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JohnBG 
Senior Member 
Joined: 14 Apr 2015 Location: Deltona, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 190 |
 Topic: Total n00b in FL buying a used RP-171, need advicePosted: 02 Jun 2015 at 2:57pm |
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Clueless n00b taking the plunge alert... I am so excited, but a little nervous as my wife and I have exactly zero camping experience. We've been thinking about buying a travel trailer and looking on and off for over a year or two. We love the R-Pod concept as it is small, simple and we only have a 6-cyl Honda Ridgeline to tow it with. We fell in love with a new RP-179 at a dealer but didn't want years of payments, so I started looking for used ones and this RP-171 came along and looks like a good starter unit and we can afford to pay ca$h for it which is nice. Maybe in the future we'll upgrade to a bigger one. I need to install a 7-pin harness and a brake controller on the Ridgeline, any suggestions on what brake controller to use? Need to save up and start looking for an R-Dome to attach to it? Where is the best place to get that? Is there someplace online or do I need to go to a dealer and pay dealer price? Also looking for advice on how to setup and maintain the camper. I have no experience on filling water tanks, hookups, and draining the gray/black water tanks. Any advice you can throw to a n00b, I'm listening. I'm sure I'll have a ton more questions in the future. Thanks in advance for all your help. John
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CharlieM
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Posted: 02 Jun 2015 at 5:10pm |
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Greetings, John, and welcome to our forum. You have found the best and friendliest source of Rpod info on the internet. Starting with the 171 will give you an inexpensive way to find out what you need and want. Many owners remain well satisfied with 171/172 models for years.
I'll comment on a few of your questions, but the best approach is to just start reading threads here. Your questions are similar to any new owner's and all have been answered here many times over. The only problem is finding the material. Many answers are available at Techntrek's instruction manual. http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 You need a seven pin Bergman connector installed on you Ridgeline. Most owners here use Tekonsha brake controllers. I'm partial to the P3 because it is proportional, self leveling, has a full alphanumeric display, and is very easy to install and use. Your Ridgelne comes prewired for a brake controller. http://www.amazon.com/TEKONSHA-CONTROL-HARNESS-RIDGELINE-CONTROLLER/dp/B007O5GXSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433277867&sr=8-1&keywords=tekonsha+p3+honda The Rdome is very handy and will almost double your available space. It takes some practice to put it up, but it becomes very easy if you have two people. I would scan the Campers Flea Market section of this form and/or place an ad there. Be sure to specify you year and model (2010 Rp171) because there are several versions of the Rdome. Your 171 will require the small Rdome. The early Rpods had a smaller track for attachment of the Rdome so make sure you get the right one. If you can't find one for sale you can buy one from Forest River, but they are expensive. You will want a weight distribution hitch (WDH) for your comfort and peace of mind. I towed an RP172 with a Pilot for a year and never had a problem. The Fastway E2 is popular and is ideal for you combination. http://www.amazon.com/Fastway-94-00-0600-Round-Weight-Distribution/dp/B0071L3H2E/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1433279096&sr=8-4&keywords=fastway+e2 The rest of the info comes from reading this forum, experience, and asking questions. There's no such thing as a dumb question. Just dumb answers and we try to minimize those. Welcome to Podville. You'll love it. |
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Charlie
Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
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JohnBG
Senior Member
Joined: 14 Apr 2015 Location: Deltona, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 190 |
Posted: 02 Jun 2015 at 7:09pm |
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Thanks Charlie!
