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PilotPodder View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: R-Pod 195 Other Options Video
    Posted: 19 May 2019 at 7:19pm
I was researching the R-Pod 195 and found that there are a bunch of similar units on the market as well as larger units at about the same price. I put all this in a video for those considering an upgrade to pick up the coveted walk-around queen bed. Hopefully this helps anyone to weigh the options.

https://youtu.be/9jcZvClVQNg
Portage, MI — 2017 RPod 179 - sold / 2017 Toyota Tundra — My RPod YouTube Videos
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2019 at 8:05pm
Coachmen Apex Nano 191RBS looks like another alternative to the ones you covered in your video. However, the one thing that would bring me back to the 195 is the rear kitchen. While it is not as big as the rear kitchen in our 179, the rear kitchen is still something that appeals to us.
StephenH
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Richand Cindy View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 May 2019 at 8:33am
Very nice video.  Wish I had that when we were looking.  It would have saved time.  One thing that we had c onsidered.  The 180 at the time was largest and best layaout that we could safety tow with our 4500lb capacity Jeep Cherokee. So to move up to a wider, longer and heavier unit we needed a new tow vehicle.  Therefore it did not make sense to us to get a 22' as they still have size issues.  So we elected to go up to a 26'.  Much bigger jump and plenty of room now for spending extended time inside (e.g. rainy days).  So even if the 195 was available last year when we moved up we would not have bought it.  Going from 20' to 22 or 24' is not worth it for us as the same size tow vehicles are needed for a 26' (around 4700 lb GW) so might as well go larger.
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StephenH View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 May 2019 at 9:30am
As much as I like the north/south bed in the 195, the one thing that keeps me from making that move (at least for now) is that with the 179, I feel we can travel. Anything larger would decrease the travel aspect. I don't think we would have made three trips across the US with a larger one than the 179, at least not without having to upgrade tow vehicles to a full-size pickup.
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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 May 2019 at 6:50pm
J Couch has a new 195 video on youtube. Good video if you're wanting a good look.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 Jul 2019 at 11:04pm
Hi all
So we recently checked out the 195 at a dealer and wow it is a whole different pod.  So here are some of my questions and concerns.   I would love to hear other thoughts on this.

1.  The bed.  -  Well of course this is the big seller.  I'm the one on the inside so this is really appealing to me.  But at what cost.

2. The storage.  Wow this is a big seller too. That pantry is really nice.  I'm pretty tired of trying to stuff dishes and food into the overhead cabinet in the 178 we currently own.  Plenty of room for dishes above the sink and stove and plenty of room from clothes.  Not sure why they didn't make the underbid storage more assessable but hey, got to have something to mod.  And the underneath passthrough storage is still sizable and clean (open all the way with little obstructions.

3.  The roof.  Noticed the roof is no longer a one-sheet of fiberglass but has gone to a typical rubber roof.  I'm excited about being able to climb up on the roof and having an attached ladder, but what are the downside of this type of roof.

4.  Awning.  This is a big seller for me.  With the 2016 178 model there just isn't a real good option for an awning.  This would be really nice.

5.  The dinette.  Don't like it.  It's why we opted for the 178 instead of the 179.  We must have walked from the 178- 179 50 times trying to decide.  Finally it was this darn dinette that did it.  It's not comfortable, it ugly etc.  I noticed some dealer showed a 196 which just had the ottomans removed.  I might be able to live with that.   

6.  2600 empty weight to 3300 empty weight.  Hum. We can tow 5,500 lbs with our truck but I hate to be close to the limit.  Even full I still have 1000lb cushion but it's something to think about.  Am I really going to notice a big difference in hauling this trailer.  Zipping around in the 178 is pretty easy.

7.  Width   So the overall width is the same but the side now are about even with the tires. So visibility is going to be different. Will I need to extend my mirrors?

8.  Cost   Well of course. It's still not a bad price but our 2016 is paid off.  Do I like it well enough to trade in or sell outright. 

9. AC The AC in the model I saw was a smaller footprint (or ceilingprint) that in our 178.  I'm not sure about the actually AC capacity but I liked the smaller unit.

10.Stove and Sink  I like the new stove with the glass top and the sink is a good size too.

So far we have resisted the pull to "go bigger"   But I'm getting tempted with this one.  Someone want to talk me out of it?  

Thanks!!

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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jul 2019 at 6:22am
Sure, I'll try to talk you out of it. 

Well, not talk you out of it, its fine, but I agree with you that the 195 is not like other rPods. Its much like many other trailers out there in size and construction.  FR is I think just calling it an rPod as a marketing "step up" strategy for current rPod owners.  It has little in common other than the brand name with the original rPod concept which was a light, narrow, easy to tow trailer with a fiberglass single piece roof. 

So, as you say, you need a larger tow vehicle, a mid size truck/SUV with a 5000 or so pound rating is is pushing it with a 195. You have poorer rear visibility and need extension mirrors. The wider trailer has a significantly (I think about 12%) larger frontal area which creates more drag, increasing fuel consumption and putting more load on the tow vehicle drivetrain. The larger storage areas give you more room to add yet more weight and cut into your tow and combined gross vehicle weight and fuel economy further. IOW, there ain't no free lunch.

