R Pod wantabe
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1245
Printed Date: 16 Jun 2025 at 5:41pm
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Topic: R Pod wantabe
Posted By: vandallc
Subject: R Pod wantabe
Date Posted: 23 May 2010 at 8:33pm
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Hi all. My wife and I are not podders yet but want to be. I spent several months looking at options for small travel trailers and a month or so decided R Pod was the way to go and joined this group. The problem is I assumed all along that I would be able to pull one with my Lincoln Town Car. Now I read that my car is only rated for 2000 lb trailers. My question to the group is, is all lost or are there modifications that I can make to the Town Car to make it an acceptable vehicle for pulling a 171 or 175? I.e. transmission cooler, shock mods etc. ------------- vandallc 2011 177 2003 Lincoln Navigator |
Replies:
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 23 May 2010 at 9:13pm
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Welcome, vandallc. I just read over 8 or 9 forums that discussed towing with an Town Car and it seems there is no clear answer. One forum said the towing capacity is officially 2000 lbs. Another said they were actually towing over 5000 lbs with upgrades. Several more talked about weights in-between. The specs indicate to me - personal opinion - that the most important pieces are there to support a 5000 tow rating. Its a body-on-frame vehicle, has a V8 engine and is a full-size car. I own a '93 Caprice and it is officially rated for 5000 lbs. with the tow package. Its body-on-frame with a V8 too. My bet is that your suspension may have to be upgraded (firmer springs), but that is probably the only thing. And for a 'pod you may not even have to do that since it is only around 2500 lbs. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: vandallc
Date Posted: 24 May 2010 at 5:00pm
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Thanks Doug. This is helpful. I think I will pursue the thought of improved shocks and perhaps a transmission cooler. ------------- vandallc 2011 177 2003 Lincoln Navigator |
Posted By: yizit
Date Posted: 24 May 2010 at 11:13pm
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I personally wouldn't pull any thing heavier then a small utility trailer or a pop-up under 1000#'s. Anything heavier you are asking for mechanical problems. There are many more things to take into consideration when calculating your towing capacity. We blew a transmission after 4 trips with a PUP weighing 2750#'s and our capacity was 3000#'s. You need to consider not only the weight of the trailer, but also the weight you add to the inside of vehicle (your weight and all passengers, luggage, and fuel).
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Former owner of 2009 172 Darlene & Jim, Ewok our Lhasa Roada our 2004 Roadtrek C190Popular |
Posted By: vandallc
Date Posted: 25 May 2010 at 10:18am
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Thanks. I am pretty confused at the moment on this subject. The Town Car was in earlier models rated for 5000 lbs and there is chatter on the net that Ford just dropped it to 2000 to drive business to trucks since (according to the chatter) the structure of the car did not change. I do get though that there are multiple considerations; transmission, gear ratio, shocks, etc... What were you driving when you blew your transmission? In the end, I will probably not take a chance. ------------- vandallc 2011 177 2003 Lincoln Navigator |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 25 May 2010 at 11:46am
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Note that you would need to upgrade your springs, not necessarily the shocks (although the shocks have to come off to change the springs, so you would upgrade them, too). Just pointing out that the load is carried by the springs. I don't know, but the Town Cars may have airbag suspensions and in that case the unit may act as both spring and shock.
The old body-on-frame construction and the drive train (engine/transmission/axle/rear) is what is most important, and I would believe the posters elsewhere that said that they didn't change. Companies usually don't change those components even when new body styles are created. On my Caprice those things mostly didn't change for decades. They upgraded to an electronic tranny but that's about it. I wouldn't worry about it - check into a firmer suspension, maybe the tranny cooler and go for it. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: vandallc
Date Posted: 25 May 2010 at 1:41pm
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Thanks for the clarification; springs versus shocks. I spoke with a manager of a Ford dealership and he was of the same opinion as you but of course no one will go on the record saying it is OK to go over the recommended maximum. So you have a 171; are you pleased with it? That is the model we believe we want. ------------- vandallc 2011 177 2003 Lincoln Navigator |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 25 May 2010 at 1:57pm
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Love it. The next generation (the ones with slide-outs) were announced the week after we picked ours up, and if we had known I might have gone for the one with the same floorplan but with the slide-out. I forget the model, its the 176 or 177. I sleep in the back of the queen bed and midnight bathroom breaks mean climbing over my wife, a big pain. I think with the slide-out I would be able to climb over her feet, much easier. Also wouldn't have to dance around as much as we do now when everyone is trying to brush teeth, etc. before bed. But its not such a big deal that I would now sell my 171 just to upgrade to the slide-out. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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