Hello all.

Wow timing is everything.  We just sold our practically new 180 in north NJ for $14,000 with $1000 in options.  A steal!! Anyway the closest RPOD dealer is Alpin Haus in Port Jervis.  He will be happy to sell you one with options for $20,000.  Or there is Stoltzfus in Adamstown PA or Crossroads Trailers in south Jersey that sell them for $15,500.  Only slightly more than Couch so no need to go to Ohio. And do not have an RPOD shipped. If FR finds out they void most warranty work becuase they cannot determine if the damage was due to improper shipping.  We bought at Stoltzfus and can recommend them.  For service you are in luck there is 84RV rentals in Sussex NJ that will do factory authorized repairs.  We have had work there and there was no cost for warranty work.

Welcome!

Personally I think 3500 is a bit too close to the edge.
But I feel your pain. I just spent 19,000$ for a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Larado.
The good news is it has the roof rack channels and enough size to handle the load.

So a couple of hundred dollars worth of aero bars and hardware and I can bring my Kayaks.

I know people have posted about towing up and down the East coast in a Dodge Grand Caravan with 3500 lb capacity. But I did not see if they posted their actual weight?

I do know once you start packing it is easy to let the weight climb up fast. I'd rather pay a little more, have a little bit bigger vehicle with excess capacity. But that is me. Cautious.

Originally posted by John4TA Looks like we will be going with a larger vehicle. Thanks all for the input.

Sounds like a smart decision to me! You'll love the 180 as we do too!

I spent close to that on a 2010 Nissan Frontier LE Crew Cab 4x4 with factory tow package last December after we had an accident with our previous TV, a 2016 Ford Escape with factory tow package rated at 3500 lbs. The Frontier had a little shy of 75,000 miles when we bought it. Saturday, it turned over 100,000 miles. The Frontier has a 6100 lb tow rating and has the wiring to just plug in an adapter harness and a brake controller which is much easier than the installation in the Escape which did not have the 7-pole round Bargman connector which had to be added as well as the additional wiring.

The 2019 RP-180 sounds like a good price. It is about what I paid for our 2016 RP-179, plus tax, title, license, Equal-i-zer hitch, dealer prep fees, etc. We do like it. I don't like flying anymore since I don't like being treated like I am a terrorist every time I go to the airport. While all the driving isn't always enjoyable, I do like seeing America at ground level. Even more, I enjoy spending nights in my own bed, not some motel bed. I don't know if you can do a financial calculation on this. You either want to do it or you don't. If you do, then go for it. If you are unsure, you may want to consider whether you will use the TV and R-Pod or whether it will be an expensive decoration for your driveway. In our case, we have used ours extensively and will continue to do so as long as we can.

Our next trip will be from NC to AZ to visit our younger daughter and grandchildren, then up to Utah to visit our older daughter and children, then up to Yellowstone National Park for a short visit (we have reservations at the Pony Express RV Park in West Yellowstone, just outside the park), then back home to prepare for the summer mission trip up to Vermont followed by family visiting in NY, NJ, and friends in PA and MD on the way home. Then in October, we have reservations for the 10 Anniversary R-Pod rally hosted by the Kentucky Mini-Mini. So, three major trips this year plus possibly some local camping trips if possible.

I hope this gives you some perspective on your situation.

I would say that if you came to this forum to be talked out of your decision, you may have come to the wrong place. OTOH, go to a "motelers R Us forum" and you might get a different answer!