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Tow Vecicle

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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12237
Printed Date: 29 Mar 2024 at 9:42am
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Topic: Tow Vecicle
Posted By: McMayhem
Subject: Tow Vecicle
Date Posted: 23 Sep 2018 at 9:36pm
we are looking to get an Rpod 179.  We have a Rav 4 V6, will that tow this trailer.  The tow capacity for the RAV4 is 3,500lbs.  



Replies:
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 6:08am
IMHO - you are at 100% capability with this combination. I would not find that a good place, I'd like a minimum 5000 lb tow capacity. Have you looked at 179 specs? Have you towed with this vehicle before? Do folks tow with vehicles of same capacity, yes. You'll get a lot of opinions and options here, enough to make an informed decision. BTW - can you put a WDH on this vehicle?

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."


Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 6:37am
Here is a post from 2017 that pertains somewhat:

We recently upgraded our Rav4 to a rav4 v6. Hauled our 179 40 miles down flat highway. I am literally just walking out the door to trade 3 week old 2010 rav4 for a 2013 chevrolet Silverado 1500 5.3 v8 4x4 vortec

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."


Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 7:01am
I agree with mcarter. 

The folks I bought my 179 from originally towed with a RAV 4V6, sold it and bought a F150. In addition to the issues raised by mcarter, their other complaint was the small fuel tank capacity. You will get around 14 mpg towing, they told me that they had to stop for gas about every 130-150 miles or so.

I tow the 179 with a Highlander. Same 3.5 liter drivetrain as the V6 RAV. Plenty of power, but towing is really not limited by a power, its a weight issue.  My 179 weighs in at just around 3800-3900 fully loaded for boondocking. You'd be surprised how fast the weight goes up. Manufacturers include zero fluids (no water or propane) when they weigh the trailer, and no batteries. IMHO, its misleading.

So, consider how you will be using your pod.  Will you be camping only with hookups so no need to carry water or larger batteries? Or will you be doing a lot of boondocking and need to tow with a full water tank and dual batteries and lots of supplies? The water and batteries alone would add over 400 lbs to the pod's empty weight. Also consider how much weight will be in the RAV itself and take a look at your gross combined vehicle weight rating to be sure that's not exceeded. 

The Highlander has a 5000lb tow rating, 550 on the tongue, and I run a weight distribution hitch and antisway system. The wd hitch is needed, I wouldn't tow without it.  The Highlander isn't overloaded, but I personally wouldn't consider anything lighter to tow a 179. 

Can you tow a 179 with a RAV4 without exceeding its ratings? Yes, if you go out light and are very careful about loading. Would it be a fun experience and give you versatility in how you use your new pod? Probably not...




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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold


Posted By: McMayhem
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 7:43am
Thanks guys.

We were planning on upgrading to a Toyota Tacoma next year, but sounds like we might have to do that upgrade sooner.    


Posted By: McMayhem
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 7:49am
No we will be dry camping as well as camping with hookups.

Right now we have a Chalet Arrowhead Trail Boss, and had enough no issues towing. The Rpod will be heavier for sure than the Chelet.   

We might have to move up our plan to up grade to a Toyota Tacoma.


Posted By: McMayhem
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 7:51am
We do have a WDH on our Rav. We likely will be moving up our plan to upgrade our tow vehicle to a Toyota Tacoma.

Thanks,
Cindy


Posted By: Ben Herman
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 9:08am
Originally posted by McMayhem

We do have a WDH on our Rav. We likely will be moving up our plan to upgrade our tow vehicle to a Toyota Tacoma.

Thanks,
Cindy

Agree with your decision. We had a V6 Rav that my wife loved but we sold it when we got a 179. Originally towed it with a Honda Ridgeline (rated for 5,000 lbs towing) but it too was underpowered. Now towing with an older Lexus GX470 with a V8. LOVE this vehicle - a friend of mine tows a Casita with a Tacoma and is very happy with it.


Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 9:20am
The 6400 towing capacity Taco would be a great choice. I've had several and they've all been great trucks. 

I notice its max tongue weight is 640 lbs. I'm currently right around the Highlander's 550lb tongue weight limit with full fresh water and two golf cart batteries, but with only one propane tank on the tongue. Lots of folks prefer two tanks for boondocking, myself included, but I'd be close to 600 lbs then which is a bit higher than I'd like on the Highlander. You should be fine with the Taco but I'm sure it will continue to ride better for you with the wd hitch.

One other consideration on the 179 while we're on the topic of loading and weight distribution. The axles on the rPods are rated at 3500 lbs. If you're fully loaded in a 179 you're not too far off that figure. When you tension your wd hitch it adds to the rear axle load (about 20% of the tension on the hitch shows up as load on the axle). I've weighed mine with the hitch tensioned and I'm at about 3450 lbs on the trailer axle. So you don't want to overtension the wd hitch.  Just something to be aware of. 

Have fun!




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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold


Posted By: OldNeumanntapr
Date Posted: 24 Sep 2018 at 9:21am
Originally posted by McMayhem

Thanks guys.

We were planning on upgrading to a Toyota Tacoma next year, but sounds like we might have to do that upgrade sooner.    

You would be a lot happier with a V6 Tacoma. We pull our rPod 180 with a V6 PreRunner Tacoma and it is a perfect match. Plenty of power for the job. Fuel mileage is between 10.5 and 13, so the range is around 200 miles on a tankful.


Posted By: Trike Man
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2018 at 3:36pm
I am currrently pulling my 2018 R Pod 180 with a 2014 Nissan Frontier 4 wheel drive with a V6. It has 261 hp. It's ok but I wouldn't like pulling it up into the mountains. It is rated to pull about 6,000 and my GVWR is 3,790. You would think that would be plenty of power but it still doesn't feel like it has enough power on steeper hills let alone a mountain.

I have been thinking about upgrading to get more hp and torque. The 2018 Canyon, Colorado and Tacoma have more hp and torque. The way to go would certainly be a F150 or a Silverado but I'm trying to avoid the full size truck to get it into my garage. Do you think a later model Chevy Cplorado, GMC Canyon or Toyota Tacoma would make enough difference? The new Ford Ranger is about to come out and it will have the best performance. It it suppose to pull up to 7,500- but I would pay a lot for the new vehicle. However, I would hate to go through the trouble of getting a new or newer middle size truck and it still doesn't make much difference. The problem is- you really don't know the difference until you actually pull the vehicle.

Thoughts

Trike Man


Posted By: OldNeumanntapr
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2018 at 7:26pm
I pull a 2018 180 with a 2011 V6 Tacoma PreRunner. It does pretty well. Plenty of power, at least for me.


Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2018 at 10:16am
I have a 2016 V6 Colorado, no towing issues.

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."


Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2018 at 12:58pm
We pull with a 2012 Highlander V6. It's a FWD. It does remarkably well except for the lack of traction when accelerating from a stand-still. We've had it up in the Rockies and Appalachians and only lost about 5 mph on the few 9-degree grades we've encountered.

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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod"
2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4
Three cats


Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2018 at 4:03pm
I tow an RP-172 with my frontier. I havn't gone into the rockies, but I've driven in the appalachians , the white, and the green mountains. The frontier has plenty of power, but, it does tend to get near 4000 rpm at times to gain speed up a long grade. I prefer to keep the rpm's below 3500, but, make no mistake, at 4500 rpm i can pass a vehicle going uphill, I just prefer to keep the rpm's down. Your Taco would be the same, so you should be good.

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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding


Posted By: ToolmanJohn
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2018 at 6:14pm
Check the engine torque numbers. Try for over 280ft/lbs. Also try for  6 to 8 speed transmissions. It will make for a very good combination. If your new tow vehicle has a 7000+ tow rating, it'll do great towing any R-Pod.

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2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler
2013 R-Pod 177 (SOLD)
2013 VW Touareg TDI


Posted By: Trike Man
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2018 at 7:21pm
Thanks everyone for your input. I'm leaning towards a Canyon or Colorado. That will give me 308 hp with a towing capacity of 7,000. Should be enough.


