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sgordytn View Drop Down
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Joined: 02 Jan 2021
Location: TN
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: New 2021 193
    Posted: 07 Jan 2021 at 5:53pm
Hopefully we will be picking up our new 2021 193 later this month.  

To paint the complete picture here, I have never towed anything really other than a small 4' x 8' trailer with a small pickup.

I have purchased a 2002 Ford F150 FX4 w/5.4L engine.  The truck has towing options installed on it and in addition to that I've been fixing doing things like, new brake calipers, brake lines, and pads all the way around.  Also have replaced U-Joints w/serviceable units. Also replaced all fluids such as differential, transmission, and coolant.

All that being said, my wife and I are looking forward to starting this next phase of our life which is 100% completely new to both of us.

All that being said... I would appreciate/love any advice regarding the R-Pod, the truck, or anything else you feel lead to advice us on.

Thank you in advance!
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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Joined: 27 Sep 2016
Location: Massachusetts
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Posts: 1214 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 7:17am
Hello and welcome. We were all new to this once also. Don't be afraid to ask any "stupid" questions, because we've all asked them before you. If your not sure about something, ask here, go to youtube, or join the R-pod owners V2 facebook site. Make sure you join the V2 site, the other site is run by a jerk. Sounds like your tow vehicle should be great. The first thing I would recommend depends on how you camp. If you boondock all the time, get two 6 volt golf cart batteries, and either solar or a generator. If you camp mostly at parks with hook ups, I'd get an EMS surge protection unit installed to protect your campers electronics from most electrical problems you'll encounter. Good luck, and happy podding. 
2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding
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sgordytn View Drop Down
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 2:10pm
Excellent.  

Why are two 6-Volt batteries better than 12 Volts?

Thank you for the recommendations and the warm welcome.
--------------------------
2021 R-Pod 193
2002 Ford F-150 FX4 5.4L
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Pod People View Drop Down
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Joined: 22 Sep 2011
Location: Chapel Hill,NC
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Posts: 1065 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jan 2021 at 4:34pm
welcome,
There has been a lot of conversation about batteries.  Use the search function and you can read for hours.
Basically, 2 6 volt golf cart batteries hooked together gives you the necessary 12 volts to run things  in the pod. The 6 volt batteries have larger lead plates and can be drawn down and recharged many more times that a "standard" 12 battery.  also, the combined amp hours available in 2 6 volt golf cart batteries are more than the amp hours available in a single 12 volt battery. Thus you will have more available power to work with.
the disadvantage is that the batteries are heavy on the tongue.  Both batteries will weigh about 100#together, but the standard battery tray will accept them. they are usually available at Sam's. Costco, etc for $100+/-.
I have used 2 6 volt golf cart batteries for a while and love them. but we tend to stay in places that don't have power hookups.  However, if you always stay in places that have electric services, you may not need the extra expense and weight.  It will depend on how you camp and how much battery power you will need.
Travel safe
Vann

Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Joined: 23 Jul 2018
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Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jan 2021 at 9:39am
Connecting batteries in series is always better than connecting them in parallel because in series they are guaranteed to always get identical charge and discharge currents. When in parallel they won’t. There is always some variation from battery cell to battery cell, so or two battery cells will develop more internal resistance than others. If the batteries are in parallel the one with the higher resistant cells will take less charge current and provide less discharge current, making the other battery do more of the work. Things will get more out of balance over time. None of that can happen if the batteries are in series.


The other benefit is that you have 12 small cells in two 12v batteries vs. 6 large cells in two 6v batteries. The larger cells have more lead in them to handle cycling and there are half as many things that can fail.
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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sgordytn View Drop Down
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Joined: 02 Jan 2021
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Posts: 4 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jan 2021 at 12:12pm
Thank you Pod People and offgrid and Pod People.  Good things for consideration.  I am sure that since this is our first trailer of any sort and we have so much to learn it will be a while before we undertake any major upgrades.  

