R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Warranty, Service and Recall Bulletins
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: suv tow vehicle
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic Closedsuv tow vehicle
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1234>
Author
Message Reverse Sort Order
  Share Topic Share Topic  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
Goose View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 24 Sep 2010
Location: Arizona
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 672 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: suv tow vehicle
    Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 10:28pm
We have the 5.7 Hemi in the Jeep, way better than the 3.3 we had in the Caravan. No longer struggle up the long grades out west. The 4 wheel drive does pull down the fuel mileage some what.   Goose
Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
Back to Top
Thinker View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 Feb 2013
Location: S. Mississippi
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 171 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Apr 2013 at 9:46pm
Originally posted by techntrek

Didn't know CVT had made it to heavy-duty vehicles yet, nice.  Our Prius has CVT and I would love it in a TV!
 
We had a Prius.  Put about 180,000 miles on it.  Loved it, but got worried about the high cost of big battery replacement.  It was a 2005 model.  We sold it in 2010.
Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
Back to Top
compubmw View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 27 Oct 2012
Location: Tucson, AZ
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 10 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 2013 at 8:33pm
I tow with my 09 Toyota FJ Cruiser.  While I've never towed any travel trailers besides this one, I've towed a Buick, and a utility trailer.  I towed that Buick through the mountains in So.Cal. on I10 and it was great.  

I tow my r-pod with it and it seems like a breeze.  My first major outing was at 75mph with major headwinds and I had no troubles while the other TTs on the road were swerving and having issues.

The 4runner is basically the same vehicle, same drive train, almost identical frame.  The only difference is the creature comforts.
2009 FJ CRUISER (ARB BUMPER, Rear Airlift 1000, and some other stuff)
2013 Forest River R-Pod 177HRE (Mods)
Back to Top
techntrek View Drop Down
Admin Group - pHp
Admin Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 2013 at 5:55pm
Didn't know CVT had made it to heavy-duty vehicles yet, nice.  Our Prius has CVT and I would love it in a TV!
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
Back to Top
Thinker View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 25 Feb 2013
Location: S. Mississippi
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 171 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 2013 at 4:12pm
I am towing with Nissan Pathfinder 2013.  Tow rated at 5000#.   Tows like a dream. Getting 12 -13 at 60 MPH.  The new to Pathfinder CVT transmission is super.  No hunting for gears then upshifting and downshifting.  Just one big long smooth continuously variable gear. 
 
Your mileage may vary.
Tow Vehicle: 2013 Pathfinder 4WD R-POD Model 171
Back to Top
TerryM View Drop Down
Admin Group - pHp
Admin Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Location: Saint Augustine
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1950 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 2013 at 12:39pm
The MDX sounds pretty good.  I used to tow with a 2005 Jeep Liberty 4X4.  It had the tow capacity and I never had a problem.  One thing that helped though was that I set it up for off roading:  lower gears, bigger tires (stock were 28", changed to 32") and beefed up suspension.  That thing weighed 1/2 ton more than stock.  It also had steel skid plates covering everything underneath and a heavy duty steel front bumper with a winch.  It pretty much would go anywhere I wanted to go!

Terry
RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4
Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565
Back to Top
Our-pod View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 17 Jan 2013
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 20 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 Apr 2013 at 12:24pm
I tow my 182G with an Acura MDX - 300hp and a 5000lb tow capacity.  I haven't towed a bunch yet, only a few hundred miles.  I'm happy with the power and torque.  While I can easily tow at 65mph+, I typically don't; the mileage is terrible and I don't think the time saved is worth the risk to me and my family.  Also, as others have stated, you can really feel the Rpod pulling at higher speeds.

The tech who hooked up the trailer when I bought it took it for a drive to help me get the brake controller set.  He was surprised and impressed at the towing ability of the MDX.

Another nice feature - the MDX has a setting to keep from shifting into 6th, which prevents a bunch of extra shifting.
Back to Top
David and Danette View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 24 Nov 2009
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1215 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 6:33pm
My thoughts are you need at least 250 hp, and you can not always go by the manufactures tow capacity. We had a 2010 Jeep Liberty with the 3.7, 210 hp. its tow capacity was 5,000 lbs. That may of been fine with a boat with little wind drag but with the Rpod it was under powered. As it has been mentioned the length of the wheel base makes a difference and the tow vehicles weight. Our new Ram 1500 is working great for us, it has the 4.7 engine and 3.92 differential. Its tow capacity is about 7,500 lbs. We don't need to think about how much we have loaded in the Rpod, other than our mpg which has been so far about 12.5. Planning a trip to Tennessee now that it has more mileage on it about 5,000 I will get a better idea of how the mpg will be. Will be about a 2,000 mile trip, so far we have only traveled about 150 miles.   David
2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018-              
2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019)
2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014)
Middle Tn
2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab


Back to Top
Burt View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 04 May 2012
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 62 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 4:04pm
Roger:

We use a Ford Ranger V6 4.0 liter, 4WD.  Stock it was 207 HP.  We put a chip in it to boost it up to 267.  It towed fine before but then we wanted some more boost on the hills/mountains.

Whatever you get, be sure to use a brake controller and a weight transfer hitch.

We also use a stabilizer as we live near the Columbia River gorge and can get some unexpected and fierce winds here.  Be prepared.

BTW, there are many great formulas for selecting tow vehicles.  One, add 1000 lbs. to your trailer as that is about what you will put in it.

Subtract the payload in your actual tow vehicle from the tow  vehicle GVWR.  Then, if your selection is too close to capacity, get something with more towing capability.

Our Ranger rates at 5600 towing capability and 880 lbs payload.  Subtract 880, now we're at 4720 towing.  The 171 is 2000 lbs.  Subtract that.  2720.  Now subtract the 1000 lbs.  1720.  We're within the range and OK but then we do take more stuff sometimes.  We figure that we end up with about 800 to 1000 near limit sometimes.

Best to overdo it with the tow vehicle.

Another thought:  Use non-ethanol gas when you expect to tow up hills.  It's has more power per gallon than the crummy corn fuel they sell us now.

My thoughts are that when we search for a towing trailer, we just look at the weight and think that is it.  Easy to make that decision.  Then, knowledge and experience kick in and you have to go backwards and re-think stuff.  You're wise to ask this question first.

Good luck with your choice and smooth roads to you!

Burt
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Mar 2013 at 10:33am
We seem to pull just fine.. we have the 2 valve 5.4 in the Expedition, and the 6.2 in the Excursion.

The newer 5.4 has 3 valve heads, and it makes more HP AND gets better mpg.. (when not towing)

Towing mileage works like this..

It takes "x" horsepower to move the pod through the air at "x" speed.

Internal combustion engines are air pumps. It takes "x" amount of air pumped through the engine to reach the needed (x) horsepower to move the pod along at "x" speed.

No matter if you have a 3.5 v6 or a 6.2 v10, you still have to make that power level. There is some difference for overall weight, and some tow vehicles are a little more aerodynamic than others.. but it works out that no matter what you tow with engine wise, as long as somewhere in it's power band it can  make that needed "x" horsepower, it can pull the pod.

Now, most are not comfortable with an engine that needs to turn 3500-4500 rpm to do it. But that is why almost everybody towing with a v6/v8/v10 gets *about* the same mileage. They are all pumping the same amount of "air".

A larger tow vehicle does have more weight and wheelbase to  help  keep things stable, and help keep the tail from wagging the dog, so to speak.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1234>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz