New to the forum, My kids are grown and the hubby and I are downsizing from a 5th wheel to the rpod. We just happened to be looking at the same time the orders for 195's are going in. Our rationale for buying that one, is my husband is 6'4...His feet need to hang off the end of any bed we are in. ok, ok we just like the overall design, and the storage in this one is incredible.

I don't want to be a party pooper but I'd urge some caution on your trailer vs tow vehicle selection.  The 195 is a really large r-pod and the Ridgeline is a relatively light tow vehicle. The weight specs on the 195 aren't out yet but you can be sure its going to end up heavier than any of the other rpods.  And once you've loaded it it will almost certainly be a lot heaver than the unloaded vehicle weight would lead you to believe. 

Have you checked all your towing specs for your Ridgeline? There's more to it than just the tow rating, you need to look at tongue weight, max gross combined vehicle weight rating (including the weight of what you're going to be carrying in the Ridgeline), weight distribution hitch capability (you'll most likely want one for that rig), and trailer max frontal area limits (if there are any).  

Weight (dry) on the 195 is 3400. then plan on 250 for water, 200 for cargo. we don't know tongue weight yet.

tow capacity for the ridgeline is 5000, he is planning on putting airbags in the back suspension, definitely have sway bars. tongue weight capacity is 500lb. i can't see the 195 being more than 350 tongue weight but the specs aren't out yet on that.

Is this still a concern?  I appreciate any input!

My 179 which is supposed to weigh 2750 empty and 292 on the tongue comes in at 550 on the tongue and 3700 lbs total. That's with water, dual batteries, and a single propane cylinder, maybe a couple of hundred pounds of gear. Travel trailer tongue and empty weights are very misleading. And so are tow vehicle specs, usually the trailer towing capacity assumes there is just one skinny driver and nothing else in the tow vehicle. 

Just my $0.02. 

while most of my trips will only be 35 min to 1.5 hr away, I do live next to the rockies, and I would love to take the trailer to Jasper and into BC so we will definitely be crossing high mountain paths.

If you have any other tips and tricks please share!

  

We live on the east side of the Sierras and are also only a short drive from wonderful camping spots, but I have to say, I am glad our Dakota is well matched to the weight we are pulling.  Heading up some some of the passes in the Sierra is a challenge and if the TV wasn't really up to it, you'd be frustrated quickly.  

Plug all this in the calculator and it will tell you how you're doing against your specs, and also what a weight distribution hitch could do for you. With the Dodge I don't imagine you'll need one, but if you go to a lighter TV you probably will.  

One other unanswered question about the 195 is what axle FR is going to be putting on it. The 3500 lb axles on the other rPods and the tires and wheels being used are a bit on the light side so have had some issues on the heavier pods. This gets worse with a weight distribution setup because that redistributes some weight from the hitch to the trailer axle as well as to the TV front axle. Hopefully this new even heavier pod will have a heavier axle, tires and wheels. If not you can as a minimum upgrade your tires to a higher load rating. 

Have fun with your new trailer!

The 195 is also a bit wider, so towing mirrors might be needed for the Ridgeline, and the frontal area will be increased, along with the A/C unit up top and the awning which add both weight and wind drag. Not to mention all the storage space, the big pantry, and the big fridge that you will probaby fill up quickly. 

Then add dual propane tanks, dual batteries, and maybe a generator and gas for that in the tow vehicle, and you will have a big load on the Ridgeline. I'm guessing full curb weight will be right around 4500 when its all said and done, putting the tongue weight around 500.

http://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/2017-honda-ridgeline-towing-review - https://www.autoguide.com/manufacturer/2017-honda-ridgeline-towing-review

Its a whole different world with a tow-behind.

I will let you know where the tanks are after we get it mid may hopefully. Thanks for the input, great counter-weight idea!

Wherever the tanks are unless you have water and a dump station at or near your destination you can't practically speaking "tune" your tongue weight by shifting water around between tanks.  It will be where it will be, and it will change the tongue weight while you're camping,  sometimes by a lot. In the case of my 179, converting 30 gallons of fresh water into 30 gallons of mostly gray water reduces my tongue weight by about 130 lbs. 

This change can be good or bad depending on where you were to start with. You can have too much weight on the tongue under one loading condition and little in another. Too little can result in trailer sway. The general rule of thumb (which appears to hold up based on rPodders' experiences on this forum) is to always keep the tongue weight above 10-11% to avoid sway. 

You don't have to weigh your trailer more than once to figure out the effects of moving weight around though. Its a pretty easy calculation once you have the known tongue weight under a known condition. The math is:

For loads in front of the trailer axle:

tongue weight change  = (load added or removed)/(distance to tongue from axle)X(distance to load from axle). Heavier for added weight, lighter for removed weight. Measure the distance from the center of the axle to the center of the load. 

The same formula applies for loads behind the axle, but reversed (lighter for added loads, heavier for loads removed). 

And yes, weight and balance on a travel trailer with a lighter tow vehicle is more of a concern than in a big 'ol 5er towed by a 1 ton dually . But it absolutely can be done safely and comfortably, and once you've got your weights under the load-outs you're planning, and are comfortable with the results and the way your rig handles, you won't need to ever worry about it again unless you change something significant.

 

Thanks Offgrid! great info again. I put the deposit down today. The dealer didn't know the exact tongue weight but just said it would be 10% of dry weight, (which is 3400lb with the Hood river package), so obviously that will go up and down with load. we will keep the dodge for know until we get used to the unit.   We are not stressed about it, my husband is a mechanic, we likely will get a weight distribution hitch, and will for sure get sway bars, and we are decent for equalizing loads and weight.  And we will be installing air bags on rear truck coils....we have those now with the 5th wheel and wow what a difference.

I will post pics and give as much info as i can when I get it.

Cheers

Have fun!

I'm new here too and I've found this forum fun and helpful.  Its nice to meet you.

Julie

We to have placed our order.  195 baby is in the oven.  Hopefully will get delivery near the end of April. 

I do have a question.  We are planning on having the slide topper installed before we pick the 195 up. 

Any pros or cons with the slide toppers on the rpod???  I sure would welcome any information about your experience. 

Thanks