4-cyl towing thoughts? - R-pod Owners Forum

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crankster78 View Drop Down

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Joined: 08 May 2018
Location: Minn
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Topic: 4-cyl towing thoughts?
Posted: 16 Jun 2018 at 9:02am

Greetings

How far are you going to tow and how often?. I would not be comfortable towing with a short wheelbase, underpowered TV. You want to think of your personal safety and the safety of those around you. Towing anything involves a higher level of responsibility.

Crankster78

R-179 F-150

Crankster 78 R-179 2015

ArenaBlanca View Drop Down

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Location: Alamogordo, NM
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Posted: 16 Jun 2018 at 10:47am

There discussion of what you can tow with never ends. It is interesting that this one started with the concept of using a 4 cylinder vehicle. It really isn't a matter of cylinders. Offenhausers had 4 cylinders. I was once told that torque determines whether you can do something and horsepower determine how fast you can do it. I have found this to be true when towing campers.

Check your horsepower and torque curves for your engine. You may find you have sufficient power but only at extremely high RPM's. And that causes lots of engine heat and other problems.

I tow with my pickup because that is what I had. I still use a anti-sway bar and would recommend it. You might want to investigate the possibility of renting a pickup or other tow vehicle if you are just going be using it for a couple of weeks.

Just my opinion an $0.02.

Enjoy Life!!

OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down

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Posted: 16 Jun 2018 at 11:53am

I felt comfortable with my 4 cyl Tacoma and 1,500 lb tent trailer because I still (on paper) had 2000 lbs of leeway in my towing capacity. BUT, the engine was laboring hard on hills, especially on the two-lane country roads. Sometimes I had to drop to second gear. Once (on highway 12 in Utah) I had to drop to FIRST gear. Flat ground was OK, but I could never use overdrive, not that I wanted to anyway.

There were places that I KNEW I couldn't go, like the mountain grade that leads up the valley floor to Sequoia National Park, or the steep down grade that leads to Mill Creek campground at Del Norte Coast Redwoods (just south of Crescent City, CA.) I worried that the truck couldn't pull us back up to highway 1.

Like others have said, DON'T Gamble with your safety, or put your engine / transmission in jeopardy. Costly breakdowns while on vacation are NOT fun! Rent a truck to pull the rPod or simply stay with what you have and know your limitations.

mcarter

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Posted: 16 Jun 2018 at 3:53pm

The only thing I would tow with a 4 CYL is a lawn tractor. Then I'd think about it. Moving a RV is not the same as towing it under all conditions.

Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

Live2Camp

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Posted: 16 Jun 2018 at 11:06pm

Originally posted by TrailerTrish

Hi, I’m considering buying an RPod – one of the smaller ones. Of interest is a 2009 173 (2000 lbs). We’re currently towing a 12’ FR Flagstaff A frame, also 2000 lb, but, of course, a much lower profile when folded. We have a 2015 4-cyl Subaru Outback, rated to tow 2700 lbs. We’ve had the A-frame for three years and have towed it over the Canadian Rockies, the Colorado Rockies, and the Sierras without any problems. We throttle back so we aren’t gobbling gas, but we still have plenty of pickup if needed.
We probably spend 3-4 weeks a year camping, so the rest of the year we didn’t want to have to be driving around in a gas guzzling 6-cylinder and are happy with the arrangement so far. But now I want something with a potty. Our needs are simple, I don’t need a powerhouse or a rolling mansion, just 2 separate sleeping areas and a potty.

