looking, cause the 196 is definitely the trailer I want.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2020 at 12:28pm
The 6000 lb Pathfinder or a Tahoe are good suggestions, i would go with that or better, especially since you want to boondock, and even higher if you want to carry a bunch of stuff in the TV. Try to get at least 600 lbs tongue weight too, I suspect you'll be close of not over that. You might also want to consider a 4 door full size pickup instead of a SUV. 

If you want to be sure, get all your TV and trailer specs and put them in this calculator. Use max gross trailer weight for the trailer (about 4800) and 13% of that for the tongue weight, so just around 600. You want to be between 10 and 15 percent of trailer weight on the tongue, never less than 10 or you can get sway. Then add the weight of all the stuff and passengers to the TV plus the wdh at about 100 lbs and see what the calculator tells you. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
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Posts: 212 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2020 at 1:26pm
I tow my 196 with my 2016 Dodge Durango which is rated to tow 6200# and it works just fine.  I have towed over 8000 ft passes with no sweat at all.  My Durango has the V6 engine.
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Posts: 6285 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2020 at 1:48pm
A lot of difference will be in the gearing and whether the engine is turbocharged or not. A naturally aspirated engine with 4 speeds will not tow nearly as well as the same engine with 8 or 10 speeds. Add in a turbocharger, and it will tow even better.

My former 4 cylinder Escape with a 2L Ecoboost engine towed better in the mountains than the current 4L V6 naturally aspirated engine in the Frontier. One downside of the turbo is that the Escape would also tend to heat up much more if going up a steep hill at low speeds. I could see it in the Torque app's catalytic converter temperature readings. We came close to overheating once when trying to get up to the Blue Ridge Parkway when we were on a steep, narrow road with lots of curves and switchbacks. The engine started going a power limited mode. I was able to pull off and let it cool to make it the rest of the way. Once we were able to build up some speed though, the cooling was more efficient and we did not have any more problems.
StephenH
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trajoi View Drop Down
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Posts: 31 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2020 at 2:22pm
Thank you Stephen! Good to know! :)
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trajoi View Drop Down
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Posts: 31 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2020 at 2:23pm
I am still looking into other cars... still have not decided, but I definitely am getting that weighted distribution hitch! 
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2020 at 2:58pm
Don't forget this is supposed to be fun and relaxing, not white knuckling it every time you tow.Thumbs Up
And, because most of the energy consumed towing is used to overcome trailer air drag, you won't get any better fuel economy towing with a marginal TV rather than a more capable one. In fact, it could be worse. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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