I am interested in lots of things like solar power as well but, again maybe in a year or so after we have taken our 193 out a few times I will embark on some modifications.

Thanks again for letting me be a part of this little group.
--------------------------
2021 R-Pod 193
2002 Ford F-150 FX4 5.4L
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PilotPodder View Drop Down
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Posts: 305 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 09 Jan 2021 at 5:00pm
Congrats on the new 193! Besides my R-Pod 179, I also tow a much larger trailer (Keystone Bullet - 5,000 lbs. unloaded) with my Toyota Tundra 5.7L without any issues. I would think your F-150 won't be any issue. I do use a weight distribution hitch which helps even out the ride and reduces rear spring sag on the truck. I recorded a bunch of newbie videos at the link below if interested. Congrats again!
Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — My RPod YouTube Videos
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Dirt Sifter View Drop Down
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Posts: 170 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 Jan 2021 at 9:21am
Congratulations on your purchases and welcome! For all the advise you'll get here, which is great and varied, were I you I'd just go camp in a camp ground with full hook ups the first time or two until you get comfortable with your issued equipment and how things work. Usually camp ground owners or camp hosts have enough experience that they can help with questions. We went to a cg close by, talked to the owner before camping, told them we were first timers, and got a feel for their operation. When we got the trailer, we drove 30 miles to get used to the feel of the combination, checked in and the owner put us next to a guy who knew our situation. He was very helpful from set up to take down. Over the days we were there he answered a lot of questions and gave us some things to ponder. Got us off on the right foot. Since then we have learned from our mistakes just like everyone else and mostly had fun doing so. Enjoy the adventure!
Greg n Deb 2020 195 HRE
'07 Tundra 5.7L., '17 Tacoma 3.5L. Both with tow packages
1 Puggle, 1 Chihuahua support staff
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Colt View Drop Down
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Posts: 383 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jan 2021 at 3:00pm
Originally posted by sgordytn

Hopefully we will be picking up our new 2021 193 later this month.  

To paint the complete picture here, I have never towed anything really other than a small 4' x 8' trailer with a small pickup.

..................

All that being said... I would appreciate/love any advice regarding the R-Pod, the truck, or anything else you feel lead to advice us on.

Thank you in advance!

Originally posted by sgordytn



Why are two 6-Volt batteries better than 12 Volts?



Welcome!  What part of TN are you in? 

Spiffing up the truck to get it ready is very good. 

Towing a roughly 4500 pound 193 will be a lot different than the 4' x 8' you've been towing.  Start to pay attention to big truck drivers and the way they drive.  They are smooth, steady and gentle.  You can view it a little like driving in snow; manage your energy so you never have too much (too fast) or too little (too much power needed to climb).  Be smooth with brakes, steering and throttle.  Leave lots of room to the vehicle in front.  If the wind is up or gusty, go slower because speed adds energy to a sway, if it starts.  there is a lot of sail area from the side of any RV.  Talk to your dealer about a weight distributing hitch and sway control.  I find my simple sway control bar to be a big comfort, and enough.  I bought and installed a rear camera; it's the bomb!  I can watch traffic behind and it helps parking.    I opted for an inertia based brake controller so I'd (hopefully) have to fool with it less while driving. 

Once you get your 'Pod, take it to some scales and weigh the whole rig.  Get front axle weight, rear axle weight and 'Pod axle weight, then get just the truck weight.  From that you can calculate tongue weight.  I'll give you a spreadsheet I made that you can modify for your 193 so you can easily calculate what your tongue weight is after you add "stuff" to the trailer.  

Except for the higher resistance supplied by the connector cable between the 2 batteries, two 6V batteries (2 x 3 cells) in series is identical to a single 12V (6 cells in series) battery of equal A-Hr capacity and construction.  It turns out there is a 6V golf cart battery that easily fits on the battery rack, thus the recommendation.  Two 6V batteries would weigh less individually, but the bottom line is you are just making a DIY 12V "battery". 
John
'16 R-Pod 180
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