Newbie here!!

Hi everyone!! Say I have "stalked" your forum for some time now and have enjoyed how everyone is so helpful in a gracious way (not putting others down) which is wonderful for me! and probably for everyone else here too. Anyway, I haven''t got an r-pod, looking at r-pod 191 with twin beds as my old body doesn't crawl over the hubby very well several times a night to go potty. Oh I know to much info!! I'm fence sitting either buying a new r-pod 191 or a used class c. humm.. I have got a 171,000 mile 350 engine 1997 e150 van plus a 2003 4.0 4x4 ford ranger pickup with 191,000 miles. I'm so afraid that the high mileage pull vehicles I have will peter out pulling this pod. I can't replace them if they go. Hench the reason I'm looking a low mileage class c for the same price of a new pod. I also know we aren't very active as being in our 60's like we were back when we were 20 or so. Basically just using it as a base camp and visiting the area for a week or 2 and peddling to another area to repeat. Anybody been in our shoes or any thoughts that could help us with our qaundary? He has never camped before and I have camped with mom and dad back 40 years ago. Dads is not around anymore to help me with this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! God bless you all and Happy Trails!!

Thanks for your reply! Yes I've been looking at class c's for over a year now and by chance a great friend of mine just special ordered her Casita! That had me thinking about small trailers (not to small) but something my hubby could fit in without a can opener! I stumbled on to r-Pods thought they were cute and just the right size but needed either a walk around bed or twin beds to be comfortable to us. Until this year the 191 and I think the 195 would work for us. But then I got to thinking about our high mileage pull vehicles, reality hit me hard then. Possibly my van could work that is until I got the trailer paid off then buy a nice 4x4 SUV. I bought facebook at $17 maybe it will go up some more for me to do that!

If you have personally maintained those vehicles and only plan on relatively flat driving and your mechanic states your engine(s) look strong. . . .why not go for a used rpod?  Our 177, which we have had for 8 + years now has over 25,000 miles on it and has been towed by our '94 F-150  with 321,000 miles - has a 5.0 L V-8 with a stick shift.  More recently we now have 2 different tow vehicles, the main one used for the past 4 years is a '13 Ford Explorer with 105,000 miles and one we just picked up last summer a '11 Ford F-150 with 120,000 miles.  If you maintain your vehicles, they will last a long time.  When we sold our 1990 Dodge Caravan it had 268,000 miles, no engine issues ever (3.3L V-6) and one transmission rebuild at 205,000 miles.

I’ve had an older class C (and a B and an A) and I agree they are money pits. Anything with an engine in it is going to cost $$ to maintain. Just the way it is. Travel trailers cost money to maintain too but much less. So, while the acquisition cost of an older motorized RV are attractive, consider the total cost of ownership. If your existing vehicles are in shape and capable then there’s no reason they shouldn’t hold up towing. Just take it easy.

As lostagain says, if money is tight consider a lightly used travel trailer. Many folks buy them and sell them again a year or two later having used them only once or twice, often with many useful accessories. If you get a used one at a good price the worst thing that happens if your husband doesn’t like it is you sell it again in a year for not much less than you paid.

Good luck!