Hello from North Central Florida

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   Firstly, this is a great site for a wealth of information, and I am certainly glad for it, as I am taking delivery of a new R-pod 179 this week.  Over the years, I have gone from tent camping, pop up, travel trailer, and a fifth wheel.  I sold the fifth wheel and diesel truck 4 years ago when time didn't permit a lot of camping and use.  The last year, circumstances changed and realized I really missed camping, but didn't want what I had previously.  I purchased an A-liner Classic, and it was a great camper, but just found it didn't have the room for 2 adults and 2 dogs.  For years, I have admired the R-pods.  So, I now have one and looking forward to many great years of camping and travels again.  The information on this site, has answered many of my questions.  My only worry is that I just purchased a new VW Atlas SE with factory towing package, which is rated to tow 5000 lbs.  I know it will have the power, but it is not recommended by VW to add a WDH.  I am having a brake controller installed, as it is pre-wired for one, and I may go ahead and have an anti-way bar installed when I pick up the camper.  Any thoughts?
Again, thanks to everyone in advance for the great information.

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nfgator Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 13 Jul 2019 Location: Florida Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Topic: Hello from North Central Florida Posted: 14 Jul 2019 at 5:41pm
	Firstly, this is a great site for a wealth of information, and I am certainly glad for it, as I am taking delivery of a new R-pod 179 this week. Over the years, I have gone from tent camping, pop up, travel trailer, and a fifth wheel. I sold the fifth wheel and diesel truck 4 years ago when time didn't permit a lot of camping and use. The last year, circumstances changed and realized I really missed camping, but didn't want what I had previously. I purchased an A-liner Classic, and it was a great camper, but just found it didn't have the room for 2 adults and 2 dogs. For years, I have admired the R-pods. So, I now have one and looking forward to many great years of camping and travels again. The information on this site, has answered many of my questions. My only worry is that I just purchased a new VW Atlas SE with factory towing package, which is rated to tow 5000 lbs. I know it will have the power, but it is not recommended by VW to add a WDH. I am having a brake controller installed, as it is pre-wired for one, and I may go ahead and have an anti-way bar installed when I pick up the camper. Any thoughts? Again, thanks to everyone in advance for the great information.
	2109 R-pod 179 2109 VW Atlas SE

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 14 Jul 2019 at 6:50pm
	Interesting that it has a 5000 lb rating but VW doesn't want you to use a wdh. If they say not to I definitely wouldn't, the wdh places a very different load on the tow vehicle frame. So, next question is, what is the tongue weight rating on the VW, and can you keep the tongue weight on your 179 down to a level where the VW can handle that comfortably without a wdh? I can tell you that its rather easy to end up with pretty high tongue weights with a 179, particularly if you boondock and carry a dual battery system and water in the fresh water tank. I'm over 500 lbs on mine. It also matters what you've loaded in the rear of the VW. The problem will come if you wind up overloading the rear axle of the TV. I suggest you actually weigh your rig as loaded (and populated) for travel, one axle at a time, so you know what you have. You can do that at a public scale, I use the one at my county waste transfer station. The axle load limits should be on your door sticker so you can compare the actual numbers to that. While you're at it unhitch the trailer and go back through the scales with the TV only, the difference between the weight of the TV with and without the trailer is your tongue weight. If you're within limits on your rear TV axle but don't like the way its riding, you could consider adding airlift shocks. That won't reduce the load on the rear axle like a wdh will but it ought to help even out the ride height.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

EchoGale Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Mar 2019 Location: FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 461	Posted: 14 Jul 2019 at 7:51pm
	Welcome! from Northeast Florida.
	Julie

nfgator Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 13 Jul 2019 Location: Florida Online Status: Offline Posts: 2	Posted: 15 Jul 2019 at 6:05pm
	Thank you, Offgrid , for the information. That is a great idea. I plan on taking it for a "test run" this weekend at a local state park, close to home, and will load it with what I normally carry and go by the scales and weigh as you suggested. I did decide to add a friction sway bar, in hope to reduce any sway.
	2109 R-pod 179 2109 VW Atlas SE

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 16 Jul 2019 at 6:06pm
	You can't go wrong by adding sway control. My personal philosophy is to have both belt and suspenders, keep the trailer loaded to minimize sway risk and then have sway control just in case. I experienced some trailer sway once years ago riding in a friend's rig and its scary. Low tongue weight generally is the culprit when sway occurs. The rule of thumb is to never go below a tongue weight of about 10% of total trailer weight. I did a little poll last year on when owners have seen sway on their rPods. and it looked like the 10-11% range was about right. That's pretty hard to get in a 179 when there is usually so much weight forward, but ts possible when you fill up the gray tank which is behind the trailer axle, the front mounted fresh water tank is empty, and you have a lot of heavy stuff aft in the kitchen cabinets. So, its always best to dump your gray and black tanks before heading home after camping if you can, and watch how much beer or whatever your favorite beverage is that have stowed under in the kitchen cabinets. Check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2fkOVHAC8Q
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold