porschenut said:Spent the summer pulling it from Tennessee to New England, never had a problem.
As I mention in many "What tow vehicle?" threads, location matters. Towing Tennessee to New England is very different from towing California to Colorado.
frenchyd said:In reply to z31maniac :
I understand and agree with your needs and position. I hope that position does not exclude American vehicles if they are the size you'll accept
Even better if it's a Ford....
codrus (Forum Supporter) said:porschenut said:Spent the summer pulling it from Tennessee to New England, never had a problem.
As I mention in many "What tow vehicle?" threads, location matters. Towing Tennessee to New England is very different from towing California to Colorado.
I think the driver makes a significant difference as well. I used to tow in convoy with a coworker who was always in a hurry. Risky passes, well over the speed limit, lots of stops for gas because of the high speeds and because of general fussiness. I started taking my own routes instead so I could drive slower, use less fuel, stop less often and be patient with passes. We covered about the same distance in a day.
One of us balled up an Airstream being towed by a late model Tundra. One of us has never come close.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
Yeh!! There is real skill to safely towing a trailer. I suspect those who need big towing vehicles to haul little sports cars around are somehow compensating for something.
But if a big Truck is what it takes, that's fine by me. But I like those who try to be reasonable about their needs. You seem reasonable. Trying to achieve what you want without excess. Thank you.
KyAllroad said:While I can't for the utter life of me understand not wanting a full size tow rig (my Suburban is the ANSWER for pulling anything at any time in any condition)
I tow a LOT, so I ponied up for a 1/2 ton van. For the longest time I had downsized to a Ranger, and it was fine, but I found myself constantly borrowing dad's K2500.
I can totally understand carefully choosing a tow rig that is only as big as you need so that you don't end up with a dedicated, fuel-sucking behemoth. I love my 1/2 ton van, but it does have it's shortcomings... like parking lots where I have to do a three-point turn to fit in the spot, and then squeeze my fat gut through a tiny door opening trying to not dent the Mercedes beside me. Of all the downtown parking garages we have here in Harrisburg, my van fits in exactly zero of them. If I'm going downtown, I either take the motorcycle so I can get in the parking garage, or I desperately drive around waiting for street parking that is long enough to parallel and pony up $3/hr.
Fortunately, I'm not downtown that often. I also don't really care given the fact that I tow 3-4 days a week, so it's a fair trade-off to have a capable vehicle that can tow 7500 without breaking a sweat. I'm just saying that not overdoing it has a ton of benefits.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
200% agree that the driver makes a difference.
My tow rig when I lived in L.A. was a 73 Impala Wagon. 454, TH400, 12-bolt, and the softest suspension known to man. I towed 10k with it from L.A. to Rochester, NY. The parts were well up to the task. The radiator was the size of a small farm, the 454 I had built into a 468 with a mild cam, the TH400 was a tank, and the 12 bolt was actually stronger (larger pinion bearing) than the 12 bolts they put in trucks.
But the soft rubber bushings, flimsy control arms, and Cadillac-flavored springs made it a poor choice. I would have never done it if it weren't for the fact that I had confidence in my towing experience.
My lovely mother, on the other hand, is a great driver, but can't tow. Last summer she was towing an 1800 lb boat behind her Acadia. She stopped because she heard a noise, and a trailer tire and wheel rolled past her. It was her trailer wheel. Looking at the wheel and lug holes, she had probably lost all but one lug nut. How can you miss that and drag the axle without noticing? But the best part... when she stopped, she went into a rest area and parked in a single car pull-in spot leaving the trailer blocking the road for everyone else. She just totally forgot that she was towing a trailer.
alfadriver said:frenchyd said:In reply to z31maniac :
I understand and agree with your needs and position. I hope that position does not exclude American vehicles if they are the size you'll accept
Even better if it's a Ford....
I'm kind of leaning this way as well. I have towed with a lot of vehicles. American manufacturers seem to have the tow pig on lock. Europeans never really got it quite right, and Japanese manufacturers just don't have the consumers who tow to have this kind of experience nailed down.
When I look at a list of tow ratings for mid size SUVs and I see a Trailblazer that says 6000, I know it's probably fine with 7000. When I see a Land Rover Disco that says 6000, I know it's probably fine with 4000. When I see a Toyota Highlander that is rated for 3500, I know it's probably good for 1000.
You guys have me concerned - I put $200 down on a 5 year old R Pod 179 (might be a 180?) last week with the intention of taking an 18 day vacation from the midwest through Colorado and wherever else we might end up. I bought it knowing almost nothing about camping trailers and still don't, but it looked pretty solid and doesn't feel like cheap cardboard. I guess time and a couple of trips will tell.
The tow pig is a V8 pathfinder which the GRM forum seems to approve of and should be plenty big enough. I'm currently screwing around with the tow kit harness which has a six pin connector to the truck's 8 pin connector and Nissan insists that I have the right part. Argh. Looks like it's time to get the wire cutters and shrink wrap.
In reply to jwagner (Forum Supporter) :
There are a gazillion (might be an exaggeration) adapters out there for trailer harnesses. You might want to just buy one of those, rather than hacking functionality out of your tow pig.
jwagner (Forum Supporter) said:You guys have me concerned - I put $200 down on a 5 year old R Pod 179 (might be a 180?) last week with the intention of taking an 18 day vacation from the midwest through Colorado and wherever else we might end up. I bought it knowing almost nothing about camping trailers and still don't, but it looked pretty solid and doesn't feel like cheap cardboard. I guess time and a couple of trips will tell.
The tow pig is a V8 pathfinder which the GRM forum seems to approve of and should be plenty big enough. I'm currently screwing around with the tow kit harness which has a six pin connector to the truck's 8 pin connector and Nissan insists that I have the right part. Argh. Looks like it's time to get the wire cutters and shrink wrap.
I don't think R Pod necessarily fits in with the cheap category we were discussing. I'm talking about when a manufacturer takes one of their full-size RVs and re-makes it as an "ultralite" and builds it with Elmers glue and tinfoil to save weight.
In reply to jwagner (Forum Supporter) :
The R-pods we've seen look really, really nice.
Seems to me the small campers that are made by independent companies all look quite well built.
We're on our second year with a Riverside Retro 135, which is a "couples coach" camper that's about 16' overall and 2800lbs dry weight. We tow it with our MDX. I did add the transmission cooler to the MDX to bump the rating from 3500 to 5000lbs, and use an anti-sway. No issues whatsoever towing, though we've not done any hard-core mountainous trips. As stated many time above, you have to keep in mind that campers are built to be "not too heavy", and then you drag them around over bumps and rough terrain which shakes stuff loose. No way around it. You'll always be fixing something.
One note about dry bath vs. wet bath - ours is dry bath (and we wanted that), but in retrospect a wet bath would be better than a cramped dry bath. Ours is *really* small, and it's a PITA to actually use the shower. I'd only pick dry over wet again if it was big enough to actually use and had a sink (our bath has no sink).
jwagner (Forum Supporter) said:You guys have me concerned - I put $200 down on a 5 year old R Pod 179 (might be a 180?) last week with the intention of taking an 18 day vacation from the midwest through Colorado and wherever else we might end up. I bought it knowing almost nothing about camping trailers and still don't, but it looked pretty solid and doesn't feel like cheap cardboard. I guess time and a couple of trips will tell.
The tow pig is a V8 pathfinder which the GRM forum seems to approve of and should be plenty big enough. I'm currently screwing around with the tow kit harness which has a six pin connector to the truck's 8 pin connector and Nissan insists that I have the right part. Argh. Looks like it's time to get the wire cutters and shrink wrap.
Be careful with the harness, see if the trailer has electric brakes. You may need to do a little more work installing a controller.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:I don't think R Pod necessarily fits in with the cheap category we were discussing. I'm talking about when a manufacturer takes one of their full-size RVs and re-makes it as an "ultralite" and builds it with Elmers glue and tinfoil to save weight.
Elmers glue and tinfoil would be an upgrade. My Keystone is held together with dried snot and hope.
