r-pod Nation Homepage R-Pod Travel Trailers At Jeff Couchs RV Nation
Forum Home Forum Home > Forest River r-pod > r-pod Reviews and Information
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Anyone tow with a 2011 Durango, or 2011 Explorer?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Anyone tow with a 2011 Durango, or 2011 Explorer?

 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
marc515 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 06 Apr 2011
Status: Offline
Points: 143
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote marc515 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Anyone tow with a 2011 Durango, or 2011 Explorer?
    Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 4:18pm
Looking to get an R-Pod 175, and am wondering if any of you guys tow with a 2011 Durango, 2011 Expolrer, or Tahoe.
 
The 2011 Explorer is our first choice, as it's better on gas. It has a 5,000 Lb towing capacity, but am concerned about the GVWR of the trailer being close to the 5,000 Lbs, and it being front wheel drive.
 
The Durango is the 2nd choice, has a towing capacity of 6,200 Lbs with the V6, and is rear wheel drive.
 
I know the Tahoe can easily do the job.
 
Thank you
Best Regards,.....Marc & Joan
And....Tucker (our yellow lab)
2011 Heartland MPG-181
2011 Nissan Pathfinder
USMC 69-73
God Bless all our Men & Women in Uniform
Back to Top
David and Danette View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 31 Mar 2009
Location: Fort Myers
Status: Offline
Points: 317
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David and Danette Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Apr 2011 at 11:51pm
     The Durango I think would be  better choice because of the rear wheel drive over the Explorer. I had read that the Durango may have the new German designed 8 speed transmission next year. That would give it a little better gas mileage.      David
SWFL   171
2010 Jeep Liberty
Back to Top
joe&carol View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 22 Apr 2009
Location: Golden, CO
Status: Offline
Points: 126
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote joe&carol Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Apr 2011 at 8:52am
We just picked up a 2011 Tahoe, but it will be a couple weeks before I can weigh in on its ability.  Having said that, for several years we pulled with a ZR-2 Blazer that was rated for 4700 lbs.  In the mountains and strong head winds, we quite often had the feeling that we were under powered.  Thus we ended up going with the Tahoe because it is rated at 8200 lbs, already had the tow package with the transmission cooler, etc including the 3.42 rear-axle ratio.  The reason I go through all this is because without the proper tow package (rear-end ratio the big one here), the Tahoe is only rated in the neighborhood of 5200 lbs.  Thus, at the end of the day, you really want to look closely at how your proposed vehicle is engineered and equiped.  Of course it also helps to anticipate where you plan on towing your r.pod.  Again, just one man's thoughts.  Good luck.  Joe
Joe & Carol
r-pod 173
Back to Top
takeabreath3 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 09 Mar 2010
Location: New York, Texas
Status: Offline
Points: 109
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote takeabreath3 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Apr 2011 at 1:00pm
i tow with a 2010 Explorer!  it tows like a dream.  i have the 2010 177 and i pretty much load the puddy pod down with everything except the kitchen sink...that's only because it already has one!  ha ha
 
i just got home from talladega, this was my first tow with the explorer and i have NO complaints at all!
 
good luck on your choice!  but i vote for the explorer
 
judy
Life isn't a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safe in a pretty well preserved body, but to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up totally worn out, loudly proclaiming WOW WHAT A RIDE
Back to Top
hummingalong View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Boise, Idaho
Status: Offline
Points: 13
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hummingalong Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Apr 2011 at 5:21pm
I tow with a 2007 Xterra that is rated for 5000lbs and it does very well until you have a strong headwind. It is also rear wheel drive, so that helps. I would certainly agree with the Durango is the better of the two choices.
Back to Top
FISHTAIL View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 09 Jun 2011
Location: La Plata, MD
Status: Offline
Points: 12
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FISHTAIL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2011 at 10:09am
I"m a little late to this discussion, and I'd assume that the OP already purchased one or the other, so this probably won't help them.  However, to anyone else that finds this thread hoping for answers it could be useful.

