Newbie needs your help!! (Tow vehicle tips)
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=6198
Printed Date: 20 May 2025 at 7:20am
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Topic: Newbie needs your help!! (Tow vehicle tips)
Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Subject: Newbie needs your help!! (Tow vehicle tips)
Date Posted: 09 May 2015 at 7:35pm
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Hi Poders! (Is this an appropriate name!?)
I JUST bought an RP 179 and im SO excited about it! Now that i have the carriage... I need to get the right horse... The 179 has a GVWR of just under 3800 I was looking at a Nissan Xterra... Tow rating is 5k for the xterra - wether its 2X4 or 4x4 (which surprised me) Im totally new to this trailer thing... And will be going all across the country over some high passes... Is anyone out there towing a 179 with an Xterra? Or with something else? I read a rather complex article about tow weight that almost confused me more than helped me. (Somebody make an app for this!!!) Thanks in advance for any tips and hacks on figuring out safe tow capacities on SUVs! Thanks a bunch! Renata |
Replies:
Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 09 May 2015 at 9:29pm
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If the Xterra has a tow rating of 5k you should be fine. You might want to consider an auxiliary automatic transmission fluid cooler if the Xterra has an auto transmission. Don't use 5th gear either. Just dealing with one pass in the Smokey Mountains pushes my FJ Cruiser AT Fluid up as far as I care to see it go. It has a 5k towing capacity too. Except maybe for Rocky Mountain passes you should be fine. And the Xterra may have at ATF cooler -- it's something to definitely ask about. If you are looking for a new and dedicated TV though, you might want to look for something a little heavier duty. TT ------------- 2010 176 FJ Cruiser |
Posted By: Ontheedge
Date Posted: 09 May 2015 at 9:45pm
| I'll try to help and someone can correct me if I'm wrong. The 3800 gross weight is the most weight you can tow on the 179 frame. It includes the dry shipping weight of the trailer plus all the gear you put in the trailer. The dry weight of the rp179 is about 2800 lbs which means you can load it with around 1100 pounds of gear and supplies. If the Xterra can haul 5000 lbs you should be in good shape. Make sure you have the right hitch on the vehicle as hitch types can effect the amount a vehicle can tow. You might want to consider sway control systems. Also, read the towing instructions in the owners manual as you may find you can't use your cruise control while towing due to vehicle engine size. Good luck. I have a Ford Edge and it can only tow 3500 pounds. This means I can only have 700 pounds of gear. Be aware of how much you carry in the water, grey and black tanks as you can add weight very quickly. For example, I'm told a full load of water is over 200 lbs. |
Posted By: CFWARREN
Date Posted: 09 May 2015 at 11:15pm
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Fuel4Humans, as you can see by my profile, I also have an XTERRA, 2008. If you have the factory installed towing package, you'll have no problem. You can expect your MPG to drop to about 13 MPG, or less.....that's how it goes. It's a good idea also to get an electronic brake control for the vehicle. I've had mine out only once so far, but it did fine on the interstate, I kept it to about 60 - 65 mph, in a 70 zone, and let all those in a hurry zip on by...! Here's a couple pics:   ------------- 2016 179 - Hood River Edition 2008 Nissan Xterra |
Posted By: CFWARREN
Date Posted: 09 May 2015 at 11:19pm
Hmmm...only one pic went thru...so here's another: ------------- 2016 179 - Hood River Edition 2008 Nissan Xterra |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 10 May 2015 at 11:12am
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Great pictures! We tow with a 2013 Dodge Grand Caravan and have not had any problems. ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 10 May 2015 at 8:02pm
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Welcome. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 11 May 2015 at 12:56am
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Thank you! yes I am looking to get a new TV - but will use it as my main vehicle too! so I think i will look for something a bit more heavy duty!
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Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 11 May 2015 at 12:58am
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thanks so much for the replies! this is such a great resource! glad i found this community! I think i will be here often!!
