new r-pod - Event Date: 31 Jul 2020

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   So hubby and I have wanted a r-pod for a while. We are ready to buy  the 196 but get cold feet when reading some reviews. Do all campers need some type of warranty services first 6 months? We are new to owning an rv. Are we too old(59,62) to be newbies ? Towing with a Toyota Tacoma Pro so I think we should be good in that aspect. Thanks in advance 

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Mom Dunn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 29 Jul 2020 Location: Lexington,KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 15	Calendar Event: new r-pod Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 5:53pm
	So hubby and I have wanted a r-pod for a while. We are ready to buy the 196 but get cold feet when reading some reviews. Do all campers need some type of warranty services first 6 months? We are new to owning an rv. Are we too old(59,62) to be newbies ? Towing with a Toyota Tacoma Pro so I think we should be good in that aspect. Thanks in advance

podwerkz Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 11 Mar 2019 Location: Texas Online Status: Offline Posts: 966	Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 6:32pm
	Its more or less normal for some warranty issues, but if you cant replace an LED lightbulb, ziptie a few loose wires, or tighten a couple of cabinet door hinges, you might not be suited to owning an RV. Little things will happen. And it is quicker and easier to deal with those small issues yourself compared with bothering the dealer for the little stuff. The warranty is there to cover you if something significant happens. And even then, it's a crapshoot whether it will be covered, and when. Even expensive RVs have been known to have issues....so, price paid is not a factor. BTW, unhappy customers post way more reviews than happy customers ever do.
	r･pod 171 gone but not forgotten!

GlueGuy Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2702	Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 6:42pm
	+1. It's a house on wheels. A lot of troubles you might have in a stationary house are like those with a trailer. One of the bigger issues is that this one experiences an hours-long earthquake every time you take it somewhere. That said, we have not really had a lot of troubles with ours.
	bp 2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost

jato Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Kewadin, MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 3324	Posted: 31 Jul 2020 at 9:36pm
	+2 We have been very fortunate in the 9.5 years of owning a 177. Only 1 big expense and that was last year as the ignitor went out on our furnace. Price of labor and part was $ 300.00. Other than replacing tires once and doing a few upgrades, no costly or non-costly repairs. 36,000 miles thus far and still a joy to go out and enjoy the wondrous outdoors.
	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."

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: 01 Aug 2020 at 5:06am
	59 and 62 is perfect. Old enough to generally know how to stay out of trouble, young enough to be resilient when faced with life's little trials and tribulations. Your Taco should be fine. I would suggest a weight distribution hitch and sway control for it, it will tow better. Several things to look into right away with a new trailer. If you're new to it, your first focus should be on safe and relaxed towing, the odds and ends of the trailer systems will get themselves sorted out. Tires. What is the load rating of what comes from the factory? There is a tendency for trailer manufacturers to put on the minimum, The axle rating in the 196 is 4400 lbs or 2200 lbs per wheel. I would want tires rated at least 2500 lbs, higher if possible. Keep them inflated to the max psi on the tire, lower is not better for trailer tires. Follow the setup procedure for both your trailer brakes and weight distribution hitch. Take your time and be sure you understand what's what. Ask any questions here that you might have. Make up a pre-tow checklist and follow it to be sure everything is put away, connected, and adjusted right before hitting the road. Tow slowly and conservatively. Its both safer and saves tons of fuel. There's no rush. Many of use never exceed 60 while towing. If its wet, windy, or there are lots of tractor trailers blasting by on the freeway slow down. Don't ride the brakes when going down grades, shift down and let the engine to most of the braking work. Be sure the Taco's brakes are in top condition. Practice backing in an empty parking lot if towing is new to you. Get your mirrors set up so you can see what's back there, the 196 is a wide rPod. Hand on bottom of wheel, steer in the direction you want the trailer to go. Small movements. You'll be backing like a pro in no time. Before entering, scope out fuel stops and parking areas where you have enough room to pull through when you leave, you won't be able to cut corners sharply. Take a couple of short trips first so if you have any problems/surprises you can just go home and sort them out. Have fun!
	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: 6417	Posted: 01 Aug 2020 at 8:53am
	Go to 1A Auto (https://www.1aauto.com/) and look for towing mirrors for your Tacoma. I did so for our Frontier. They make a big difference for visibility. The ones I ordered are power, heated mirrors. They manually extend and retract and manually fold, but the original mirrors were much smaller and did not extend. Even with our narrower 179 it makes a big difference in visibility. With the 195, it will make an even bigger difference since the 195 is wider to begin with. The mirrors aren't cheap, but I think they are well worth the price. They are not difficult to install, but if you don't feel comfortable removing the door panels to get to the plugs and screws, you may need to get someone to do it for you. It really isn't hard though and you will appreciate the increased visibility that the towing mirrors will provide.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

Pod People Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 22 Sep 2011 Location: Chapel Hill,NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 1088	Posted: 01 Aug 2020 at 10:10am
	We have had 2 different RPods(2011 173 and 2015 179). We used both of them for 4-5 years each and had no real problems with either unit. w have traveled extensively with the pods, going cross country from NC to Washington/Oregon and north south from Florida to Michigan. Every RV will have some small problems no matter what the price point. I think the R Pods are great campers and don't hesitate to recommend them to anyone. If my was destroyed by a tree falling on it, I would be looking for a replacement R Pod immediately find the floor plan that suits you and don't look back Vann ps we are 70/69, so you guys are young!
	Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179

Mom Dunn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 29 Jul 2020 Location: Lexington,KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 15	Posted: 01 Aug 2020 at 7:56pm
	Thank you, everyone has great advice here . We signed contract today, and get to pick it up Saturday, very excited. We are in the middle of remodeling whole house room by room now that kids are gone, so we are able to do a lot of repairs on our own.Where would be a place for sway bar? Will also check into the mirrors.

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: 6417	Posted: 01 Aug 2020 at 8:43pm
	A great site for all things trailering is etrailer.com. That and Amazon Prime get a lot of business from me. I already mentioned 1A Auto. If you find that your Tacoma sags a bit too much, you could get a weight distribution hitch with sway control. That might be better than just a sway bar. Your dealer can advise. On our 2010 Frontier, the rear suspension seemed rather weak so I added a set of Sumo Springs. Right now there is a 10% off site wide deal with the code JOURNEYBETTER used at checkout. Edit: Here is a YouTube video of the SumoSprings in action.
	StephenH Happy is the man that findeth wisdom,... ouR escaPOD mods Former RPod 179 Current Cherokee Grey Wolf 24 JS

Mom Dunn Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 29 Jul 2020 Location: Lexington,KY Online Status: Offline Posts: 15	Posted: 01 Aug 2020 at 9:07pm
	also, I'm having a hard time finding a cover for the 196. Even FR web site doesn't have one.