Had a long talk with a lady from etrailer.com today. The 600/6000 is the ticket for the rPods. 

Tongue weight range is between 200 and 600 lbs, whereas the 400/4000's tongue weight range is from 100 lbs to 400 lbs. I see now why most everyone recommends the 600/6000 Equalizer. The smaller model is almost maxed out with the rPod tongue.

I liked the floor plan of the 190 but my dealer didn't have one in stock. That is a nice unit.

Thanks to everyone for your advice.

The brochure lists the (I imagine dry) tongue weight of the 180 as 340 lbs. Adding the weight of the propane tank, group 27 marine battery, and power tongue jack I estimated the total tongue weight at 420 lbs but I don't know for certain unless I take the trailer to the local truck stop and use their scales to weigh it. I don't know why they just couldn't give me their recommendation between the Equalizer 400/4000 and 600/6000 but apparently they won't unless I supply an EXACT tongue weight.

If it is in fact over 400 lbs tongue weight I would imagine that the larger WDH would be in order but I have sent etrailer several emails back and forth and they won't come out with a straight answer.

My mechanic told me that if you get a WDH that is too much capacity it will in effect stretch the load too far apart between the wheel bases which can cause a really rough ride.

I want to make this a one-time purchase and get the right one on the first try.

Originally posted by OldNeumanntapr There was a review on the etrailer site from someone who said that the 600/6000 model was too heavy to take on and off and thought the smaller size was better. That's probably what I'm going to go with.

All of us here that use anti-sway wdh here use that model of the e2, me included. There is no problem taking it on and off, they even give a tool to help put the square bars on in a jiffy with ease. The only thing heavy about the hitch is what I guess is called the "ball assembly" that sides into your receiver. When I'm out on the road and camping I leave this part in (using a locking hitch pin which you should consider buying if you don't have one) the receiver and just remove the square bars when I unhitch which is no trouble.

Originally posted by TheBum You do want it close, but the rating should always exceed the actual load. You're right: if it's excessively hefty, it can actually cause issues, especially if you're pulling with a unibody TV like our Highlander. A 600/6000 is good for almost any R-Pod setup.

Almost exactly what our dealer explained to us. The 600/6000 is the smallest E2 makes, and so that is what a lot of dealers gravitate to. There are not a lot of WDH choices in the 450/4500 weight category, but those would generally be a good choice for a pod as well. Certainly going to 800/8000 would probably cause more problems than it solves.

I will say that our 600/6000 E2 seems to be a real good match to our RP-179.

I have used this hitch for a 173 and a 179  and been very happy with the performance.

Vann

OldNeumanntapr, I agree with DavMar, that WDH should work just fine. I don't really agree with the shop's opinion that the R-pod will sway more because it's single axle and has a high profile. I've compared the R-pod to other TTs, and it's not really any higher, and it is, in fact, usually a more narrow profile. At any rate, we have never experienced any sway issue with our 179. The WDH will tend to level both the TV and the TT if it is set up correctly.

When you're pulling with a WDH, you will notice that the TV and TT will move more like "one unit". So it kind of stretches your overall wheelbase. That's slightly hyperbole, but it kind of gives you an idea of what to expect.

OldNeumanntapr, your choice of WDH anti sway seems more then adequate to me but hey what do I know?

My only other suggestion to you is to look at upgrading your tires because remember you only have two hitting the road compared to four on larger RV campers on the road.

 

Is this all I need? Will this help with the bouncing over bridges and raise the rear of the truck to a more level position?

Good! We'll see you there. 

Originally posted by OldNeumanntapr Would a good WDH do a better job of leveling the back of the truck than just the overloads alone?

In a word. Yes.

The overload springs do nothing, zilch, nada to transfer any load to the front axle (the steering axle). So while it may look OK from a level point of view, you still have effectively "unloaded" the front axle by whatever the moment arm is. If the tow vehicle is big/heavy enough, then no problem. However, if the vehicle is relatively light and/or front wheel drive, then you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. That's the main job of a WDH, it takes a portion of the tongue weight, and transfers it to the front of the tow vehicle. The exact dynamics vary with the size and weight of the TV and TT; no two situations will be exactly the same.