I have a 2011 Explorer Limited 4wd (actually, it's the wifes, and even though the hatch says 4wd it's really awd but I digress) that we use to tow our RPod 176.  Although, at this point we've only had the truck about a month, and the RPod less than a week.   What I did do though, was make a 1200 mile round trip to RVNation to pick the thing up, and I towed it home 600 miles.

My impressions:
The Explorer tows great.  I can definitely feel the camper back there, but it wasn't a case of the tail wagging the dog.  For the most part, the truck didn't have any problems with the camper, but it didn't really like speeds above 65mph, which is about as fast as you should be traveling with a camper anyway.  When going through the hills of PA the Explorer would downshift and hold the low gear for a while (ie, 3500-4000 rpm) to maintain speed going up hill.  So, I wouldn't say it hauls it effortlessly, but I was still able to speed up, even climbing hills, so it wasn't struggling either.  

The only suggestion I have for Explorer owners would be axle risers.  I had a 4" drop off the hitch, and I was still towing tongue up.  I even managed to drag the rear stabilizer jacks leaving a gas station in Breezewood PA, going as slow as I could go.  You could level the camper with a bigger drop on the hitch, but I think the risers would be a better solution, unless you plan on storing your pod in the garage and the installation of the risers will prevent you from getting it in the door.

As for gas mileage, I pulled down 11mpg avg over the 600 miles.  On flat sections of road, I was getting closer to 15, and on hills, somewhere in the single digits.  All this with the cruise set at 65mph.  This is exactly half of my average for the trip out, when I wasn't hauling the camper.  On the way west, I had the cruise set at 75mph, and averaged 22mpg.

That's about all I have to offer at this point.  I've got some work to do (mainly getting the camper ready for the baby) before we are ready to take it out for the weekend.  Hopefully by this fall I'll have some more insight into how well it tows with a full load of gear in the camper, and a truck full of people.
Back to Top
Butterfly_Lee View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Location: Corpus Christi
Status: Offline
Points: 1131
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Butterfly_Lee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2011 at 1:02pm
FISHTAIL everyone has some amount of resistance to the headwind (unless you have conoes cutting the wind).  The Pod are not as aerodymanic as one would think. 
 
Rule of thumb IMHO is the larger the tow vehicle(TV) (both is physcial size and engine size), the less effort and better gas milage.  ANYTIME you tow something you can pretty much count on a DROP in gas milage (unless you have a desiel). 
 
Larger TV have less of a sway problem, many of the midsize (and smaller) TVs have WDH and/or sway controll bars.   Also IMHO if your going to travel at 65 mph and have  sway you might look into it.   Also check your owners manual...it's my understanding that crusie control and towing is not recommended.
 
I'm shoppping for a new TV and weighing my options.
Thanks for your input.
 
LeeClap
 
 
 
Still a work in progress, lots of pictures.
http://podterfly.blogspot.com/
Back to Top
FISHTAIL View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 09 Jun 2011
Location: La Plata, MD
Status: Offline
Points: 12
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FISHTAIL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2011 at 2:02pm
Originally posted by Butterfly_Lee Butterfly_Lee wrote:

FISHTAIL everyone has some amount of resistance to the headwind (unless you have conoes cutting the wind).  The Pod are not as aerodymanic as one would think. 
 
Rule of thumb IMHO is the larger the tow vehicle(TV) (both is physcial size and engine size), the less effort and better gas milage.  ANYTIME you tow something you can pretty much count on a DROP in gas milage (unless you have a desiel). 
 
Larger TV have less of a sway problem, many of the midsize (and smaller) TVs have WDH and/or sway controll bars.   Also IMHO if your going to travel at 65 mph and have  sway you might look into it.   Also check your owners manual...it's my understanding that crusie control and towing is not recommended.
 
