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The West Virginians View Drop Down
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Joined: 06 Aug 2013
Location: Ripley, WV
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Posts: 8 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: New from West Virginia without an r-pod
    Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:10am
kymooses - I am really torn between the 172 and 178. The bunks are pretty neat on the 172 and DD really wants them. Also, the 172 comes in just over 500 pounds less than the 178. That's pretty significant. The 178, however, has the permanent bed and big front dinette. Slides tend to worry me due to possible mechanical issues, but there is no doubt it really opens up the living space. Also, the price difference between the two models seems to be fairly minimal. With all that being said I am no closer to making a decision. Sigh. I just sent a join request to the Facebook page.    
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The West Virginians View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:15am
techntrek - The Ridgeline packs a 5000 pound tow limit, and we have never traveled with anything in the freshwater tank in the Westlake. I am still leery, however, of the weight of the 178. Of the two models I am considering it is my favorite, but saving 500 pounds by going with the 172 may be the better option for now.
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GA_RPOD_178 View Drop Down
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Posts: 118 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:18am
Originally posted by The West Virginians

techntrek - The Ridgeline packs a 5000 pound tow limit, and we have never traveled with anything in the freshwater tank in the Westlake. I am still leery, however, of the weight of the 178. Of the two models I am considering it is my favorite, but saving 500 pounds by going with the 172 may be the better option for now.

I have had no issues pulling a 178 with my Ridgeline.  I use WDH and trailer brake package and of course no extra water weight.
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The West Virginians View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:22am
GA_RPOD_178 - I am jealous of you, I swear.    You have the same TV as we do, and have the pod I'm most interested in. We're hoping to be down in GA next spring as we're wanting to try Jekyll Island. By any chance have you visited there? If so, what do think of it?
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Posts: 118 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:34am
Originally posted by The West Virginians

GA_RPOD_178 - I am jealous of you, I swear.    You have the same TV as we do, and have the pod I'm most interested in. We're hoping to be down in GA next spring as we're wanting to try Jekyll Island. By any chance have you visited there? If so, what do think of it?

Great, come on by.  Techntrek, who has already posted on this subject, stayed there during his recent cross country vacation tour.  He is very helpful about all things Rpod, and I'm sure he can give you a lot more details on the campground on the north end of the Island.  Jekyll is more of a throw back to "old beach" settings.  It is owned by the state of Georgia and does not have the hi rise condo look of some many beach communities.

We enjoy the extra space the slide out gives us (we usually have a couple of grand kids with us) and while there are always potential issues with slide outs, they are so common now that its not like you are a guinea pig for the concept.  So far, no issues.
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techntrek View Drop Down
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Posts: 9059 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 5:07pm
Yes, we were there for 2 nights in July.  The sites are a bit close, and the ones that are along the road are right on the road.  Not a big deal, most of the traffic is people and bicyclists.  Decent amount of trees around but not all shaded, and the pool is acceptable.  Laundry room if you need it.  I forget if we were told there or by someone here that the city is working to upgrade most/all of the sites to full hookups.  10 minute walk to the beach and we were told its the same to the river going the other direction.  We loved the area and would love to go back, but with a 12 hour drive its a bit far for a yearly visit.  Which we would do if it were closer.  We didn't even get the chance to explore the rest of the island since we spent our full day there exploring Savannah which is 20 minute away.
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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GA_RPOD_178 View Drop Down
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Posts: 118 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 7:15pm
Originally posted by techntrek

Yes, we were there for 2 nights in July.  The sites are a bit close, and the ones that are along the road are right on the road.  Not a big deal, most of the traffic is people and bicyclists.  Decent amount of trees around but not all shaded, and the pool is acceptable.  Laundry room if you need it.  I forget if we were told there or by someone here that the city is working to upgrade most/all of the sites to full hookups.  10 minute walk to the beach and we were told its the same to the river going the other direction.  We loved the area and would love to go back, but with a 12 hour drive its a bit far for a yearly visit.  Which we would do if it were closer.  We didn't even get the chance to explore the rest of the island since we spent our full day there exploring Savannah which is 20 minute away.

Doug,

I was always "geographically challenged" in school.  I told WV that you stayed on Jekyll Island, which is what he was asking about.  I forgot that you stayed on Tybee Island, not Jekyll.  I was just reading your review until I got to the part about Savannah being "20 minutes away".  My bad.  

WV, sorry for my error.  Jekyll is a nice place to camp.  But based on Doug's comments, you should surely also check out Tybee Island.
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The West Virginians View Drop Down
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Posts: 8 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:00pm
Originally posted by CharlieM

RPods can and are being towed by Hondas. We tow our 172 with a 2010 4WD Pilot, the same power train as the Ridgeline. The Hondas have an advantage with their 4.375 differential. So far it works very well in the mountains of Florida and Alabama Big smile, but next month will be the test. Weight was the prime factor in our selection of the 172 since we will spend a lot of time in Colorado. Mountain passes are rough on tow vehicles, but altitude saps an engine's performance. Most of WV is below 3000 feet; all except one point is below 4500 feet. So if you plan to spend most of your time in the East you should be fine with the 172. On flat roads you can't even tell the Pod is back there unless you look at the gas gauge Unhappy. The 178 is bigger and roomier, but also heavier, so consider where you will drive and camp. Regardless of which model you chose you should include a weight distributing hitch (WDH) and a ScanGauge to monitor transmission temperature.Hope to hear soon that you have joined us in Podding,





Thank you for the insight, CharlieM. The bulk of our excursions will be on the east coast with a few trips to TN thrown in. With our current schedules heading west isn't an easy trip to plan. I'm going back and forth on the WDH. Honda doesn't recommend, but I know of several folks towing with a WDH and the Ridgeline. It's yet another conundrum I find myself in. Sway control is a definite, however.
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Posts: 8 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:05pm
Originally posted by P&M

Welcome.  It is nice to see that you are doing a thorough research on all of your options before making a decision.  There is a lot of really great information to be found in the forums here on the Pods.
 

I do have a question out of pure curiosity though ... why does your wife hate the antenna so much? 


Ah, there's a question, P&M. I know she doesn't like the appearance, and she worries about the thing being ripped off by who knows what. Beyond that I'm not sure, but she truly does seem to detest an antennae on any trailer. Truly, I am not fond of it either. It's not a deal breaker for me, but if I can get a pod without I will definitely go that route.
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The West Virginians View Drop Down
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Joined: 06 Aug 2013
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Posts: 8 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:10pm
GA_RPOD_178 and techntrek, thank you for the thoughts on Jekyll and Tybee. I confess I am not familiar with Tybee, but it sounds like a place worth visiting. I think the family would enjoy a tour of Savannah.
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