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Topic ClosedProud new owner of a rpod 193

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GlueGuy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Proud new owner of a rpod 193
    Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 10:38am
Instead of frontal area, perhaps they should refer to effective flat plate frontal area. That takes into account the aerodynamics, or lack thereof. Aircraft use this metric to evaluate efficiency.

Maybe it would be useful for RV manufacturers to publish the flat plate frontal area?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 10:45am
I would go for that idea. It would make this less of a guessing game.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 11:42am
That would work. Backing into it by looking at fuel economy and assuming a frontal area of 45 ft2 I think that the "traditional" rpods have a Cd of about 0.4. That makes CdA around 18 ft2. A more precise estimate can be gotten by doing coast down testing, but I haven't gotten around to trying that.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 12:05pm
Ok, let me add something here that isn't some type of formula, that produces a number nobody understands, and then leads to different conclusions by everybody. I already tow a 195 with my Frontier. It's the exact same camper. I haven't had any problems traveling the east coast from the Canadian border to New York city area, and as far west as Iowa. I would not hesitate for one second to hook up a 193 to a Ford ranger, Colorado, Frontier, or Tacoma. The fuel economy is going to be as low as 9 - 10 Mpg, or if your lucky, 14 - 15 Mpg, no matter what you tow with. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 1:10pm
Originally posted by mjlrpod

Ok, let me add something here that isn't some type of formula, that produces a number nobody understands, and then leads to different conclusions by everybody. I already tow a 195 with my Frontier. It's the exact same camper. I haven't had any problems traveling the east coast from the Canadian border to New York city area, and as far west as Iowa. I would not hesitate for one second to hook up a 193 to a Ford ranger, Colorado, Frontier, or Tacoma. The fuel economy is going to be as low as 9 - 10 Mpg, or if your lucky, 14 - 15 Mpg, no matter what you tow with. 

Excuse me, but speak for yourself  At least 3 people on this thread both understand the formula and are interested in the frontal area and drag coefficients of these trailers, and in why the manufacturers spec them as they do. If you aren't interested or choose not to take the effort to understand this stuff than that's your choice, just ignore the posts. 

As for leading to different conclusions by everybody, that does not seem to be the case. I for one happen to agree with you, as I have said. A Ranger with the higher tow rating should be able to handle a 193.  

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 1:19pm
Well I didn't see the OP ask if someone could explain what frontal area is, and could we please discuss it to nauseam. You could take your own perfectly good advise and ignore MY post if you don't like it. I was trying to answer the question, not complicate it. 

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 3:17pm
What you apparently find to be complicated might seem the opposite to others. Its a forum, people can post what they want. But if you post something insulting, which you did, then don't be surprised to get a reaction from other members. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 4:28pm
I just eyeballed our trailer and truck.  The part of the trailer that is not behind the bed is about 7'x6' and is sloped like the curve on a pod.  I guess, worst case scenario, I'm under 50 sq.ft. full frontal ....ity.

I guess it works well as we just got back from another trip to the Lassen National Forest and the truck's computer says we got 14.8 mpg.  I wonder if it's lying or trying to trick me?  I think we'll go camping again at least once more in July, and as many trips as we can squeeze in in August and September.  Tongue
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 4:55pm
Originally posted by lostagain

I just eyeballed our trailer and truck.  The part of the trailer that is not behind the bed is about 7'x6' and is sloped like the curve on a pod.  I guess, worst case scenario, I'm under 50 sq.ft. full frontal ....ity.
I guess it works well as we just got back from another trip to the Lassen National Forest and the truck's computer says we got 14.8 mpg.  I wonder if it's lying or trying to trick me?  I think we'll go camping again at least once more in July, and as many trips as we can squeeze in in August and September.  Tongue


You don’t subtract the cross section of the TV. Basically the frontal area of the trailer is the same as the frontal area of the rig because the trailer is larger than the TV all dimensions. In the end you want to know the effective frontal area (Cd x A) of the whole rig, that’s what counts. Hope that makes sense.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Jul 2020 at 5:15pm
Nope, it's not clear, at least to someone as slow as me.  But then I rarely drive fast.  The back of the truck is 6' wide and 4.5' high to the top of the tonneau covered bed.  The trailer is 7' wide and about 8.5' tall with the same curved front as an r-Pod.  There isn't a lot of trailer showing looking at the truck and trailer combined from the front.  And there are no cantilevered wheel with phenomenal wind resistance sticking out the sides.  Ermm  So what would be the Cd x A?  
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