I'm shoppping for a new TV and weighing my options.
Thanks for your input.
 
LeeClap

Yeah, I didn't have any surprises with the gas mileage.  I was expecting the mileage to about get cut by half, and it was.  Pretty much exactly in half, although I'm sure I could have done better if I'd driven slower, but I needed to get back home.  I only posted my gas mileage, because I figured that will be one of the first questions someone would ask.

As for sway, I had zero that I noticed.  The explorer has a weight rating of 450 or 500 on the tongue (I forget which), so I was also fine without a WDH.  

Since this was the first time I'd be towing a camper, and it was a new car, I did read the manual first.  It didn't say anything that I recall about not using cruise control.  But since you brought it up, I'll double check.  The only thing it recommended was leaving the "Tow" mode on, which I did.  On the 2011 Explorer, if you get the factory tow package, aside from coming with a hitch, and all the wiring, trans cooler, etc, you also get a tow mode.  This mode keeps the transmission in gear longer to reduce un-necessary shifting, help with hill decent, and it enables a type of factory sway control.  While no substitute for a mechanical sway control system, the factory setup will help you out of a bind if you get into a sway situation.  If it detects trailer sway (and I assume it uses the accelerometers that are part of the stability control to detect this), it cuts throttle and applies braking force to each wheel individually as it see's fit to help subdue the sway of the trailer.  While you can turn this feature off, the manual strongly advises against it.

Anyway, I didn't experience a sway situation once the entire 600 miles home, and I drove through some decent cross winds, and got passed by some speeding semi's a number of times.  

Point is, the truck towed well.  As I said, you can definitely tell the trailer is back there, especially power wise, so I wouldn't call it an effortless tow, but it did fine.  I just wish the twin turbo v6 (the ecoboost v6 that is in the F150, Flex and SHO) was available in the Explorer.  I think that would have made short work of towing a camper as light as an rpod.
Back to Top
Butterfly_Lee View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Location: Corpus Christi
Status: Offline
Points: 1131
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Butterfly_Lee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2011 at 2:14pm
Thats really great info....I had really put V6's off my list of choices.  Back to the list making.
 
LeeClap
Still a work in progress, lots of pictures.
http://podterfly.blogspot.com/
Back to Top
FISHTAIL View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie


Joined: 09 Jun 2011
Location: La Plata, MD
Status: Offline
Points: 12
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FISHTAIL Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jun 2011 at 2:38pm
Originally posted by Butterfly_Lee Butterfly_Lee wrote:

Thats really great info....I had really put V6's off my list of choices.  Back to the list making.
 
LeeClap

LOL.  Yeah, it's tough.  For what it's worth, here is my advice then:

The 2011 Explorer is a very nice vehicle, and we are extremely pleased with ours.  However, if the sole purpose of whatever you are getting is to tow your camper, there are better vehicle choices.  In the ford Family, I'd be looking at a new F150 (either the 5.0 V8 or the Twin Turbo Ecoboost V6), and possibly the flex (with the Twin Turbo Ecoboost V6).  For Chevy I'd be looking at Tahoe's, Suburbans, and Silverado's (all are nice btw) with a V8.  The V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee wouldn't be a bad choice either.

Then there are the Tundra's, Ridgelines, etc.  All depends on budget, brand preference (if any) and what you want out of it.

If you are like us, and will be using the truck for commuter (my wifes commutes 120 miles a day round trip) and family hauling duty while only towing the camper around a few times a year for weekend trips, then I'd say you'll be fine with the Explorer if you like it.  If it helps at all, prior to buying the Explorer my wife had her eye on late model BMW X5's.  She ended up liking the Explorer more.  We also looked at Tahoe's, which we both really liked, but for her commute it just didn't make sense.  Her Explorer gets in the low 20's most of the time on her drive, and my neighbor is only getting about 17 or so out of his 2010 Tahoe.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 11.0
Copyright ©2001-2014 Web Wiz Ltd.