Shake down cruise
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Topic: Shake down cruise
Posted By: Tetoncamper
Subject: Shake down cruise
Date Posted: 06 May 2016 at 3:30pm
| Finally picked up our 178 on Tuesday. Being inexperienced at towing a trailer I quickly found my fears were unfounded. The trailer tows like a dream and my Grand Cherokee eco-diesel handled the mountains like they weren't even there. My big test is still taking it over Teton Pass but coming home over Pine Creek Pass I had some grades equal to, but not as long, as Teton Pass and we went up and down the them easily. I got the weight distribution hitch and sway bars and feel much more comfortable with them installed around here. Most of the campgrounds around the Tetons are not open until Memorial Day but we did find a good campsite within about 15 miles from home for an overnight test. Having fun getting used to all the features of the RPOD. I am 6'3" and my wife is 5'10". We were very comfortable in the RPOD with our Boxer and Beagle even tho the dogs insisted in spending the first night in the bed and I got the extra bed in the dining area. Yesterday I parked the RPOD at the storage location and all the way home I was looking back missing my RPOD. Did I mention it tows like a dream?? Looking forward to a summer of fun and travel in it. I have already christened it as my mobile fishing camp. My wife says all fish will be cooked and consumed outside. Wonder why?? |
Replies:
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 06 May 2016 at 3:57pm
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Welcome, glad all is working out for you.
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Posted By: Mountainrev
Date Posted: 06 May 2016 at 4:16pm
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Way to go! I've towed popups over Teton Pass, but I have yet to tow our R-pod over it. 10% grade. Gotta love the Tetons! And gotta love diesel Grand Cherokees (even though mine is the previous generation)!
------------- 2014 177 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Turbodiesel "I lift my eyes to the hills." 
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Posted By: Pnew40
Date Posted: 06 May 2016 at 4:28pm
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Sounds like a great trip home. Glad to hear you found your r pod easy to tow. We are very anxious to go pick our 180 up . Hope we have as positive a trip home as you had. ------------- Pat & Bill Upstate New York |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 06 May 2016 at 5:33pm
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Sounds like a great trip! ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 06 May 2016 at 6:28pm
| Glad to hear about the Eco-Diesel. I'm seriously considering going that route when I replace my current TV. |
Posted By: Tetoncamper
Date Posted: 07 May 2016 at 11:20am
| I have been a Jeep Grand Cherokee fan for many years. When I moved out to the Tetons two years ago I had a 6 cylinder Grand Cherokee and quickly realized it didn't have the muscle to tow anything around the mountains out here. Went looking for a 8 cylinder Jeep and when the dealer initially mentioned the eco-diesel I immediately dismissed the idea. Was still thinking of noisy, smelly diesels. After several weeks of looking at Jeeps I was looking at on-line reviews and noticed all the positive things about the eco-diesel. Went back to the dealer to test drive an eco-diesel and immediately fell in love with it. When I purchased my new jeep I did up-grade to the Overland Edition and am glad I did. It is a much more comfortable ride than the standard Grand Cherokee. Drove it back east to visit family during the Thanksgiving/Christmas holidays and it was a dream. Going thru eastern Wyoming with a tail wind averaged about 40 mpg. Normally get about 30 which I think is pretty good. To make things even better the RPOD easily tows behind it. Since the RPOD is just about as wide as the vehicle I can use the Jeep mirrors with no modifications. Glad this was my choice. Hope this helps in your search and decision. |
Posted By: P and D Podders
Date Posted: 07 May 2016 at 12:04pm
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Returned yesterday to Atlanta from Colorado with our 179. I towed it with a BMW X5 3.0. While it towed well it was underpowered going through the passes and returning home the TV was not quite heavy enough to deal with the constant cross winds that we experienced. The X5 will be fine for our travels around Georgia but my question is, will a heavier TV like a F250 make a significant difference when pulling with a cross wind?
P and D Podders Dave |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 07 May 2016 at 12:53pm
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Yes, a larger and heavier TV will help. A longer wheelbase will help. No, you don't have to go all the way to an F-250.
------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Mountainrev
Date Posted: 07 May 2016 at 1:41pm
I'm going to assume that you have some sort of anti-sway device. If not, get one (either friction anti-sway bar, or a WDH with sway control). Your X5 has a longer wheelbase and is a bit heavier than my Grand Cherokee. I just pulled our Pod from Colorado to Kentucky and back. Had some very strong cross winds (and snow!) in Kansas and Eastern Colorado. I have only a friction anti-sway bar, yet I didn't feel like there was that much wiggle. Our GC has a 3.0 diesel, which has plenty of power for the mountain passes. I'd recommend considering the new Grand Cherokee Eco-diesels. But an F-150 or similar would certainly give you the wheelbase, weight and power you're looking for. ------------- 2014 177 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Turbodiesel "I lift my eyes to the hills."
