Sway. Another question
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Topic: Sway. Another question
Posted By: Chris z
Subject: Sway. Another question
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 11:05am
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still looking at trying to buy an R pod. Talking to a seller of a 177, he made me a little nervous. He said that when he bought it, and going home, the pod starting swaying real bad. He bought a sway bar and installed but thought his real problem was that there was wTer in the tank and the water made it sway. I thought, gee, if this is a problem, I am not sure I want one of these. Wanted some thoughts here. Maybe he had the hitch too high or not enough weight in front or something. Do you guys have problems with this? I would want to use the tanks at rest areas and so forth, for sure. Thanks, Chris
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Replies:
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 11:16am
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Lots of things can cause sway. A properly hitched/loaded trailer shouldn't sway.Towing with the tanks full is generally not done, because the "load" can move around, and does affect the balance of the TT. For rest stop use etc, only a couple gallons are needed. That has never been an issue for us. ------------- |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 11:22am
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Chris,
I believe water in tanks can cause issues. I carry a small amount in fresh water tank for emergencies, but nothing in Gray or Black. I dump as soon as possible prior to traveling. Each tank can add 250-300 (guess) to the weight and when it sloshes it can have negative impact on sway. Not to mention added weight. This isn't unique to R-Pods, it is part of RVing. I think a motor home handles it better. Also there have been reports of TTs losing their tanks and some of us have added additional bolts to the tank brackets. But again I believe that can be impacted by traveling around with water in the RV, and I don't mean 5 gals or so. The same thing happened to me when I brought Pod home the fresh tank was full and I wasn't smart enough to check, real sway issues. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: Chris z
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 11:23am
| Bummer. I always had full tank in my Bigfoot and Casita for rest stops. No issue. |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 11:28am
They may carry the FW closer to the axle then a 177. ------------- |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 12:39pm
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We will usually carry a few gallons in the FW tank while travelling. Has never been an issue.
------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: Bboudens
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 2:08pm
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1 gal. of water = 8.36 lbs. So 8.36 x 36 gal is 300.96 lbs. added to your trailer weight. I've pulled the trailer with a full tank of fresh water for boon-docking. On the 178 this adds weight behind the axel which is not ideal. I guess checking the tanks bolts should be added to my pre trip inspection. But on the other hand even with an estimated total weight of 3500 lbs. for a load of water, people and camping supplies is only 1/3 of my towing capacity and doesn't out weight the TV itself. Proper weight distribution for towing anything is important the closer the towed weight to the towing capacity of the TV the more of an issues this becomes. There are some great vids on You Tube to highlight this and I'm not just talking out my ass. I do have my class one license. (Air Brake and trailer over 35 ft.)
------------- Keep your stick on the ice 2016 178HRE 2011 Silverado 1500 |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 3:30pm
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ok, i never brought fresh water with me before, and this will be my first year pulling an actual trailer this summer when i pull my 172. I wondered about the fresh water tank, So if you shouldnt tow 300 pounds of water with you, then A) where do you fill it? B) doesnt this seriously impact the ability to use the T.T. as a mobile hotel room? and C) since i will be using w/d hitch with sway control, it won't matter ? I have a fastway E2. ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 3:58pm
A) Generally you fill it at the CG. Even CG's without hookups, have a drinking water spigot or 7. You fill up on the way to the campsite. B) Not really. C) depends on how you are loaded and how the hitch is set up. You can misadjust a WDH and have pretty serious issues also. ------------- |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 4:04pm
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Thanks fur, nice to have some help to figure this stuff out ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 5:00pm
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Bboudens,
I would recommend you look at your tank brackets. I was not pleasantly surprised when I inspected mine. There was gaps between brackets and frame and several of the sheet metal screws had begun to pull out. The instances of tank loss are documented. Agree weight distribution is important. My issues with sway were solved with addition of a sway bar. Thanks. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: Bboudens
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 5:14pm