Do you think the lighter RPods could work? We have elec brake controller and am told we’d need an anti-sway bar. ..
TIA
Trish

Good for you for doing your research! Since you're in the SF Bay Area you know that you can't go very far in either direction, without going up or down a hill or a mountain range. And that the roads in our outer coast range in particular, are especially steep even though the elevation isn't as high as the Sierra. And of course in the Sierra, Cascades and Rockies we're dealing with high elevation. Can you rent a trailer and try it out? Not in San Francisco! Lostagain suggested that but of course also made it clear you should drive it first without a trailer, after which you would never take a trailer there (he made the point very effectively!). I know that particular intersection and others in SF like it, it's where my parents used to take me and my siblings for "here's how you drive a stick shift in The City" lessons. But depending on where in the Bay Area you are, there are lots of places you could do some tests with a rental. We live in the outer coast range and are really familiar with the region, if I can be of help regarding location suggestions feel free to message me off-list. If you really want an RPod, which is completely understandable because we sure love ours and as far as I can tell everyone here loves theirs, I hope you will be able to either rent or buy an appropriate tow vehicle. Lastly, thinking about the general region and that one could only avoid hills and mountains by driving the section of Hwy 5 MOL between Sacramento and well north of the Grapevine, I have stuck tune syndrome: "Mountains to the left of us, mountains to the right, here we are". Not that I'm complaining of course, since I love mountains. Welcome to the forum by the way, and hoping that collectively we can be of help!

2017 R-Pod 179 HRE (the green one)
His:Ford F150 double cab 4WD; Hers/mine:Tacoma V6 double cab 4WD
Still love rugged, diggin' comfy too

StephenH

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Posted: 16 Jun 2018 at 11:11pm

Having towed out west in the mountains with both a 4 cylinder (Ford Escape with 2L Ecoboost) and 6 cylinders (Nissan Frontier with 4L naturally aspirated engine), I think I have the ability to speak on this topic. While we live in NC, we have been out west 3 times with our 179 in passes up to and over 8,000 ft. as well as in the eastern mountains of the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP) and Appalachians.

As others have stated, torque is the key. In any but low altitudes, the 4 cylinder Escape had more torque and horsepower than the V6 Frontier since the turbocharger kept the air supply to the engine adequate to generate torque while the V6 (according to Nissan) lost 4% power for every thousand feet in altitude. The torque curve of the Ecoboost engine is also flatter than a non-turbocharged engine.

The Escape was rated for 3500 lbs. The Frontier (Crew Cab 4x4) is rated for 6100 lbs. The extra gears in the Ford helped also. I used to tow in Sport (Schlepp) mode which locked out overdrive and changed the sift points. With the Frontier, I turn off overdrive if I am not driving in flat terrain. Both vehicles would pull up a hill and I never got down to 30 mph unless I got stuck behind a tractor-trailer and could not pass. Still, when I could pass, I was able to gain speed albeit in a low gear at high RPMs (most recently a few days ago).

The one time I had heat problems with the Escape, it was climbing a twisty "scenic byway" in Virginia up to the BRP. I could not gain any speed so airflow across the radiator and transmission cooler was inadequate.The engine finally cut power to reduce heat but still I had to stop for a few minutes so it could cool before continuing. Our speeds were about 5-15 mph on that climb. Once we gained speed, cooling was adequate as with the altitude, the ambient air temperature was also lower. After that trip, I had the transmission oil changed to make sure we had good fluid for the next trip.

The Escape was okay with strong headwinds as long as we limited our towing speed to 60 mph or less. If it were a crosswind, the lighter weight of the Escape plus the frontal area of the R-Pod made it too squirrely so lower sppeds were less "white knucle" than trying to go faster. Even with the Frontier, we limit our speed to 60 mph with rare excursions to 65 mph. It is better for the gas mileage that way. Plus, the towing speed limits in many states are 55 or 60 mph, not the stated 80 mph of the Interstate highways out west.

After our accident, we bought the Frontier. We are on the final leg of a month+ trip from North Carolina out west to Arizona, Utah, Idaho, Monana, Wyoming, returning by way of Yellowstone NP and Mount Rushmore. The Frontier does not have the pep of the Ecoboost, but it did serve adequately. On many of the climbs, it did have to switch to a low gear with high RPMs, but it did climb okay as stated above.