Posted By: Woodmiester
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2018 at 8:15am
I tow a 190 with a Ford Explorer sport trac, V6 with a towing capacity of 5000#.  I believe that is just about max for that pickup.   I presently weigh in at just over 4500#.  I think that is just about as high as I would like to go.  Going up long steep grades, I take my time and keep the RPM around 3200-3500 and don't get in a hurry.  Most of these grades have a truck lane up and down, so I just get over with those guys.  Quite comfortable.

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Swampfox


Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2018 at 3:50pm
Woodmeister, our Dakota has about the same towing capacity and we also do fine on the grades.  I keep the rpm below 3600 as that is just about the max of the torque curve and also never hurry.  

We recently went over Carson Pass in the Sierra Nevada Mts. and there is one hill which requires a down shift into nominally 1st gear of a 5-speed automatic, with 3 shift positions plus an overdrive button.  We were in real second gear and pleasantly, but slowly made it up the grade with no problem.  [I know it was 2nd because when I pushed the gas a little too far it down shifted into real 1st.]  The nice thing is that you get to look at things you never get to see while driving.  We also added a transmission cooler just to be on the safe side, but I can't say I've noticed any functional difference in performance.


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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost


Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 05 Dec 2018 at 9:15pm
You won't notice much difference in performance by installing a transmission cooler. What will happen is that the transmission fluid will not get as hot so it will be less likely to start breaking down and causing problems. See this link for details:   https://www.freeautomechanic.com/transmission-temperature.html - https://www.freeautomechanic.com/transmission-temperature.html

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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7712 - ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS


Posted By: Woodmiester
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2018 at 8:22am
Lost Again,

I am thinking of adding a transmission cooler also, just to eliminate future problems..  You are absolutely right about one thing.  "Slow down and enjoy the trip".


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Swampfox


Posted By: DavMar
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2018 at 6:02pm
Woodmiester,
If by chance you don't know then you need to look into if your vehicle has a factor installed tow package? Because if it does then the chance are that maybe you already have an additional transmission cooler and heavier duty alternator that puts out more amps then the standard alternator that is sold with your vehicle that come with many vehicles that are sold with tow packages.


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Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog.
2017 Rpod 180
2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4
Lexington, NC


Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 06 Dec 2018 at 6:09pm
Pretty heads up to know how your TV is equipped, right.

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."


Posted By: Live2Camp
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2018 at 2:31pm
Originally posted by StephenH

You won't notice much difference in performance by installing a transmission cooler. What will happen is that the transmission fluid will not get as hot so it will be less likely to start breaking down and causing problems. See this link for details:   https://www.freeautomechanic.com/transmission-temperature.html - https://www.freeautomechanic.com/transmission-temperature.html

This is a great article, thank you! I generally knew the upshot but this explains it well and simply. Another one for the binder. 


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2017 R-Pod 179 HRE (the green one)
His:Ford F150 double cab 4WD; Hers/mine:Tacoma V6 double cab 4WD
Still love rugged, diggin' comfy too


Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2018 at 3:05pm
For me I like to have a trans temp gauge. My 2016 has one and I had one added to gauges when I did the 2006 gauge rebuild. Great to have a cooler, but kinda of hard to know when it is actually hot without a gauge.

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Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."


Posted By: OldNeumanntapr
Date Posted: 07 Dec 2018 at 10:19pm
Originally posted by mcarter

For me I like to have a trans temp gauge. My 2016 has one and I had one added to gauges when I did the 2006 gauge rebuild. Great to have a cooler, but kinda of hard to know when it is actually hot without a gauge.

Good point. The new F150s we have at work have Trans Temp Gauges. I've never seen one get hot but it's always nice to be able to have a visual reference.


Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 08 Dec 2018 at 10:49am
We got an OBD II link module, and can run any of several "auxiliary gauges" through our smart phone. It can display transmission temperature, plus many other things. A couple that I like to keep an eye on is the "fuel trim" and "Boost pressure". The fuel trim indicates whether the engine is sucking up more fuel (or not), and the boost pressure indicates that the turbos are "working". Sometimes, I can improve mileage by dropping down one gear to get the engine out of turbo boost mode.

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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost



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