New RP-171 Owners |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Topic: New RP-171 Owners Posted: 14 Aug 2020 at 8:51pm |
I might be misinterpreting your setup when you're getting your tongue weight, if so sorry in advance. But if you're doing it with the wdh tensioned that's not correct. TV tongue weight capacity is not increased by adding a wdh, unless the TV mfg explicitly states that. That is because as soon as you go over any kind of high spot in the road the full tongue weight of the trailer is right back on your TV. Just the way wdh's work.
From what you're saying I'd highly suggest that you still take your rig through a public scale once when loaded as you plan to travel, including cargo, gear, fuel, and humans. That will help you get your software calibrated if nothing else.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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Edward_Larkin
Newbie Joined: 23 Jul 2020 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
Posted: 14 Aug 2020 at 7:10pm |
Yea, it's downright dangerous. Definitely a good idea. Will investigate the same.
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2021 RP-171
2017 Kia Sedona Family of 4 "Let's go have an adventure!" |
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Posted: 13 Aug 2020 at 4:59pm |
By the way on the front of the fresh tank I re-routed the low hanging tubes and pipes...a couple of them actually hung way below the axle....what idiot at the factory thinks THAT is a good idea?
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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Edward_Larkin
Newbie Joined: 23 Jul 2020 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
Posted: 13 Aug 2020 at 4:23pm |
I'm also looking forward to trying out the trailer brake controller calibration feature. Given the way the BetterWeigh works (based on acceleration and angle,) it seems well designed to help tune a brake controller to give you back the same stopping performance of the tow vehicle and no more, or no less.
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2021 RP-171
2017 Kia Sedona Family of 4 "Let's go have an adventure!" |
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Edward_Larkin
Newbie Joined: 23 Jul 2020 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
Posted: 13 Aug 2020 at 2:00pm |
On the subject of the BetterWeigh tool, let me clarify a bit. I've not done as detailed of an analysis as I'd like. Not yet anyway. But I've seen enough to feel confident that it has at least some value. Moreover, i'd argue that the value already matches it's $100 price tag (I evaluated it and planned to return it if it wasn't living up to my expectations.
So far, I've done a fairly accurate tongue weight check against a credible tongue weight scale, and I've done a "cargo" weight check inside the vehicle where I knew the exact weight of the cargo. In both cases, the weight was within ±50 lbs. (cargo was within ±20.) I did learn that it's best to let it settle (the measurement is refined as it gets more measurements to generate an average,) and it's best to take a few measurements (there's usually at least one outlier from some unexpected force.) And I've discovered it to be quite sensitive even to the slightest pressure, which is why settling time and multiple measurements help (and turning off the vehicle for many measurements.) My initial test was on level ground in a large church parking lot on a windy day. But I couldn't get consistent measurements because the wind was moving the tow vehicle enough to severely impact the measurements. It's important to note that many of the measurements work on a calibrated model of suspension travel for the tow vehicle, measured through the tow vehicles change in angle (read by the accelerometer,) due to additional weight added to the vehicle. So wind gusts that gently move the tow vehicle are interpreted as angle changes and can, depending on how soft or firm the suspension is, equate to significant changes in measured weight. Here are some example measurements I took. This is a measure of "cargo" weight after calibrating suspension travel. The "cargo" is myself, and I weighted 161 lbs. on the bathroom scale just before I stepped into the third row of my minivan to take this. This is a pair tongue weight measurements done in succession. My Sherline tongue weight scale was measuring ~300 lbs. at the same time (the scale is purposefully hard to get precise measurements with, so it's hard to be certain.) NOTE: This was the best out of about 5 tests I did, and it was in that windy parking lot. But they were all between about 270 lbs and 340 lbs., with one outlier at almost 390 lbs. Note that my WDH weighs about 85 lbs. and the RP-171 dry tongue weight is specified at 250 lbs., but I never confirmed what its actual dry weight was without my hitch, so I don't have an accurate measure for my specific unit. Still, this all feels "in the ballpark" enough to build some confidence in the device. After the tongue weight test, I tried out the WDH tuning feature and again, it got pretty close. Note that this was taken a day after purchasing the trailer where the dealer installed and set up the WDH. Judging from a tape measure test, the WDH seemed well set up, and this just seemed to confirm it. Finally, I don't have any screenshots of the combined vehicle