Setting-up New 2021 R-189

Lots to unpack here.

First, you should run through all the systems in the trailer, make sure you know how they operate, and inspect everything. There have been lots of quality issues with rpods (and pretty much all travel trailer manufacturers). Check for leaks in particular, those can cause hidden damage which is very difficult to repair.

As for installing the wdh, you can fo that yourself if you have a basic tool set and are semi handy with auto repairs. Even if you have someone else do it, you should go through the setup procedure yourself so you understand it and can adjust it later when you make loading changes. With any wdh, the objective is to end up with the trailer level and the height of the front suspension back where it was before hitching up the trailer (without a wdh the front axle load gets lighter when you connect the trailer).

Ditto on the brake controller, make sure you know how to set it up and understand how to use it’s features. You want to be able to firmly stop the rig with only the trailer brakes by putting the manual control on its max setting, short of locking up the trailer wheels. That sets the max braking action. There is usually a second adjustment on the brake controller that sets how aggressively the trailer brakes come on when you use the tow vehicle brakes. That adjustment is a personal choice based on conditions, you might for example want to increase aggressiveness going down a steep grade to save your tow vehicle brakes. Be sure you know how to adjust that while in the road.

There is no external power switch, when you connect to shore power you will have grid power to your trailer, including 12v output to your battery system. Without shore power you won’t have ac to the receptacles, air conditioner, microwave, electrical heating element in the water heater, or ac power to the fridge. All the12v lights, fan, water pump, propane heat for the water heater, furnace, and propane operation of the fridge will work as long as you have a charger battery.

If you don’t already have a battery and are planning on having shore power then a single 12v deep cycle battery will be fine. If you are planning to boon dock, consider getting two 6v golf cart batteries (size gc2). Be careful with your tongue weight though, dual batteries will add about 80 lbs. Regardless, you should load up your trailer and tow vehicle as you plan to use it, including water if you boon dock, and get weights on the whole rig, each axle, and the tongue. If you use the search function you can find my posts on how to do that at s public scale.   

There should already be covers on the gray and black water drain lines.

Tangentially related, I bought my Rpod used from another owner. I've had a difficult time here in Florida getting any dealership that is at all interested in helping with much of anything (I don't mean for free, I mean even at their hourly rates). They primarily sell RVs and their service centers exist to service what they sell. And they stay so busy it's not worth their trouble.

Presumably your Pod was shipped to you from a dealer.  One would hope that the dealer did the pre-delivery preparation and inspection, even if you couldn't be there.  So that dealer should have set the basic operations of the trailer up.  From the paperwork from FR that I saw when we bought our new Sonoma, the dealer is required to show you how all the basic systems work and obtain your signoff.  You may want to reach out to FR to find out how this is done with a remote location sale.  They may help you find a willing local FR dealer to help you out if no walk through was previously arranged.  Given their aversion to risk, it is likely that they'd want to see that you can use the trailer safely rather than taking a chance that you may blow the thing up and be invited to the lawsuit by your survivors.  

Thanks is a great help...

Nice looking Jeep.

But If that’s what you’re planning to tow the 189 with then it’s undersized. It has a 3500 lb tow rating, right? 350 lb tongue rating? And those are with no passengers or gear in the TV. The 189 loaded is going to weigh closer to its 3859 max gross weight and tongue weight will be closer to 500 lbs, especially if you plan on boon docking, with water, batteries, maybe a generator, extra propane, etc. etc. You’ll want something with at least a 5000 lb tow capacity to safely and comfortably handle that trailer. I do and I still have to load cautiously and keep things light.

Just sayin’. Load up both the tow vehicle and trailer and get your actual weights. Pay close attention to the total rig weight in comparison to the MCGVWR and to tongue weight. The wdh does not allow for an increase in tongue weight, it only rebalances it. Decide for yourself how close to the vehicle ratings you want to operate, but not over. Stay safe and legal.

You certainly have the skills to set up your wdh. Put a piece of painters tape on the front fender on each side. Find a dead flat parking lot. Measure from the ground to each of the tapes. Hitch up the trailer. Measure the front fender heights again. They will be higher because the rear of the TV has been pushed down. Now tension the wdh until the front fender heights are back where they were without the trailer, or just slightly lower. You are not trying to get the TV to “look level”, the rear of the TV will be lower than without the trailer when you’re done.,

Then measure from ground to bottom of the trailer box front and rear. If those measurements are within about a half inch or so then the trailer is level and you’re done. If not readjust the hitch height to get both the trailer level and the front fender height where you want it That’s it.