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Tacoma Owners Pulling an R-Pod

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Category: Forest River r-pod
Forum Name: r-pod Owners Registry
Forum Description: Register your r-pod here. Post some photos of the family with the r-pod, where you like to camp, what model you bought and why!
URL: http://www.rpodNation.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=2729
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Topic: Tacoma Owners Pulling an R-Pod
Posted By: this_is_nascar
Subject: Tacoma Owners Pulling an R-Pod
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2011 at 8:29am
I wanted to start this thread, specifically for Toyota Tacoma owners who pull an R-Pod.  As you can see in my sig, I have an '07 TRD Off-Road Taco, pulling the smallest of the R-Pods, the RP-151.  Let's makes this thread the place to discuss our specific towing configurations, etc.


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"Ray & Connie"

- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road




Replies:
Posted By: PaddyMorris
Date Posted: 29 Jul 2011 at 10:07am
I use a 4 cyl. '08 access cab, no trubs pulling.

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Old age and treachery shall overcome youth and skill.


Posted By: Footslogger03
Date Posted: 03 Aug 2011 at 8:24pm
I tow with a 2011 Tacoma, 4 dr, short bed; 6 cyl - 6 spd manual trans

MJ


Posted By: this_is_nascar
Date Posted: 04 Aug 2011 at 7:00am
Thanks all.  For some reason, I thought we had a larger following of Tacomas on this board.  Which particular model R-Pod are you  pulling?  Any of you using a WDH hitch and if so, which one?


-------------
"Ray & Connie"

- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road



Posted By: cmjmoore
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2011 at 1:03pm
We are pulling a 176 with our 2003 Tundra 6 cyl. We did discover to always turn off the over drive and 57 mph gives us the best milage.

-------------
TRI-POD
Me, my Honey & Max our GSP
2013 Surveyor SP 240
2012 Toyota Tundra Crew Max 4x2
5.7L V8


Posted By: cmjmoore
Date Posted: 05 Aug 2011 at 1:05pm
Originally posted by cmjmoore cmjmoore wrote:

We are pulling a 176 with our 2003 Tundra 6 cyl. We did discover to always turn off the over drive and 57 mph gives us the best milage. We are wondering if the 2011 Tacoma with a 8 cal would give better milage, I don't like the size of the new Tundras nor the mileage.   .


-------------
TRI-POD
Me, my Honey & Max our GSP
2013 Surveyor SP 240
2012 Toyota Tundra Crew Max 4x2
5.7L V8


Posted By: this_is_nascar
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2011 at 8:00am
No sure about the 2011 Tacoma, but I can tell you that with my '07, and my small R-Pod, I can definately tell that it's there.


-------------
"Ray & Connie"

- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road



Posted By: Doggiepoddler
Date Posted: 14 Aug 2011 at 12:19pm
New to the forum, and just put a deposit down on a 182G.  Very stoked to go pick it up in Phoenix, and we'll be towing it home with my '99 SR5 Taco 4cyl.  I have a 1 1/2" lift on it, with after market 5 leaf rear springs, so I figure it should be fine for the time being pulling the unloaded pod.  Anyone else pulling a pod with an older model Taco?

We'll be upgrading to a newer 4 door long bed TRD Taco within a year, so I'm not that concerned about the little engine suffering for very long.

Would you folks all agree that the WDH is fairly standard equipment for the Tacoma to pull a Pod comfortably?


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4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.

-2011 182G
-1999 Toyota Tacoma SR5


Posted By: this_is_nascar
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2011 at 8:52am
Not sure that a WDH is necessary for an R-Pod, but probably for larger campers it is.  I have to remember that I have the smallest of the R-Pods (the RP-151), so my towing experiences are probably different that those of you pulling the larger/heavier R-Pod.  I don't use a WDH with mine, but again, it's smaller.


-------------
"Ray & Connie"

- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road



Posted By: this_is_nascar
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2011 at 8:53am
BTW, welcome to the forum.


-------------
"Ray & Connie"

- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road



Posted By: Doggiepoddler
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2011 at 3:54pm
Thanks for the welcome! Big smile

We'll be pulling the new pod with the standard hitch for the near future, no fancy stuff.  We'll see how the first 400 miles go when we pick it up in Phoenix this weekend.  This is a long week! 

-Tyler


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4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.

-2011 182G
-1999 Toyota Tacoma SR5


Posted By: jeanelle
Date Posted: 26 Jan 2012 at 6:27pm
I am new to this forum. I apologize for not posting correctly. We are new owners of a 177, and are towing with a 2002 Tacoma. We live in the metro Denver area, so we are at altitude, which takes our power down by about 20%.
wondered how people like th new Tacoma as a tow vehicle?
Thanks for any input!
Jean &steve boch


Posted By: Heidi
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 1:32am
We have a '10 V6 and it seems to have no trouble at all where we are. Of course the milage drops about half. Every now and then my hubby comments that the tundra would have been nicer. Men and bigger trucks!LOL

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we R-pod people
175 ,2 peeps and one small horse


Posted By: this_is_nascar
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 9:12am
The problem with the Tacamo and any R-Pod is that you definately know you're pulling something and that it's back there.  The Tundra or F150 would serve much better in my opinion, but it is what it is.  I"m not trading in a paid-off Tacoma for something that I'd have payments on.


-------------
"Ray & Connie"

- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road



Posted By: Kenn
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 9:18am
Originally posted by this_is_nascar this_is_nascar wrote:

I"m not trading in a paid-off Tacoma for something that I'd have payments on.
+1


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2010 RPOD 176 (Silly-POD), 2011 Forest River Stealth 2612, and 2014 Forest River XLR 380AMP


Posted By: Footslogger03
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 9:28am
Originally posted by Kenn Kenn wrote:


Originally posted by this_is_nascar this_is_nascar wrote:

I"m not trading in a paid-off Tacoma for something that I'd have payments on.

+1


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

I'm in the same position. Not saying I wouldn't replace it if really necessary     ...but having a 2011 Tacoma and a 2012 R-Pod 177 is kinda nice.

MJ


Posted By: jeanelle
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 9:53am
Thank you all for your input! We will find out soon enough. We are heading to San Diego next week,
Jeanelle


Posted By: Doggiepoddler
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 1:12pm
Hey, folks- the recent activity prompted me to come back here and give at least a little update on my Tacoma pulling experience.  We picked up the 182G with no serious issues, except for the poor little 4-cylinder engine chugging from Phoenix to Flagstaff at 35 mph.  We've decided on no long trips until we upgrade the truck (meaning payments... grrr).

But regarding the towing- my upgraded suspension has made the towing feel VERY solid.  No sway, no scary moments at all.  

Along those lines: knowing Toyota has had a reputation for questionable stock suspension, has anyone installed an air-bag system on the rear axle for stability?  It's something I may consider on my next truck.
-Tyler


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4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.

-2011 182G
-1999 Toyota Tacoma SR5


Posted By: Footslogger03
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 1:18pm
Hmmm    ...didn't know about that reputation and so far hadn't planned on doing anything to beef it up. Is this something attributed to older Tacomas or current model years. We have a 2011 4dr Short Bed, 6 cyl - 6 spd manual trans.

Have about 15,000 miles on it so far and have never noticed any rear end/axle suspension issues.

Will be very interested innthe replies here.

MJ


Posted By: Doggiepoddler
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 2:19pm
1st generation Tacomas ('95-'04) were known to have fairly weak 3-leaf stock springs on the rear, especially for off-roading and heavy-ish loads.  I drove cross-country twice in my '99 with a lot of gear, and wore them out within 3-4 years.  I replaced them with custom 5-leaf springs from Alcan (Grand Junction, CO), and replaced the front coilovers with OME Springs, along with Bilstein shocks all around, and the truck is far stronger than it ever was without feeling like a tank on the road.  A lot of Taco drivers (from TTORA and the TacomaWorld forums) have had similar experiences, but most of them are more hard-core off-roaders than I.  I just wanted a "capable" truck, if you know what I mean. 

Here's a pic showing my setup- the rear of the truck sags a little, but like I said, feels solid on the road.



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4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.

