another weight question
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Topic: another weight question
Posted By: Bonjour
Subject: another weight question
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2014 at 8:51am
Next week I'll be picking up my new 179 [excited and nervous] and I'm a bit concerned with maxing out my weight limit. My Odyssey has a limit of 3500 lbs and that assumes a 150 pound driver and no passenger. Has anyone weighed their 179 (or other models) with all their paraphernalia (food, r-dome, clothes, etc.) minus water in the holding tank? Do I have to quit eating sausage and egg biscuits? I'll eventually go to the scales but I'm curious what all the extra stuff tends to weigh. Thanks
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Replies:
Posted By: RescapePod
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2014 at 10:37am
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As a rule of thumb when looking at truck campers the industry uses 500lbs for all our "stuff" I have a new 179 and have yet to weigh it loaded. I'm more concerned about axle weight overload then for my TV which is a full size chevy k1500 truck.
With a TV capacity of 3500 I would load lite and use WD Hitch with sway control. Passing semis buffet me even with the chevy truck. There may be podders on hear with experience with your size of TV. Be careful, over plan and then enjoy...:) RP-179 - Ultra Lite Travel Trailer Dry Hitch Weight 285 lbs. (129 kg) Unloaded Vehicle Weight 2,630 lbs. (1,193 kg) GVWR TBA (TBA) Cargo Carrying Capacity 1,155 lbs. (524 kg) ------------- 2015 R-Pod 179 2013 Chevy K1500 |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2014 at 2:46pm
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We just got back from towing our 179 to Cape Hatteras,NC and back, we have a Dodge Grand Caravan with a 3500 capacity. We had no problems at all towing and that was from northern Vermont straight down I-91 then down I-95 to Wilmington then down rte 13 etc. Had no problems merging,on the hills,bridges etc, even with the wind from this latest storm. We had the pod fully outfitted with all the cooking material,clothes,and regulars stuff. The van was carrying all my fishing gear, portable freezer, ice making machine, tools, small floor jack and other odds and ends. Plus myself and my wife. Still no problem and we got 14.7 to 16.5 mpg down and started out at 16 and ended at 12 coming home driving into the 20-25 mph wind coming out of the north. ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: Bonjour
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2014 at 3:25pm
| Thanks for the notes. It is reassuring to hear that your van worked well. Today I weighed my van at 4700 pounds and there is a GCWR rating of 8410 which gives me 3710 remaining pounds. But the van is rated 3500 maximum trailer weight. Which number do I go with? 3500 trailer or 8410 total? |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2014 at 6:27pm
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You go with the Pod can't weigh more than 3500, and the total package can't weigh over 8410. It's pretty straight forward.. everything in the van counts towards the 8410, and everything in the Pod counts toward the 3500. So if you find you have the Pod at (say) 3685, then IF your whole weight doesn't exceed the 8410 limit, you can move 185 pounds of stuff from the Pod to the van.
That said, I would try VERY hard to never be to near the max for either. ------------- |
Posted By: Bonjour
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2014 at 7:43pm
| Excellent advice that makes sense. Thanks |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2014 at 2:49pm
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Never having pulled a travel trailer before the POD I weighed everything before the first trip. All of the stuff that we added, R-Dome, tubs of clothes, food, outside chairs and tables, tools and all the other odds and ends went into a tub to be weighed. 400 pounds was all it totaled too and then added 240 pounds for 30 gal. of water. We have added a few other things but nothing that amounts to much. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee 
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Posted By: Bonjour
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2014 at 3:25pm
Posted By: Bonjour
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2014 at 3:27pm
| That is helpful 400-500 pounds seems very reasonable. My other hobby is backpacking and I can camp a week with 25 pounds on my back so this will seem like luxury. |