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  <1 56789 12>
Author
Message Reverse Sort Order
  Share Topic Share Topic  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
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 Topic: 4-cyl towing thoughts?
    Posted: 21 Jun 2018 at 10:05am
Originally posted by TrailerTrish

But what do these numbers mean? I understand them in terms of absolute numbers (h x w =area) but how does it relate?  Is there a chart that you plug these numbers into and get a result? Is there something that says that a certain car should only tow number of square feet? I don’t quite understand what you do with them. Thanks. 
That does not have a simple answer. In aircraft, they measure drag versus a "flat plate", and until you run wind tunnel tests, you will never know. The actual frontal area of an object is not the end-all be-all answer, because the overall shape of a thing will affect how it goes through the air.

This gives a good overview of wind resistance versus frontal area. In particular, look at the "practical example" toward the end of this wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drag_coefficient
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
Back to Top
crankster78 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 08 May 2018
Location: Minn
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 163 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2018 at 8:20am
Greetings
It's not just the engine, It's the brakes, axles, suspension, transmission and wheelbase.  No general standards for towing by the auto makers. Think of the entire rig as a whole if  you are going  to tow  an RV.   You want a safe and reliable set up. 

Crankster78
R-179  F-150
Crankster 78 R-179 2015
Back to Top
malkbean2 View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 31 Jan 2017
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 80 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2018 at 7:59am
To Trailer Trish
Some TV manufacturers give a spec to limit the frontal area of the trailer you tow (or risk jeopardizing  your warrantee and liability) . It has to do with the additional stress on the TV created by wind resistance at highway speeds. It is just another facet of towing that would argue to maximize your tow vehicle capability.
Back to Top
StephenH View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6456 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jun 2018 at 7:22am
I did find some information about Subaru Towing Information. It addresses weight but not frontal area and only goes up to the 2012 model year. Still, the page contains some information. Hard Towing is defined under the Tribeca as "Hard towing (hot, uphill, no trailer brakes, no trans cooler)."

I could not find anything about frontal area limits. However, the better place to ask would be in the Subaru Outback forum.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
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: 20 Jun 2018 at 10:03pm
Originally posted by furpod

But.. she needs separate sleeping areas.. I was going to suggest a T@B also, I know they tow easy, belong to a T@B group and go to the occasional rally still..

 T@Bs are adorable but just too small, too. My husband is 6’2”. Has to be something he can stand up and move around in.  That’s where the A-frame is a stand out (if you’ll pardon the pun).  Roof peak must be something like 10 feet. There’s like zero storage, no floor space, nowhere for a potty, but the cubic footage is enormous. 
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: 20 Jun 2018 at 9:53pm
But what do these numbers mean? I understand them in terms of absolute numbers (h x w =area) but how does it relate?  Is there a chart that you plug these numbers into and get a result? Is there something that says that a certain car should only tow a max number of square feet? I don’t quite understand what you do with them. Thanks. 
Back to Top
lostagain View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 06 Sep 2016
Location: Quaker Hill, CT
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2595 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 11:26am
Me, I moved my spare tire to the front and am putting bicycles on the back to disrupt the vacuum bubble.  I found a not so good mount for the spare tire to go on the tongue (I had to make too many modifications) and a 2 bike rack which fits the 1 1/4" receiver in the back.  
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost
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: 20 Jun 2018 at 11:06am
Originally posted by malkbean2

I do not mean to sound confrontational but I am curious how you calculate the frontal area. The 179 box width and height is about 6 x 8 ( I think) = 48 or 23% more frontal area than the 39 spec of the tow vehicle. Are my numbers right?
Our 179 is more like 6.5 X 8, which is 52 square feet. Add another 2 for the AC unit (if you have one), and you're at 54 square feet.

And it's really not so much the frontal area, as the vacuum bubble at the rear that causes most of the drag. That's why they added the spoiler; to try to disrupt the vacumm bubble at the rear. Some people have added vortex generators with mixed results.
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
Back to Top
StephenH View Drop Down
podders Helping podders - pHp
podders Helping podders - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6456 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 10:12am
Unfortunately I can't help with frontal areas calculations beyond what you already did. I don't know the formula.
StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS
Back to Top
malkbean2 View Drop Down
Groupie
Groupie


Joined: 31 Jan 2017
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 80 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jun 2018 at 9:10am
I do not mean to sound confrontational but I am curious how you calculate the frontal area. The 179 box width and height is about 6 x 8 ( I think) = 48 or 23% more frontal area than the 39 spec of the tow vehicle. Are my numbers right?
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  <1 56789 12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

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