-2011 182G
-1999 Toyota Tacoma SR5


Posted By: Doggiepoddler
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 2:41pm
I don't know about the newer generation's suspension.  But knowing that our 182G has the heaviest tongue weight of any rpod, I'm gonna want to even out the entire setup, without the truck sagging like it does now.  I'm figuring the best way to do that without replacing the whole suspension is to add the pneumatic airbags on the rear axle... unless anyone has any other suggestions Smile

-Tyler


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4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.

-2011 182G
-1999 Toyota Tacoma SR5


Posted By: Kenn
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 3:45pm
WDH!

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2010 RPOD 176 (Silly-POD), 2011 Forest River Stealth 2612, and 2014 Forest River XLR 380AMP


Posted By: Heidi
Date Posted: 27 Jan 2012 at 10:59pm
Check how you pack things in the Pod and truck. A lot can be done with where you pack heavy things verses light to take some of the weight off the tongue.

-------------
we R-pod people
175 ,2 peeps and one small horse


Posted By: Countrygent
Date Posted: 02 Feb 2012 at 5:39pm
Hi -

So new I haven't even taken delivery yet.

To be safe got an equalizer hitch thrown in on our purchase of a 2012 177 Hood River ... can't wait to pull it behind my Taco.




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2012 Hood River Edition 177
Toyota Tacoma Crew Cab 4x4 6cyl Manual
Little Bigpod


Posted By: Kenn
Date Posted: 03 Feb 2012 at 12:19am
Just make sure you get the right equal-izer hitch set. If you get it too big, it'll be too much.

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2010 RPOD 176 (Silly-POD), 2011 Forest River Stealth 2612, and 2014 Forest River XLR 380AMP


Posted By: Hndyman
Date Posted: 19 Feb 2012 at 9:43pm
Just picked up my 177 HRE this weekend. I have an '04 Tacoma, v6 and have similar sag on my rear suspension. I'm getting about 2" of sag. From the posts it sounds like upgrading the suspension is an option, but has anyone looked into a helper leaf system like the one on etrailer.com? I was thinking, that combined with a friction bar might be a good option. Thoughts? I was cautioned by the dealer about using a wdh with the r-pods because they have so little tongue weight.

http://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Suspension/Toyota/Tacoma/2004/SSA7.html?vehicleid=20041062983


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Eric
2012 R-POD 177 HRE
2004 Toyota Tacoma,V6,4x4


Posted By: Ratdog
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2012 at 8:55am
Originally posted by Hndyman Hndyman wrote:

Just picked up my 177 HRE this weekend. I have an '04 Tacoma, v6 and have similar sag on my rear suspension. I'm getting about 2" of sag. From the posts it sounds like upgrading the suspension is an option, but has anyone looked into a helper leaf system like the one on etrailer.com? I was thinking, that combined with a friction bar might be a good option. Thoughts? I was cautioned by the dealer about using a wdh with the r-pods because they have so little tongue weight.

http://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Suspension/Toyota/Tacoma/2004/SSA7.html?vehicleid=20041062983
 
I've been RVing for over 20 years and I've never heard that. Did he elaborate about what kind of problem you might encounter if you used one? Perhaps what he meant was that he didn't think you needed one as opposed to cautioning you against using one?
 
I would venture a guess that at least 1/2 (maybe more) of the members of this forum use a wdh.
 
A combo wdh w/sway control easily solved our sag and sway problems.
 
-- Steve


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


Posted By: Doggiepoddler
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2012 at 9:41am
@Hndyman- Your sag issue sounds similar to what we have with an upgraded suspension. Since we don't have a wdh, I can't vouch for 'em, but from what I hear, they work. If you think your taco needs the rear suspension help apart from the towing (heavy loads often/feels unsafe under load) then by all means try the helpers. If all you're doing is towing the pod, then consider the wdh instead (seems like relatively similar cost).

FWIW, my taco really needed her springs replaced, and she is very strong now, but with our 182G (379 lbs dry hitch weight), she still drags her caboose a bit. I don't mind it, though, because, again, the taco feels solid (and safe) towing. BTW, I also upgraded the front coilovers, which helped overall stability a lot.

-Tyler

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4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.