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Posted By: Pod People
Date Posted: 07 May 2016 at 2:21pm
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Just a note for your consideration if thinking about a different tow vehicle--
I always read and hear about people wanting to tow with a F150 pickup or similar. I always want to remind those same people that there are other options to a pickup. We use a Ford Expedition which has the same frame, same engine, same transmission, same tow capacity as the F150. Other manufacturers(Chevy, Dodge, GMC, etc) also have larger SUV type body styles with similar tow characteristics. I think the enclosed body style offers a lot of advantages over a pick up. Particularly if the tow vehicle also needs to be the daily vehicle or family auto. We have towed our Pod cross country, east to west and south to north several times with our Expedition-it tows great, has all of the comfort factors, plenty of power, great transmission, reasonable gas mileage, good visibility and easy to find service. Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Posted By: julieboyles
Date Posted: 07 May 2016 at 8:42pm
Glad to read that your towing fears were unfounded as I, too, have this concern having never towed anything. I'm almost ready to take the leap of a new 178 as well, towed with an F150. In addition to the price I negotiate (I'm shooting for $18,500 or under), I'm wondering what other expenses will be justified:
I'm kinda into simplicity, so not looking for fancy extras, but am trying to get a realistic price on everything needed and required above the price of the trailer. |
Posted By: Pnew40
Date Posted: 07 May 2016 at 10:16pm
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Are you willing to travel to pick it up? We are traveling to get our r pod and on was a very good price with the r dome included. ------------- Pat & Bill Upstate New York |
Posted By: julieboyles
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 1:52am
| If you're talking about New York, that'd be a long trip from Oregon. I wasn't willing to travel to Texas to get a Casita, so that's probably a "no," I'm not really willing to travel too far. My goal was under $18,000 for a new 178, but I may have to go over by a few hundred dollars. I just hope all of the other stuff doesn't add up to too much. |
Posted By: Pnew40
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 7:38am
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Did not know where you were traveling from. Oregon is a little far from Ohio where we ate getting our 180. Worth it for us from New York State. Around $15,000. For the package ------------- Pat & Bill Upstate New York |
Posted By: Door Paddler
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 11:17am
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Hey Tetoncamper, we also purchased 178 last year. We went on several trips last year, traveling from Wisconsin to Branson, Mo and another to Ontario, CN and we had a great experience and love the 178 model. It got even better after installing a friction-bar anti-sway device. We are also traveling from Wisconsin to the Tetons this June and are looking forward to it. We tow it with a Dodge Durango with a 3.6 and a factory tow package. I'm sure it won't climb mountain passes like your eco-diesel but we will get there. It does great in the "flat-lands". Not ever having been to the Tetons / Yellowstone area (Staying at Colter Bay Village RV Park)do you have any suggestions on anything we should seek out or try to avoid?
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Posted By: Hour Pod
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 11:41am
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We just piced up our 182g in Oregon and paid 312.50 in "other" charges like regisstration, title, etc.
Good luck. ------------- Love'N Hour Pod 2017 Sierra Crew & 2017 182G JJ, Erin, Alexa & Jace |
Posted By: Tetoncamper
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 12:22pm
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The Tetons and Yellowstone are fantastic. The bad news is that they expect about one million MORE visitors this year than last. Signal Mountain and Colter Bay in Teton National Park have campgrounds but I don't know if they are reservation or first come first serve. I have heard to get there earlier in the day. Closer to Jackson is the Gros Ventre campground. It is a nice campground along the Gros Ventre river and just outside TNP. I expect to spend some time there this summer. Same goes for Yellowstone. Will be a lot of people and not familiar with campground availability. There are a number of RV campgrounds just outside West Yellowstone that would serve as a decent base for trips into Yellowstone. What to avoid?? Nothing. You are about to enter (in my humble opinion) the most beautiful places in this country. What to do? Bring a good camera and take lots of pictures. Especially in Teton National Park get off the roads and do some hiking. Taggart Lake, Jenny Lake, Colter Bay, Rockefeller center are just a couple of areas for nice hikes of 3-6 miles. Buy and carry bear spray. We have black and grizzly out here. I do a lot of hiking and have only had to pull the bear spray out once so far (didn't have to use it) but the cost (about$70) is worth it. Hope this helps. Let me know if you would like anymore info. Enjoy the trip.
