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Topic ClosedLove the new 'Pod

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jcat5150 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Love the new 'Pod
    Posted: 15 Jul 2017 at 8:25pm
Year long viewer, first time poster.  My gal and I pulled the trigger a month or so ago on a new '17 RP180 after a year of research, here and other locales.  After looking at many other possibilities for lightweight rigs we could pull with 3 of the 4 vehicles in our stable (2 half ton pickups and a '13 Grand Cherokee Laredo V6), we kept coming back to the 'pod.  When the best price we'd seen in California presented itself we jumped on it.  After a nightmarish install of a Prodigy P3 in the GC (no tow package...had to wire the WHOLE thing from scratch - 8 hours I'll never get back and one hell of a back ache later, it is functioning flawlessly), we finally took our maiden voyage last weekend.  The GC still needs a couple upgrades (no tow package, remember) but the trailer performed flawlessly and tows beautifully.  Lookin' forward to years of fun with her...already have the second trip in the works for early August!


"Always walk a mile in someone's shoes before criticizing them. That way, when the criticizing begins, you're a mile away and you have their shoes!"
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podzilla View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2017 at 9:02pm
Congrats with the new pod. We picked up our 178 on Friday with a five hour trip home. Can't wait for our first weekend. I know what you mean about the P3 brake controller. I have a 2016 Cherokee trail hawk (no tow Package) bought the P3 brake controller checked to see where the brake switch was and said forget it. Sent it back and got the prodigy RF. Four screws, paired it up and I was done.
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jcat5150 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2017 at 10:10pm
LOL...I may have done the same had I known the RF existed before 30 seconds ago...lmao.   Have you pulled hills with your Trailhawk pulling the 'pod yet?  I was so focused on trans temp on my first pull that I was late noticing the coolant temp on the rise.  Research showed me they use a much skimpier radiator (at least in '13) on rigs without the tow package.  I've already been on the horn with my mechanic buddy...will be careful rest of summer but during the cool months my car is getting the bigger radiator (in case of my GC, it is a 1" thick core vs the 5/8" they skimped on without the tow package.  Sucks that my car has the power to pull the 'pod up a 6% grade at 60 right until the cap blows off the radiator...lol
"Always walk a mile in someone's shoes before criticizing them. That way, when the criticizing begins, you're a mile away and you have their shoes!"
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jcat5150 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2017 at 10:17pm
Originally posted by podzilla

Can't wait for our first weekend. I know what you mean about the P3 brake controller. I have a 2016 Cherokee trail hawk (no tow Package) bought the P3 brake controller checked to see where the brake switch was and said forget it. Sent it back and got the prodigy RF. Four screws, paired it up and I was done.

It WAS nice of them to leave me enough room in my battery box for a peice of angle aluminum to mount an isolator relay and a couple breakers though...LOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOLLOL
"Always walk a mile in someone's shoes before criticizing them. That way, when the criticizing begins, you're a mile away and you have their shoes!"
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podzilla View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2017 at 6:59am
I lucked out with the trail hawk It came with all the coolers and the lower geared rear. On my way home I pulled it up some steep grades through Vermont and it did great except for the gas mileage Shocked
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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2017 at 10:20am
I don't know about your vehicle -- some cool transmission fluid in a closed circuit in the engine coolant radiator.  If TF temps are your concern though, a larger radiator might help a little but an auxiliary transmission cooler is almost certainly a better bet.  You can get one for around $50 and they aren't difficult to install yourself.

TT
2010 176
FJ Cruiser
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2017 at 10:33am
Thanks.  I will get a trans cooler at the same time we upgrade the radiator.  My trans temp is clearly thermostatically controlled to about 168 minimum (empty, the vehicle runs at that level at highway speed whether it is 20 degrees or 100 degrees out).   Factory configuration is not through radiator but uses the top 4 passes in the A/C condenser.   For those reasons (and the difficulty opening the darn thing up enough to install it) I waved off of a plan last year to add a cooler, figuring I'd revisit if I ever saw 200 degrees.  On my trip pulling grades in 100 degree heat the trans temp only saw 195 once and very briefly.  However, as you mention, a cooler is cheap insurance and the nose will have to be opened up for the radiator anyway.   As to THAT, the "heavy duty" radiator is 1" thick vs 5/8" for the "standard duty" unit I clearly have now.  I have to believe that much surface area on the fins has to help a good bit.
"Always walk a mile in someone's shoes before criticizing them. That way, when the criticizing begins, you're a mile away and you have their shoes!"
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Richand Cindy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2017 at 12:10pm
We have the tow package so it was easy to install the Prodigy P3 once we ordered the optional concector made for the Cherokee so we did not have to splice any wires.  Also running over the Alleghany mountains in over 90 degree weather the Jeep performed flawlessly.  Running trans temp is 159 normally and the highest it got was 181 for about a minute but then quickly dropped to 179 over the mountains.  Even gas mileage was not as bad as expected.  Without pulling POD we get 22-23.  With POD we got 16.  We keep it at 55-58 mph except when highway is very smooth then we hit 62 without realizing it and so kept it at that until highway got rough and we felt the difference and dropped back down to 55.
OLD 2017.5 RPOD 180 + 2015 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk
NEW: 2018 Passport Elite 23RB + 2017 Ram 1500 Diesel
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jcat5150 View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Jul 2017 at 12:39pm
Yeah...I was a bit taken aback upon realization I'd have to wire that controller "from scratch"....luckily, the same controller will be easy to move to momma's pickup once I do the "plug and play" install on it (my truck has had a controller in it for years).  It works great though and I'm sort of glad I did it myself now as most factory wired 7 points I've seen lately don't seem to have battery isolation which, to me, is crucial for an RV setup.  
"Always walk a mile in someone's shoes before criticizing them. That way, when the criticizing begins, you're a mile away and you have their shoes!"
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Jul 2017 at 12:39pm
Congrats on the new pod👍  I am here on Vancouver island and just picked my new 2017 177 3 weeks ago and went on her maiden voyage 2 weeks ago by myself and my doggie.   Everything went well except I forgot shampoo and body soap- who does that!  Good thing it was only for 3 days - that's what hats and deodorant are for 😉 I went with the 177 because I wanted to stay Under the 20ft mark, and keep the tear drop shape, with the small slide you get the extra space.  My MDX has no problem pulling, I got the equalizer bars put on as I really am a newbie. I had a tent trailer previously, and pulling a trailer with height is ALOT different.  I looked at a lot of the older posts and they sure have come along way!!  I think me and my pod ( I call her peepod as I finally have a trailer to pee in!) are going to be very good friends. I am headed out again this weekend for 3 nights with the neighbours.  The only thing mine didn't have was the new awnings and I know they are pretty well all coming with them now- but mine didn't.  I don't quite like the looks of the R-domes but I did see those visors that are made by PahaQue and they look Ok, has anyone ordered one?
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