Need an honest opinion on camper

So, my husband and I have a 2014 Limited, lifted x2, trd tires and we’re looking to get a camper.

Yes, I’ve read through aaalll the threads, watched videos blah, blah. I know there are discrepancies in what our runner can do.

It’s just the 2 of us (~300 lbs) + our 2 dogs (~180 lbs)

What/where we’re thinking of going: we’d like to work from this camper 1 week a month (weather permitting) we like privacy, we don’t always want to be on perfectly paved roads but nothing too crazy, we off-road a bit and tent camp a lot, just looking to upgrade our experience sometimes.

My husband wants the R-Pod 190. I love it but seems big to me.

Here’s the one we’re looking at
https://www.keystonervcenter.com/20...-travel-trailer-greencastle-pa-17225-i3274873

We’d be getting the sway bar, break thingy and engine coolant upgrades and the break air bags (I guess lol)

To me, it just seems big. Love it but I don’t want to stress everytime we use it.

Should I be worried? Or fuck it, it’s fine?

Was thinking this might be better? Less stress? Def not as nice just don’t know.

https://www.harboldsrv.com/inventory/2022-sunset-park-rv-sunray-sport-149/

Thx all. Any advice would be great. ❤️

 

IMO, they're both in the towing sweet spot, albeit 1000lbs apart. Having a couple of dogs myself that enjoy hogging the bed, I'd appreciate the Queen bed and extra floor space of the Forest River. And I think it's a better looking rig, too, for a not a lot more $$$.

Either way you're fuel economy is going down the tubes!

 

Unless you add an expensive re-gearing to the 4runner, it’s gonna suck.

They tow like shit. If I were buying a trailer, I’d get a different vehicle to be completely honest.

 

So I only browsed the specs of the first one but looks like it weighs about 3k and allows 800lbs of cargo. I haven't towed with the 4runner but that seems well within specs so I wouldn't see an issue with the size, especially with a sway bar, brake controller, and coolant upgrades.

I did pull a few trailers with my 04 JGC V8 and fuel economy was bad. But it didn't matter the size/weight, just seemed to matter I was pulling something. Got the exact same bad MPG (14.5 MPG) pulling a tiny single axle wire mesh trailer with a moped on it as I did with the tandem axle 6x12 U-haul trailer full of heavy furniture.

 

My aunt has an r pod like that she pulls with a 2019 frontier and it does fine. Like others are saying mpg will take a hit but that doesn't matter what vehicle you drive, you hitch something behind it and they all drop. I have a pretty big group of friends that we all go camping and everyone has varying trucks, Toyota, Chevy, Ford, Nissan gas or diesel we all get around the same milage. Just the nature of the beast when you start towing, hitch up and don't work about it.

Biggest things I would do is get a good Wdh setup, nice trailer brake (red arc) is an awesome kit and I have installed that in two buddies trucks and your gonna need to upgrade the trans cooler. I would also add a scan gauge it ultra gauge so you can watch the trans temps.

 

Thanks! Agree. And I swear there are no bigger bed hogs than my 2 babies. Haha. I just want all of us to be comfortable but still worry about safety and that we might be getting into something too big. The R-Pod is def better looking and suits are needs better but 1000lbs seems like a big difference.

Yeah, fuel is gonna suck. We kinda figured that. Sorry planet ☹️

 

Ugh. This is what I keep hearing and what worries me. Rather then get a kinda-ok camper for now and it’ll be a nightmare to tow or wait a few years and get the Sequoia, which we love.

 

Thank you so much. I didn’t even know scan gauge was a thing.

 

If you're towing three months out of the year, you might want to add an auxiliary transmission cooler too.

But I love the look of that R Pod, it is exactly what I would want!

 

Ignore this. What EVERYONE who complains about towing with a 4Runner, Jeep, etc is they forget it is a 4 WHEEL DRIVE MID SIZED VEHICLE! Its the same people who complain it is slow stop light to stop light. The vehicle is what it is and if youre ok with that, move on to the trailer part of this. If you are traveling to get away and are not traveling for deadlines, there is nothing wrong with a 4Runner at 70mph in the middle lane.

