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Whats pulling your RPod

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MandB View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MandB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Apr 2012 at 10:04am
You have some steep mountain roads out there in Wyoming. If you are handling those, you can handle anything. We were out there 2 summers ago with both kids and took some magically beautiful road out of Yellowstone to South Dakota. I think we went through a section of Montana on that journey. I would have been frightened with any vehicle pulling a trailer on those roads.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Footslogger03 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Apr 2012 at 10:06am
I hear you    ...and if we do move up to the Tundra, it will be the big "8". I don't do that much around town driving anyway and when we do we use our other little Nissan sedan. Just hate spending more $$$ right now since the Tacoma is a 2011 with less than 15,000 miles on it.

MJ
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MandB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Apr 2012 at 10:11am
I wouldn't count on 18 unless you keep your speed down. I find the Tundra gets about 19@55-60 18@60-65 and 17 and less at 65 and over. In the city you see about 13. I must have had a stiff tailwind last week when I got 22mpg for over ten miles on the flat Eastern shore of VA. That is not usual. I wish there was a way to drive only downhill :) 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Footslogger03 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Apr 2012 at 10:13am
Originally posted by MandB MandB wrote:

. I wish there was a way to drive only downhill :) 


========================

Always head south :-)

MJ
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote cmjmoore Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Apr 2012 at 10:21am
Sounds like good advice until you get to the boarder. 😉
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Whiskeyjack Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Apr 2012 at 1:16pm
Hey, you Tundra/Tacoma guys. I've had both and towed my RP175 with each ('06 Prerunner 4.0 auto and now '12 Tundra Dbl cab 4.6). Yes, I know, the 4.6 is not what everyone wants, but for me it's great, and the price and financing were super!
 
The Tacoma did a great job towing our RP175, and our home state of Washington is a pretty demanding area to tow. Hand figuring and using my ScanGauge the Taco would get 10.2 to 11.5 towing the Pod. Pulling the North Cascades Highway was done quite easily, but was one of the few times we had to use 3rd gear with the 5 spd auto.
 
The Tundra 4.6 gets the same highway mileage as the Tacoma(19 to 21), and is a little more frugal towing the Pod (10.5-12.0) We've towed the same trip several times with both rigs, so the comparison is pretty valid.  I still hand shift the Tundra on bigger hills, just as I did the Prerunner-usually one gear higher. With the added torque and HP of the 5.7 Tundras, I'm betting they wouldn't have to do much downshifting at all while towing a Pod. The Prerunner beat the in town mileage of our Tundra by a couple MPG.
 
There's a lot I miss about the Tacoma, and I really like our Tundra, too. Tundra and Tacoma--both great pickups and fine tow rigs for Pods. 
33 years in the classroom was enough. I miss kids, coaching, and some of the adults. Grading papers? Forget it!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Butterfly_Lee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 Apr 2012 at 2:34pm
Anyone Towing with a Yukon?   Do you use the Tow Mode? Book says it's for heavy loads (is the RPOD considered Heavy?)  Just recently got an Yukon XL and I'm used to shifting on my own.   Wondering if it wouldn't be better just to use a lower gear.
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote popgoesweasel Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Apr 2012 at 8:35am

Congrats of the Yukon.  I cannot see the use for anything larger than a 4 liter engine to pull an r*pod.

We have been using a Frontier V6 for our R171 and have had no problems.

We did install an anti sway bar to prevent the vacuum behind the big rigs affecting us.

The biggest issue with r*pods is the vacuum created by the air flow over the unit.  The weight of the r*pod has less effect on mileage than the vacuum.

Big rigs are not needed for r*pods.  If you want a new truck go ahead and get it but do not rationalize the purchase for pulling a pod.  Period.

2019 Micro-Lite 21FBRG towed by a 2009 Nissan Frontier
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ratdog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Apr 2012 at 8:49am
Originally posted by popgoesweasel popgoesweasel wrote:

Congrats of the Yukon.  I cannot see the use for anything larger than a 4 liter engine to pull an r*pod.

We have been using a Frontier V6 for our R171 and have had no problems.

We did install an anti sway bar to prevent the vacuum behind the big rigs affecting us.

The biggest issue with r*pods is the vacuum created by the air flow over the unit.  The weight of the r*pod has less effect on mileage than the vacuum.

Big rigs are not needed for r*pods.  If you want a new truck go ahead and get it but do not rationalize the purchase for pulling a pod.  Period.

 
:iagree:
 
Something else that doesn't get mentioned very often is that not only does gas mileage go down as you drive faster, your tow vehicle has to work harder and takes a bigger hit in wear and tear.
 
-- Steve

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MandB Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Apr 2012 at 9:44am
I respectfully disagree for many reasons. Let me list them in order of importance:
1) Engine RPM- A larger engine with greater horsepower will pull a given weight at a lower RPM resulting in less wear and tear on that engine. 
2) Acceleration- Obviously the bigger engines are going to accelerate an R-Pod more adequately than a smaller engine. This doesn't come into play that often, but it does often enough. On our very first voyage we had to pull over for a tunnel inspection at the Hampton Roads Tunnel in Virginia. The merge lane they provide to get out of that inspection isn't exactly long. Getting up to merge speed with traffic moving 55+ mph is nearly impossible in the short space they provide with any vehicle towing something larger than a Radio Flyer wagon. We are not talking about jack rabbit starts, but the faster you can get up to speed, the safer it is for you and everyone else on the highway. The same principle applies on entrance ramps on inclines. I've experienced that lack of power in my wife's 4 cyl Hyundai only in this situation. Otherwise it accelerates just fine. The same would apply to pulling any trailer. There are times when no horsepower is enough, towing or not towing.
3) Larger trucks hold more stuff. Obviously everyone's needs are different but I like to probably carry around a lot more stuff then you and it is my right to do so. No one has the right to tell me I don't need that space. Obviously hauling a trailer limits the amount of that stuff based on the weight of the trailer on the hitch. Greater load carrying capability of larger trucks meanms you can carry more stuff in them. In the smaller trucks a more significant portion of the load carrying capability is eaten up by the weight on the tongue and the passengers.
4) Future upgradeability. Someone purchasing a new truck has to consider whether they may want to upgrade to a larger trailer sometime during the lifetime of that vehicle. No one can predict the future, but when making a thirty thousand dollar plus purchase it isn't a bad idea to hedge your bet.
5) Emergency handling: Got stuck in mud, sand, etc? Drive over something by accident that you are now going to have to back up over? More horsepower will be superior in dealing with these situations.

That all said, I'm sure towing the R-Pod with the smaller trucks and SUVs is an enjoyable and safe experience. I'm sure they are perfectly adequate. What I am taking issue with is your statement "Big rigs are not needed for r*pods.  If you want a new truck go ahead and get it but do not rationalize the purchase for pulling a pod.  Period." 
This completely ignores the above listed advantages of using a more capable towing vehicle. There are lots of disadvantages of purchasing the larger trucks too. Gas mileage, ability to find a parking space, turning radius all come to mind. When chosing a towing vehicle all these factors have to be weighed. There is no single answer for any individual. Are there advantages to using a larger towing vehicle with the R-Pod? Yes there are and they are significant in my opinion. Are there disadvantages in owning a larger tow vehicle. Yes there are. Everyone has to weigh these and make their own decisions. The last comment I will make is that a lot of people buy the R-Pod ater they have already purchased their vehicle. For these people who might worry before the purchase of the trailer, this is a great site to read about different towing experiences with different vehicles. The R-Pod can be pulled with just about anything that is rated to pull 3500 pounds or more but your experience and mileage may vary.  

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