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Maticuno 
Newbie 
Joined: 15 Oct 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
 Topic: R Pod for a Family of Six?Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 2:54pm |
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So it looks like the NoBo's use the same frame construction as the R Pod with lighter weight side walls. The 19.5 has a 4400lb torsion axle. Sleeping all six of us inside will be tight, but doable until the kids get bigger. Having everyone inside during a rainy day (rare in SoCal) doesn't seem too cramped in the 19.5.
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offgrid
Senior Member 
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 4:17pm |
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Interesting about the 4400 lb axle, I have a little story on that.
I have a Lippert 3500 lb rated axle in my 2015 179 (FR has used both Dexter and Lippert axles in the product line over the years). When I called up Lippert to see about an axle upgrade they asked for my "variant" number. When I gave them that they said they could sell me a bolt up replacement 4400 lb axle but it was identical to my 3500 lb one except for the label. Needless to say I didn't buy it
 . The next higher weight range axles from Lippert starts at 5200 lbs and take 6 lug wheels. Sounds like the frame is the same as the rPod. I could certainly be wrong but overall my feeling from your report is that the NoBo probably isn't really going to be much more off road worthy than an rPod is. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419 |
Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 4:49pm |
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I would be more concerned with the actually construction of the trailer. Not the frame or the axle. Adding tires of any rate or risers of any height or a mighty axle doesn't change the trailers construction to handle a constant rough ride on a bad road. End of the day the FR products to include Pods and NoBos are travel trailers. They add some bling so it looks good on the back of your lifted 4X4, but it's not truly effective. You can do interweb searches on off road trailers and see how limited the market is, especially if you are looking for a sleep 6 capacity, almost every product involves a tent.. The niche the Pod fills is people who want to camp, with amenities, at a reasonable price and they are reliable, because they are basic. I don't know of one instance of a frame problem with a Pod, unless it was induced.
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Mike Carter
2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
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Maticuno
Newbie
Joined: 15 Oct 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 5:44pm |
I can only base my frame report on an estimate since the bottom of the NoBo is enclosed. The tubing I could see at the front with the jack and propane cylinder looked identical to the R Pod that was sitting next to it. I could see the label on the axle, but they were washing the nearby trailers and the runoff was puddling under the rig I wanted to crawl under, so I couldn't get close enough to read the info. It is a 6 lug hub on the axle. Having the R Pod and the NoBo parked right next to each other was nice to make direct comparisons. You can tell they are made in the same assembly plant as floor plans and certain materials are almost identical. The fit, finish, and overall materials quality seemed just slightly better on the NoBo. If the NoBo 19.5 didn't have the panoramic window in the front over the queen bed, I think my wife would have been sold on the RP190. I think either product would do well enough off road in the areas I plan on taking them. I'm limited on where I can drive my land yacht of a tow rig anyway.
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mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419 |
Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 5:55pm |
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You didn't mention your TV or I missed it, the 6 lug axle is a hint. I like the NoBo 19.5, so does my wife who hates the bed in our 178 because it is a hassle to make.
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Mike Carter
2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
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mcarter
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419 |
Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 5:57pm |
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My bad, you did, I had the V10 in my Class C. I had to be careful, I'd be going 80 towing a car:)
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Mike Carter
2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability." |
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jato
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3216 |
Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 7:54pm |
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Before moving up to our 177 we had a Jayco pop-up that was plenty large for the 5 of us, when extended it was 22 feet in length and worked well even on those rainy/sleety/snowy days that we encountered. We took in on many rough dirt/gravel roads for the 19 years we owned it and never had any axle issues. I guess the only drawback would be the lack of a shower and flush toilet which are S.E. on the rpods. We managed even with 3 teens, but every family is different in their needs/wants.
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God's pod
'11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
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StephenH
podders Helping podders - pHp
Joined: 29 Nov 2015 Location: Wake Forest, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 6285 |
Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 9:36pm |
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About that axle, at the Kentucky MiniMini/10th Anniversary Rally, the question about the axle rating came up. Yes, it is the same basic hardware as a 4400 lb axle except that because the mounts are so far inboard from the wheels, the axle is derated to 3500 lbs. If the mounts were next to the arms, the rating would be higher. It makes sense because the longer distance means the tire can exert more force on the axle.
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StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS |
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Maticuno
Newbie
Joined: 15 Oct 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 10 |
Posted: 16 Oct 2018 at 9:56pm |
I'll have to check again, but at least on the NoBo 19.5, I seem to recall the mount being fairly close to the trailing arm.
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290 |
Posted: 17 Oct 2018 at 4:28am |
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Maticuno,you're saying that the nobo axle takes 6 lug wheels, so I think it is a different axle than what we have on our rPods which are 5x4.5.
On the frame I did one time do a quick structural analysis on it (I'm not a structural engineer but I know enough to be dangerous ). It looked like on a fully loaded larger rPod we have about a 2.5-3g factor before we hit yield strength in bending. That's apparently roughly in the range that vehicle designers use as a minimum safety factor for bump loading. Any actual structural engineers out there feel free to correct me. Since you have a seriously robust tow vehicle and should be able to get by without using a weight distribution hitch, that would reduce the max frame load significantly since it occurs pretty close to the point where wd hitch bars would be tensioned. And as mcarter says, there haven't been any reported frame failures so we're probably ok there unless you want to run the rubicon or something. +1 to mcarter's comment that the construction techniques and fastenings will likely be your weak link in any of these built-to-a-price-point travel trailers. |
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
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R Pod for a Family of Six?