New guy - looking at lightweight TTs

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   Hey folks,

I'm currently a pop-up owner, but my wife and I are looking into possibly upgrading to some form of an ultralite travel trailer.  We have two young kids, 1yo and 4yo, and are thinking that having something that's easier to setup and easier to keep in a "hitch up and go" mode aside from adding food / drinks will allow us to get out a bit more and take some shorter trips without feeling like we will waste a ton of time with setup / tear down / clean up after a trip.

So here I am :)

Our tow vehicle is a 2013 Honda Odyssey, so right now we are looking at R-Pods, Coachmen Apex Nano, and I think a Coachmen Clipper (although leaning away from that one).  All are coming in under 3000# dry weight and I think I can set the van up to tow them without too much trouble.  Specifically we are looking at floorplans with a set of bunk beds for the kids and a full / queen bed for me and my wife.  So that leaves me looking for what seems to be a unicorn--a 176t R-Pod 

Anyway, I'm doing research at this point and figured I'd post up here to say "hey."

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BarmanBean Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Northern VA Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Topic: New guy - looking at lightweight TTs Posted: 14 Apr 2016 at 10:26am
	Hey folks, I'm currently a pop-up owner, but my wife and I are looking into possibly upgrading to some form of an ultralite travel trailer. We have two young kids, 1yo and 4yo, and are thinking that having something that's easier to setup and easier to keep in a "hitch up and go" mode aside from adding food / drinks will allow us to get out a bit more and take some shorter trips without feeling like we will waste a ton of time with setup / tear down / clean up after a trip. So here I am :) Our tow vehicle is a 2013 Honda Odyssey, so right now we are looking at R-Pods, Coachmen Apex Nano, and I think a Coachmen Clipper (although leaning away from that one). All are coming in under 3000# dry weight and I think I can set the van up to tow them without too much trouble. Specifically we are looking at floorplans with a set of bunk beds for the kids and a full / queen bed for me and my wife. So that leaves me looking for what seems to be a unicorn--a 176t R-Pod Anyway, I'm doing research at this point and figured I'd post up here to say "hey."

rvshopping Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 04 Feb 2016 Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Posted: 14 Apr 2016 at 2:50pm
	We just got our 2017 176t yesterday. We LOVE it. It is the perfect set up for two kids and two adults. The 2017 has added storage (a pantry and wardrobe) that the 2016 didn't have which is great. The bunks are also almost a foot wider. We had to order ours. Good luck!

rvshopping Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 04 Feb 2016 Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Posted: 14 Apr 2016 at 2:51pm
	I should say that the 2017 is 1.5' longer and a couple lbs heavier. I don't know if that matters too much to you. For us it was worth the storage space. We have a 2012 Nissan Pathfinder that is supposed to tow up to 6,000lbs.

BarmanBean Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Northern VA Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 14 Apr 2016 at 3:13pm
	^^thanks. Odyssey is rated at 3500lbs. I've done a TON of research on towing capability of newer Odysseys, and between that and my own experience (I currently tow a utility trailer and also our pop up with the van) I think the van could handle an R-Pod or similarly sized trailer with proper setup and as long as you don't mind taking your time during travel.

Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Posted: 14 Apr 2016 at 3:16pm
	Welcome all! Sounds like you have a good plan. However, a word of caution: The Honda will be working hard to handle the task; by the time you get everyone and everything loaded. It is not so much the weight that "gets you" as the aero-dynamic drag of a high profile trailer. You'll notice a big difference between towing the Pod vs. a popup.

BarmanBean Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Northern VA Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 14 Apr 2016 at 3:32pm
	I'm sure. We aren't 100% sold on making the change yet, definitely need to see the different trailers in person to get a better feel for them and for how they might tow. Still in full research mode on most aspects, so thanks for the feedback :)

Leo B Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4519	Posted: 14 Apr 2016 at 5:40pm
	Welcome to the group!!
	Leo & Melissa Bachand 2025 Ford Transit Camper van 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6483	Posted: 14 Apr 2016 at 10:47pm
	Consider adding a wind deflector such as the AeroPlus by PurpleLine or the AeroShield by Icon. Either will help with the aerodynamics. I have the AeroPlus, and would highly recommend it. We are using a 2016 Ford Escape SE with a 2L Ecoboost engine rated at 3500 lbs. I noticed a significant improvement in mileage with the AeroPlus. I will be completing a trip tomorrow, at which time, I will be able to calculate mileage for this trip vs. mileage for a trip we took in December/January without it. Subjectively, it is better as both the instant read mileage readout as well as the average readout on the dash reflect the improvement.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

BarmanBean Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 13 Apr 2016 Location: Northern VA Online Status: Offline Posts: 9	Posted: 14 Apr 2016 at 10:50pm
	^^Good info, thanks! Good to see you towing with the Escape and having success. What specific pod are you towing?

techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9065	Posted: 15 Apr 2016 at 9:54pm
	We made the same change while we owned our Sienna, from a pup to a pod. You'll be fine doing local trips, just don't plan on driving cross-country. We took ours to Maine and Florida (From Maryland) and on the way to Florida hit a major headwind for a day - which convinced me it would not work for a trip to the Rockies.
	Doug ~ '98 Coleman ('05-'09) ~ '10 171 ('09-'15) ~ 2008 Salem ('14-'23) ~ 2019 Keystone ('23-now) ~