weight measurements that it's capable of because it requires you to accelerate at medium throttle to 15 mph on level ground. I never thought to get a screenshot once I'd slowed down to look at the result. Interestingly, the reason for a maximum 15 mph speed is to ensure you don't shift gears. The tool needs to eliminate any variable gear ratios and there are few to no automatic vehicles on the market that'll shift out of 1st under 15mph when you've got at least half throttle. In any case, I performed a measurement on my tow vehicle with just me inside and no real cargo and got a little under 5000 lbs. which is about right for our 8 passenger minivan. Later, with a few more humans in the car, I hooked up the trailer (dry) and did the same test. I got a bit under 8000 lbs. (maybe 7800-8000 lbs. or so) which, assuming a 2500 lbs. dry weight (as stated on my sticker from Forest River,) and the addition of the almost 100 lbs. hitch and extra humans again, seems about right. I didn't get to do more then one measurement for combined weight (one for the tow vehicle, and one for both.) And I really want to because I think a few more measurements would give me a lot more confidence if the numbers converged. And I haven't had a chance to put it on a scale before I do this test. But again, this isn't a perfect evaluation, but it's enough to make me listen to the numbers it's giving, and given how darn simple and easy it is, made me feel like it was worth it's $100 price tag. |
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2021 RP-171
2017 Kia Sedona Family of 4 "Let's go have an adventure!" |
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Edward_Larkin
Newbie Joined: 23 Jul 2020 Location: Austin, TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 14 |
Posted: 13 Aug 2020 at 1:59pm |
Thanks to everyone for the well wishes! Special thanks to PilotPodder. I watched a ton of your videos before choosing to make this big purchase. So thank you. That first video walkthrough of yours on the RP-171 was referenced often. We still wish the R-POD's had that older paint style rather then the more muted grey on grey style of today.
And thanks PodWerkz for the recommendations. I've been paranoid about bottoming out as well, though so far, we haven't had that issue once (except for an unfortunate incident when I forgot to bring the tongue jack all the way up.) I have heard, and I can't confirm this, that the latest R-POD models have made standard an older axle riser opption that gives something like 2" more clearance. But I'll keep your recommendations in mind if we start running into any clearance issues (no pun intended.) The one thing my father and I noticed about the underside of our R-POD is that the fresh water tank is fairly vulnerable to ground debris and rocks kicked back from the tow vehicle. In fact, the whole front edge of the fresh water tank is arrayed with the level sensors, as well as the main water outlet. The sewer pipe holder might afford a bit of protection, but not much. Anyway, that's my bigger concern right now. So much so that I'm considering installing a light mylar shield in front of those sensors and the leading edge of the tank.
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2021 RP-171
2017 Kia Sedona Family of 4 "Let's go have an adventure!" |
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podwerkz
Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966 |
Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 8:07pm |
Congrats!
On mine, I added a few items that greatly increase effective ground clearance.
I had the dealer install the axle lift blocks, but then I added a jack-e-up (for the tongue jack) and a pair of sav-a-jacks (for the two rear stabilizer jacks). No worries about hard parts dragging on steep driveway entrances, and I can easily articulate over curbs if need be.
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r・pod 171 gone but not forgotten!
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PilotPodder
Senior Member Joined: 04 May 2016 Location: Portage, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 305 |
Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 7:49pm |
Congrats from a former 171 owner!
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Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — My RPod YouTube Videos
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crw8sr
Senior Member Joined: 12 Oct 2017 Location: Omaha Nebraska Online Status: Offline Posts: 328 |
Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 6:49pm |
Congratulations!
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Chuck & Lyn
Izzy, Morkie. RIP Zoe Joy & Gracie, Yorkie 2018 R Pod 190 2019 Traverse In moments of adversity;when life's a total wreck, I think of those worse off than me and really feel like heck. |
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offgrid
Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 11 Aug 2020 at 6:24pm |
Welcome.
Yours is the first rea;l world review of the Betterweigh system I've seen. Have you weighed your rig (not the tongue weight) at a scale for comparison? I've frankly been a bit suspicious that measuring torque converter slip could be accurate enough to substitute for a real weighing....
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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