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Enough towing capacity to cross the Rockies?

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hjg33 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 24 Feb 2016 at 9:07pm
Hi
Our vehicle, a Hyundai Veracruz with a 3.6L V6, has a towing capacity of 3500 lb. We are thinking of purchasing an R-pod 177 or 179, with a dry weight of about 25-2800 lb. Assuming we don't overload the trailer, are we going to make it across the mountains without burning out our engine or transmission? How much "buffer" do we need? Has anyone had experience towing an R-pod across the mountains with a vehicle rated similarly? Thanks!
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Lark View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Lark Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Feb 2016 at 9:48am
How much are you going to going to be using the vehicle to tow?  Have you had much experience towing a RV?  I would not be comfortable with a vehicle towing at its limit.  I'm sure you will find folks on the site that do.  It's not just going up the mountains, the coming down is the difficult part.  If you can afford to trade up, I would do it, or buy a smaller RV.   Good luck and safe traveling.
 
Lark  F-150 2015 R-179
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hjg33 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Feb 2016 at 10:19am
Really little experience towing an RV--years ago we had a pop-up I towed from Wisconsin to Montana with a little manual-transmission Nissan Stanza. We would not be planning to load the trailer or even water much for the road but would wait until reaching our destination (southwest Utah Nat'l Parks), so wouldn't be towing much over the dry weight plus loaded propane tank, etc. Thanks for the advice!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote furpod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Feb 2016 at 8:59am
We do have a lot of owners towing with vehicles at their limit. Many are happy. It's a personal thing. I know I would not be. We have had LOTS of owners trade tow vehicles after using an at the limit tv, to date, NONE of them have decided to trade back down, and a few have stated they are now militant about telling new owners to get a bigger tv from the start.. 
Mark, Susie, Micah, and The Maggie.
'11 RP177(sold) '17 Lance 2295FurPodsMods
'17 Ford F250 CCSB
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hjg33 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote hjg33 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Feb 2016 at 10:14am
I wish there were guidelines for towing through the mountains that said "do not exceed X% of your towing limit". For us, we would remain about 5-600 pounds below--about 80-85% of our tow limit. The primary question we have is if that is enough of a "buffer" for reasonable likelihood that we would be safe and not kill our vehicle. We are not planning on loading it up to the vehicle max.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote furpod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Feb 2016 at 10:52am
Originally posted by hjg33 hjg33 wrote:

I wish there were guidelines for towing through the mountains that said "do not exceed X% of your towing limit". For us, we would remain about 5-600 pounds below--about 80-85% of our tow limit. The primary question we have is if that is enough of a "buffer" for reasonable likelihood that we would be safe and not kill our vehicle. We are not planning on loading it up to the vehicle max.


ALL the weight matters, so no matter where you put the beanie weanies, the sleeping bags, the sodas, the spare undies and shower bags, it still has to be dragged up the mountain.. and eased down the other side. (sometimes the down is worse then the up)

If you find you can't hold a desired speed going up, or can't stand the RPM's it takes to do it, then you will know you need more truck. If you feel the current tv isn't up to the trailers push and mass going down.. you will know you need more truck.

Another thing we see, is people with little experience buy a Pod as a starter RV.. then in a couple years, they realize they like RVing, want to take longer trips, decide on larger trailer.. BOOM!! they have to but a larger more expensive TT, AND, a bigger truck to pull it, at the same time..

I think there is no definitive chart about percentages, because again, towing comfort is subjective. And of course all mountains are not created equal. When I was young, we were in the Sierras, later the Rockies called to us, and now we live near the Smokies.. all three count as mountains, but they are in no way the same, towing, camping, accessing..
Mark, Susie, Micah, and The Maggie.
'11 RP177(sold) '17 Lance 2295FurPodsMods
'17 Ford F250 CCSB
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furpod View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote furpod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Feb 2016 at 10:55am
Oh, and sorry, as far as "buffer", from your opening post, experience shows a huge comfort level jump for people towing pods around the 5000lb rating. Most owners actually are around 8500-9000 tow rating, because once you move to a real truck, that is the rating for it with a tow package.

Also, until just this year, tow ratings had no accepted "standard" anyways. And even though they do, not all manufacturers use them, or use them on all their trucks. For instance, Ford uses the SAE standard for it's 1/2 tons, but the Super Duty trucks are not rated on the SAE scale. They say they will be at the next "refresh".. who knows. (Not that I don't think a SD can't get it done, just an observation on tow ratings) The F-150 with EcoBoost is hugely popular in the Pod/small TT towing  world.
Mark, Susie, Micah, and The Maggie.
'11 RP177(sold) '17 Lance 2295FurPodsMods
'17 Ford F250 CCSB
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jato Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 01 Mar 2016 at 7:49pm
Years ago we had a large Jayco popup that we towed behind our Grand Caravan with a 3.3
L V-6.  Normally not a problem except on those long climbs/descents.  A few times we had to pull off the road, remember Steamboat Springs, CO.  We had to stop and let the engine cool for 20 minutes before continuing on.  Even with that abuse we got 210,000 mi. before having the tranny rebuilt.  Now I think not only about engine overheat but also tranny overheat.  Would be a good idea to get a transmission cooler added but even a better idea (if budget allows) to get a TV with a highter tow rating.  Our Explorer is rated at 5000 lbs (V-6  4.0L) and even that works hard on a lot of those 6% + grades in the Rockies.
God's Pod

'11 model 177

'13 Ford Explorer

Jim & Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dacolson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar 2016 at 6:11pm
Towed our rp172t one time with our Odyssee. Rated for 3500#. Wrecked rear suspension. Had to replace shocks and realign.
2016 Silverado 2500HD LML - 2010 RP-172T

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote arizona.steve Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 Jun 2016 at 3:04pm
We drove our Xterra Pro 4X (4.0L, 261HP) towing our RPOD 178 from Flagstaff, through Kanab & up to Jackson Hole (avoiding the Teton Pass W/ 6 to 10 percent grades…). Our best MPG was about 12.2, worst about 11.6. We’d be interested in hearing about other TV/RPOD experiences, especially the ability to maintain speed up typical Interstate or local roads. Our total weight was about 8250 Lbs…
steve-n-jodi
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