I need HELP!!!: Add tire and bikes

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Add tire and bikes

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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=14949
Printed Date: 02 May 2024 at 8:15am
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Topic: Add tire and bikes

Posted By: ColoradoAndrea
Subject: Add tire and bikes
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2021 at 9:35pm

Hello

I need to relocate a full size tire from an Audi to our 189 R Pod as well as add a bike rack. Any suggestions? Is there a way of adding a tire carrier to the rear of the RPOD in addition to the RPOD tire or would you recommend putting the Audi tire on the carrier and storing the trailer spare in the RPOD?

Thanks for any advice.

Replies:

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2021 at 10:58pm

Try to avoid adding more weight to the rear of the rpod. The mount and frame are weak there and it also reduces tongue weight thereby increasing sway risk. There are tongue tire mounts which you could look at using if you really have to do this. Assuming the Audi is your tow vehicle, why can't you keep it's spare there, just curious?

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

Posted By: ColoradoAndrea
Date Posted: 20 Sep 2021 at 11:45pm

Thank you for the feedback. I didn't know the RPod was weak in the rear. We were told by the person that installed the sway bar on the hitch that we should add some weight to the rear of the RPod to balance out the front (it dips slightly at the tongue). Putting the tire in the rear of the RPod seemed like a good solution and would also give us more room in the Audi. Would you suggest we call Forrest River?

Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 21 Sep 2021 at 12:32am

The person telling you that is creating a potentially hazardous situation for you.

I suggest you load your rpod and Audi as you will typically travel (including water in the fresh water tank if you plan on boondocking), people, pets, everything. Then head over to a public scale and get some weights. Go through the scales with the trailer and get the weight of each of the 3 axles of your rig. You can add one axle at a time to the scale and subtract to get the numbers for each axle.

Do this with the sway bar, which might also be a weight distribution hitch if it has big spring bars on it that are lifting up the trailer tongue, untensioned.

Then drop off the trailer and go back through the scale a second time with just your Audi, again getting the weight of each axle. Don't take anything or anybody in or out of the Audi in between weighings.

Your tongue weight is the difference between the combined weight of the Audi's 2 axles with and without the trailer. The traiïler weight is the total weight of all 3 axles from the first weighing minus the Audi's weight from the second weighing.

Now you can check to see if everthing is in spec. The trailer weight has to be no more than theweight of the empty trailer plus cargo printed on the label on the rpod. The tongue weight should be not less than 10% of the actual trailer weight (to reduce sway risk). Personally I don't let mine go below 11%. If it's less than that than don't put any kmore weight in the rear of the trailer

At the same time the tongue weight should not be higher than the Audi's max tongue weight rating which should be in your manual. if it's more than that then you can move load rearward as long as you stay above that 10 (or 11%) number.

While you're at it you can check a few more weights. The total weight of all 3 axles (the whole rig) from the first weighing should not exceed the MCGVWR which should be listed on your driver's door sticker. That is the most that Audi thinks their wehicke can handle. And each of the Audi's axles weights from the first weighing should be less than the max axle weights printed on the door sticker.

If you have any of those weights fall outside the allowable ranges for your safety and everyone else's you should leave some stuff at home and/or shift weight around so you're in spec. Many if us, myself included, want some safety margin on top of that, I like to stay below 80-90% of those limits.

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

Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 21 Sep 2021 at 6:57am

+1 Also it is a good idea to have the nose of the pod pointed down toward the front to reduce sway. It will not negate the need for having a wdh or anti-sway bar but will reduce the potential of sway.

We keep the nose of our 177 about 1.5" lower in the front than the rear and still utilitze a Curt anti-sway bar.

Most important is to follow OG's advice above and see where you stand weight wise.

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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."