Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: Tongue Weight with full water

Print Page | Close Window

Tongue Weight with full water

Printed From: R-pod Owners Forum
Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13071
Printed Date: 21 Jun 2025 at 11:27am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Tongue Weight with full water

Posted By: geewizard
Subject: Tongue Weight with full water
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 9:15am

I had the water tank full on the last trip. My carefully-adjusted Andersen WDH chains were hardly tensioned and I had too much sway in the trailer. I DID adjust the Andersen WDH without the fresh water tank filled. That's my error.

When I unhitched, I could almost lift the Rpod tongue by hand.....indicating to me that the tongue weight was very small.

I did add some items to the underbed storage area. But, not that much.

What is the solution? Carry less water? That seems kind of a waste. Add lead weights under the dinette seat areas?

I think there's a significant design flaw in having the fresh water tank placed behind the axle instead of in front.

Comments? Suggestions?

-------------
2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD
2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper
2014 Toyota Tundra DC

Replies:

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 9:32am

I think the 177 also has the gray tank behind the axle? If so then you're going to be aft loaded both going out and coming back. If you camp in developed campgrounds fill up when you get there and dump when you leave. Otherwise, move load forward as much as possible. Dual batteries on the tongue will add about 60 plus lbs without having to carry around useless weights. Dual propane cylinders will add 40 lbs.

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

Posted By: geewizard
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 9:38am

We generally camp offgrid.

Yes, the gray water tank is also aft of the axle. Grrrr.

I have dual batteries on the tongue and one propane tank.

I think this is my last RPod.

-------------
2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD
2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper
2014 Toyota Tundra DC

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 9:49am

I suggest you weigh the tongue to see what you actually have there with fresh water full. From what I've seen rPods can indeed sway when the tongue weight is less than 10-11% of trailer weight. Sway control helps for sure but I personally wouldn't want to count on it.

But don't give up hope, even if you do add some more weight in front your Tundra would certainly be able to handle it no problem. Maybe just a second propane tank would do it.

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

Posted By: podwerkz
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 11:56am

Or, as I mentioned in the other thread, carry about half of your fresh water supply in water jugs in the tow vehicle.

-------------
r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!

Posted By: geewizard
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 1:02pm

I guess I'm questioning WHY I should have to carry half my fresh water in the tow vehicle rather than utilize the fresh water tank as designed so I can safely tow the Pod. I agree that's a solution though.

I think what I'll do is move the spare tire from the rear to under the trailer tongue as well as move as much under-bed cargo to under the dinette seats as possible. Maybe that will get me the correct percentage for tongue weight.

-------------
2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD
2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper
2014 Toyota Tundra DC

Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 2:23pm

Wow, I looked at the floorplan on the 177 and I see the issue. Your pass thru is in the back, your bed weight is in the back, Your under bed storage is in the back, Your freshwater tank is in the back, and the grey tank is toward the back. Seems like THAT might be why you can't buy them anymore. Looks like the best thing is don't fill the fresh water, and carry it in a large container on the tongue, then move some cargo forward. I do agree you SHOULD be able to carry water, but, the reality might be you can't. At least not in the fresh tank.

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

Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 4:09pm

I don't travel with a full fresh water tank. I have a 178. Why would I haul 300 lbs of water. I fill if necessary at or near campsite. I don't use the FW tank as a drinking water solution. Keeping my Pod, if I wanted a water carrier, I'd get a water trailer.

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

Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 30 Jul 2019 at 6:16pm

Our 177 had a tongue weight of 380lbs, ready to camp.
We only towed with the FW tanks full a couple times in 6 years. RARELY saw the need. And we boondocked a fair amount. Get water when you get there.

They stopped building the 177 because it and the 178 were deemed to close to the same, and the 178 outsold the 177 by about 30%. Streamlining Pod production was needed due to the new ginormous Pods coming out, and the fact that the Pod/Surveyor factory also picked up the NoBo.

-------------

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2019 at 4:41am

Even one of the rPods like my 179 which has a forward mounted fresh water tank still has an aft mounted gray tank. Water has a nasty tendency to get dirty and move from one tank to the other, and sometimes there is no dump station available at a campground even if there is water there. I do agree though that the 177 with both tanks aft does have an additional risk of sway if one isn't careful with their water weight.

Safest course of action (just my opinion) is to check tongue weight with each tank (but not both) full and try to keep both those conditions within safe limits (not too high for the TV when front loaded and not below about 11% of trailer weight when rear loaded).

If you know your actual tongue weight under one of the two conditions the other one can be determined mathematically:

New tongue weight = old tongue weight - 250 X horizontal distance to center of full tank from axle/horizontal distance to tongue from axle + 250 X distance to center of empty tank from axle/distance to tongue from axle.

Full and empty mean the way the tanks were when you weighed the tongue. 250 lbs is the weight of 30 gallons of water. Doesn't matter if you measure the distances in inches, feet, centimeters, or cubits. This formula works for any tank locations and any single axle trailer as long as you take the distance as a negative number if the tank is behind the axle and a positive number if in front of the axle.

The same formula works for adding or removing any other loads too, so you can estimate what the effects are from adding a mod or moving gear around.

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

Posted By: geewizard
Date Posted: 31 Jul 2019 at 9:05am

Thanks for all the input. I agree, 300 lbs of water for a couple of days of camping is not needed even though we almost always boondock. I can also carry water in the Tundra bed.

-------------
2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB
2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD
2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper
2014 Toyota Tundra DC