Should I buy?

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   This is all good stuff and very much appreciated.  I honestly already know I would be good with the camping life-style...I just don't know if my wife would be.  Our son is a college football coach, so using the trailer to travel to games would be something I know she'd be all-in on, but going to parks and campgrounds I don't think is much to her liking, but who knows.  We would only be late Spring to late Fall types. If the trailer A/C doesn't cool all that well, that could be an issue for me.  That's one of the pros of hotels, at least many of them, that I can crank the air down and sleep cool.   I am going to look into renting one at some point to see what we think...that's a good idea.  

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Royal1585 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Oct 2018 Location: TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 26	Topic: Should I buy? Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 7:30am
	This is all good stuff and very much appreciated. I honestly already know I would be good with the camping life-style...I just don't know if my wife would be. Our son is a college football coach, so using the trailer to travel to games would be something I know she'd be all-in on, but going to parks and campgrounds I don't think is much to her liking, but who knows. We would only be late Spring to late Fall types. If the trailer A/C doesn't cool all that well, that could be an issue for me. That's one of the pros of hotels, at least many of them, that I can crank the air down and sleep cool. I am going to look into renting one at some point to see what we think...that's a good idea.
	Go Royals!

furpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128	Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 7:56am
	The Pod a/c cools just fine. I can make it 60F inside when it's 100F outside. Done it. BUT you have to have at least 20A of 120v available to run it. Just don't camp in CG's that don't have electric hookups.

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587	Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 9:55am
	If your wife doesn't want to go camping, it's not likely that you'll do much camping. In that respect, I was very lucky. My wife had never been camping in her life. Where she comes from people just don't camp much and you'd never see a travel trailer. But she has taken to it very graciously. There are limits though. We tend to try to find camp grounds with a cell signal, which is no easy feat in remote areas. She's not a big hiker, but does it with good humor. As long as it's not too cold, and she has a cell signal good enough to make WhatsApp calls, she's content to sit in the trailer crocheting, while I'm off riding my bike. I mentioned, as have others, renting a trailer. It's not expensive and will let you know in two or three trips whether it is something you'd like. The only draw back is backing up the trailer. It's a skill that comes with practice and it's a little frustrating the first few times. If you're only going to use the trailer 2 or 3 times a year, you'll save a boatload of money renting. Not only for the capital cost, but as trailers sit, similarly to boats, stuff deteriorates from lack of use and you'll spend way too much time fixing things.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

Royal1585 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Oct 2018 Location: TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 26	Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 10:25am
	Here is as rookie a question if I've ever asked one....If I rent a travel trailer, where would I go/do to get the necessary towing equipment, i.e. hitch, etc.?
	Go Royals!

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 10:35am
	furpod is correct, there is nothing at all wrong with the rpod roof a/c's ability to cool that small space. In fact, at 13,500 btu/hr it has too much capacity. And it sounds like a jet exhaust going off in your ears..... You can for sure run the roof a/c from a small generator, I've done it many times. A 2Kw Honda or other inverter/generator will run it fine as long as no other ac loads are turned on at the same time. Run it yes, but it won't start it unless you add a soft start device to the a/c, which many people here have done. Not a big deal. The problem with running the a/c on a generator is that pretty much all campgrounds have quiet hours so you can't run the genny at night, when at least for me its most needed. So, when its hot and humid you either need to not mind sweating all night, have hookups, or be boondocking somewhere where your genny won't bother anyone. Definitely if you're not sure your wife will take to camping you should rent a trailer first and give it a try a couple of times. You probably don't even need to rent and tow the trailer, if you found a campground somewhere that has trailers already set up that you could rent, that would work too and probably be easier. Otherwise if you don't already have one you'll need to have a brake controller and 7 pin connector installed in your truck.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

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: 6288	Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 10:46am
	Is your tow vehicle already factory equipped with a 2" hitch receiver? Does it have a round electrical (Bargman) connector? It likely has both of those given the model truck you have, then you would need to get a trailer brake controller if it is not equipped with one from the factory. In my case, I chose the Hopkins InSIGHT Flex-Mount proportional controller. Others choose the Tekonsha Prodigy P3. One that does not require as much installation is the wireless Tekonsha Prodigy RF Wireless. You can see these and more at www.etrailer.com. As for a hitch, you could go with a simple ball hitch (cheap). However, it is good to have a hitch that will give you sway control, either a friction sway bar or something like the Progress Industries E2 which combines weight distribution and sway control and is relatively inexpensive. You could go all the way up to the Cadillac of hitches, the Hensley Cub, which is what I have (got it at a good discount) but it is way overkill for what you would need with that Dodge Ram. Weight distribution is not necessarily needed with an R-Pod, but it does help on those concrete roads where the seams get the truck and trailer porpoising (bouncing up and down). The sway control is not needed in most cases, but it is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. If you rent a trailer, the company from which you rent it should be able to help with a hitch as well. It may be part of the rental package. You would have to check.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

lostagain Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2587	Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 11:28am
	If I'm not mistaken, the Dodge Ram 1500 with the towing package has a plug that accepts the common after market brake controllers (assuming it isn't already included as OEM). All you have to do is find the plug under the dash, and attach the controller where you want it. This is exactly what I did with the 2006 Ram I used to own. There are a number of controllers on the market and they are not expensive. I personally like proportional controllers because they give you a little better braking control. As for the remainder of the towing equipment, the place where you rent the trailer will set you up. Your truck should be able to handle any trailer within it's towing capacity quite well. If you go to a destination not too far from home, you'll find out all you need to know about whether you really want a trailer.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost

mcarter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419	Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 11:32am
	A reputable rental company would not rent you a trailer not equipped to safely tow their rental trailer. They will advise what you need and may even assist with install for a price.
	Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

furpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group - pHp Joined: 25 Jul 2011 Location: Central KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 6128	Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 12:53pm
	I know that some of the rvshare people do the towing/setup/tear down for you.. all you (the renter) do is the fun camping part. Make the reservations for the CG of your choice and the private party camper... I don't know a whole lot about how it works, but I have talked to a family that was renting a Lance, and set up in a CG we frequent.. since running into another Lance in the eastern part of the US is so rare, I asked them about their camper, and found out some of the RVShare stuff, because they were renting. https://rvshare.com/rv/travel-trailer-rental

Royal1585 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 24 Oct 2018 Location: TX Online Status: Offline Posts: 26	Posted: 26 Oct 2018 at 2:11pm
	So how does the braking system work? And what are the most typical repairs / maintenance things that need to be done consistently? Sounds like there will always be work to do on these things...are there common repairs that need to be done?
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