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Posted By: Joe-n-Terri
Date Posted: 11 May 2015 at 9:06pm
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Congratulations Fuel4humans on the new 179, we like ours. Only problem I have with mine so far is finding time to take it out. Enjoy! ------------- Joe & Terri 2015 179 2015 Ram 1500 crew cab/ eco diesel 2005 Ram 1500/ Tekonsha Controller Lovestarved Pom/Demanding Chihuahua |
Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 12:54am
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Thanks so Much Joe-n-Terri!! I'm lucky this year i am taking the summer off to pod around and go hang- gliding! who knows where the winds will take me!! |
Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 12:56am
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Hi TT! i just figured out how to properly post replies! I'm super grateful for this forum AND its a pretty old school UI... I was lost - but figuring my way around now! I do have to swap my car out... so i might as well get something with some more power... thanks for the tips! Renata
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Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 1:01am
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Thanks CFWARREN I'm thinking maybe i'll get something with a little more power... 13 miles a gallon or less ... I plan on spending quite a bit of time on the road.... and driving far and wide... and i don't want to be stressed about over-heating or not making it up mountains in high altitude... thanks again for your tips! I'm totally new to this and see that i have lots to learn!! smiles Renata
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Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 13 May 2015 at 11:16am
TT, do you have a 4.0 V-6 or 5.6 V-8 in your Xterra? I fount a pathfinder with a 4.0 V-6 with tow rating at 6000 that I'm looking at for a TV... is anyone out there towing with a 4.0 pathfinder?
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Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 13 May 2015 at 5:02pm
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Hi Leo and Melissa! Thanks so much for the reply! I'm getting more and more confused... It sounded like the Xterra - that is rated to tow 5K lbs, had to slow down quite a bit to tow the 179 and the MPG went down to 13 or less... So I started looking for cars with tow ratings at 6-7000 lbs the Grand CAravan is rated only 3600lbs... is the Grand caravan a 3,6 V-6? and you've had no problems? have you gone up altitudes? this is quite confusing! thanks again fro your input! Renata
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Posted By: Mountainrev
Date Posted: 13 May 2015 at 5:23pm
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Whenever someone asks about tow vehicles, there will always be folks that report being able to tow without any problems, and others who say they would never tow with that particular vehicle. In general, I don't believe anyone has ever regretted getting a tow vehicle with more capacity. On the other hand, many have decided they needed to upgrade. As they say, go big or go home! In my opinion, a vehicle rated at 5,000 lbs. towing capacity is probably o.k., but definitely not overkill. If you plan to tow up big grades, and especially, at high altitude (elevation decimates horse power!), you may wish to go with a vehicle that has 6,000 lbs capacity (or more). I live in the mountains, and my tow vehicle (Dodge Durango with 4.7 V-8, 3.92 rear axle ratio) is rated at 7,300 lbs. towing capacity, and to be honest, I think it's a bit anemic. I would not recommend towing with a Grand Caravan, even though some do that. Maybe if I lived in the flatlands and didn't go very far from home, but for cross-country trips involving mountains, no way. Several years back we had a Grand Caravan (previous generation) with a 3.8 V-6, and it struggled pulling our <2,000 lb. popup. The weak link seemed to be the transmission, not necessarily the engine. Perhaps the new Grand Caravans have improved. Again, I'd say go bigger than smaller, if your budget allows. Check out Tahoes, Durangos, Expeditions, Tundras, etc., if you can handle the sticker shock. ------------- 2014 177 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Turbodiesel "I lift my eyes to the hills." 