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+ 1 for Fur pod. I should clarify that I don't haul a full load of water for the entire trip. Here's a few boon-docking, hunting, drilling tips that I've used -Google the nearest camp ground or municipal dump site (for RV's) and fill up there, even if you are not staying there for a fee you can dump and fill up. -Another possible source is the municipal service yards. To fill up at least. I've used this trick a number of times when drilling in rural areas and needed an emergency water supply. They typically (up here in Canada at least) have a coin operated pump/meter that's accessible even after work hrs. And I'm talking 100's of gallons worth for less than $50.00 (still quite a few toonies and time tho) a few bucks would fill the camper np. - Carrying a couple gallons tho won't be a big deal I always carry a 5 gal. water caddy (those plastic blue jugs) anyways for dishes. and remember to minus the rough weight of water off your trailers carrying capacity. Say 10 gal. (or 1/3rd of a tank) is what I've hauled in my pod when I start out. 100 lbs. is an easy overestimation. As for the WHD have your dealer set it up and install. ------------- Keep your stick on the ice 2016 178HRE 2011 Silverado 1500 |
Posted By: ronahue
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 6:24pm
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I have found the 179 actually more stable with the FW tank full as the tank is located forward of the axel. However for long trips I usually keep FW tank about half full. ------------- Ron & Sharon 2015 R-Pod 179 2022 Nissan Frontier No trees were harmed in the sending of this message but a billion electrons were really agitated |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 6:52pm
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On our last trip, the fresh and gray tanks were empty and we carried water in an 8 gallon container in our car. As we traveled, the black water tank was used and gaining weight. On the 179, the fresh and black tanks are in front of the axle. The gray tank had minimal input. It is behind the axle. The 179 rode well until we encountered the ice and wind in Wyoming. Once we got to our daughter's house, we filled the fresh tank on the day we left since we were headed south to warmer weather. In Huachuca City, AZ, we emptied the black and gray tanks before leaving and topped off the fresh tank. Since we expected to be traveling in warmer tempteratures, we thought we would be okay. We did encounter freezing weather headed through Texas. It was enough to freeze the water lines. However, they did thaw without incident the next day. We had no further trouble with freezing on the return trip. It is currently winterized. The biggest problem I had was trying to get the weight distribution in our Equal-i-zer properly set-up. It took three tries, but I think I finally have it dialed in. After the last tweak, it towed much better. It wasn't horrible before. I just knew it could be better. ------------- 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: techntrek
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 8:24pm
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I'm going to be the contrarian here. We towed all over the US with our pod with a full fresh water tank (and then later often full waste tanks). Same with our current camper. With proper loading, hitch angle, sway bar or WDH with sway control, etc, it shouldn't be an issue. See the link in my signature for a discussion of all of the factors. ------------- 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: Bboudens
Date Posted: 13 Jan 2017 at 11:31pm
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Ya I will check them out for sure. I was able to use the pod for only a hand full of times before the winter but the trailer was an rental for a summer before I bought it so it is definitely worth a look. Would it be possible to replace the screws with bolts and lock nuts? I must admit I haven't been under the trailer yet and if it is possible, I think such a mod would be to my benefit I'm planning on using it on a few more hunting trips down some rather ruff access roads. Maybe adding some extra 1/4" metal strips across the tank from frame to frame? Also what sway bar do you use? I'm not so concerned with a weight distribution hitch I've run my numbers and even with a full load the trailer is only 1/3rd my tow capacity. But I am interested in some form of sway control. Thanks Mr. Carter
------------- Keep your stick on the ice 2016 178HRE 2011 Silverado 1500 |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2017 at 4:36am
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I join Teckntrek on this issue. Since picking up our 177 back in March of 2011 we nearly always begin our trips with a full 30 gallons of fresh well water since we usually boondock. We can normally get this to last 1 week until having to find another source of well water, no muni or city water has ever entered our tank, really dislike the taste. The only times we don't fill our tank is when we go for a 2 day trip during the summer months, will take 10 gal with us, that is more than enough. So we have traveled both ways for long distances, full tank usually and sometimes semi-full with no issues. As far as sway goes, we noticed with our 2008 Explorer we could never go above 35 mph w/o sway problems, full tank or not. However with our 2013 Explorer I have tried it both ways (full tank and semi-full) and have had no sway, even at speeds up to 55 mph. I only did that locally to test. Outside of those testing times I always use a sway bar link for safety. ------------- 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: Pod People
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2017 at 6:39am