For me, I wanted a trailer that I could comfortably tow with a mid size SUV, retain good visibility,  get in and out of small camp areas on forest service roads, get reasonable fuel economy, and yet had sufficient space and comfort for my wife and I. The 195 does not meet those requirements, so I'm not interested in it. There were plenty of trailers similar to it on the market that I passed on when I bought the rPod. 

if all that is fine with you and you need/want the extra weight and space then great, get one. Buts its not the rPod's original concept and I personally think that compromising the brand messaging like that tells us that FR strategy is to discontinue the product line in a few years and to maximize step up sales in the meantime.  Just my $0.02. 




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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jul 2019 at 8:35am
As a 195 owner, all I can say is " I love this thing". What about the bigger fridge and freezer?? And the fact that they actually work perfectly, even in 95 degree weather, in an unshaded campsite (so far). How about the dry bath? I had a wet bath in my 172 and didn't hate it, but the dry bath with a stand up shower is so much better. The pantry itself is a game changer, you can bring a grocery store in there. The a/c is much quieter, of course the 195 is much bigger than the 172 and that could be partly why. I also like that they provided a nice little table, that fits into a nice storage compartment also. Where to you store a 4 - 5 foot long table in your 178. Now lets get to the towing, and put this to bed. I tow with a 2015 Nissan Frontier (6100 # tow cap., 1450 # payload cap.). I have noticed very little difference from my 172. I have had almost no difference on gas mileage. I just got back from a place I go to often, and I swear I think I used less gas. I am going to be watching this. If your already pulling one of the bigger pods, you'll notice no change. As far as vision / mirrors, I put on the little strap on mirrors, but quite frankly, I don't need them. Lets face it, it's only 6 inches per side ( 88 vs. 75) bigger. I keep them on to avoid being pulled over for not having them. I did however put a rear camera on it. I do use it, but it's a convenience not a necessity. The one point that is true is the 195 is larger. But if you have a 179, 180, etc., it's barely longer, one or two feet, barely noticeable. As mentioned it's not that much wider. The other thing I like is how bright it is inside. It has 5 windows AND a skylight right over the shower, which by the way, makes it so I can stand straight up in the shower without my head hitting the fan. Then of course add the fact that it has a full medicine chest, and sink vanity with more storage. The last point i'll make is how open it is with the back almost squared off, it gives so much head room, you forget it's a pod. The decision is clearly yours, but for me, I will not look back.
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offgrid View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jul 2019 at 10:27am
Originally posted by mjlrpod

As a 195 owner, all I can say is " I love this thing.....The decision is clearly yours, but for me, I will not look back.

That is the exact point I made, it is a matter of personal choice. I think your choice is great - for you, and I understand your reasoning, I'm happy with mine and wouldn't want to change, I prefer the lighter, smaller trailer. We have plenty of space for our needs and the wet bath and fridge work fine for us. I would not tow a 195 with my tow vehicle and have no interest in changing it for a larger heavier one. So its all good. 

I only have one point of disagreement with you, you have not "put to bed" the towing efficiency issue. The fuel economy is not going to be the same for a standard width rpod and a 195. About 2/3 of the energy budget to tow an rpod or any trailer at highway speeds is drag, and drag is Cd X A where Cd is the drag coefficient and A is the frontal area. So drag increases with increased frontal area, and since a 195 has 12-15% more frontal area it is going to require about 2/3 of 12-15% or about 8-10% more energy to tow, resulting in about 8-10% worse fuel economy somewhere around 1 to 1.5 mpg difference. The only way around that is if Cd (the drag coefficient which is based on the shape of the trailer) is significantly better for a 195, but there's no reason to think that's the case, the shapes are essentially the same.  You'll lose a little more ground from higher rolling resistance due to the heavier weight, but that's going to be small at highway speeds. 

There are too many variables for anyone to tell from going on any given trip what their fuel economy actually is, you'd have to do some controlled no wind flat ground testing, so you can't go by that. But the physics of drag and rolling resistance in vehicles is well understood, no big surprises there. Here's a nice fuel economy calculator if anyone wants to fool around with it. 



Anyhow, there is no argument from me on anyone's choice, as I said, if you like the 195, buy it, if you like the smaller more compact rpods, buy one of those. There are both smaller and larger trailers besides rPods, and if one of those fills your needs better, that's just fine too. 


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mjlrpod View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Jul 2019 at 11:07am
Originally posted by mjlrpod

As a 195 owner, all I can say is " I love this thing.....The decision is clearly yours, but for me, I will not look back.

Originally posted by offgrid

drag is Cd X A where Cd is the drag coefficient and A is the frontal area. So drag increases with increased frontal area, and since a 195 has 12-15% more frontal area it is going to require about 2/3 of 12-15% or about 8-10% more energy to tow, resulting in about 8-10% worse fuel economy somewhere around 1 to 1.5 mpg difference.
 


I would completely disagree with this. Since most of the front is tucked behind the truck the same as the 172 was, the only change is in the upper exposed portion. Basically the front changed by 2 strips, maybe 2 1/2 feet long x 6 inches wide, one on each side. Hardly a 12 - 15 % change in frontal area. Even if you were right though, 1 mpg is not a deal breaker. I really wanted to put to bed the idea that a midsize truck, in my case the frontier, cannot pull it. 
 


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2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
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