Weights and Measures
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Forum Name: I need HELP!!!
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14382
Printed Date: 02 May 2025 at 12:29pm
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Topic: Weights and Measures
Posted By: TexasCruiser
Subject: Weights and Measures
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 1:27pm
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I'm confused about whether my TV is sufficient to pull my RPod. I think I saw a chart about specifications but I don't know where to find it now. We have a new (to us) 2018 RPod 179 that we intend to tow with our 2018 GMC Terrain 2.0L gas with a V-92 tow package. From what I can tell the Terrain has a max payload of 886 lb, the hitch/tongue weight of the Pod is 292 lb (does this include the 12v battery and full propane tank or do I need to add for that?) and my wife and I weigh a combined 400lb. That leaves 194 lb max cargo we can put in the Terrain when towing. Terrain is rated for 3500 lb tow capacity. We use an E-2 anti-sway WDH. Dry weight of RPod is 2909 so does that mean we can carry roughly 600 lb of cargo in the Pod including battery and propane along with what we carry in the TV to be at our max load? I know that would put us at the borderline and safety protocols dictate that we carry less than the max. I suspect that any mountainous roads would cause added burden on the transmission so we should probably not try the Rockies with this rig. I'd like to hear from Podders who pull with a Terrain or Equinox to get your experiences. A pickup may be in our future but it's not in our current budget. Sorry this is so long. But this is eating at me and I want our new camping adventures to be good ones. Thanks in advance for all replies. ------------- TexasCruiser |
Replies:
Posted By: Skip
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 1:35pm
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Battery or batteries and propane unfortunately are not included. Betting no one here will think your tow vehicle is a good idea. Unfortunately! ------------- Camper owner 47 years, 2 tents, 6 trailers seem to think I’ve seen it all! |
Posted By: TexasCruiser
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 1:39pm
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Thanks Skip. ------------- TexasCruiser |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 2:13pm
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You have several max specs you have to stay within to be legal. As you say, having some headroom below the legal limitations is a good idea for safety.
You need the loaded trailer weight to be below 3500 lbs. You need the combined total rig weight as loaded to be below the max combined gross vehicle weight rating (MCGVWR) of the Terrain. That number should be on the drivers door sticker of the Terrain. You can get your max axle loads there too and check those. You also need the actual tongue weight of the trailer to be below the max tongue weight of the Terrain. That is probably 350 lbs but you should be able to confirm it in your manual. If you haven’t already, check there to be sure that GMC allows you to use a weight distribution hitch. Some manufacturers don’t. The wdh does not allow you an increase in tongue weight btw. Also you shouldn’t have too low a tongue weight, less than around 10% has been known to result in trailer sway in rpods. Unless you actually weigh the loaded trailer and tow vehicle you will be guessing, the empty weight of the trailer and the listed tongue weight are not reality. So, load up both the trailer and tow vehicle as you intend to use them, gear, supplies, batteries, propane, fuel, passengers, water tank, water heater, everything you plan to take with you. Go go to a public scale. Leave the wdh installed but do not tension it or it will throw off the measurements. Get your weights adding one axle at a time. Drop the trailer, leave the wdh installed and go back through and get the tow vehicle weight, again one axle at s time. Trailer weight is total rig weight minus tow vehicle weight from second weighing. Tongue weight is tow vehicle axles from first weight minus tow vehicle weight from second weighing. Put all your specs, weights, and dimensions in this calculator and it will tell you if and where you are out of spec, and also how much to tension you should put on the wdh to get the front axle load back up to what it was without the trailer ( front axle load goes down when to put weight on the hitch). https://www.ajdesigner.com/apptrailertow/weightdistributionhitch.php Bottom line is you will probably never be happy with the Terrain towing a 179, even if it’s legal. To stay within specs you will be constantly trying to save all the weight you can. Even with a 5000 lb rated tow vehicle like I have I have to load carefully, especially if you plan to boon dock and have water and dual batteries on board. You will also probably never be satisfied with the performance of that 2.0 liter engine. And considering that you will be getting around 14mpg towing (everybody does) you will be stopping for gas every 120-150 miles or so, which can get frustrating and stressful. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 2:32pm
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+1 to OG. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 3:33pm
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+2. OG is right about the loads. I have not seen one RP179 that has a tongue weight below 450 lbs. When all the necessary stuff is loaded into the Rpod, and your tow vehicle is loaded up, you are going to be overweight, underpowered, and over-stressed. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: pedwards2932
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2021 at 7:15pm
