Hi, potential R-Pod owner but...
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Forum Name: Introduce Yourself
Forum Discription: New Members - tell us about yourself and your r-pod
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5401
Printed Date: 02 May 2024 at 1:15am
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Topic: Hi, potential R-Pod owner but...
Posted By: SiberD
Subject: Hi, potential R-Pod owner but...
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2014 at 12:58pm
am worried whether our vehicle is up to the job. We're looking at getting the lightest R-pod that supposedly weighs 2205lbs. Our proposed TV is a 2005 Mazda Tribute S that is 6ft wide, 5'10" tall, 3.0L six cylinder, 200HP, all wheel drive, 3,500lb towing capacity, and103in wheel base. Be brutally honest with me. Should I only consider a pop-up or Casita type camper or will this lil SUV be up to the task of pulling a model 171? I want to be safe and not have have to clean any stains off of the passenger or driver's seat  |
Replies:
Posted By: Outbound
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2014 at 2:50pm
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Well, I've got a 2008 Tribute - 3.0L 2WD and I've been using it to tow my r-pod for the past 5 years. I run full synthetic oil, synthetic transmission fluid and have an add-on transmission cooler (which was surprisingly inexpensive). At the end of the season, the tranny fluid is pitch black and I change it. Frankly, I don't recommend the setup and I'm definitely pushing the limits. The Tribute is underpowered to pull my 2100 pound RP-171 (2600 pounds loaded). I tend to limit travel to 55mph, which keeps the RPMs about 2500 and the transmission fluid temperature below 220C. It'll go 65, but its definitely a short-term effort for passing only. ------------- Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150 |
Posted By: SiberD
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2014 at 4:30pm
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Thanks for the input. Where did you find room for the transmission cooler??? I don't see any room up front. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 07 Oct 2014 at 8:28pm
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Welcome. I started off with a similar vehicle - about the same wheel base and HP. It was fine for trips on back roads, and most highway trips, but its limits were evident in bad conditions. Before tackling the Rockies I moved up. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: SiberD
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2014 at 11:30am
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Well, I've decided against doing this for now. I talked to the place that put my hitch and wiring on for my small landscape trailer. I explained what I wanted to do giving him the specs on both the Tribute and the R-pod and he recommended not doing it. I just may give the Tribute to my Son who is graduating college in May and go get a used F-150 with a V8  |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 08 Oct 2014 at 1:16pm
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That will be a great present - for him, and you! ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: SiberD
Date Posted: 11 Oct 2014 at 6:47pm
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Ok, I couldn't find a F150 at a reasonable price and I'm impulsive so instead I bought a 2001 Toyota Tundra SR5 that has a 4.7L V8, 128 in wheel base, and best of all, only 88,000 miles on it! Time to start looking for an Rpod |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 12 Oct 2014 at 6:22pm
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That will do it. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: SiberD
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 1:34pm
Welllll, pulled the trigger on a new 2014 model 179! Will be picking it up the second week of Novembe. The bigger kitchen area along with a ton more storage space inside swayed me from getting a 177 
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Posted By: Luv2Q
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 4:23pm
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Congrats! .. on both the Tundra as well as the 179. You should be ready to rock 'n roll! ------------- John & Teri Tundra 5.7L V8 / RP 180 E2 WDH / Integrated controller (POS) replaced by Tekonsha P3 |
Posted By: SiberD
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 6:35pm
Thank you. We're looking forward to some good memories traveling in the Pod. My wife is afraid of flying and with us approaching retirement age, I'm already semi-retired, in order to see what she wants to see requires something like the Pod. |
Posted By: SiberD
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 8:47pm
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Oh, and as an introductory, wife and myself have only ever camped in tents or taken advantage of some pretty nice inn's that the state parks of Indiana have. A little camping down in Kentucky also. Now that I'm semi-retired we hope to do a lot more camping and state park visiting here on out. The Pod looks like a really nice way to do that. If the kids end up at opposite sides of the country, this looks like a viable mode of transportation. Gotta take your time getting there, eh? ;) I'm going to be scouring the search mode here, and everywhere, on the maintenance and mods to these Pods! |
Posted By: NormanHill
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 11:48pm
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congratulations! As I've mentioned before here, plan on spending quite a bit of time at the dealers getting familiar with the trailer and I suggest insisting that they run everything for you, including making sure the water heater and fridge work on all fuels. It will help get you started and limit the return trips if something doesn't work. tundra is decent size so you might not need an WD (weight distribution hitch) but definitely think about getting a sway contol bar. They are cheap and really make the tow more comfortable. That's it for my unsolicited advice. Enjoy!
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Posted By: Luv2Q
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2014 at 11:56pm
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Even more congrats, then, on retirement being in your sights. And Indiana looks like it has some awfully nice scenery. When we picked up our Pod in Ohio, our return to TX took us through Indiana on the way to in-laws in MO. Spent a lot of time on IN 46 (to get off the interstates for awhile). Saw some nice camping areas .. Don't recall whether they were state or NFS. Nice though. It was early Oct so I think we were just ahead of most Fall colors. Pretty country. ------------- John & Teri Tundra 5.7L V8 / RP 180 E2 WDH / Integrated controller (POS) replaced by Tekonsha P3 |
Posted By: SiberD
Date Posted: 31 Oct 2014 at 2:48pm
Thanks! I know that we'll need at least a sway bar but I was thinking on a WDH also. Would one such as this also help with sway?  |
Posted By: SiberD
Date Posted: 31 Oct 2014 at 4:01pm
| Nevermind, I found out that is an E2 that a bunch of ya'll use and are happy with. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 31 Oct 2014 at 10:45pm
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SiberD, see this post: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=5494&PID=53442&title=rpod-178-newbies#53442 ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: SiberD
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2014 at 12:45pm
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Picked up the 179 yesterday! A few observations.... -Man, this trailer sits low! Had to get a different longer shank on the WDH to lower the ball to the correct height. The dealer suggested an axle lift kit but I went with the longer shank....for now. - The trailer pulls really nicely with the E2 WDH that they installed. It was rather windy yesterday and most of the 2+ hour trip home was on an interstate with lots of semi traffic but the effects from both were negligent. - I mainly had the truck in overdrive with the cruise set and the only time I had it looking for different gears was when I hit somewhat hilly terrain and then I disengaged the overdrive until it flattened out again. But on flat terrain the rig drove smoothly.Driving that way seemed not to make my gas mileage suffer as much as expected. - I'm gonna need to lengthen my x-mas list considerably as really no accessories were thrown into the deal ;) Just bought a cover for it so that I can protect it from ole man winter and will be anxiously awaiting spring. Oh, I took a video of the guy that showed us the features, how they worked, and testing what could be tested as they already winterized the unit. |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2014 at 2:47pm
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I needed the axle riser and the extended drop shank - even then it still sits slightly nose-up. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2014 at 3:08pm
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Congrats on our 179!! ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 14 Nov 2014 at 8:31pm
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I would have thought that all the new pods would have the lift kit as standard equipment. I installed the lift kit and then had to change the tow tongue to get the Pod level as we traveled. I use a simple friction bar antisway, and I think due to the length of the Trailblazer I have never had any problem even in windy conditions and with heavy semi traffic. Donna and I are also moving toward retirement as I am 65 and work part time at my AC Delco Tech shop and Donna is pushing 63. I am looking forward to being able to do more than 1 or 2 nighters. ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |