Just bought the perfect trailer for us

It’s just my wife and I and the dog. I’ve been looking for something small for adventures as I’m retiring next year. We found this PERFECT RPod just 1/2 a km away after searching for a couple of years. Picking it up Monday. It comes with the Husky hitch but I’m on the fence about a WDH as they can cause damage and I’m not sure if I’ll need it. It has a friction anti sway bar too.

 

I have the exact camper. We pulled it from GA up the east coast to Acadia NP in Maine in May/June. We went west to Niagara Falls then back home. We took our 15-year-old granddaughter with us. The area over the table can be converted to a bed and my granddaughter slept there.

It is perfect for 2 with the table set up. We did OK with 3 in good weather since we ate our meals outside. There is no living space inside. Just room for sleeping, cooking and a small wet bath. We bought it to travel with and usually only stay one night in each campground, rarely over 3. My wife tried to find a used Casita. They are nice, but expensive. We paid less for the R-Pod new than a used Casita and our R-Pod has more room.

The Tacoma will pull it with ease. I've done so a couple of times when camping closer to home. We pulled it with the newer F150 for the long trip. Love my Tacoma, but it's 16 years with 240,000 miles on it. We bought the Ford to pull a bigger trailer I used to have. Now that we've downsized the camper, I'm seriously considering selling the Ford, and maybe my old Tacoma, and going with a new 2024 Tacoma when they come out. Going to wait at least a year from now to see how the new Tacoma's are received.

No WDH needed. I had a friction sway bar on my other camper, but use nothing on this one. It pulls great as is.

Along the Virginia coast.

 

My friction sway control has worked fine on my 17’ Casita.
I suspect you need a brake controller?
You’re going to have a grand time in your trailer I’m certain! Just don’t get in a big rush.

 

How does a WDH cause damage ? I’ve been using one for 8 years pulling a travel trailer and gear around 3500 pounds . No problem

 

Well I just got my Husky weight distribution hitch transferred over to my brand new Tacoma.. worked fine on my old 2009 dodge grand caravan. I haul a KZ sportsmen 170mb.. Anyhow.. this post saying weight distribution hitches are bad caused me to start googling. In my mind. a weight distribution hitch is good simply because it is going to perform sway control too. I found this post which I am reading now. It seems to think a WDH is a good idea and lists why. It also says it has to be setup well. https://askthervengineer.com/the-hidden-danger-of-a-weight-distribution-hitch/

 

That’s the plan. Going to take the side roads and explore. Next summer will be short trips but in 2025 we’re going to spend the summer in it crossing the country.

 

Forest River is now recommending against them on lighter weight trailers because they added stress on the trailer frame is causing structural damage. Lighter trailers often have thinner frames that can bend. There’s also been cases of the shell separation from the frame on older ones.

 

Thanks
I wonder what the recommended weight is to start using one

 

Forest Rivers are built pretty shitty but even that seems like a stretch. If they can’t build a steel frame that won’t buckle under the use of a industry standard safety device it sounds like a trailer to avoid.

 

They dont build the frames. Those frames are all made by the same company.. Lippert.. I have half a mind to ask lippert what they think about it. Ill ask KZ too because honestly I love that company. Want a Schematic of the wood in the walls or the wiring.. Here you go.. here is the drawings.
Lots of internet garbage going around saying the frames are junk and all this other stuff.

I found this video on RV frames VERY telling because Ive easily found the "I bent my frame on my RV posts all over the place"

This video from Josh explains all that.. (Spoiler alert it is idiots operating their stuff poorly)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWMDKrvdfSo

 

Ugh .

 

Toyota says use WDH at or above 5000# of trailer weight. I pull an rpod 179, max 3650#, so I’ve never used a WDH. Just finished my 5th season, no problems.

 

I still use one for my trailer. Weight is 2985 without gear .My truck did not have a tow package when I bought it . I had everything added . 2 3/4” lift + 33” tires , transmission cooler ,brake controller,bigger battery,Timbren SES bump stops and the Curt hitch . I also have an Ultra Gauge to monitor transmission temp .

 

Installed my redarc at the beginning of the week and took the new trailer. Took it out for a test drive and it tows great. Going out for the weekend for a test run before I winterize it.

 

I tow an rPod 180. Have for five years. I do not have a WDH on this unit, and do not need one. I do have a friction anti sway bar, just as a precaution, and blue Sumosprings. YMMV. I did have and need WDH on my previous TTs, (23 foot and 28 foot, towed by a Tundra).