| If it is a turbo charged 2.0 I would doubt the under powered part. Weight wise it can be done but you have to be really careful loading. Can't carry any water in tanks. Only a single propane tank and battery. You have to load it properly to get 350 lb tongue weight and this weight needs to be a least 10% - 12% of your total weight. As offgrid says you will be continually working to keep weight acceptable. |
Posted By: john in idaho
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 10:17am
| And then all the stuff you take out of the trailer- like water, food, lawn chairs - has to go somewhere. Eventually you will want a generator which is heavy. One heavy thing you can get rid of is the table contraption that FR supplied. |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 3:35pm
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350 is not going to be easy on a 179. Doable. I have a 178, with single battery, single propane and a small generator on rack. Last I measured 392 on the tongue. If I remove genset, I'm close to 350. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: TimK182G
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 4:58pm
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A 2.0 liter engine is awfully small for towing an r pod. I towed mine a couple times with our Acadia which was a 3.6 liter and that would be the smallest GMC SUV I would ever consider towing these with. Much happier towing it with my half ton Sierra now. Terrains are better suited to tow something 2000 lbs GVW or lighter I would say. I echo everyone above, probably not a good tow vehicle for an r pod. ------------- 2018 R-Pod 182G 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 |
Posted By: pedwards2932
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 5:47pm
| A 2.0 litre turbo charged engine puts out about 250 hp.....from my experience this is plenty of power for my r189 |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2021 at 7:39pm
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Another factor to consider is wind drag. Traveling at 45 mph or less it probably isn't a huge factor. Above those speeds it is huge. Also in case of a situation where you may have to suddenly slow down or stop (deer, bear, another motorist), will your vehicle have enough 'beef' to handle the situation at hand? ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 7:01am
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My experience with towing when we had the 2016 Escape 2L Ecoboost which also had a 3500 lb tow rating is yes, it will have enough power if it is turbocharged and yes, as long as the brakes on the RPod are functioning correctly, it will be able to slow down and stop quickly in an emergency. I had to slow down quickly more than once in the thousands of miles I towed with the Escape and never failed to slow down quickly unless there were a problem with the RPod brakes. ------------- 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: offgrid
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 7:56am
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If you’re within the MCGVWR for the rig and you have functioning trailer brakes then straight line dry pavement braking should be OK. Ditto for raw hp, but because air drag will be high you will be stopping to fill that little gas tank much more often. A small tow vehicle does nothing to improve fuel economy towing, in fact it can well be worse than with a heavier TV because the smaller engine will be operating much above its most efficient rpm.
The biggest factor is weight capacity, that’s why you have to get honest actual loaded weights to compare to your specs (axles, trailer, hitch, MCGVR, tongue percent of trailer weight). If you are over anywhere not only are no longer legal but you have a dangerous rig. You can bend the frame, break an axle, or lose control in a sudden maneuver or on a slippery or irregular surface. Many people ignore or just don’t know that they are overloaded because of the misleading way the TV and trailer specs are presented by the manufacturers. They might well be fine until the unexpected happens and then they’re not. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 8:54am
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The one thing hardly mentioned here is, all things are relative. What is your specific want. If you tow the pod two or three times a year, down to the local campground that's 1 - 2 hours away, with a little fore thought, you'll be just fine. Everybody assumes you want to load it up and travel cross country, which if that's your desire, your vehicle is not a great choice. ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: pedwards2932
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 8:55am
| +1 on the fillups - we get about 14-15 mpg avg towing so that is about 180 miles to fill up....but for us that is 3 hours so we are ready to pull off.....retired not in a hurry and bathroom and strecthing pit stops more a factor |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 10:00am
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The more remote and mountainous areas you travel the range becomes more important. You might be willing to go to where you have a couple gallons left in the tank in a populated area but if you’re in an unpopulated area, especially in the west you need more. Personally I like at least a 5 gal reserve. In the mountains getting 10 mpg not 14 that’s only 50 miles. If you have a 15 gallon tank that gives a range of about 100 miles. There are destinations I’ve gone just in WV where you are close to 100 miles round trip from the nearest gas station. I’ve been really glad to have a 20 gal fuel tank rather than 15, that 1/3 larger tank effectively increases my range by 50%. Even 20 gal isn’t generous.
You can pick a nice day and travel an hour, but if you’re not legal then it really doesn’t matter if you’re heading to the local park or traveling cross country. If you get in a wreck and someone is injured you will be considered negligent. Just sayin’ ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 10:41am
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If we're going to really remote areas where there is the possibility of running out of gas, we carry a can or two of extra gas in 5 gal. metal gas cans in the truck bed. Since or Dakota died and we got our F-150, with the improved mileage with the ecoboost and a 26 gallon tank, it's very rare to ever need to carry extra gasoline. I don't think we'd carry gas if we had to put it in the cargo areas inside the passenger compartment of an SUV; too stinky and dangerous. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 11:25am
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I wouldn’t keep gas in my suv either. Plus gas weighs 6 lbs per gallon, so an extra 30 plus lbs per 5 gal can, it all adds up. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: TexasCruiser
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 11:51am
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This forum is awesome! I appreciate everyone's honest and helpful suggestions/counsel. I've gone back and forth on this matter. Being retired and on a fixed income we had not planned to upgrade our TV at this time. So my plan is to load up the Terrain and the RPod with what we need for short camping trips and get it weighed. Then I'll do the math and get a feel for whether or not I'm legal. Being absolute newbies we will go to a nearby local campground in early Spring to learn all the systems in the Pod. If everything works out we'll plan some longer trips but will avoid the mountains for now. Once we upgrade the TV we'll do those trips to WV, New England and the US and Canadian Rockies as well as the west and east coasts. Thanks again. ------------- TexasCruiser |
Posted By: GlueGuy
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 11:54am
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If the 2.0L engine is turbocharged, the power might be just fine. Where you're more likely to have issues is the load/stress with a WDH, rear wheel bearings, and possible transmission overheating. ------------- bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
Posted By: Andy
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 12:46pm
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We started out with an F150 3.oL for our 179. With the amount of mountainous country that we travel in the southwest that was just not enough truck, especially if we were pulling a full fresh water tank, which we do often. I use a WDH and sway bar. I traded that for a Silverado 1500, V8, 4WD and am very satisfied with it. I still use the WDH and sway bar, just to be on the safe side. With the added height of the Hood River Edition, a cross wind can be tricky. I get on average 14 MPG and cruise between 60-62MPH. We are retired and in no hurry to get anywhere. Good luck on your decision, it's a stressing situation for sure. Enjoy the RPOD! ------------- 2017 179 2016 Silverado Z71 |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 1:07pm
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The Hood River version really is the same and should weigh the same as the Eastern one except for a few lbs for the lift kit and 15 inch wheels, if those haven’t already been added anyway. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 1:19pm
You’ll find that whatever gear you start out with you will want some more things. Awning, screen tent, bbq, folding chairs, solar, generator, ladder, tools, etc etc, etc. Depending on where you live you can often get weighed for free at your county landfill or waste transfer station. You pay taxes to the county after all. Just go at a slow time and ask nice. One axle at a time, go home, drop the trailer, back through with the TV. Just a reminder not to tension the wdh, it will really throw off the axle weights. Leave it on the TV for the 2nd round. Good luck! ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 1:30pm
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Our F-150 2.7 ecoboost does fine in the high Sierra pulling up steep grades with a trailer that has a fully loaded weight of 4400#. The turbo boost makes altitude nearly irrelevant. The only bad thing is that going down long grades, one must be very careful to keep the speed under control because the engine braking is not like a great big V-8. Its max towing capacity is 7800#. And, the mileage is much better than our Dakota. On our last trip we got 14.9 mpg according to the onboard computer. That is pretty typical for us as long as we don't have awful head winds. With our Fastway e2 the ride is smooth and comfortable even in bad cross-winds. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: TexasCruiser
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 1:37pm
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Offgrid: Leave it on the TV for the 2nd round.
