New 192 with RV Newbies

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   My wife and I recently semi-retired and decided to add an RV to the retirement transition plan having never owned an RV in our 43 years of marriage.  After spending the summer looking at a lot of different models and brands we decided the 192 was the right fit for us.  We have a 2020 GMC Canyon with the tow package capable of hauling 7000 pounds with a 700 pound tongue weight.  We ordered the Rpod back in July and took possession of it the last week of October and finally got to take it out a quick two day trip last weekend.  The dry weight from the factory was 3550 pounds with the solar package installed and the factory outdoor grill set-up.  The tires were Castle Rocks with a production date of 2220 so not too old.  Our plan is to replace them with Goodyear Endurance next Spring.  
Attached are some pictures along with some of the mods performed prior to our trip along with accessories we installed.  Since we had plenty of time between the order placement and delivery we read everything we could and watched a ton of videos about products on the market and filled the garage with items pending the arrival of the 192.  Attached are some pictures and descriptions.  
OUr rig (being long time Sooner season ticket holders and living in Norman, OK it only seemed apropos to name it OUr r-pod:

Level Mate Pro is mounted on the inside cabinet and worked perfectly:

Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch took about 1 1/2 hours to install and works great.  I had to adjust it on the way out of town as I felt a little sway.  Further study revealed the GM has Stabilitrak/Traction Control that can work against a WDH so on the way home we turned off Stabilitrak and that seemed to fix the problem.  I also ensured I put the ice chest in front of the rear axle vice next to the tailgate.  People say they sometimes don't feel anything when they are towing but I definitely did.  The bumps seemed to transfer to the tow vehicle and when trucks passed us on the interstate we could feel movement, not in an unsafe way, but certainly noticeable.

Tyremate TPMS- nice to be able to monitor tire pressure.  The monitor sits on the dash and provides instance feedback and since it is solar you don't need to plug it in to anything for power.

Lippert shade- took five minutes to install.

Lippert Defender Screen Protector so Ruby, the golden doodle, won't damage the screen.

MaxxAir Fanmate Cover- took five minutes to clip into place.

Bug screens all around.

4 inch muffler clamp for security on the black/gray water outlet. Our r-pod came with a second strap that was plastic but I still installed the clamp and it took 15 minutes to set it up.

Two wood braces under the sink.

Progressive HW30C Surge and Electrical Protector that was hard wired in at the RV place.  The screen is located right next to the converter/circuit breaker/fuse box.

Solar Readout.

Furrion Backup camera- took 15 minutes to install and set-up and the best piece of gear out there.  Worked perfectly and it was awesome being able to see what was behind me at all times.  Has a microphone so you can hear, the distance from where the camera is installed to the front of the tow vehicle was not an issue, and it works great at night.  Your nighttime running lights must be on since the power source comes from the running light.

We ended traveling a total distance of 218 miles roundtrip and got 13.8 mpg.  We tested everything in the trailer to include the outside grill, heater, AC, convection oven, water heater (gas/electric), exhaust fans, power sources, city water, toilet, shower, sinks, and didn't have a single issue.  I did go through the rpod and tighten everything up before we left and some connections were loose.  We were able to work cable and over the air TV switching back and forth, hook up a Fire Stick, and use the Bluetooth on the iRV radio system.  The one thing I need to see about conquering is how to use the speakers inside the RV and not the TV speakers.  Impressed with everything about the rpod having read all the negatives that pop up on this site.  If we had kids, this rpod wouldn't work for us as we felt like we had to crawl over each other but for us it works just fine!  The Murphy bed with a 3 inch Serta Memory foam and mattress pad placed over the existing mattress worked out perfectly and gave us good comfort.  Looking forward to better weather and to be able to hit the road for extended periods of time.  

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Pcbeck12 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2020 Location: Norman, OK Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Topic: New 192 with RV Newbies Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 11:40am
	My wife and I recently semi-retired and decided to add an RV to the retirement transition plan having never owned an RV in our 43 years of marriage. After spending the summer looking at a lot of different models and brands we decided the 192 was the right fit for us. We have a 2020 GMC Canyon with the tow package capable of hauling 7000 pounds with a 700 pound tongue weight. We ordered the Rpod back in July and took possession of it the last week of October and finally got to take it out a quick two day trip last weekend. The dry weight from the factory was 3550 pounds with the solar package installed and the factory outdoor grill set-up. The tires were Castle Rocks with a production date of 2220 so not too old. Our plan is to replace them with Goodyear Endurance next Spring. Attached are some pictures along with some of the mods performed prior to our trip along with accessories we installed. Since we had plenty of time between the order placement and delivery we read everything we could and watched a ton of videos about products on the market and filled the garage with items pending the arrival of the 192. Attached are some pictures and descriptions. OUr rig (being long time Sooner season ticket holders and living in Norman, OK it only seemed apropos to name it OUr r-pod: Level Mate Pro is mounted on the inside cabinet and worked perfectly: Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch took about 1 1/2 hours to install and works great. I had to adjust it on the way out of town as I felt a little sway. Further study revealed the GM has Stabilitrak/Traction Control that can work against a WDH so on the way home we turned off Stabilitrak and that seemed to fix the problem. I also ensured I put the ice chest in front of the rear axle vice next to the tailgate. People say they sometimes don't feel anything when they are towing but I definitely did. The bumps seemed to transfer to the tow vehicle and when trucks passed us on the interstate we could feel movement, not in an unsafe way, but certainly noticeable. Tyremate TPMS- nice to be able to monitor tire pressure. The monitor sits on the dash and provides instance feedback and since it is solar you don't need to plug it in to anything for power. Lippert shade- took five minutes to install. Lippert Defender Screen Protector so Ruby, the golden doodle, won't damage the screen. MaxxAir Fanmate Cover- took five minutes to clip into place. Bug screens all around. 4 inch muffler clamp for security on the black/gray water outlet. Our r-pod came with a second strap that was plastic but I still installed the clamp and it took 15 minutes to set it up. Two wood braces under the sink. Progressive HW30C Surge and Electrical Protector that was hard wired in at the RV place. The screen is located right next to the converter/circuit breaker/fuse box. Solar Readout. Furrion Backup camera- took 15 minutes to install and set-up and the best piece of gear out there. Worked perfectly and it was awesome being able to see what was behind me at all times. Has a microphone so you can hear, the distance from where the camera is installed to the front of the tow vehicle was not an issue, and it works great at night. Your nighttime running lights must be on since the power source comes from the running light. We ended traveling a total distance of 218 miles roundtrip and got 13.8 mpg. We tested everything in the trailer to include the outside grill, heater, AC, convection oven, water heater (gas/electric), exhaust fans, power sources, city water, toilet, shower, sinks, and didn't have a single issue. I did go through the rpod and tighten everything up before we left and some connections were loose. We were able to work cable and over the air TV switching back and forth, hook up a Fire Stick, and use the Bluetooth on the iRV radio system. The one thing I need to see about conquering is how to use the speakers inside the RV and not the TV speakers. Impressed with everything about the rpod having read all the negatives that pop up on this site. If we had kids, this rpod wouldn't work for us as we felt like we had to crawl over each other but for us it works just fine! The Murphy bed with a 3 inch Serta Memory foam and mattress pad placed over the existing mattress worked out perfectly and gave us good comfort. Looking forward to better weather and to be able to hit the road for extended periods of time.

JR Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 31 Aug 2018 Location: Manistee, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 347	Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 12:18pm
	WOW did you do a lot of mods...now all that is left is just enjoy your 192. We enjoyed Great Plains SP this passed April because Oklahoma did not shut down their parks. So enjoy your camping and we're planning on returning to your state this coming spring. We really enjoyed the area.
	Jay 179/2019

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 12:52pm
	Nice set of mods. On the sway issue, get your actual tongue and trailer weights. Be sure the tongue weight is at least 10%, preferably 11-12% of trailer weight. If not move some weight forward in the trailer or better yet remove weight from the rear of the trailer and put it in the tow vehicle. Putting extra weight in the back of the tow vehicle won't help keep the trailer from swaying if its too light on the tongue.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Pcbeck12 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2020 Location: Norman, OK Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 12:56pm
	The 192 tongue weight is 470 with approx. 125 pounds in the front storage and not much inside the trailer. I think the WDH issue was just getting the right number of turns on the bolt (4 threads to start) and turning off the Stabilitrak so the system and the WDH don’t fight each other.

mjlrpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 27 Sep 2016 Location: Massachusetts Online Status: Offline Posts: 1214	Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 1:32pm
	Welcome, nice job so far. I don't know if you have the same pantry the 195 has, but if you do, you might want to replace the cheap plastic shelf adjustors before your shelves collapse. I got steel rails on amazon....... after my shelves collapsed.
	2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding

Pcbeck12 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2020 Location: Norman, OK Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 1:37pm
	No adjustable shelves but a great tip.

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 1:47pm
	You don't want to have a trailer that's prone to sway and depend on the hitch system to control it. You want the trailer to be in good balance to keep it from swaying to begin with and then use the hitch system as backup. Think of it as belt and suspenders. Forget FR's specs on trailer and tongue weight. Those are pretty much useless marketing numbers and have little to do with the real world. You actually have to weigh it to know. Load up the way you plan to travel, including water etc, and take it through a public scale. Leave the wdh untensioned or it will mess up your weights. Get the weight on the tow vehicle axles and then on all three axles. Disconnect the trailer and get the weight of the tow vehicle by itself. Hitch weight = weight of the two tow vehicle axles from 1st weighing - tow vehicle by itself Trailer weight = total rig weight from first weighing - tow vehicle by itself. Hitch weight divided by trailer weight should be at least 10%, preferably 11-12%
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

Pcbeck12 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 20 Jul 2020 Location: Norman, OK Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 2:37pm
	I’ll do just as you described. Thanks

Pod People Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 22 Sep 2011 Location: Chapel Hill,NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 1067	Posted: 09 Nov 2020 at 3:59pm
	you will be surprised what the REAL weights are!! We went to our local public landfill -no charge and happy to see something besides a trash truck! We try to weigh every other trip. Our weights vary by less than 100pounds in the pod and tow vehicle combined. We pretty much have our packing down and take generally the same things every trip. the variables are the toys-bikes vs canoe or both. there is a lot of small gear associated with both. Vann
	Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179

podwerkz Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966	Posted: 10 Nov 2020 at 3:14pm
	Good looking rig...nice to see some r-pods out here in the 'flats'...although, being from Texas I'm trying hard to ignore the 'OU' stickers! Lots of good advice above, but I'm always pleased to see a new person come online with a tow vehicle that will easily do the job requested of it, as opposed to those who come onboard here with the largest r-pod they can buy and the smallest little mini-SUV sold in the USA and then ask all of us to approve because the r-pod salesman said 'it's fine'. Anyway, have fun and if you head out west, and want a free overnight hookup, I'm 50 miles south of Amarillo.
	r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!