I'm in Lincolnton North Carolina, but mostly camp at the State Parks in SC. 

You should not have any problem using your Explorer as the tow vehicle.  I have a '98 Ranger with the 4.0 V6 and it pulls the pod fine.  My only problem is that the rear suspension isn't what it used to be and the tongue weight on my 177 really lowers the hitch/rear end of the truck.  I'm currently pulling it with my '08 Jeep Wrangler, also V6.  The suspension is better, but I believe my Ranger has more horsepower or torque or some such stuff which handles the hills a little better than the Jeep.

 

I hope you enjoy your pod and hope to see you out there if we ever get rid of this cold/wet/snowy winter we are having! We had our first white Christmas in 47 years and are expecting more snow this upcoming week.  I've had enough snow this winter and really ready for spring.

 We have had our 171 one year next month and love it. We tow with a 6 cylinder jeep rated at 5000 lbs with no problems. For 2 of us it is great conveinence, affordable, and not hard to clean or take care of!

 

I first heard about the R-Pod a year or so ago but since I was wrapping up the design of a Teardrop and starting with the build I just gave them a glance.

 

This year's really cold winter down here moved us to consider the minimalistic nature of the teardrop and we decided having a kitchen and a bathroom in the camper was a big plus so back to the Forest River website.

 

We've decided that we like the Queen bed in the 171 and we are planning to pick one up in the spring.  I'm just hoping our Ford Explorer 6 cylinder is up to the load.