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Grill View Drop Down
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Joined: 12 Jul 2015
Location: Edmonton Canada
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Towing advice
    Posted: 13 Jul 2015 at 1:06am
Hi all. 

Great to see this forum for R-Pod owners.  I just bought a 2012 R-POD172 last month and will be taking it on our first longer trip this week.  I have a Rav4 V6 with a transmission cooler, weight distribution hitch and sway bar system on it.  I know this is likely not enough of a vehicle for this trailer but I am keeping everything pretty light and will not push my car at all.  Keeping it out of overdrive all the time and watching the speed.

The question I wish to ask veteran towers is this.  Is it better to put most of the things in the trailer and pull the weight (fairly well balanced in the trailer with adequate tongue weight) or distribute some of the weight to the tow vehicle?  We have a car top carrier we will likely put on to carry stuff to the beach, etc. during the trip.

Thanks for any advice any of you can give.

Greg
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Leo B View Drop Down
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Joined: 13 Jan 2012
Location: Lyndonville, VT
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Posts: 4518 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jul 2015 at 7:41am
Welcome to the group!! Congrats on your 172!! We kin of do both, we will put clothes etc and all our kitchen stuff in the camper. We will also car our ice machine/portable freezer and fishing gear/Weber Q grill and stuff in our van. Seems to work out well!
Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171
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Grill View Drop Down
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Joined: 12 Jul 2015
Location: Edmonton Canada
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jul 2015 at 5:39pm
Thanks for the reply.  I kind of thought it might be OK to do that and in fact keep more weight in my car and less in the trailer to push me around.  Hopefully that logic makes sense.
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
Location: MD
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jul 2015 at 9:33pm
Welcome. It depends on how you load the pod. You need 10 to 15 percent of the pods weight on the tongue (more is usually better , see the link in my signature for info on preventing sway), so you may want to pack some stuff forward of the axle in the pod to get the weight right.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Pod People View Drop Down
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Joined: 22 Sep 2011
Location: Chapel Hill,NC
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Posts: 1088 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Jul 2015 at 9:46pm
Be sure to check your owners manual and the sticker on your inside door jamb to find out the maximum  cargo you can carry in your Rav.  sometimes the allowable cargo is a lot less than you might think.  The weight includes everything inside , on top or in the back, including fuel , people and tongue weight.

Overloading your tow vehicle can have major consequences-brakes, transmission, cooling, etc.

travel safe
Vann

Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179
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Grill View Drop Down
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Joined: 12 Jul 2015
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2015 at 2:47pm
Thanks for the advice.  I will try and work the tongue weight right.  I am also trying to not overload the trailer or Rav.   Even keeping things to a minimum 3500# comes up quickly.  My next TV will definitely have a higher towing capacity. 

Happy camping.

Greg 
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Leo B View Drop Down
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Joined: 13 Jan 2012
Location: Lyndonville, VT
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Posts: 4518 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2015 at 3:38pm
Happy Podding!!
Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150
2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk
Previously owned
2015 Rpod 179
2010 Rpod 171
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Pooterpod View Drop Down
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Joined: 13 May 2015
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Posts: 38 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2015 at 9:25pm
Your answer is waiting at the local CAT scales. Axle your rig and decide from there.
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Posts: 38 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2015 at 9:28pm
duplicate.
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2015 at 10:53pm
Make sure you get several measurements - pod axle, pod axle + tongue (unhitched), pod axle + rear TV axle (hitched back up), and all 3.  Then you can do the math to figure out how much each axle and the tongue weighs.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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