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Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 14 May 2015 at 10:20am
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Thank so much Mointainrev!! I appreciate the advice! after many many hours of research and asking around... and considering I'm traveling solo with my awesome canine buddy Jethro, I really want to feel confident about my vehicle... Price is definitely an issue, so i'll have to find a happy medium. there are a few V8 Grand Cherokees that might work - either way I'm pretty sure whatever I get will have to be a V8 - maybe deisel I'll post what I end up with! smiles and thanks again! Renata
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Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 19 May 2015 at 4:35pm
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I would have to agree with Mountainrev about the tow vehicle capacity. We have a 173 R Pod and originally towed it with a chevy astro van. The astro was almost adequate, but the transmission was prone to overheating even though we added a transmission cooler. the engine was also stressed if we did longer tows. I did a lot of research and ended up with a Ford Expedition with a factory towing package. The gas mileage when towing is around 12-13mpg, but we hardly notice the r Pod behind us. we love the combination. do your research and make sure you get enough tow vehicle to be safe and not hurt the vehicle long term. Transmission, brakes, cooling and engine are all stressed to some extent when towing. happy podding and travel safe Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Posted By: john in idaho
Date Posted: 19 May 2015 at 4:45pm
| Wheelbase enters into the equation also. The difference between our Grand cherokee and our 1500 Ram truck is that one does not feel the trailer with the Ram. Some folks pull a trailer at 75 mph - not me. If it weren't for the blocked rear window, I wouldn't (hardly) know it was back there. |
Posted By: ToolmanJohn
Date Posted: 19 May 2015 at 6:11pm
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I would recommend getting a Tow Vehicle that can pull the Pod at 60-65mph on the flats without needing to drop the highest transmission gear. This means a vehicle engine/transmission combination with nearly double the tow capacity of the loaded R-Pod. So if the Pod weighs 3000 pounds, look for TV that has 6000+ rated tow capacity. Horsepower is NOT the complete picture when towing, also look at high torque outputs for a better towing experience. I recommend 260ft-lb as a MINIMUM starting point for towing. Any engine with greater than 300 ft-lb will do well towing the R-Pod. Longer wheelbase is better, heavier tow vehicle is better. Of course, all that has to be weighed against cost to purchase AND cost to operate. Look at small diesels seriously if you plan on a lot of yearly tow miles, and they get better fuel economy. ------------- 2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler 2013 R-Pod 177 (SOLD) 2013 VW Touareg TDI |
Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 19 May 2015 at 6:15pm
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Thanks ToolmanJohn! How do I calculate the ft-lb capacity? I am currently looking at a Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 5.7L v8 Hemi engine and towing capacity of 7200lbs but I have no idea how to calculate the Lb-ft thing! thanks for all the help here!! i REALLY appreciate it - its a steep learning curve for me right now! smiles Renata |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 19 May 2015 at 6:23pm
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Check the manufacturer's website for the hp and torque ratings. When shopping for a tow vehicle remember torque is more important that horsepower. And wheelbase is important too, the longer the better for stability. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 19 May 2015 at 6:28pm
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Hi john! is your Grand Cherokee a V8? that's what i'm contemplating right now.. and i need to make a decision soon here as I am scheduled to leave on a little hang-gliding tour in late june and i will have to instal a hang-gliding rack on the car as well! |
Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 19 May 2015 at 6:35pm
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I have a 172 and tow with a 2009 Xterra 4.0 L. I have been satisfied with its performance. Up hill and hot weather never is an issue. The worst is headwinds. I usuall travel 55-60 and have got 10-14 mpg. I would say my average is 11. Amazing how much drag headwinds put on it. ------------- 09 RP172 09 Nissan Xterra Ron,Kathy, Coco 11yr Choc Lab |
Posted By: Fuel4Humans
Date Posted: 19 May 2015 at 7:20pm
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Ok Looks like the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo has 334 ft-lb and the overland has 375 ft-lb the wheelbase is not that great but im planning on adding a sway and weight distribution system... so i think i'll be OK anyone out there towing with Jeep GC Overland?
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Posted By: ToolmanJohn
Date Posted: 19 May 2015 at 8:01pm
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The engine specs can be found at most car websites. If you know the year make and model and engine sizes, the specs for horsepower and torque will be easy to find. Both Jeeps have more than enough torque, and are probably V8 engines. Very few non-turbo gas V6 engines have more than 300 ft-lb of torque. Make certain to test drive, and get the towing specs for any vehicle you have an interest in. ------------- 2017 ATC 7X20 Custom Toy Hauler 2013 R-Pod 177 (SOLD) 2013 VW Touareg TDI |
Posted By: john in idaho
Date Posted: 20 May 2015 at 10:27am
| Yes it is a V8 but it is a 2002 model with close to 100k miles. The newer ones probably tow better. But this one is still OK, just like the truck better. |