The problem with the Subaru is that it while the short wheelbase is not necessarily bad (short distance between center of rear axle and center of hitch ball) means that the trailer exerts less force than if the distance is greater. We noticed this when we got the Frontier and the same winds and trucks that nudged us with the Escape were much more noticeable with the Frontier which had about 2' more distance between axle and hitch ball than the Escape. The engine and gearing are a concern. The Escape worked because of the Ecoboost engine. If the Subaru is not turbocharged, I agree with the other posters that you would find it woefully inadequate for the western mountains.

StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

ronahue

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Posted: 17 Jun 2018 at 6:12am

Certainly this vehicle would be marginal at best for what you want to do. I have had 4 Subaru Outbacks and think are are a fantastic car. Besides the obvious weight issue I would have 2 concerns, the frontal area of the r-pod and the CVT transmission. See if you can find out if their is a frontal area restriction, I know my Frontier has a restriction if 39 square feet which puts my r-179 right on the edge. While I love the CVT in my Outback I have no idea how it will stand up to towing a trailer. Good luck.

Ron & Sharon
2015 R-Pod 179
2022 Nissan Frontier

No trees were harmed in the sending of this message but a billion electrons were really agitated

StephenH

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Posted: 17 Jun 2018 at 7:27am

One other thought: What size hitch receiver is on the Outback? If it is a 1-1/4" hitch receiver, that is a big clue that an R-Pod is not something you want to try. I just found a web page with some helpful definitions about Trailer Hitch Classes and Towing.

StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

ouR escaPOD mods
Former RPod 179
Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

ronahue

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Location: Massachusetts
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Posted: 17 Jun 2018 at 7:40am

The factory Outback hitch is 1-1/4" however I have seen Outbacks with a 2" hitch from after market suppliers.

Ron & Sharon
2015 R-Pod 179
2022 Nissan Frontier

No trees were harmed in the sending of this message but a billion electrons were really agitated

lostagain

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Posted: 17 Jun 2018 at 9:49am

Keep in mind, it isn't the number of cylinders in the motor that determines the ability to tow. It's is a combination of factors including torque & horsepower, the engineered strength of the engine components, the sturdiness of the transmission to have the force of sustained loads without overheating, the strength of the components in the axle(s) and differential(s) and/or transaxle, the relative weights of the TV and the trailer, and the overall strength of the suspension. You can drive a tank on a 4 cyl. engine if it is "beefy" enough and geared properly.

Towing or loading a vehicle to its capacity or beyond stresses all the drivetrain components. Stuff is going to break at some point. Tiny fractures start to appear at stress points and then suddenly, wham!, your stuck in the middle of nowhere (which starts about 50 miles east of my house) and the shade tree mechanic, with the missing front teeth who never worked on your brand of car before, is trying to rebuild your constant velocity automatic transmission. Not a good picture, especially when he reminds you, the city slicker, that "ya'll ain't from around these parts, is ya."

Bottom line, mechanical things, be it a vehicle, a bridge, or a dam, are designed to withstand limited forces. When you overload something, it is going to fail, it's just a question of when and how badly. A 2cm thick axle drive shaft is going to break under load well before ja 6cm shaft. Loading a vehicle beyond its towing capacity is just plain dangerous for you and for those with whom you share the road.

We drive a Mazda cx5, which is functionally similar to the Outback, though the rated towing capacity is about 700 pounds less, despite a 2.8 L engine vs. a 2.5 L. We wouldn't dream of towing with our Mazda. When faced with the what to pull our Pod with, I went out and bought a used small 8 cyl. pickup for the trailer we planned to buy. The total cost of trailer and TV was less than what many pay for just their new Pod. And, we couldn't be more pleased. We have a TV matched to the trailer and have found that both have served us very well. I hope you are able to get the Pod and find a way to come up with something that can adequately handle the weight you'll be pulling. Best of luck.

Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney
Sonoma 167RB
Our Pod 172
2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost