Should I buy? - R-pod Owners Forum

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Royal1585

Newbie

Joined: 24 Oct 2018
Location: TX
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Posts: 26

Topic: Should I buy?
Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 7:53pm

So you do prefer your R-Pod over the Casita? If so, in what way?

Go Royals!

Ben Herman View Drop Down

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Joined: 26 Apr 2018
Location: Gr Junction, CO
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Posts: 355

Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 7:58pm

Originally posted by Royal1585

So you do prefer your R-Pod over the Casita? If so, in what way?

It's bigger so more comfortable for 2 adults; more storage space inside; better kitchen/prep area. Casita is definitely better quality construction. Systems are similar if not identical (heater, hot water, plumbing, etc). If the Casita was a bit taller we may have stuck with it.

If you do not plan on spending much time inside the trailer except for sleeping/cooking/eating then the Casita is fine. RPod is bigger/better to hang out in. When we travel and where we travel (in the west) we are almost always outside all of the time.

StephenH

podders Helping podders - pHp

Joined: 29 Nov 2015
Location: Wake Forest, NC
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 8:11pm

OTOH, while I prefer to be outdoors unless the weather is very uncomfortable, my wife prefers to relax inside. We use the AC and a ceramic block heater if we have power. If we don't, we use the propane furnace for heat. If it is just too hot then I can fire up the generator and run the AC. For the most part, nights have been cool enough that just windows and fans have been sufficient.

One thing not mentioned is the benefit of having your own restroom facilities with you. It has been very handy at times when no rest stop was near to be able to pull off at an intersection and find a place to park for a quick trip into the R-Pod. There have been many times before we got it where things got very close to desperation and at least once where we just could not find a rest stop in time.

StephenH
Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,...

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OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down

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Joined: 23 May 2018
Location: CA
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Posts: 204

Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 8:26pm

After owning a Coleman Sequoia tent trailer 15 years and wishing for a solid-wall trailer, we finally upgraded this year to an rPod 180. We love it because it’s so much nicer (and warmer) than the tent trailer. True, it was a Lot more expensive but I’m hoping it will last for awhile. I love the roomy bathroom and the modern conveniences like a 3-way fridge, furnace, AC, TV, etc. I used to do a lot of primitive camping when I was younger with a VW bus, and various truck campers, but now I really appreciate the ability to use full hookups.

I mostly like the rPod because it packs a lot I use but fits in a single-car parking stall, so we can keep it next to the garage. If it was bigger I don’t think we could justify paying a monthly storage charge at an RV lot.

It’s nice (for us at least) to own a trailer rather than rent because we can use it whenever we want, sometimes at the spur of the moment.

OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down

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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 8:40pm

That should have been 'packs a lot inside'...

Stupid auto correct.

lostagain

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Joined: 06 Sep 2016
Location: Quaker Hill, CT
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 8:41pm

Royal, if you don't have any experience with travel trailers, see if you can get a dealer to rent used one one to you for a weekend. Looking at trailers by walking around inside a cramped space like a Casita, R-Pod, etc. doesn't really tell you what it would be like to travel in one. They always seem more roomy when they don't have your provisions and clothes inside.

We also considered Casita, Scamp, and Jayco in our search for a used travel trailer. I was, quite frankly, a bit worried about the very low ground clearance of both the Scamp and Casita and since we planned on boon docking, often traveling on less than ideal roads, I eliminated them even though I was at home with their sailboat like interior. We, as offgrid, opted for a used trailer because it was a lot cheaper, but it has meant a number of repairs, most of which I've done myself. On the other hand, reading about all the travails of those who bought new trailers, it seems we ended up fixing less than many of them.

People have pointed out many pro's and con's and I agree with all of them. One thing you said that will be a con for you is that you don't like to "fix" stuff. That is going to be a big issue. Dealing with even nice RV dealers is a hassle and it will cost you a lot of money. And if you have a a less than honest dealer or shop fixing your trailer, be prepared.

Finally, to get your money's worth from an RV you have to use it a lot. As I look around my neighborhood, I see many trailers that are used only two or three times a year. [It's not illegal here to park them on the street for extended periods.] The cost per use, the amortized cost of the trailer, repairs and upkeep, insurance, licenser, etc. etc. makes it a very expensive yard decoration. It reminds me of the boats berthed around my old sailboat in SF Bay. Every time I went sailing which was often, but never often enough, those boats were always sitting there, never moving out of their berths. That's a lot of money to have tied up in a rapidly depreciating thing. And remember, you will never use the trailer as much as your dreams will tell you you will. Stuff happens that results in cancelled trips.

Never leave footprints behind.
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DaveS

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Joined: 06 Nov 2014
Location: Vermont
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 9:09pm

I think regardless of trailer the one other main difference in camping vs staying in hotels is, you will meet people that are out doing like minded activities. There is a very strong social aspect to camping if you want it. That makes it worthwhile for us.

OldNeumanntapr View Drop Down

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Joined: 23 May 2018
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Posted: 25 Oct 2018 at 9:40pm

Originally posted by DaveS

I agree. Especially if you go to an rPod Meetup, like we did last August at the NW Meetup in Cannon Beach, OR.

David and Danette View Drop Down

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Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 6:24am

Camping trailers are a luxury item that is the way I understand them. I agree it would be better to rent a camper a few times before you buy that could save you thousands of dollars should you decide camping trailers are not something you like. Camping trailers and boats depreciate very quickly and require a lot of maintenance. There are the advantages that have been mentioned but owning a tent or a row boat is far less expensive and less maintenance than owning a camping trailer or a power boat.

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offgrid

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Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 6:40am

Furpod mentioned the Oliver which raises a good point. If you do decide to get a travel trailer, consider where and when you want to use it. Are you going to want to use it in cold weather? Hot weather? These are things you need to think about with a travel trailer but don't worry about staying in motels.

The Oliver and Bigfoot and maybe a very few others are actually insulated to prevent winter freezing, so you can use them all year. Casitas and rPods are not, they are really 2.5-3 season campers. You have to winterize them, which is very easy. You can still use them in cold (but not really cold) weather but you can't really use their water systems. So I see you want to spend time in the VA/MD/PA area near the civil war battlefields, that would limit you to say April through October/November.

In hot weather the problem is a different one. Except for the Appalachians, TX/VA/MD/PA and everything in between can all be pretty dang hot in summer. You can't run the a/c without either a generator or hookups. Too much power demand for batteries and solar. Most public campgrounds don't allow nighttime generator use and the access to hookups in public campgrounds can be pretty limited, at least it is around here. So you'll either sweat at night, travel to somewhere cooler in hot weather, or stay in private campgrounds where hookups are the norm. Might not be a problem for you, for me it is because I don't like the tight spacing in most private campgrounds. Just doesn't feel like camping to me.

So in summer I usually head straight to the mountains from home here in coastal NC and camp in the national forests (often for free), makes for a long day driving. I spring and fall I usually camp locally in the national seashore or state parks. In winter like most people I don't camp.

None of these are show stoppers, its just helpful to try to picture what kind of camping you'll be doing, where and when.

1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold