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Confused Towing

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Zachgirl View Drop Down
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    Posted: 27 Nov 2013 at 3:09pm
I am just one that does not get this... we purchased the 2013 R-Pod 182G and then traded our small Toyota for a Chevy Truck to pull it, which after making only one trip in it to visit my parents in Florida (we live in Illinois) not only did it cost a fortune in gas but the difficulty of getting me in the truck (wheelchair bound) and then my spouse having to pick up my 37lb. chair and get it up over the top and into the the bed of the truck every time we stopped was so horrible that I slowed my liquid intake all the way home!! 
Now we are trying to make some serious decisions and I am hoping you will help us. We can't afford "accessible" vehicles and / or campers they are just not in our price range. We need something good on gas, older, and that can handle a lot of miles (200,000 + would be nice) that can pull the R-Pod. 
What I understand is the dry weight is close to 3,000 the capacity is a little over 1000 so we figure 4,000. Is this correct? So when I look at a vehicle like an older Subaru Forester V-6 it only pulls 3,000.... is this vehicle just out of the question? Is this the way it works? Every vehicle we look at has to be able to pull at least 4,000 lbs? Am I correct? Would it matter if I pack it in the camper or onto of our TV we get?
Is there any 4 cylinder able to pull this particular R-pod?? Or is that out of the question.
This is obviously our first trailer and we live in a very, very small town with little to no resources for this kind of information except for the Internet and the more I read the more I get confused. Thanks!!!! Happy Thanksgiving.
ZachGirl 
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Uncle Billy View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Uncle Billy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2013 at 3:21pm

Hi ZachGirl

There's a receiver on the back end of the 'pod.  May want to see if you can find a rack for it to hold the chair.  Doesn't solve all the problems but will save spouse the trouble of lifting it into the truck bed.  Loading the chair into the back of an SUV with the 'pod hooked up may be a bit difficult to manage so this may help regardless of the TV you wind up with.  May have to remove it when setting up camp, though...
 
POD With No Name
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Ratdog View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ratdog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2013 at 3:40pm
Hello Zachgirl,

Sorry you're having such difficulties. I can hear the frustration in your voice.

First, I don't know what gas mileage you're getting but as a general rule of thumb, you can expect to only get 1/2 the MPG when you're towing your rpod as you get w/o the rpod.

One thing that will help with your gas mileage is to drive slower. We get 8 mpg when we drive at 65-70 mph but we can get 12-13 when we drive 55-60 mph.

As far as a 4 cylinder tow vehicle, I wouldn't think it would have the power you need to pull the rpod. The engine would likely be straining which means it's using more gas and it's probably not good for your engine to have to work that hard all of the time.

Have you thought about getting a van for your tow vehicle? It would be much easier for your hubby to get your wheelchair in and out. Used full-sized vans seem pretty reasonable in price. We used to pull a 32-foot travel trailer with a full sized Dodge V8 van. Gas mileage was awful at 8 mpg but we were pulling a trailer that weighed 3 times as much as an rpod. Without the trailer in tow, we got 15 mpg (again, the 1/2 the gas mileage when towing vs. not towing rule of thumb.)

I would think you could pull your rpod with a V6 full-size van as well. I'm not sure that a mini-van would do the job for you but you might check into that. You need a vehicle that is rated at least 3,500 pounds. If you get one that will pull more than that, so much the better.

I hope some of that helps.

-- Steve

Steve, Anne, and Paige the Rat Terrier
2013 Lexus RX 450h Hybrid AWD
2011 RP-177 (aka: The Circus Wagon)
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Zachgirl View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zachgirl Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2013 at 7:17pm
Thank you for your responses. I did not even think about getting the chair in/out from SUV while pod connected. More to think about. Having it carried on the back of camper sounds like a great option as long as nothing happens to it. Pinch
Van does make sense but the gas for a full size van would be horrible. Having the correct information about the 3500 lbs or more sure helps... at least I know I am heading in the right direction. 
Thank you for all your advise. I am on my searchWacko.... Will let you know what we end up with.  
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote sailor25 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2013 at 7:27pm
I started pulling my 151 with a Subaru outback 4 cylinder 2.5L and felt it was stressing the vehicle. I switched to a Honda pilot with a 6 cylinder 3.5 L and pulls a lot easier. Both get about 25 mpg not towing and 11 to 14 towing.
Paul
2009 151
2011 subaru outback 4cyl
2013 Honda pilot 6cyl
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ron_whitt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 27 Nov 2013 at 9:08pm
Zachgirl, whatever tv you get, I'd try to go with one that is rated for 5000lb, gives you and all you met on the road a little bit of a safety measure. Less than 5000lb is ok if you don't do any mountain climbing. Also, look into getting a tranny cooler put on your tv, a few hundred $ now will save several thousand $ down the road. Good luck and like others said, the slower you drive the better the mpg.
Ron & Shirley W
2007 FJ Cruiser
2012 177.. "EHHH" R Pod" its a canadian thing..
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headcold View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote headcold Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2013 at 10:15am
I think you might consider  a hitch cargo carrier with a ramp and mount it on the hitch that carries the spare tire on the back of your pod.  This one has a ramp that might make it a lot easier to load the wheelchair.  Because the hitches on these cargo carriers are larger than the pod's spare tire carrier, you might have to use an adapter to marry the two together.

http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Hitch_Cargo_Carrier-sf-Carrier_with_Ramp.aspx

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ratdog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 Nov 2013 at 10:45am
Originally posted by headcold headcold wrote:

I think you might consider  a hitch cargo carrier with a ramp and mount it on the hitch that carries the spare tire on the back of your pod.  This one has a ramp that might make it a lot easier to load the wheelchair.  Because the hitches on these cargo carriers are larger than the pod's spare tire carrier, you might have to use an adapter to marry the two together.http://www.etrailer.com/dept-pg-Hitch_Cargo_Carrier-sf-Carrier_with_Ramp.aspx



If your wheelchair folds, there's a smaller carrier that also mounts to the rear hitch. My wife's mother had one. You fold the chair, roll it up to and onto the carrier, and tilt the carrier until it locks in place. Very easy to use.

-- Steve

Steve, Anne, and Paige the Rat Terrier
2013 Lexus RX 450h Hybrid AWD
2011 RP-177 (aka: The Circus Wagon)
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