As for what I have done -

Air bag helpers for the rear springs will help keep your rig level and make towing easier around bends in the road and seeing over the hood. There are plenty of places to find them. WHatever RV place you buy from should be able to find them and install them for you.

Trailer brake assist. These have been around a long, long time and really make it a lot safer and braking far easier with a trailer. Redarc is by far the best - https://redarcelectronics.com/collections/electric-trailer-brake-controllers

As for trailers, the first one seems a better fit for what you want, but you will be limited as to where you can go due to the low ground clearance it has. The second one has far better ground clearance and will pull far better behind your truck on forest service roads and the alike.

These trailers are odd looking but uber flexible. Great ground clearance, light weight, will pull easier than the ones you have above. Great to work (I work from home and worked out this), cook, eat, room for 2 adults and 2 kids, meaning the dogs have a place. I rented one a few years ago and it is on my short list for a purchase next year. - https://taxaoutdoors.com/habitats/cricket/

 

You'll get a lot of opinions so take mine with a grain of salt too. I'll try to keep it short, but will expand if you want more.

Towed approximately 20k miles with my 4Runners (2016 and 2020). Main trailer was 2018 T@G Boondock XL. Other was an R-Pod 192. Friends also tow a 18' Wolf Pup something.

WD bar is a problem with 4Runners, the rear crossmember where the hitch is mounted is bolted to the frame rails, I think the manual doesn't recommend using it due to being able to twish that rear member. Double check me on that.

Didn't use a WD hitch with my T@G, but it weighed 1400 lbs so didn't need it.

I do run a RedArc TowPro Elite v2 or v3 and a ScanGauge for trans temps. I also ran firestone airbags in the coils.

Towing long distance with anything over 3000 lbs is gonna be unenjoyable if you're not experienced, but short distances (a few hours from home) shouldn't be a problem.

Forrest River products are better built than most, but all RVs have issues. I like the R-Pods so that's my vote.

I learned that if I was apprehensive to pull the trailer, I'd tend to use it less, which is counterintuitive, hence my T@G trailer racking up 18k miles in 3 years. It wasn't without it's compromises and you certainly wouldn't want to live out of it for a week, so it's not a good choice for you, but that's what I learned the hard way.

I figured out two things after 10 years of making costly RV mistakes.

1. Be honest with what you're going to do and when you're going to use it. It's also ok to not take it if you want to remain mobile...don't feel you have to take it.
2. Use rule#1 to determine what camper you want, and then if you are really sure....get a tow vehicle that can tow at least double what the thing weighs Dry+1000lbs. In other words, if you like the R-Pod and it weighs 3200#, then factor 4000# and get something that tows 7000 - 8000#. That's why for the R-Pod 192 I bought a Land Cruiser with 8100# of towing. A Tundra or Sequoia will also do nicely for that job as you mentioned.

---
I'll leave you with this: When my trailer was too much for my skill or my truck, I didn't take it. So I paid $200/month in RV notes, $30/month in insurance, only to spend over $2500/year on something that wasn't enjoyable to tow and costly to own because it was sitting there.

Meanwhile, my T@G was in my garage and it was nothing to hook it up and haul off for the weekend. My wife and I both felt comfortable towing it, and that's why it went from TN to CO, through mountains, through DRIVE THRUs (yea!) and in a two week trip we racked up 4000 miles on it. Great times. I miss it occasionally because it was a portable tent with hard shell. Other units had more features, but that's not very helpful if I dreaded towing it to get to those remote, scenic spots.

 

You’re so wrong, though.

I don’t complain about my sluggish runner. I know exactly what it is. I’ve also towed with it, and know that if I ever had the desire to own a travel trailer, I 100% would not have the 4runner for doing it.

I enjoy my vehicle, but I absolutely do not enjoy towing with it. It is horrendous and equivalent to a slug trying to pull a toad. If you have to throw a bunch of money at a vehicle to where it still sucks at towing, it’s not worth it.

 

The Forest River 190 is an Nice Camper however towing it with the 4Runner will be a bit much because by the time you get it loaded up with everything that is going to be a lot of weight in the 20 foot of camper that sits a bit low for hitting anything remotely off Road. The other choice is Ok but just that, Then the Cricket that @Overland WT Points out does fall in a more reasonable area for a 4Runner if you are going to go a little further than the Trailer Park life camping but then the Cricket is a Semi Tent Camper and that comes with Learning how to take care of it after the Rain storm.

As for Electronic Brakes Yes that is a Nice thing to have however it is more than just getting a brake controller it also means the Purchase of Brake assembly for the Trailer and that needs to be carefully checked on because depending on what Axles are installed it may not be just that simple.

Transmission Oil Cooler Definitely would do that Your 4Runner will love you for it, Air bags in the Back? If the added Weight make the back end squat the Air bags will help over come that but be aware of the Salesman on buying them because unless you really want it you don't need the "Fully Automatic System" with all the add on stuff, Just the basic system and carry a portable air pump and pressure gauge.

Yeah I know that there are those out there who are going to say things about how big and long of a camper they pull with their 4Runner Ok ok fine however I am in a Area where there are loads of steep Upgrade Roads and remember if you go up your coming back down too and I get to see way too many small SUV pulling campers and Boats pulled off to the Side of the Road with Issues along the way to my Camp in the high Uinta Mountains area of Utah.

 

Towed a 19ft Airstream Bambi down the Oregon coast, you’ll be fine.

 

I wouldn't be afraid to tow either of those with the 4Runner. Tow in S4, don't exceed 65 MPH, and take your time.

People who say the 4Runner sucks at towing most likely suck at driving.

 

LMAO. So the 4runner is good at towing?

 

I agree however it is going to depend on where towing to and a lot on what kind of Roads going on I would never take a 19 foot Airstream into primitive camping areas Nor either one of the two listed on potential Want list since both do not come with capable off Road site Leveling setup and both would not do well on a road like this...

 

I tow all the time with mine but I stay below the "Rated" load and have been towing for years.

 

Sure. As long as you keep it under 65 MPH, and tow in S4, it tows just fine. I've towed boats, utility trailers, and cargo trailers, even on 295's. No problems here.

 

k

 

I would say the 4Runner is not great at towing but it gets the job done. It’s certainly not the worst thing I’ve towed with but it’s not anywhere near the best either!

I wouldn’t want to drive a cross country with it but 5-6 hours I’d be fine with.

I’ve only added a trailer brake but will add a trans oil cooler and air bags next spring.

This trailer kind of fell into our lap. If I went any bigger I’d want a bigger truck but I can’t afford anything else and I’m happy with this trailer so this is it for me.

 

Pulled a similar sized camper to the one posted above for a buddy for about 350 miles, including some pretty bumpy and windy forest roads before getting to pavement. Up hill and down. The 4runner NEVER faltered. Honestly, looking back maybe it was kinda dumb luck that we (my fiance and I) didn't think much about it and just did it because our friend needed our help to get it from point A to point B. I just said, "The 4runner can totally pull that thing." And she did.

Not saying to just hitch up a trailer and go for it, but these rigs are highly capable. I mean, don't try to be speed racer and be completely crazy with that much weight on the end, but if you do what @Thatbassguy suggested (S4, <65 mph) the 4runner is a beast! Just my opinion though. And clearly I am no expert.

 

"Fine" is subjective. There is nothing wrong with , just remember its not a Ford F350 Dually Crew Cab King Ranch Edition.

 

Kinda to my point. How many people flash you becasue of your headlights. Trailers are meant to be towed with the frame of the trailer in parallel with the frame of the tow vehicle. Not saying there is anything wrong with towing with your rig and that trailer, but it is far from optimal and it could be safer.

 

I did that, sketchyyyyyyy. 100% won't do at night, even sketchier I bet, and I'll never know. The 4Runner was wailing in 1st gear a few times. Without 20+ years of towing experience, I really do not recommend towing on 550, you could be a danger not just to yourself, but to others.

...and that was a 1400lbs teardrop with trailer brakes.

 

I mean, the safest option then would be never towing anything. Plus we didn’t drive at night, we slept in great comfort.

 

You guys towing should look into the kdmax tune.

 

Instead of air bags, I recommend these:
https://www.etrailer.com/susp-2018_Toyota_4Runner.htm?&Redirect=8

I have the timbrens on my dually that we use exclusively to haul our slide in camper (which is heavy AF) and they are awesome. I also have air bags on the truck and I don't use them anymore.