Hey guys, just bought an RP-172..

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   Secretbard,

Welcome--you will enjoy your POD no doubt. One small piece of advice that was given to us when we first started towing our horse trailer long before we bought our Pod....tie a ribbon on the steering wheel. It helps to know where you are when learning the ins and outs of turning and backing a trailer.

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marshwatcher Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2011 Location: Sunny FLORIDA Online Status: Offline Posts: 127	Topic: Hey guys, just bought an RP-172.. Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 7:19pm
	Secretbard, Welcome--you will enjoy your POD no doubt. One small piece of advice that was given to us when we first started towing our horse trailer long before we bought our Pod....tie a ribbon on the steering wheel. It helps to know where you are when learning the ins and outs of turning and backing a trailer.

techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059	Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 12:51pm
	Thank you Bigbit for remembering that! Its been 2 years since I've used a sway bar so I forgot about that. I always hopped out, loosened it and then removed the end attached to the hitch. Our popup happened to have a hook in the right place to hold the sway bar on the tongue so I never had to remove it completely during a trip. I did after the trip was over and stored it inside to prevent weather damage.
	Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

Bigbit Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 27 Feb 2010 Location: USA Online Status: Offline Posts: 58	Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 9:45am
	The only thing that I would add to techntrek's towing advice is that before backing up, you should at minimum loosen, or better yet remove your sway bar. Sway bars are tough to damage when going forward, but easy to damage when backing up, particularly if you're turning.

Hodge-PODge Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Location: Calhoun, GA Online Status: Offline Posts: 539	Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 1:22am
	And I have no doubt you will indeed.
	2011 RP 177, the Hodge-PODge 2011 Mercedes ML350 "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it."

techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059	Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 9:54pm
	Hodge-podge, actually I'm not familiar with the wireless system! I shall have to edu-ma-cate myself on it.
	Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

psaman Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Location: Corpus Christi Online Status: Offline Posts: 231	Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 9:06pm
	Welcome!!
	2011 R-177 "Sponge-Pod" 2011 F-150 XLT "Texas Edition"

secretbard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Location: Budd Lake, NJ Online Status: Offline Posts: 195	Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 8:30pm
	Thanks for the Prodigy recommendation. I just ordered the Prodigy P3. I'm just going to have to call the RV dealer tomorrow and tell them to cancel and refund the extra charge for their brake controller and harness that they haven't installed yet. I know the brake controller they are going to install will be far less in quality than this one. Thanks again. :)

Hawkeyes Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 12 Oct 2010 Location: Iowa Online Status: Offline Posts: 99	Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 7:50pm
	We have 2006 Trailblazer that we tow with. We get along fine with the sway bar. We do not have a tow package, but well within the limits of the trailblazer. I had never backed a trailer before, but with a little patience, it is not bad at all. We have gone out twice with it and of course towed it home. We did buy a new pickup and will be towing with it this summer. But not afraid to use trailblazer.
	Hawkpod 2013 Surveyor Sport 189 2017 Chevy Silverado

jayber Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 19 Mar 2011 Location: CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 66	Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 7:09pm
	Congrats and welcome from another newbie.
	Jay 2010 Honda Odyssey RP 171 aka PodInn

Hodge-PODge Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Location: Calhoun, GA Online Status: Offline Posts: 539	Posted: 14 Apr 2011 at 6:11pm
	Hi - welcome to the forum! I am presently working on my Ed.D. (Education Doctorate), and am in the dissertation phase. I've planned a couple of trips in the HodgePODge already where there is wireless setup in the campground so I hope to be able to relax some even if I have to work some, too. (Am I CRAZY or what -- I really should be enjoying my grandkids!) I am picking up my RP-177 on Saturday. This forum has already helped me a lot. I have a little bit of the same concerns you do, but I figured if I could back up a popup then I can back the pod up, too. (You can't see over the top of the popup when you back it up anyway.) About what Techntrek said, "You should also get an inertia-based brake controller like the Tekonsha Prodigy," I wonder if that's what the POD dealer is getting for me. He called me very concerned today about putting a brake controller on my new Mercedes ML350 because Mercedes requires a special module that has to be installed before using a brake controller - very expensive and on backorder so it isn't available to me now anyway. So the dealer recommended that we use the wireless module that Tekonsha makes. One part goes on the towable, and the other part plugs into the cigarette lighter in the tow vehicle. Being wireless you can use it on any tow vehicle. He said they are running into this problem with a lot of new cars so they have ordered several of these modules. Obviously, I don't sound like I really know what I am talking about because I really don't but I liked his suggestion because I'm not having to make any structural modifications to my vehicle and I think it is work the extra money -- and still cheaper than Mercedes. (I bet Techntrek knows exactly what I'm talking about even if I don't!) . . . Enough of all that because the really important thing here is welcome aboard -- from one newbie to another. You will learn a lot here. These techie guys here in the forum, they're the ones who should really have the PhD! Happy Podding!
	2011 RP 177, the Hodge-PODge 2011 Mercedes ML350 "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it."