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Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 12:24pm
Some of these are situation dependent. Sway bar? Yes. We tow with an Escape. The dealer installed an Equl-I-zer 4-way stabilization hitch. I would not tow without it. However, your F150 likely would not need the same setup. A sway bar is much less expensive, and would be good, especially if you get into a strong cross-wind situation. Cables, etc? If you have the factory tow package, you may have the connectors needed to easily add an electrical brake controller. If your F150 has the 7-way (round) trailer connector, it will be simple. If it has the 4-way (flat) connector, you will need an additional part. Check out http://www.etrailer.com - http://www.etrailer.com for more details. As for wheel blocks, you will want chocks and some way to level the trailer unless you are traveling to level sites all the time, That is unlikely, so do check out leveling and chocks. I ordered the http://www.amazon.com/BAL-28050-Light-Trailer-Leveler/dp/B000BH5MAA - BAL 28050 Light Trailer Leveler and the 28020 Single Axle Tire Chock, and am quite pleased with them. I tried the Andersen leveler and the Lynx levelers. The BAL leveler is more work, buit it is easier in the sense that one does not have to go through the gyrations of adjusting blocks, backing or pulling forward, moving off the blocks to adjust again and repeat. You can go cheap and get plastic chocks, but don't! They will shift and make for more shaking when you move around inside the trailer. Solar? Are you planning on doing a lot of dry camping? If so, it might be worth it. With a pickup, you also would have room for a generator. Solar does not make noise, but some of the inverter generators are very quiet. Some places prohibit operation of them outside of specified hours though. Solar would not have that limitation, but if you get a spell of cloudy weather, you may find them to be inadequate. You can use your tow vehicle (TV) to charge the battery/batteries, but it would be under the same limitations as a generator. Cost is dependent on system manufacturer and system size/capability. R-Dome? Up to you. I did not want to spend the money. I am in the process of building my awning. When it is done, I will post details in my mods (link below). I already built one for the slide-out. Pictures are there already for that. Registration fees? Again, that is situation dependent. You will have the appropriate tax, title, and license fees for your state. In NC, I also had the property tax added on. Hopefully, I've been able to answer some of your concerns. http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss/184-9010835-4258945?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=BAL+leveler - ------------- 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: Tetoncamper
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 12:41pm
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I will do my best to give you some insight on my limited experience. First of all I would recommend a weight distribution hitch and sway bar. I had the same concerns and glad I got them if for no other reason than my piece of mind. The hitch and sway bar I purchased was about $400 or so. Other necessities: - a power cord is included in the RPOD so no worries there. - do purchase a surge guard protector (about $80) - Need an electrical adapter (around $5-10) - Sewer hose kit (~$40). I purchased a 15 foot sewer hose and found that only about a 10 foot hose will fit in the installed container. Don't really know how long a hose I will need so might want to research that.) - Water filter (~$20) -Water regulator (~$15) - Fresh water hose (~$20) - Holding tank deodorizers (~$10) Might want to haves: - I am a big believer in first aid kits. I build my own rather than buy them. Let me know if you want my first aid kit inventory list. -1 1/8" socket, 6" extension, and ratchet to put in and remove anode rod in water tank. - pair of vise grip pliers (especially to remove fresh water tank plug) - 8X10 foot patio mat for just outside the camper door. Keeps a lot of dirt out. I decided to purchase a couple of portable generators. Need generators or shore power to run microwave and AC. Solar panels will help to recharge the batteries but won't have the juice to run other appliances. I plan to do a lot of camping in national forests so don't know how effective solar panels would be. I bought two Champion 200W generators to run in parallel. The generators and the parallel operation kit cost around $1000 but I think it was worth it. I will let others chime in about an awning. After a summer of camping I will look at that option. Don't know whether to get the attachable awning for the RPOD or a separate awning. Fees and sales tax will depend on state. Don't forget about insurance. Insurance for my 178 runs around $200 a year. Hope this helps your decision process. I may have left out a couple of things but think I caught the major ones. Enjoy.
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 12:55pm
At least on my Surburban SW6DE the anode is 1-1/16, not 1-1/8. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: Door Paddler
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 2:43pm
| Thanks for the suggestions Teton Camper. We have reservations at Colter Bay and also have the bear spray! |
Posted By: Door Paddler
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 2:52pm
| Thanks for the suggestions Teton Camper. We have reservations at Colter Bay and also have the bear spray! |
Posted By: julieboyles
Date Posted: 08 May 2016 at 9:33pm
| Thanks so much, everyone. Your posts have really helped me out. This forum has really been invaluable. |