Sorry but leave what on for the 2nd round? Do I weigh with the trailer twice, once with the WDH and once without? I'm confused. ------------- TexasCruiser |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 1:57pm
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Sorry. Should have been more clear. The wdh should be left in the receiver on the TV for the second weighing. It’s considered to be part of the TV not the trailer since it is rigidly attached to the TV. You can also put the spring bars in the rear of the TV to account for their weight. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: TexasCruiser
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 2:22pm
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Gotcha. Thanks much! ------------- TexasCruiser |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 2:33pm
LA, you tow at around 55 or so, right? Most modern high efficiency vehicles will get around 15 mpg towing an rpod at 55-ish on flat ground with no wind. Drag from the rpod dominates and drag goes with the square of the relative wind so at 60 it is 19% higher than at 55. At 60 with a 10 mph headwind it is a remarkable 62% higher. Now that is where you might have trouble with a 2.0 liter keeping up, not to mention terrible fuel economy. When I first got my rpod I was buzzing along at 60-65 with a 25 mph tailwind getting about 18-19mpg. Boy was I happy. Never happened again... ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: poston
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 2:42pm
Same happened to me. When I calc'd my gas mileage after getting home with my new (to me) Rpod, I thought "19 mpg, not too bad." It was not a miracle, it was elimination of wind resistance due to a tailwind. ------------- -- Jim Virginia City, Nevada 2016 R-pod 180 2015 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 3:34pm
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Yep. Here is a nice calculator you can play with to come up with your fuel consumption under varying conditions. Turns out that about 2/3 of your power goes to overcome air drag at 60 -ish mph. The other third is rolling resistance, and about all you can do there is get trailer rather than aggressive tread pattern tires and keep the inflation pressure up,
https://ecomodder.com/forum/tool-aero-rolling-resistance.php The calculator is pretty good for flat ground. Climbing hills is another story. You will burn up about a gallon of gas every 3000 feet you climb in one of our rigs, nothing you can do about it. You never get back much of the potential energy you put in climbing either because coming down it’s wasted as engine and/or friction braking. That’s where ev’s really shine as the motors turn into generators to recharge the batteries going downhill. Hybrid batteries are too small, they’ll recover some of the energy from stop and start driving in traffic but not from a long downhill grade. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Pod_Geek
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 3:57pm
Been doing some research of late looking at EVs as Tow Vehicles. We're a long ways off yet... ------------- 2020.5 R-Pod 195 Hood River 2018 RAM 2500 6.4L |
Posted By: lostagain
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 4:03pm
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We have been known to go 60 to keep up with traffic and not get squashed by the semi's going way too fast. Most trips where we've gotten the 14.8 - 14.9 mpg have been trips where we spent some time going 60 and have had some wind, usually from the side, but not over about 10 mph. The point is that there is plenty of power with the 2.7 ecoboost, including in the high mountains. As for mileage, well, when we're not towing the computer says we get 24 mpg. as a general rule. When we climb to 9000 feet from 4000, the mileage sucks, but it's still way better than the Dakota. Most of our recent trips have been from Dayton to/from Eagle Lake, near Susanville. There are several climbs to 6000+ feet, but the start and destination are both about 4500 ft. Bottom line, the 2.7 ecoboost engine is has adequate power and economy for the trailer we tow, and we even have some capacity to spare. ------------- Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 4:06pm
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Yep, unless you’re only doing short runs.
Seen this? https://www.google.com/amp/s/insideevs.com/news/366120/video-tesla-model-x-towing-steep-grade/amp/ ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Pod_Geek
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 4:34pm
Seen this? https://www.trailerlife.com/towing/tow-vehicles/will-your-next-tow-vehicle-be-electric/ Range is terrible, weight is limited, battery packs are heavy, charging takes forever, and there are few/no pull-through charging stations. Maybe if I live to be 110 I'll see EVs towing 5ers...
------------- 2020.5 R-Pod 195 Hood River 2018 RAM 2500 6.4L |
Posted By: marwayne
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2021 at 4:41pm
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I have a 150 liter ( 39.6 gallon ) tank, best mileage 18.8 mpg down hill and tailwind ------------- If you want something done right, do it yourself. 2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd. |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 9:02am
Yeah, not here yet but getting pretty close. Once we get to the tipping point with batteries where evs are as cheap as ice’s it’ll go fast. Solar is now the cheapest electrical energy source. Took 40 years to get there, now it’s exploding. So it won’t be when you’re 110 unless you’re already 100 now, in which case you’ll need that RV to be self driving. 😜 ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2021 at 3:38pm
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We just returned from a trip. Our Ford Expedition v8 towing our 179 and 2 canoes on the roof got 12.7mpg on flat roads with little/no wind factor. All of our tanks were empty, but the Pod/Exp was packed as normal for our trip.We don't speed-55/60 max. Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 06 Feb 2021 at 3:01am
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12.7 is maybe slightly on the low side but the canoes are adding some drag. The other point is that we all observe poorer fuel economy in winter. Two reasons for this: winter blend fuel has lower heat content and denser winter air creates more drag. If you plug in the numbers in that calculator I posted it’s roughly 1 mpg lower under winter conditions. And that’s assuming tire inflation pressure has been adjusted, lower tire pressures kill fuel economy. One other point, even a 5 mph headwind or tailwind that you would probably not notice will change your fuel consumption by around 1 mpg. You might not notice it but your engine will. That’s because drag is not additive, it’s the old square of the wind speed factor kicking in (change in hp between 5 and 10 mph to overcome drag is 0.3, between 55 and 60 it’s around 6 hp). ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |