Soon-to-be new owner

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   There are a lot of good conversations on the forum about batteries. Do a search and you'll find a lot of good information. I happen to use 2 Marine Deep Cycle AGM's since I already owned one. It's a pricey way to go. Most cost effective way seems to be to get 2 6V golf cart batteries and wire them in series. The battery provided doesn't provide a lot of juice and two may not keep your cpap running that long.

I checked our cpap and found that it runs native on 12v and the AC adapter simply makes 12v dc. I put an DC outlet by bed and we were good to go. I've spoken to others who weren't as lucky though and needed AC inverters. 

Battery life will depend on lifestyle. The new led lights don't use anything, but the gas heater will draw them down quickly. The more electronic goodies you hook up, the faster you'll drain. If you're going out more than 4 days, you'll want to look at charging methods: generator, tow vehicle, solar. Again, lots of discussion on these. 

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shroomer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 24 Aug 2013 Location: New Haven, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 236	Topic: Soon-to-be new owner Posted: 01 Dec 2015 at 6:23am
	There are a lot of good conversations on the forum about batteries. Do a search and you'll find a lot of good information. I happen to use 2 Marine Deep Cycle AGM's since I already owned one. It's a pricey way to go. Most cost effective way seems to be to get 2 6V golf cart batteries and wire them in series. The battery provided doesn't provide a lot of juice and two may not keep your cpap running that long. I checked our cpap and found that it runs native on 12v and the AC adapter simply makes 12v dc. I put an DC outlet by bed and we were good to go. I've spoken to others who weren't as lucky though and needed AC inverters. Battery life will depend on lifestyle. The new led lights don't use anything, but the gas heater will draw them down quickly. The more electronic goodies you hook up, the faster you'll drain. If you're going out more than 4 days, you'll want to look at charging methods: generator, tow vehicle, solar. Again, lots of discussion on these.
	Larry and Debbie w/Rosie the mutt. Old: '13 177, '06 Silverado V6 New: '15 Whitehawk 20MRB '14 Silverado V8

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6418	Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 10:13pm
	Thanks Shroomer. I remember seeing "The Long Long Trailer many years ago. I also remember the camping trailer my parents had. I have a lot of good memories from camping in that trailer. I realize that the Escape is on the small size, but I will be driving much more without the R-Pod than with it. I am not one to race anyway. I will be getting an Equal-i-zer hitch with the trailer. That will give me sway control as well as equalization. This Escape replaced one that had a larger, but less powerful engine. My original choice for a camper would have been a Casita. Since that was not an option for the timeline I had, the R-Pod is the best alternative. In many cases, I expect it to be better. Since I expect to be off grid on our first trip, l am thinking of buying and installing a second battery to install with the one that will come with the R-Pod. However, I need to get it first so I can get the same type battery. I also need to wire in a 12 volt outlet and figure out how to put a small shelf in for my cpap machine. I have a lot to do in a very shot time before we leave to see our chlldren and grandchildren.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

shroomer Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 24 Aug 2013 Location: New Haven, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 236	Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 8:19pm
	Congratulations on your new purchase. There don't seem to be too many unhappy 179 owners out there so you're joining a pretty good club. You're at the light end of the tow vehicle spectrum and many out there will say bigger is better, but if you drive right and don't try to race any hemi-pickups, you should do fine. You might also want to check the threads about weight distribution hitches. Lots of good facts and some religion too. For anyone who tows, I recommend "The Long Long Trailer" with Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball as an excellent primer. Have fun.
	Larry and Debbie w/Rosie the mutt. Old: '13 177, '06 Silverado V6 New: '15 Whitehawk 20MRB '14 Silverado V8

StephenH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6418	Posted: 30 Nov 2015 at 10:44am
	Hello from a soon-to-be 179 owner. We expect to pick it up on December 7th. We looked at a number of different campers, including models from Starcraft, KZ, and Coleman. I wanted something that would be towable by our Escape (2016 SE, 2 L EcoBoost engine with factory towing package, rated at 3,500 lbs). After getting scammed on a non-existent Casita, I found an R-Pod dealer not too far away from us. We decided that the layout of the 179 was the best for us. While I would have preferred a walk-around queen (or even double) bed, we will adapt to this one. The thing that sold us on the 179 is the kitchen and storage space. Having the dinette in the slide-out seemed to make more sense. We hope to get many years of enjoyment with this R-Pod. It will make possible some of the "We ought to stop and see this sometime" travel that we have not done because motels and meals would just cost too much. Admittedly, the R-Pod isn't inexpensive, but being able to eat our own cooking is a big plus. I plan to add a picture if it is possible once we pick up our R-Pod.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS