R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Introduce Yourself
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: 4-cyl towing thoughts?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic Closed4-cyl towing thoughts?
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12345 12>
Author
Message Reverse Sort Order
  Share Topic Share Topic  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
jato View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2012
Location: Kewadin, MI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3367 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: 4-cyl towing thoughts?
    Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 4:29pm
Originally posted by furpod



No Suburbans. No Broncos. No Blazers. No Explorers. No Pathfinders, Cayennes, Jeeps, Discoveries, etc etc.. almost 100% Land Cruisers. Age almost doesn't matter with them. The running gear has a long and storied history, many reaching 300K, with never even having the valve covers removed.


Sounds like my '94 F-150 with 320,000 + miles.  My question is how would those vehicles hold up to 31 deer kills and even more 'hit and runs' to numerous to count?LOL
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."
Back to Top
offgrid View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 2:41pm
You know what the say in Oz:  if you want to go to the Outback take a Land Rover. If you want to come back...take a Land Cruiser.

Coincidentally I also own a 1994 Land Cruiser with only about 130,000 on the clock. They are built like for the end of the world, but not built to make work on them easy, or for efficiency. We call ours the Land Bruiser.  It's for sale btw if there are any interested parties out there. Just way more truck than I need anymore....and to be honest the ride is a whole lot better in the Highlander.

I get about 14 mpg towing my rPod with the Highlander (level ground, no wind, 62-ish mph). But I don't think that that number is going to be much different with any modern vehicle with an efficient drivetrain you choose, wind drag from the trailer dominates the hp requirements while towing, so there's really no changing it. By modern vehicle I don't mean something like the LC, that gets about 10-11 towing, but its got an old, bulletproof engine design and a massive drivetrain and frame not meant for efficiency. 

I'd recommend that you get the vehicle you want, and if that means getting something a couple years older that's fine, just get something with low miles on the clock.  In the first 15 years or so of ts the miles on the odo that matter more. If you're over 20 years or thereabouts then things start having to be renewed because rubber and plastic become brittle even if the vehicle hasn't been driven much, and corrosion starts to get into things. All of the maintenance on my LC has been of that nature: a bad fuel injector because the electrical connector lost its seal, a cracked plastic header tank on the radiator, that sort of thing. Nothing that strands you in the middle of nowhere though.

BTW, I did remove the valve cover on the LC when I got into the injectors, I needed a new valve cover gasket, the old one got dried out and was leaking pretty good Tongue.
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 1:17pm
As a note.. the Toyota Land Cruiser, and it's Lexus twin, are, honestly, the best SUV's on the planet.

I have spent some time in a couple parts of the world where, if your vehicle goes down, there is a good chance you may die. Literally.

No Suburbans. No Broncos. No Blazers. No Explorers. No Pathfinders, Cayennes, Jeeps, Discoveries, etc etc.. almost 100% Land Cruisers. Age almost doesn't matter with them. The running gear has a long and storied history, many reaching 300K, with never even having the valve covers removed.
Back to Top
TrailerTrish View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 11 Jun 2018
Location: SF Bay Area
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 32 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 1:07pm
Hi, Ben!
Wow, 170k! My comfort level says to keep it under 100k for a used car. But that’s less based on the engine wear than on the electronics. We had a horrible experience once with a Nissan Altima with about 80k. Was running great, but the electronics were getting wonky and the first time it happened was when we stopped to get gas in the middle of nowhere. My husband left the keys in the ignition when he stepped out to pump, and I left my purse in the car when I got out to go into the bathroom. The blasted thing locked its own doors, and both his key and mine were locked inside!  We had to wait forever for a rural tow truck to come and fidget the door open.  So I tend to equate age/mileage with wonky electronics. That’s probably not fair as a blanket policy, but once burned twice shy.  Ever since, if I leave my purse in my car to step out to pump, I always open the window before I shut the door! Always. 

 Still, that was ~15 years ago, 1998 Altima. Electronics have progressed.  I’ll keep senior Lexus SUVs in mind. Have never thought of anything that luxe, but it certainly appeals. :)
2009 R-Pod 173 “OurPod”
2015 Subaru Outback 2.5L (for now)
Back to Top
Ben Herman View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 26 Apr 2018
Location: Gr Junction, CO
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 359 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 12:52pm
Trish - we ended up with a tow vehicle that I never would have expected - an older Lexus GX470 SUV. Bought a 2003 that was in near-mint showroom condition with 170K miles for just over $10,000. Its basically a rebadged Land Cruiser Prad - v8 engine, super-comfortable. This engine/drive train is known to be Toyota's best, we expect to have it as a TV for the next 10 yrs. May not push your buttons but after lots of research we found that it was our best choice. 
Back to Top
GlueGuy View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 May 2017
Location: N. California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2723 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 12:37pm
Originally posted by TrailerTrish

 Thanks for the tip!  What sort of mileage do you get? With and without towing? 

I like Toyotas, it’s just that I didn’t think they would lose their value the way Jeeps and the others mentioned do. But it’s a good point that they are better cars (IMHO), and I could probably comfortably look for an even older Toyota. (NB: I don’t want to start a war here because every car brand has had its dogs, and every car brand has had its stars. It’s just that certain manufacturers have more dogs and some have more stars.)

