Author |
Share Topic Topic Search Topic Options
|
GlueGuy
Senior Member
Joined: 15 May 2017
Location: N. California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2653
|
Calendar Event: New tow vehicle questions Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 6:49pm |
I hear you voisj. Really though, the capabilities of most F-150s from the last several years is well beyond what people experience with smaller vehicles. Our 2015 F-150 has a GVWR of around 17,000 lbs, so I'm not particularly worried one way or the other.I do still prefer using the WDH mainly because the whole truck/rpod "unit" seems to ride a lot better.
|
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
|
|
jato
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2012
Location: Kewadin, MI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3252
|
Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 7:14pm |
Our '94 F-150 4x4 with 320,000 miles pulls our 177 like a dream w/o any WDH. Tongue weight on our 177 was only 350 lbs and that was with 2 propane tanks and 2 12volt group size 24 batteries on the tongue. Also noted that this was taken with an empty fw tank which is located behind the axle. Engine is a 5.0 L. V-8 with a manual stick transmission.
|
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."
|
|
lostagain
Senior Member
Joined: 06 Sep 2016
Location: Quaker Hill, CT
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2595
|
Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 8:01pm |
Hurray for old trucks! I hope i can get that many miles out of my Dakota.
|
Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost
|
|
OldNeumanntapr
Senior Member
Joined: 23 May 2018
Location: CA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 204
|
Posted: 01 Nov 2018 at 9:12pm |
I had a '91 F-150 regular cab, 8ft box (300 I6 w/5 speed manual) and an '89 F-350 Crew Cab 4x4 (460 V8 w/auto.)
Both were strong trucks. The F-150 had a really nasty habit of cutting out under light throttle. It was only two years old when I bought it (off the Honda used lot). I took it to Ford several times and had the injectors flushed, but they could never find a definitive problem because no codes came up on the computer diagnostic. (If I had my '67 Alaskan camper loaded it wouldn't be as noticeable because a heavily throttle was needed to move the camper, but if it was empty it was maddening!)
Anyone else ever have that problem with the '91 I6? I replaced the truck with the F-350 when my son was born because we outgrew the regular cab F-150.
My ex wife had a really dry sense of humor and when we would take the F-350 to get the fluids changed she would look at the tech upon completion and ask, 'Why do the fluids in those big tanks in the back run out so fast?'
The mechanic would pause for a second and then smile when it dawned on him that she was joking. "That's because you have a 460!', he would say.
|
|
offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290
|
Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 5:09am |
jato, 1Hpod has a 179 like voisj, GlueGuy, and I do. Totally different animal from your 177. You can't compare them for tongue weight. That's why I'm saying, get and use the wdh unless you actually know for sure what your 179 tongue weight is. It's most likely going to surprise you how heavy it is.
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
|
|
GlueGuy
Senior Member
Joined: 15 May 2017
Location: N. California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2653
|
Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 9:24am |
That's true. That tongue weight can really sneak up on you. Perhaps it should be standard practice to weigh each of the axles. I know a lot of people going in tend to focus on the empty weight, and we find out later about what a low-ball number that is.
I, for one, am happy that we did a bit of overkill with our F-150. I think our maximum tongue weight is in the neighborhood of 1100 lbs, and tongue weight is something I don't have to worry about (too much).
|
bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River
2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost
|
|
mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 07 Apr 2016
Location: Greenbrier, TN
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3419
|
Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 9:38am |
I have a Sherline Tongue Weight Scale, I know what my tongue weight is, even with changes.
|
Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."
|
|
offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290
|
Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 9:50am |
Yep, the trailer manufacturers and dealers put out these silly weight specs and love to advertise how light their products are and how you can tow them with little tiny tow vehicles. And when the buyer finds out they can't the RV industry says its the vehicle manufacturer's fault.
The good news is that a wdh effectively deals with the tongue weight issue as long as its not too crazy. But that moves the limiting factor to the trailer axle, and that's another area I have a bone to pick on with the trailer manufacturers.
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
|
|
furpod
Moderator Group - pHp
Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128
|
Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 10:07am |
We towed our 177 with an Expedition, well 2 of them actually. The Pod was well within it's capabilities to handle the Pod, no assistance. On a lark, I set up the WDH we use with our Airstream, to see if it made a difference at all.. we never towed the Pod without again. My sister tows her 177 with a '17 F250, nothing but a 9 1/2 drop ball hitch. No issues. Our F250 allows for a 1500lb TW, with a WDH.. or without. But we still use a WDH with the Lance, TW around 1000lbs, because, again, it feels like the truck rides better.
|
|
offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290
|
Posted: 02 Nov 2018 at 10:22am |
i think it matters a lot which rPod you have. From what I've read here, 177's are a lot lighter on the hitch than 179's are when fully loaded, especially carrying water weight. Best bet, weigh your trailer and tongue, then decide.
|
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
|
|