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I think there are several factors that can induce sway. Several posts have talked about water in the tanks. while it is true that water sloshing around can contribute to sway, I think the main issue with water in the tank is the LOCATION of the tank. Most of the pods have the fresh water tank behind the axle. this loading creates less tongue weight. It seems that by loading most of your cargo weight forward of the axle you are increasing the tongue weight. Most people want to have a minimum of 10% tongue weight and it can go up to 12-15% depending on the TV and hitch set up. so, tongue weight is critical-not enough will definitely cause sway issues. I try to always load with most of the weight forward of the axle AND use a good quality weight distribution hitch(Equalizer600#) with integrated sway control. I can feel the difference in towing by moving some of our cargo back and forth in the floor as we travel. Just moving one or two boxes back and forth can make a big difference. So, loading your trailer properly also is a critical component to eliminate sway. Again, keeping the weight forward increase tongue weight. another important factor is good tires with stiff sidewalls that are properly inflated. So, be careful how you load the trailer, carry a small amount of water when towing long distance and use a good WDH (properly adjusted) with sway control and you will not have a sway issue in my experience. I have traveled cross country east to west and back several times and north to south and back several times with no sway issues. Safe travels Vann ------------- Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179 https://postimg.cc/0zwKrfB9"> 
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Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2017 at 7:16am
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Bboudens,
Replace screws with bolts and lock nuts, I did on the one moveable brace for each tank, both sides. Some will say drilling into frame will void warranty. I used 1/4" hardened bolts thru frame. I couldn't find an easy way to strap, and that wouldn't have fixed the bracket to frame issues. There are several comparable sway bars out there, they all work basically the same. I would make sure you get a "kit" and make sure you get the bracket with small ball that mounts on the vehicle hitch. Some advertised they are sway for a WDS specifically, but they look the same to me. I buy from "etrailer" a lot because they are consistently lower in price than others. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2017 at 7:35am
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Forum mates,
Good discussion. Going back to original post. The guy with the 177 was traveling home with a new to him RPod - no indication of sway control or WDS. He like me - with a new, empty RPod and a full fresh water tank, encountered sway. I absolutely agree, sway systems and proper loading, tongue weight, etc play in sway. The Interweb like the post has varying opinions of traveling with water in tanks and it's obvious there is no wrong or right. To me the learning experience was - don't pick up a RPod from a dealer that offers no clues, and tow it without the equipment to tow it safely, ignorance is not an excuse. I was guilty of that. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: Bboudens
Date Posted: 14 Jan 2017 at 10:54am
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Great to Know that bolting the tanks on is possible. No concern with voiding the warranty I bought the Pod "used" from a dealer and have only a dealers warranty and what they don't know won't hurt them. I'm more concerned about dropping my tank in the middle of nowhere than a warranty. Part of the reason I went with an R-pod product was the torsion suspension and it's Boon-docking ability. This site has been great source of knowledge even tho my to do list of mods seems to get longer every time in sign in! I noticed that Pod People is the gent I've been looking for who reinforced his pod hitch. I'm planning on doing the same so it was nice to take a look at his mods. Thanks for all the info everyone! ------------- Keep your stick on the ice 2016 178HRE 2011 Silverado 1500 |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 16 Jan 2017 at 11:52am
| We do a lot of boondocking in our 179 and it's not always convenient to fill up close to the destination, so we carry a full tank. We've never had excessive sway issues, likely for the reasons already stated. |
Posted By: Artypod
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2017 at 4:29pm
| I guess its better to be lucky than good. I bought my 178 last spring and made half a dozen week long trips. I as well love my hometown water and cant stand most city water so have always carried a full tank. Ive never had a problem with sway towing behind my f150 crewcab with no weight distribution hitch or sway bar. Towed on freeways up to 75mph and up and down sierra nevada passes. |
Posted By: mcarter
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2017 at 4:58pm
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Hey Artypod,
Be careful with speed and your original tires the class c rated tires are a real concern over 60 or 65 MPH. I wouldn't recommend 75 but if you do so I would suggest you get a set of class D rated tires. I went with Carlisle's and I'm sure you can get other recommendations here on forum. Lucky is good but not better than smart. I have different issues with my tow vehicles but my Silverado 4WD has the least, it has the longest wheel base and highest capacity. ------------- Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2017 at 7:42pm
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+1 on the Carlisle Load Range D tires. We did that because I did not like the wear pattern on our load range C tires. The load range D tires were a big improvement. ------------- 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: Artypod
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2017 at 2:39pm
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My freeway time isnt that often, however they do say speed rating L (75mph). I assumed that meant good for 75? |
Posted By: StephenH
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2017 at 6:42pm
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I think 85 mph is on the sidewalls of the tires I bought. I would by no means ever drive that fast with them. I limit the speed to 60 mph. Sometimes on downhills, I hit 65 mph, but I don't try to go faster as the wind resistance at higher speeds really kills the mileage.
------------- 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 |