Yup, I have been surfing the forums here and gleaned some good information. I was reading my Honda Ridgeline Owner's Manual (Yup, I'm an engineer who actually reads the manuals) and it was saying that Honda doesn't recommend the weight distributing hitch and says the following on page 297: A weight distributing hitch is not recommended for use with your vehicle, as an improperly adjusted weight distributing hitch may reduce handling, stability, and braking. So do I really need the weight distributing hitch? The seller that I am buying the camper from has a used one I can buy from them for $150. Do I need to pop for that? Did you need any sway bars with your 172 and Pilot? Aside from that, it appears that the Ridgeline has enough towing power at 5,000 lb. with 600 lb. tongue weight (assuming only two passengers). According to the 2010 R-Pod brochure, the RP-171 has a dry weight of 2121 lb., a hitch weight of 181 lbs. plus the optional air conditioner at 97 lb. and the convection microwave at 51 lb., so unloaded it will weigh in at about 2450 lb. dry. Even if I figure in a few hundred pounds for some water and gear, if I did the math right, it looks like I'm not anywhere near overloading the Ridgeline. I checked out the P3 controller and I think I will go with that. My model Ridgeline (RT base model) doesn't include the 7-pin receptacle and controller (standard only on the RTL and RTX models) so I need to buy the Honda kit with the relays control box and install that with the brake controller. Does the P3 controller need to be installed at or near level horizontally? I was looking at installing it below the dash on the console near the gas pedal. That would make it almost vertical or at least 60-70 degrees from horizontal. Thanks for the heads-up on the R-Dome, I didn't know there were different sizes and tracks. Good info.! I am so excited to be getting an R-Pod and going camping, but there's a lot of stuff I don't know (or even don't know that I don't know) but hopefully I can pick up some knowledge here. It's going to be an adventure!!! |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp 
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 02 Jun 2015 at 7:50pm |
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I would still recommend a WDH. After we moved from a minivan to a Suburban I tried towing once w/o our WDH in place and immediately put it back on for the trip home. It improves the ride quality since it is basically adding an extra suspension system into the mix. Some WDHs include sway control some don't. If the one you are offered doesn't you can pick up a cheap sway bar. Just remember to disengage the sway bar (not the WDH) when you back up.
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CharlieM
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Posted: 02 Jun 2015 at 8:38pm |
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John,
My Pilot had the same note re WDH and I used the E2 on it for a year, including a 5000+ mile trip from FL to the Colorado mountain passes. No problems. Honda is correct in saying an improperly adjusted WDH can cause problems. In fact it can be downright dangerous, but that is true of any WDH on any tow vehicle (TV). My 172 was advertised at ~2200# and came in at ~2750# with batteries and propane. Still well within your 5000# rating so no problem. Your setup falls into my "You may not need WDH, but you'll want WDH". The WDH smooths out the bouncing and porpoising from dips and bumps. If you read the forum, searching on WDH, you'll find lots of folks that tried without, but later added it. Even F150 and Suburban drivers go back and add WDH. BTW there should be a yellow sticker on the 171 stating the exact weight as it left the factory. To that you have to add battery(s) and propane tank (s) for an "empty" weight. The E2 I used (and still use) provided both weight distribution and sway control. I do not recomment the friction type swayy control devices. You have to remove them before backing and they tend to bend. I think your Ridgeline comes with 4WD? My Pilot was and I too had to pay Honda to install he 7 pin connector. If you plan much mountain driving You'll need a transmission oil cooler. It was included in my 4WD package, but may be standard on the Ridgeline. Transmission heating is the biggest problem when hauling weight up hill. You might also want ScanGauge to monitor transmission temperature and other neat things. Simple, inexpensive, and plugs in to the OBD2 connector. You might guess that I'm an engineer (EE) too and love gauges and numbers. A new camper is always an adventure. Just get ready to start making mods. That's the best part, aside from actually camping in it.  |
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Charlie
Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
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CharlieM
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Posted: 02 Jun 2015 at 8:41pm |
Darn, Doug. We have to coordinate our act. If folks get the same recommendations from both of us they may suspect collusion. And I'm going to have to speed up my typing. Seems a lot happens while I'm typing replies. Doug, maybe you can better explain what Rdome to look for on the older Pods. John will be looking and I couldn't come up with the details. Nor could I remember the correct name of the rope like thing that goes in the track. Old age getting to me, I guess. |
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Charlie
Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 02 Jun 2015 at 9:54pm |
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You may want an extra oil cooler too. Like the Scan Gauge Charlie mentioned, I installed an AeroForce Interceptor to monitor my vitals and long climbs can cook the oil. Keder is the word Charlie is looking for, the older pods had a smaller C channel so need a smaller keder, which is what feeds into the C channel.
