In today’s article, we will discuss: What vehicle can tow an R-pod? We will explain how to choose the right car for towing a travel trailer and review the R-Pod as a camper.

What vehicle can tow an R-pod?

Any vehicle that can tow trailers under 5000 lbs can also tow an R-Pod. The weight of this trailer can range from 2,500 to 3,500 pounds, which will get heavier if you pack it with a lot of gear.

In the table below are 21 vehicle models that can easily tow a fully-loaded R-Pod. In fact, many of them could pull twice the weight of our lightweight trailer. We have chosen them based on the towing capacity criteria, but also based on the choices of fellow R-Pod owners!

Vehicles that can successfully tow an R-Pod

Model	Towing Capacity
Honda Pilot	3,500 to 5,000 lbs
Subaru Outback	2,700 to 3,500 lbs
Volvo V90 Cross Country	3,500 to 5,000 lbs
Chrysler Pacifica	1,000 to 3,500 lbs
Mercedes-Benz Metris	5,000 to 7,500 lbs
BMW X7	5,400 to 5,950 lbs
Mercedes-Benz GLE	3,500 to 7,200 lbs
Porsche Cayenne	4,400 to 7,700 lbs
Chevrolet Tahoe	7,600 to 7,900 lbs
Infiniti QX80	3,500 to 8,500 lbs
Nissan Armada	7,000 to 8,500 lbs
Land Rover Discovery	6,613 to 8,200 lbs
Toyota Land Cruiser	5,000 to 8,100 lbs
Ford Explorer	5,000 to 5,600 lbs
Toyota Highlander	3,500 to 5,000 lbs
Jeep Wrangler	2,000 to 3,500 lbs
Jeep Grand Cherokee	3,500 to 7,200 lbs
GMC Yukon	7,500 to 7,900 lbs
Toyota Tundra	8,800 to 10,200 lbs
Chevy Silverado 1500	7,200 to 13,300 lbs
Nissan Frontier	6,250 to 6,750 lbs

Towing an R-pod: how to choose the right vehicle?

For some, buying a motorhome is not worth the price: both for the initial purchase and for maintaining it. For others, having to give up their car is too big a sacrifice. The solution is a travel trailer that allows you to travel by your car, get to a place, unhook it and then visit the places with your beloved car.

So far so good: the idea of having the house behind you and then being able to freely wander around with your car is cool. The problem is to choose the car + travel trailer combination in a sensible way. The problem arises when it comes to towable mass, towable weight, unladen weight, and fully laden weight. Let’s try to shed some light on the next few lines.

First of all, most of us have a B driving license and therefore an overall weight limit between cars and travel trailers of 7,700 lbs. When you decide to buy a car in anticipation of towing your summer “cottage”, consider that a few more horsepower in the engine is not bad when facing difficult situations, such as overtaking a truck, or the sudden stop and departure in a hairpin bend in the mountains.

The basis for assessing whether the car is correctly sized for towing are the values expressed in the vehicle registration document and, above all, the technical characteristics declared by the manufacturer. If we take for granted the purchase of the car with the approved towbar device, the maximum width and maximum weight of the trailer appear in the booklet.

This called towable or towable weight is indicated in the booklet and represents the limit allowed for testing. There are two values expressed for the trailer: braked and unbraked.

The first is the fully-loaded weight of the travel trailer, therefore the tare weight plus the “holiday” load, the second is the appendage trolleys which have a maximum value of 1,650 lbs. A small note should be made on the weight of the travel trailer.

The tare is one value, the weight on the road is another and it is the latter that interests you to understand if your car is suitable for towing that travel trailer. When choosing the travel trailer, pay close attention to the difference between the weight on the road (or fully loaded) and the tare weight because the difference represents how much you can load, stow and carry inside the travel trailer.

Let’s now return to the towing capacity: this value for cars is never higher than that of its tare in order to respect the “towing ratio” which is equal to 0.8 (rounding up to 200 lbs) for braked trailers. To clarify, let’s give an example: an average that has a weight of 3,000 lbs and the full load mass is 3,750 lbs, when the tow hook is mounted, it has a towable mass value of 3,860 lbs or a minimum value or equal to the tare weight.

What happens if you exceed towing capacity?

If you exceed towing capacity, you will be able to see the effect of the trailer load on the vehicle only when it is running. If the weights are evenly distributed and the car is collided from behind, the vehicle hardly destabilizes. But if, on the contrary, the weight is poorly distributed on the trailer and it suffers a blow, the vehicle loses control.

This, on a busy road and at a high speed, could cause a fatal accident, so we emphasize the importance of dedicating the necessary time to properly place the load on the trailer and stop considering it an unimportant process.

Is the R-Pod travel trailer worth it?

The R-Pod Travel Trailer is a perfect little space that you can take anywhere. It has everything you need for a comfortable and quiet trip!

This trailer allows one to maximize the sleeping space by stacking it and filling empty spaces with extra storage space. A small hallway connects these bunks to the rest of the living room, with the entrance and kitchen area on one wall. This is equipped with a sink, a double burner and a wall unit set.

The opposite wall contains access to a small bathroom. There is a shower and toilet in this room, so you won’t have to look elsewhere on your travels.

Next to the bathroom is the refrigerator and a huge dining area curves around the rest of the walls and into the rear of the trailer. This is a comfortable padded seat that can double as extra sleeping space if you have to. On one side of the refrigerator is the entertainment centre. It is arranged in a way that is visible to people seated in the dining room.

Some R-Pods units have a slide that extends the kitchen area. Along with the lighter weight, the R-Pod has a standard 2-burner range, a smaller-shaped refrigerator, and no oven.

There is no lack of living space as the unit has a 60 ”x74” queen-size bed, as well as a 44 ”x74” dining room and a full bathroom. There are a lot of trailers packed into the size of this R-Pod. They all fall within the target weight range and depending on how these other campers look, they are equally or better built.

The bottom line

Towing a fully-loaded R-Pod is not a light task, especially for a beginner driver. A good understanding of the vehicle, the trailer, and its capabilities and limitations are very important. It is also important to properly maintain all the components involved in towing, understand the vehicle and the trailer’s dynamics, and understand how we should drive for greater safety!

Please feel free to get in contact if you have any questions or comments on the content.

FAQ on What vehicle can tow an R-Pod?

Can I exceed my vehicle’s towing capacity?

It is not safe nor advisable to exceed the towing capacity of your vehicle, as it may make the vehicle unsafe on the road. Also, if you do not secure the hitch properly, it can cause fatalities on the road.

What happens when you exceed your vehicle’s towing capacity?

When you exceed your vehicle’s towing capacity you bring a series of consequences for your card, such as engine overheating; tire failure, overloading the drivetrain, CO2 emissions increase among others.

What percentage of max towing capacity is safe?

A percentage of 80% or 75% of max towing capacity would be safe and recommendable.

How do you know if you tow too much weight?

You know you are towing too much weight when the rear of the truck will appear hunkered down and the front end will feel light.

References

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What vehicle can tow an R-Pod? (19+ models)