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Topic ClosedReally want one but, can I tow it?
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Happy Tripping View Drop Down
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Posts: 473 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Really want one but, can I tow it?
    Posted: 13 Apr 2019 at 9:52am
Originally posted by megan_hslib

I love the R-Pod .. But ... I'm still unsure.  I get everything from "sure, that's fine" to "OMG you can't tow anything but maybe a tiny teardrop. 

Travel trailer towing is not rocket science. You will get the same mix of responses here because the variables are really pretty standard. 

Yeah, you can add things and tow an r-pod with your SUV's towing capacity and probably have no problems, as long as you don't stretch the limits too far for too long (but even the Blue Ridge area has some pretty steep roads).  

Is it optimal? Since it lacks a tow package, of course not.

What is your threshold for uncertainty? Mine is pretty low, so I automatically want a factory towing package if I am going to be towing a travel trailer. A factory towing package and a 4500 lb towing capacity has taken me cross country and to Yellowstone without excitement.
"There comes a time in the affairs of a man when he must take the bull by the tail and face the situation" - W.C. Fields
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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Posts: 2629 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2019 at 9:25am
I would look at the components that would be added to your Santa Fe for the "towing package". Things like a larger radiator, transmission cooler, oil cooler, suspension upgrade, and so on.

Depending on the source, I see that the Santa Fe is rated at either 2000 Kg (~~ 4400 lbs), or 5000 lbs. It's hard to tell from here what your Santa fe is rated at. If you are going to pull a 179, or 18x, or 19x, you'll probably want the version of the Santa Fe that is rated at 5000 lbs. If you don't have that version, I would check with your Hyundai dealer to see if your Santa Fe can have the required components added (sometimes it might be too expensive to do this). 

If your Santa Fe is rated at the 2000 Kg limit, you might possibly be able to do the above, but you may be close to your limit. The pulling limit is one thing, the other thing is the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating), or the maximum weight you can carry in your Santa Fe. You will need to know what the empty weight of the Santa Fe is, plus all the people and cargo you intend to carry, plus the tongue weight of the chosen trailer. Add all that up, and you will get the GVW (Gross Vehicle Weight). If that is more than the GVWR, then you got some splainin' to do (as Ricky Ricardo used to say).

So right now, I would say I don't have enough information.
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Richand Cindy View Drop Down
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Posts: 328 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2019 at 8:28am
What is the recommended towing capacity of the vehicle as is?  That is what you go by.  I am not sure about the Hyundai Sante Fe but for most vehicles not having the factory tow package means more than just missing the wiring.  Usually there is a larger cooler for the transmission and a different gear ratio.  If the factory specs say you can now tow 5000 lbs than yes you have more than you need. BUT adding "stuff" does not increase the original towing capacity.  It also voids any insurance claims as insurance companies go by the original factory towing specs.
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megan_hslib View Drop Down
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Posts: 5 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Apr 2019 at 8:06am
I love the R-Pod and I really want one. But even after reading everything about towing and getting input from people on RV forums, I'm still unsure.  I get everything from "sure, that's fine" to "OMG you can't tow anything but maybe a tiny teardrop. Go buy a giant truck" (as if that's in my budget).

So I'll ask the experts who actually own and tow them.  I have a 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe LE. It's the full size 7 passenger one.  V6 engine.  I don't have the "tow package" but with this model of the Santa Fe, all that means is that the wiring isn't back there. It has what it needs to tow 5,000 once I have the stuff properly installed.  Gross vehicle weight on the door is 5512. Front axle is 3071 and rear 3064.  I have not loaded the vehicle with people and stuff and weighed it yet as has been suggested.  I'm not really sure where to do that.  

Most of the time, it will just be me and my husband.  We have 4 tween/teen kids, but when they come with us, they tent camp.  Sometimes we'll have a guest or two that will want to sleep in the camper with us.  I live in coastal VA, and most camping is done in the Blue Ridge area of the state.  So there will be some "mountain" driving, but it's not MOUNTAIN driving, like when I drove a rented C-class klunker over the Teton pass and thought I was going to die (LOL).  

So, what do you think?  Do I need to stick to looking at little tear drops and pop-up or A-frames?  Or can I tow one of these?
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