Thank you so much for this, it's very helpful in this learning experience!There's no significant impactful change to tongue weight that you can safely do, other than size up your tow vehicle such that it can support a larger tongue weight. Some people advise rear loading, which is a no-no, loading above (and SLIGHTLY) in front of the axles is best practice, as well as towing with dry tanks. Anything you can do to keep weight down will help.
Simple rule of thumb is the look at your (fictional, factory, dry) weights, calculate heaviest your trailer will be (Dry weight + Payload capacity), and then figure a 13% hitch weight from that.
So:
Dry Weight - 2,874 lbs.
Payload Capacity - 902 lbs.
Hitch Weight - 295 lbs.
2,874 + 902 = 3,776 GVWR
3,776 x .13 = 490 max hitch weight (13% of GVWR).
So you should see a MAX of 490# + the weight of your actual hitch riding on the bumper. Lots of mid sized SUVs generally use 10% of max tow (drag) for their hitch weight, so if the TV is rated to tow 5,000, your hitch weight may very well be 500 (which you will be above if you push the R-Pod to its limits).
Good news is that this is a fairly modest trailer, bad news is that - even if you tow under (but AT) the limits of your vehicle - you'll be in for a fatiguing, uncomfortable, and potentially unsafe (eg, less steering authority, potentially susceptible to sway) tow.
So, again, since you're really up against the limits of the mid sized SUV's, AND your mom doesn't want a big/full-sized suv (let alone a truck), it's looking like you might need to move to a dedicated tow vehicle that can accommodate your needs.
Personally, I've been towing a larger trailer with an Audi Q7 (migrated to an F150). The Audi drives small, and is only a tiny bit larger than the Ford Explorer, but is rated to drag 7,700#, has a 770# hitch rating, and a 1,330# payload. But it's not on your list.... so that's a moot point. I also drove it at its limit, and it suffered the same issues discussed (somewhat fatiguing, no weight distribution, reduced steering authority). Plus there's no place for your ebikes.
The Ford Expedition seems to be calling your name, but really a big pickup. Does this mean that maybe YOUR truck gets increased?
We haven't considered Audi because there is no dealer here and very few shops that work on imports. We have a BMW and it's been a real pain to have to drive 3+ hours over 2 passes to the nearest dealer for anything much more than an oil change.
I would love for my truck to get upgraded but the problem is that then it would still be my truck that's always with me (and is my daily driver) and my parents would still be without their own towing vehicle if I'm not available. Someday! Just need a few hundred grand to drop from the sky and we can have all the vehicles we need.