-2011 182G
-1999 Toyota Tacoma SR5


Posted By: Hndyman
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2012 at 11:21am
Thanks for the responses guys. I was surprised when they told me not to use wdh. I said cautioned, because the tech doing the walk through with me didn't recommend it, but couldn't provide a reasonable argument. I asked the service manager and he said they had tried installing them in the past and couldn't get them to adjust right. Something about there not being enough tongue weight. Perhaps that was more a function of the model r-pod and tow vehicle and less the wdh. My dry tongue weight is 250 and they installed two batteries and filled the tank. Without it loaded with gear I am probably sitting with more than 12% of the overall weight on the tongue. Being new to rv'ing and having not loaded it yet I was a little thrown by their comments. Sounds like it couldn't hurt to have the correctly sized wdh and maybe look at the suspension if that doesn't fix it. I don't typically overload the bed, but it usually still feels stable with a load in it. Thanks again!

-------------
Eric
2012 R-POD 177 HRE
2004 Toyota Tacoma,V6,4x4


Posted By: Countrygent
Date Posted: 20 Feb 2012 at 1:43pm
Dry camping question re: battery charging.  Using the TV to give a boost to dry camping battery life.

Does anybody know if the inverted 120v bed outlet in the newer Tacomas would be much use for powering the converter in the Pod - or would I be better off just doing the old booster cable trick hooked up straight between the batteries - the truck idling in both cases for an hour or so of course.  

Seems using the truck to invert to 120v to run power to the Pod's converter is a convoluted and inefficient way to apply some charge to the Pod's battery - but on the other hand it would be very convenient.  My rudimentary understanding of power is the 400w by 120v outlet is only delivering 3.3 amps, and maybe that won't be enough to drive the converter, and the boost to the battery idling for an hour most negligible?

At 400 watts I'm thinking the outlet on the Tacoma is more gimmicky than anything else - enough for some lights or a little stereo when tailgating.


-------------
2012 Hood River Edition 177
Toyota Tacoma Crew Cab 4x4 6cyl Manual
Little Bigpod


Posted By: this_is_nascar
Date Posted: 21 Feb 2012 at 7:30am
I have the bed outlet in my Taco.  I use it quited often and it does well.  I believe that your Pod battery is charging when plugged into the Tacoma's towing plug.  At idle, the on-board bed outlet is rated at 400-watts max and 100-watts when moving.  Certainly, not enough for anything that produces heat like a hair dryer or coffee pot, but I've powered corded circular saws and such from mine.  Like I said, I think you're Pod battery charges while plugged into the Taco.


-------------
"Ray & Connie"

- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road



Posted By: jeanelle
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2012 at 4:07pm
Well, we took the new pod to San Diego, fom Denver, and back. Our 2002 Tacoma did okay on the flats, but we really lost power on inclines. Hope we made a good decision, we bought a new Tacoma yesterday. I guess retirement must equal new toys! Had a good time, anyway. I think we will enjoy camping &fishing with the pod.


Posted By: John & Kris
Date Posted: 23 Feb 2012 at 6:13pm
I know we don't have a Tecoma...but w/i the same larger family. We have a 2012 GX 460 v8 and will be picking up a 2012 182G next Tuesday and the dealer  said we have no need for the WD but did suggest and we are getting a sway system.
Have fun poding.
John


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John-Kris & "Sarah" our Golden
Aiken South Carolina
"12 R.Pod 182G
TV "12 Lexus GX460


Posted By: Doggiepoddler
Date Posted: 24 Feb 2012 at 8:49pm
Hope you like your 182G.  We love ours.  I'm really curious how your towing situation ends up.  When you say "sway system" what are you referring to?

We're going to be upgrading to a newer Tacoma soon, and I'm still undecided about a WDH, upgraded suspension, or overload airbags.  Thanks!


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4 out of 3 people have trouble with fractions.

-2011 182G
-1999 Toyota Tacoma SR5


Posted By: John & Kris
Date Posted: 25 Feb 2012 at 7:53am
Doggie:  We will be adding an Anti Sway Bar to the unit and hitch reciever. Will let you know after a few trips.
John


-------------
John-Kris & "Sarah" our Golden
Aiken South Carolina
"12 R.Pod 182G
TV "12 Lexus GX460



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