I need HELP!!!: ball height for towing 196

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ball height for towing 196

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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
Forum Discription: Perplexed/need help with a problem - ask here
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13540
Printed Date: 14 May 2025 at 5:59am
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Topic: ball height for towing 196

Posted By: Linward
Subject: ball height for towing 196
Date Posted: 10 May 2020 at 9:44pm

Got a 196 which I had pulled home with a Silverado a couple of months ago but recently had a too-close encounter with an elk with the truck and had to replace it...the truck not the elk. Anyway, I replaced the Silverado with a Ram Rebel which has air suspension and when I hooked the new truck up with the trailer, the R-Pod was lifted at the tongue and angled down at the back. So, my question is at what ball height should the 196 be towed?

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It's all about choices.

Replies:

Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 10 May 2020 at 9:47pm

I think you can answer that. Make sure the RPod is level. Measure the distance from the hitch to the ground on the RPod and then you will know at what height the ball should be on the Ram. When hitched, the RPod should be level to slightly lower in the front.

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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: Linward
Date Posted: 11 May 2020 at 9:24pm

Thanks StephenH for responding. What perplexed me with the Ram truck was that the air suspension is dynamic; it not only self levels, but it elevates once the truck reaches 30mph and again if I go off road. But I see your point that once the the trailer is level (or slightly tilted down at the tongue), I have the hitch at the proper height. I've never had a truck with air suspension before.

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It's all about choices.

Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 11 May 2020 at 9:55pm

I have not experience with air suspensions. I would think there would be a way to not have it change, which would make it hard to get a consistent trailer hitch height. Your owner's manual or your dealer should have more information about this.

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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: john in idaho
Date Posted: 12 May 2020 at 9:35am

You would think the owner's manual or the dealer would have the answers to your questions about towing with air bags. Our main TV is a Ram 1500 - no air suspension. N ew Durango with air suspension and tow package -- no info on towing, shifting , tire pressure, etc. Dealer is no help and the guy at Chrysler has clearly never towed anything. For now I will stick with the Ram truck for towing.

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 12 May 2020 at 11:25am

I found this which sounds like it turns off the ram air suspension:

Apparently, lifting the truck (maybe lifting even one wheel) automatically puts the truck into "tire jack" mode, which effectively disables the air suspension. You have to go into the uConnect Settings menu, into Suspension, select 'Tire Jack Mode', and turn it back off - your suspension will resume functioning.

One issue is that if you use a wdh the air suspension will try to fight it by raising the hitch height which reduces the tension on the wdh spring bars. That will move more load onto the rear axle from the front axle which is not what you want.

For this reason if it were me and I didn't like my ride height or load distribution while towing I would defeat the air suspension and use a wdh to get things where I wanted them.

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