New to the forum here and signed up very intrigued with a dedicated R POD only forum.. really cool! My wife and I have been camping for years but alas with a young one on the way and a 70LB dog in a tent we just couldn't bear the thought of doing that one more summer. So we got an opportunity from a friend to purchase a 2015 R Pod 171 and picked it up just yesterday!! 

However.. I really haven't towed a single axle trailer before (typically just double axle dump trailers) and was quite surprised with the uneasy feeling I had on the road on this thing. I wouldn't say it was extreme.. but the jolting back and forth (slightly) and the continuous bouncing I was really in for a treat. I towed the trailer home on just a ball/hitch but really want to go overkill and get the E2 Fastway. I'm being told it really isn't necessary. Beyond being unable to back the darn thing in our driveway because my skills are just awful we had a few issues I'm hoping I can get some input on!

1) see attached picture with our current setup. I had a 2" ball with a 2" drop and it didn't appear to be enough. The trailer has a slight rise at the front which didn't look extreme.. but didn't look correct either. Could I benefit from a different assembly? I really felt like the bouncing was something out of the ordinary where I could see the trailer kind of tumbling around but not swaying at all. 

2) Our driveway is the next issue. It's a ramp curb to start, then a flat peice and then immediate incline to the end as you can see attached. We get about 2 feet onto the driveway with the back end until the stabilizer jacks scratch the concrete.. even with these taken off I think we'd still get some bumper scrape. Is my only option here to build a ramp? 

Any help is greatly appreciated, and maybe there are some things I'm completely unaware of? Maybe when I get the cargo and trailer loaded for actual travel it will get some more weight on the tongue? 

 Looking forward to chatting with you all. 

We've been using a Fastway e2 since we bought ourPod in 2016 and kept it when we replaced ourPod with our Sonoma.  We've always found towing with the WDH to be much more stable and comfortable.  Backing with an e2 has never been a problem for us except in the most extreme situation of uneven ground and a need for a very sharp turn.  DD08, the driveway in your picture is nothing compared to the rolled curb and uneven ground I had to back over to park our trailer on the side of our house when we lived in NV, and now it's even steeper and more abrupt at our home in CT.  Backing is just not a significant issue.  Cruising with a WDH is much more relaxing as you hardly notice the trailer is there even with high cross winds.  I can't speak for other WDH's but many on this board have their favorites.  Check out the options on e-trailer for the different brands and configurations that are available and the archives for discussions about which are preferred brands.

Also, you may want to look at replacing the rear stabilizers with https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Save-A-Jack-p/saj-u.htm - SaveAJack . 

I know, I know. . . broken record +3 on tongue weight.

Have towed a 177 for 12 years, 8 with a '08 and '13 Explorer's, the last 4 with a '11 and '17 F-150.  Have towed over 43,000+ miles using a simple Curt friction bar over snow, sleet, hail and 25+ mph cross winds and have not seen a need for a WDH.  Regardless of that, we also go with a 1" drop having the front of the 177 one inch lower than the rear.  The fully loaded 177 with 36 gallons of water (tank is behind axle) and ready to go for a 30 day excursion weighs in at 2940 lbs.  11% x 2940 = 323 lbs. needed on the tongue to reduce/eliminate sway.  With two 12v batteries and two 20# propane tanks on the a-frame, the tongue weight is 340, as a result sway is never an issue. 

Our driveway makes yours look flat as a pancake by comparison, we were always dragging the rear stab's going up or down our asphalt driveway until we got smart and installed a 3.5" lift kit from FR, totally cured that problem.

Finally - tires.  The first 2 sets were "C" rated tires, set at 50 psi.  The last set purchased are Carlisle Radial Trail HD, are "D" load rated tires, set at 60 psi.  Makes for a more stable and smooth ride, especially noted on windy days.

Lots of good advice so far. I will third/fourth/fifth??? the above as to wdh usage.  It will make a world of difference in your towing experience.  We have used the Equalizer 4 point sway system on 2 different tow vehicles and 2 different R Pods.  Love it and would definitely buy it again.

I also agree about good tires. The factory tires usually are the cheapest available. Better tires will have stronger sidewalls which will help limit the bouncing and swaying.  Higher load range(D is preferable) is also helpful.

so far, nobody has mentioned 2 of you questions-level trailer and jolting back and forth

the trailer should be level for several reasons.  being level will help remove any tendency for sway and could also help raise the rear end to stop dragging the jacks. There are lots of different shanks available with 2"-10" of drop.  get the trailer level while parked and then measure from the top of the ball receiver to the ground.  then measure the tow vehicle from the top of the ball to the ground. the difference is the amount of drop that needs to be used on the shank to keep the trailer level. this assumes that a wdh is installed to keep the rear end of the tow vehicle from sagging under the tongue weight of the trailer. this is another good reason for using a wdh system.

Another issue you mentioned is jolting back and forth.  this usually occurs when the shank is not tight in the receiver.  It can be from extensive wear , different sized shank or wrong mating of the h=shank to the receiver.  the 2" ball is correct.  We use a hitch tightener similar to this

https://www.etrailer.com/Hitch-Anti-Rattle/Roadmaster/RM-061.html

It keeps the shank tight in the receiver and will stop a lot of the back/forth and side /side movement of the shank which will make for a smoother tow. this is what it looks like installed

https://postimg.cc/SJvdtcyT">

Good luck with your new R Pod

Travel often and safe

Vann

+1 on the level kit honestly. We took another crack this weekend trying to take the driveway at an angle etc and no luck. If it wasn't the jacks, it was the spare tire, the bumper, the water drains.. it just wasn't going to happen. I couldn't believe how little clearance this trailer really does have. 

Anyways a little update.. My uncle who tows a bunch of trailers daily came over and took a look. He had a hitch with a little more drop, but it appears it needed even more.. perhaps with some cargo in the bed and trailer it will level out the trailer a little more. Admittedly also that driveway is my parents, with my house next door. We eventually just took a path across my lawn onto my driveway for the time being as I don't have as severe as a dip. So finally we are off the street. 

I went to the local trailer place around here and although it's pricey I'm going to go for the E2 hitch anyways, not only will it make the ride a bit better but I think it will be a requirement for my wifes jeep should we ever want to take the trailer with that. So it'll get some good use. 

All in all I think it's just been a while towing a trailer and I wasn't used to the feeling behind the truck. I think it's just the nature of towing 3000 LBS and will eventually get used to it. I think I was silly to assume I'd feel absolutely nothing back there.

Thank you all again and will continue to participate in some threads on here!! 

For sure. The lift kit can get you an additional 2 or 3 inches, depending. The larger wheel only a 1/2 inch. Every little bit helps.