Charlie - we can conference call tomorrow to get our stories straight!
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JohnBG
Senior Member
Joined: 14 Apr 2015 Location: Deltona, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 190 |
Posted: 03 Jun 2015 at 8:16am |
I'm not sure what kind of WDH the seller has, but I will take a look at it. I don't know anything about them but this helps. What should I look for with this hitch, in my research I see several different kinds. I found the Honda 7-pin harness online for ~$150. I had the truck at the dealer yesterday for an oil change and stopped at the parts counter and it is almost $200 from them, plus another ~$150 for them to install it, so I may try installing it myself. It doesn't look too hard to install. I have to get down under the dash to install the brake controller anyway. Yup, the Ridgeline is 4WD and comes standard with a transmission oil cooler. Before I go up in the mountains, I may have to check out the temperature gauge. For starters, we plan to make a few trips in flatland Florida just to get the hang of it before venturing out further.
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 03 Jun 2015 at 10:45am |
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Find out what brand & type the WDH is and we can help figure that out.
Do you mean the 7-pin Bargeman connection at the rear of the vehicle, or the 4 pin wiring harness used to connect a brake controller under the dash? The Bargeman is a generic part which can be purchased very cheaply like this. A good brake controller (Prodigy) with specific harness for the Ridgeline is about $150 on the same site, maybe that is what you meant? Installing either item is fairly easy, they just take a little time. Keep in mind the temperature gauge on the dash may not show EITHER the actual oil or coolant temperature even though the manual may lead you to believe that. After installing the Interceptor I found that to be true with the temperature gauge in the Chevys - the temp on the dash isn't the temperatures the computer reads and uses in its computations/warnings. That's one benefit of using the aftermarket readers that talk to the computer.
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CharlieM
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Posted: 03 Jun 2015 at 10:50am |
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John,
There are several type of WDHs available. Those that connect the spring bars to the trailer frame with short vertical chains are most common. The amount of weight redistribution is controlled by the number of links in the vertical chain (length of the chain). These provide WDH only and no sway control. Here's an example: http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Pro-Series/PS49583.html Sway control can be added with a friction device that connects between a second ball on the TV and the trailer frame. These sway devices must be disconnected when you back up and are susceptible to damage if you don't. Here's an example: http://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution/Curt/17200.html These combos are made by Reese, Curt, Blue Ox, and many others. BTW, E-Trailer is an excellent source of info, help and parts. So with these hitches you can get weight distribution and sway control separately or combined. Some new owners try to start out with just the friction sway control, then realize they want WDH. By then they are sort of locked in to the combo. The Fastway E2 and its big brother Equilizer WDHs provide both weight redistribution and sway control in one unit. The 600/6000# model is very popular with Podders. http://www.amazon.com/Fastway-94-00-0600-Round-Weight-Distribution/dp/B0071L3H2E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433341313&sr=8-1&keywords=fastway+e2+6000 Depending on what your seller has you might want to use his for a while and stick with it, or buy something else. Your call. On the Honda 7 pin harness, I never did understand why Honda did not include the extra harness and connector. They did with other models of the Pilot, but did not for the 4WD version. I think all the harnessing is in place from the dash/engine area to somewhere near the rear. Installation should be simple. Make sure you get the relay that disconnects the trailer battery charging line from the truck battery when the ignition is off. I'm not sure if that relay is part of the stock truck or must be added with the 7 pin kit. In the Florida flatlands you will not have any trouble with transmission temperature. However, if you get a monitor you can get an idea of how it behaves. When you get to hills and mountains you'll see the temperature rise. My Pilot had an idiot light to indicate transmission over-temp. It never came on and I don't know what temp it is set for, but I always watched the ScanGauge. The idiot light was there to tell me I was in trouble. The ScanGauge told me I was getting in trouble. There are other monitor systems available. Techntrek mentioned one. They all require a code entry for setup. If you end up with the ScanGauge I can find the code for you. Just send me a private message (PM). The gauge will also tell you to turn of the overdrive while towing. Happy towing |
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Charlie
Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
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Total n00b in FL buying a used RP-171, need advice