R-pod Owners Forum : Long distance tow

R-pod Owners Forum : Long distance tow https://www.rpod-owners.com/ This is an XML content feed of; R-pod Owners Forum : Reviews and General Information : Long distance tow Copyright (c) 2006-2009 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Thu, 27 Aug 2026 17:27:50 +0000 Sun, 08 Sep 2019 10:19:23 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 9.64 360 https://www.rpod-owners.com/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=13114 R-pod Owners Forum https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_images/web_wiz_forums.png https://www.rpod-owners.com/ Long distance tow : 80!Just a pup.... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=127009#127009 Author: podwerkz
Subject: 13114
Posted: 08 Sep 2019 at 10:19am

80!

Just a pup....

]]> Sun, 08 Sep 2019 10:19:23 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=127009#127009 Long distance tow : Greetings;Much of the time we... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=127008#127008 Author: crankster78
Subject: 13114
Posted: 08 Sep 2019 at 9:33am

Greetings;

Much of the time we hear about Pod problems on this site. Great to hear about someone using a pod for long distance heavy duty travel. I've had few problems problems with the 2 I've owned. I'll be 80 next year, and don't know how much longer I'll be towing. I'm hoping to get a couple of more years in depending on health.

Crankster78 2015 R-179

]]> Sun, 08 Sep 2019 09:33:46 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=127008#127008 Long distance tow : It might annoy the moose. Then... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126991#126991 Author: StephenH
Subject: 13114
Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 7:30pm

It might annoy the moose. Then there could be some real trouble.]]> Fri, 06 Sep 2019 19:30:12 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126991#126991 Long distance tow : You hit a moose, it's going... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126986#126986 Author: GlueGuy
Subject: 13114
Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 5:30pm

You hit a moose, it's going to leave a mark. Shocked

]]> Fri, 06 Sep 2019 17:30:20 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126986#126986 Long distance tow : I want to do a trip to Alaska... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126984#126984 Author: StephenH
Subject: 13114
Posted: 06 Sep 2019 at 1:24pm

I want to do a trip to Alaska next year with our 179 towing with our 2010 Frontier. I don't see us trading either truck or trailer ahead of that trip. We've had a number of long trips already, but an Alaska trip would also mean it would be our first international trip since we would need to drive through one or more Canadian provinces to get there. I appreciate the post about your trip. I generally limit my towing speed to 60 mph. Even so, I wouldn't like to encounter a moose or a mallard and brood.
]]> Fri, 06 Sep 2019 13:24:20 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126984#126984 Long distance tow : A belated thanks to everyone for... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126976#126976 Author: frozebubba
Subject: 13114
Posted: 05 Sep 2019 at 10:35pm

A belated thanks to everyone for the kind remarks on my long distance post!]]> Thu, 05 Sep 2019 22:35:36 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126976#126976 Long distance tow : Great read! Great report!You read... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126542#126542 Author: Olddawgsrule
Subject: 13114
Posted: 16 Aug 2019 at 8:48am

Great read! Great report!

You read like an individual that pays attention to the details. Good for you!

My 182g started it's travels in April 2018 and I'm very close to your mileage and time on the road. I have an issue with mine so I pass this along as something to check. Inspect the axle, the tongue and frame (especially slide side) for straightness. I don't wish to see anyone else in my predicament.

Wish you many safe and happy travels!

]]> Fri, 16 Aug 2019 08:48:57 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126542#126542 Long distance tow : Wow....great trip report....I... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126536#126536 Author: podwerkz
Subject: 13114
Posted: 15 Aug 2019 at 6:56pm

Wow....great trip report....I just returned from a trip that lasted just over 3 weeks and about 3000 miles.

And figuring it as cost per mile, its very close to the same as gasoline due to the fact that diesel is typically priced about 15% higher per gallon....the spread varies seasonally and regionally of course.

]]> Thu, 15 Aug 2019 18:56:14 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126536#126536 Long distance tow : Great summary! What a trip...Looks... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126475#126475 Author: offgrid
Subject: 13114
Posted: 14 Aug 2019 at 3:55am

Great summary! What a trip...

Looks like you have your rig dialed in right where you want it. In retrospect I wish I'd done the same as you and got manual adjusting brakes when I replaced mine last year. I don't think the self adjustment system Lippert uses is worth the trouble.

For those of you with gasoline TV's, diesel contains about 13% more energy per gallon than gasoline so 16.0 mpg on a diesel is the equivalent efficiency of about 14.2 on a gasser and 14.3 is the equivalent of 12.7 mpg. So this is right in there with pretty much the best case towing fuel economy numbers anyone is reporting at those speeds.

]]> Wed, 14 Aug 2019 03:55:36 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126475#126475 Long distance tow : I just finished about 10 months... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126473#126473 Author: frozebubba
Subject: 13114
Posted: 14 Aug 2019 at 1:22am

I just finished about 10 months on the road with my 2016 171 behind a 2016 RAM 1500 ecodiesel crew-cab with 6'4" bed with 3.55 rear axle ratio and factory TBC and thought some might be interested in the stats.

Round trip Fairbanks toGainesville Florida and return; about 13,000 miles towing.

The Pod weighed 3200 lb loaded (max book) with about 10 gal of freshwater; there was 400 lb on the tongue.

Spare tire on the rear and a Stromberg-Carlson CC-255 rack on the tongue that carried my bike

Had a Yakima Skybox 16 and a 10' fishing kayak on racks on the Leer 180 canopy on the truck for thewhole trip.
Added a $50 anti-sway bar on one side and an extended ball carrier (13"hole to center of ball) so I could open and close my tailgate.

The whole rig (Pod+TV) weighed 10,500 lb.

On the way down from Julythrough October '18 I had no pressing goals and averaged 16.0 mpg for 15 of 32fillups when the trailer was on for the whole tank.
On the way back in April and May of '19, I had a date goal for return toFairbanks and got a late start so I was more focused on keeping it at 65 aslong as the road surface allowed, averaged 14.3 mpg and never unhooked thetrailer, This part of the run was 5,978 miles.
Pushing it in cooler temperatures and notably heavier prevailing westerlies than in the summer probably accountedfor most of the reduced fuel economy on the way back.

I got to test the anti-swayduring two emergency dodges (once for moose and once for a mallard and herbrood) at 65 mph on the way back.
It was hard to focus on what the trailer was doing immediately after beingstartled but all I saw in the rear view mirrors was a single ~2" sway toeither side before stabilization in both cases.
I never had an emergency stop.
I was really glad to have the sway control bar during about 50 miles of slushcoming north out of Jasper, AB.

I've had the truck+trailer briefly up to 75-80 mph to expedite a pass severaltimes and nothing acted fishy.

My self adjusting brakes on the Pod got locked on while in Florida so I had them and the wheel bearings replaced but opted out of self-adjusting brakes this time.

Also had to repack the wheel bearings on the way down in Colorado when my pre-flight revealed movement when trying to shake the wheels while on the ground.

Otherwise, no problems and the Pod seems none the worse for wear. Total miles on the Pod are now ~17,000.

]]> Wed, 14 Aug 2019 01:22:34 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=13114&PID=126473#126473