In reply to Tom_Spangler (Forum Supporter) :
Buffalo turds and cellophane? That's what my grandfather used to say.
jwagner (Forum Supporter) said:You guys have me concerned - I put $200 down on a 5 year old R Pod 179 (might be a 180?) last week with the intention of taking an 18 day vacation from the midwest through Colorado and wherever else we might end up. I bought it knowing almost nothing about camping trailers and still don't, but it looked pretty solid and doesn't feel like cheap cardboard. I guess time and a couple of trips will tell.
The tow pig is a V8 pathfinder which the GRM forum seems to approve of and should be plenty big enough. I'm currently screwing around with the tow kit harness which has a six pin connector to the truck's 8 pin connector and Nissan insists that I have the right part. Argh. Looks like it's time to get the wire cutters and shrink wrap.
R Pods are actually really well made. The biggest issue I found with them is trim and paneling not adhering / being installed improperly. I was an RV tech off and on again for 8 years, I've worked on everything from brand new to 50+ yr old coaches.
My personal fifth wheel is a 1986 Nomad 23'. It's a heavy pig but my 2500HD 6.0 gas Chev pulls it all around WA state on a regular basis.
I agree with being careful with the vehicle harness, and using appropriate adapters when available. That being said, I've custom wired many rigs to work properly. Trailer wiring is fairly universal, you just need to know which color does what.
Absolutely check for electric brakes and get a GOOD brake controller.
I will never own an Ultra lite version of a trailer. The vacuum panel walls have next to no structural integrity.
In reply to birdmayne :
I have a Tekonsha proportional controller and the plug-and-play harness from a big online trailer supply company. I guess I need to find a couple of relays too to make all this work. The problem is just the connector under the bumper which was attached to the 4 pin connector (part of the tow package) doesn't fit the Nissan 7 pin towing harness upgrade which I need for the brakes. I think I can figure this out with a voltmeter, although a real wiring diagram would be nice.
Oh, and thanks for the votes of confidence on the R Pod, I hope they clear the title next week so I can pick it up and start getting ready to travel.
jwagner (Forum Supporter) said:In reply to birdmayne :
I have a Tekonsha proportional controller and the plug-and-play harness from a big online trailer supply company. I guess I need to find a couple of relays too to make all this work. The problem is just the connector under the bumper which was attached to the 4 pin connector (part of the tow package) doesn't fit the Nissan 7 pin towing harness upgrade which I need for the brakes. I think I can figure this out with a voltmeter, although a real wiring diagram would be nice.
Tekonsha makes nice controllers.
I'm happy to help with wiring troubleshooting if needed
I'm a Tekonsha fan. Prodigy P2 in both of my rigs. Didn't like the P3. Too many settings and controls for things that don't really matter to me. P2 is simple, works flawlessly, and it's bulletproof.
I'm about to go a different route, wanting to get a trailer can live in but will be building it how I want fom a 7' x 16' v-nose cargo trailer. Weighs 2300lbs and plan to be adding not much more than 1,000 lbs to it (including solar & battery bank system eventually) and creating outdoor kitchen & tool/workshop/spare parts storage area out back (last 3' of the rear to the barn doors will have wall separating interior space from exterior, and custom drop down bed platform will be on inside wall side).
Has dual axle electric brakes and my Frontier has the RedArc PRO Tow Elite controller, which I've towed both a similar sized cargo trailer and 5,000 lb of car trailer and car with before. Had no issue with the travel trailer other than flatnose brick aerodynamics... really feel it compared to much heavier open trailer with car, fuel mileage absolutely sucks @ 80mph... V-nose should help @ interstate speeds.
This is what I plan to use as the starting point:
Start a thread and we'll dig in to it.
Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:Start a thread and we'll dig in to it.
Hell yeah. I'd love to see a build thread for something like that.
In reply to Vracer111 :
I think your target weight gain is a little optimistic, but I want to see this build.
I'm not sure the flat nose matters for aero but the V is "free" interior space. If you really want to improve towing aero, look at the back of the trailer first.
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