 Not sure how much of a workout it would get anymore, though. We’re in our 70s and winding down. I think the biggest trip would probably be from the Bay Area to Big Bend National Park and around the southwest.  But once I get it fixed up, who knows? I can’t tell you how excited I am to have something with a bathroom after three years with an A Frame. :-))
We have owned 4 different Toyota pickups over the years. Never had a single problem with any of them. If you're looking for a reliable tow vehicle, IMO you can hardly do better.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
Back to Top
TrailerTrish View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 11 Jun 2018
Location: SF Bay Area
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 32 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 11:39am
 Thanks for the tip!  What sort of mileage do you get? With and without towing? 

I like Toyotas, it’s just that I didn’t think they would lose their value the way Jeeps and the others mentioned do. But it’s a good point that they are better cars (IMHO), and I could probably comfortably look for an even older Toyota. (NB: I don’t want to start a war here because every car brand has had its dogs, and every car brand has had its stars. It’s just that certain manufacturers have more dogs and some have more stars.)

 Not sure how much of a workout it would get anymore, though. We’re in our 70s and winding down. I think the biggest trip would probably be from the Bay Area to Big Bend National Park and around the southwest.  But once I get it fixed up, who knows? I can’t tell you how excited I am to have something with a bathroom after three years with an A Frame. :-))
Back to Top
offgrid View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Oct 2018 at 2:52am
Congratulations on your new acquisition. 

I went through pretty much the same tow vehicle search earlier this year, didn't want a pickup either.  I ended up with a 2012 Toyota Highlander with 80k miles on it, 4wd, 3.5 liter V6, tow package and receiver hitch. 5000lb tow rating.  All I had to do was add a brake controller. Mid level interior (leather and heated seats but no fancy stereo or nav system). Paid $16K for it. So, not quite in your <15K < 4 years old criteria but close.

And not to start a war on the subject but,... its a Toyota. I like Toyotas, never had one break on me in well over a million miles of driving various ones over the past 35 years. Can't say the same about the other brands you mentioned. And while this might be a third car for you, its probably going to get harder use than the others, and if it does break could strand you in more remote places.

Just my $0.02.
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
Back to Top
TrailerTrish View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 11 Jun 2018
Location: SF Bay Area
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 32 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 10:35pm

Ok, folks. I took all of your comments to heart and decided to see what sort of ~3yr old 6-cylinder tow vehicle we could get for under $15,000. Turns out, quite a few. Not everything holds their value like the Outbacks. I’ve looked at a few Ford Escapes, Jeeps, Ford Flex, etc. None of them strikes me as a particularly great car (a Consumer Report comment on the Jeep model year I was looking at referred to it as the “last of the Chrysler bad old days“), but it would be a third car, strictly a towing car, not something to replace my husband’s beloved Outback. As long as it doesn’t look like it will leave us stranded in the middle of nowhere, has a few basic creature comforts, Bluetooth, recent vintage safety features and a back up camera, unloaded hwy MPG of mid-20s, I’m considering it. And I’m perfectly open to a private party car with a few dings on it. If anyone has a favorite SUV (no pickups) within these parameters, I’d love to know about it. (Ben Herman once mentioned a VW Routon, and they appear to be a rebadged Chrysler Town and Country van. That might be a good used choice.)


But having said that, the R-Pod 173 I’ve had my eye on for months had been going through some price drops on the dealer website. I was concerned that at a certain price point, someone else would swoop in and buy it, So I decided to make an offer, tow vehicle or not. We are in the Bay Area, it was in Phoenix, and it was enough under the max tow limit of our vehicle that I decided that would be OK bringing it back with the Outback. The highest point was probably the Tehachapi Mtns at around 4000 feet. 


We did surprisingly well – after we dumped 300 pounds of water - the RV lot had sent us out with a full tank of water!  It was driving like a slug when I realize what the problem was and did some quick math - 36 gal x 8.3 = “ackk!!”.  I do think the Outback is marginal, but I never thought that it was unsafe. We had a reasonable amount of pickup – not noticeably less then when we pull the pop-up.  We didn’t have to deal with big grades and we didn’t have any heavy winds, so I can see that those would perhaps make the Outback less than desirable. But for this trip, it went just fine. 


So it’s currently parked right outside our condo and I’m hard at work redoing the interior. But that’s for a different thread. This one is about towing and I’m still looking for a good solid vehicle... 


But I wanted to let you know that we are now the owners of a 2009 R-Pod 173 and I wanted to thank you for all of your insights and info for the uneducated.
Back to Top
GlueGuy View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 May 2017
Location: N. California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2723 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Jun 2018 at 7:01pm
Originally posted by TrailerTrish

Really?! 

I guess I am probably thinking about the old Mercedes diesels of my youth. We had a neighbor with one – it was circa 1962 - and you could smell it going down the block. 

Maybe I’ll consider one for our next car...
Newer diesel vehicles will change your mind about the noise & smell. That said, I think the days are numbered for diesel vehicles in general. There are some pollutants that are just really, really difficult to remove. There are even rumblings of phasing them out in Europe where they have been quite popular for decades now.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <12345 12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz