P-pod for dry camping?

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   There are other good trailers out there without those things that you might be able to buy new for the same amount as a used Pod with them.

For ~11K?  With an equal or lower weight?  And with the same kind of interior accommodations?  I'm all ears   

We have friends with one of these:

https://safaricondo.com/en/caravanes-alto-serie-f-1743/

Beautiful and lightweight. And 3-4x the price of a used pod 

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MarkW Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 25 Jan 2021 Location: Michigan Online Status: Offline Posts: 54	Post Options Post Reply Quote MarkW Report Post Quote Reply Topic: P-pod for dry camping? Posted: 31 Jan 2021 at 11:02am
	There are other good trailers out there without those things that you might be able to buy new for the same amount as a used Pod with them. For ~11K? With an equal or lower weight? And with the same kind of interior accommodations? I'm all ears We have friends with one of these: https://safaricondo.com/en/caravanes-alto-serie-f-1743/ Beautiful and lightweight. And 3-4x the price of a used pod

Dirt Sifter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 30 Dec 2018 Location: Right side OR Online Status: Offline Posts: 170	Post Options Post Reply Quote Dirt Sifter Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Jan 2021 at 10:59am
	I believe pedwards info is spot on for consideration in response to the OP's questions. The OP knows his equipment and has experience towing with his vehicles. I am more concerned with the frontal drag effect of the rpod vs a sailboat than I am the weight. Having towed our 179 in a strong head wind and becoming a safety hazard on the hwy when I couldn't maintain 55 mph once with a tow vehicle rated to tow substantially more weight, it is a real item to ponder. If he wants to adjust his travel plans and speed to fit his available equipment, he can do so knowingly. His questions are about his mod's. My $0.02
	Greg n Deb 2020 195 HRE '07 Tundra 5.7L., '17 Tacoma 3.5L. Both with tow packages 1 Puggle, 1 Chihuahua support staff

MarkW Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 25 Jan 2021 Location: Michigan Online Status: Offline Posts: 54	Post Options Post Reply Quote MarkW Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Jan 2021 at 10:37am
	Does it really make sense to buy a trailer with electrical appliances and plumbing and then not use them? It makes sense only because the one we're looking it is used and appears to be a bit below market. If we were buying new, I'd order w/o AC or microwave. The same dealer with the 179 on the lot is also a GulfStream dealer. Something like this would also fit our needs: https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2021-Gulf-Stream-Vista-Cruiser-17RWD-5014071221 If we ordered without the AC, microwave and awning that we don't want, that should knock off another couple of thousand. If the 179 doesn't work out, we might go that way. Although I'm a little allergic to a brand new TT (lots of folks seem to have niggling problems in the first couple years that require return visits to the dealer and it sounds like often the warranty work is really slow).

Tars Tarkas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1446	Post Options Post Reply Quote Tars Tarkas Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Jan 2021 at 10:35am
	I love Big Bend! But you're getting a lot of advice from experienced people about towing with a heftier vehicle. It's good advice in my opinion. You're right on the line with a 3500 lb towing capacity. You really don't want to be on the line. It's your safety and you peace of mind while towing that are on that line. And Pods are great, but I also agree with the idea of why by a trailer with air conditioning, a microwave, a flush toilet, if you don't want that stuff?! There are other good trailers out there without those things that you might be able to buy new for the same amount as a used Pod with them. TT
	2010 176 FJ Cruiser

pedwards2932 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 338	Post Options Post Reply Quote pedwards2932 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Jan 2021 at 9:46am
	I only mentioned my weights as they were confirmed at scale that the dry weight as weighed by FR was probably accurate. The OP can weigh his loaded to see where he is with weight but the FS dry weight is probably accurate for the trailer he has - empty with no water, propane, or battery.

offgrid Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 23 Jul 2018 Online Status: Offline Posts: 5290	Post Options Post Reply Quote offgrid Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Jan 2021 at 9:29am
	Does it really make sense to buy a trailer with electrical appliances and plumbing and then not use them? Why not just trade one of your two vehicles for something with a 5000 or higher tow rating so you don’t have to constantly worry about it? You have to be concerned about tongue weight and combined gross vehicle weight as well as trailer weight. Loaded for boon docking you will most likely still be too heavy on one or more of those even without the air conditioner and a light water load,. And you can’t reduce the tongue weight by moving load aft below 10%, preferably 11%, of trailer weight or you will risk getting sway. Forget the trailer empty weight, it’s a meaningless number. Mine was low by a couple hundred pounds even after removing all water and gear. Load up the TV and trailer with batteries, gear and supplies exactly like you plan to use them, including the water you plan to carry and water in the water heater (which is always there unless you drain the system), and weigh your rig at a public scale. Get the weight of each axle by adding them one at a time. Leave the wdh untensioned. Drop the trailer and get the weight of the TV with wdh by itself, again getting each axle weight. The tongue weight is the weight of the two TV axles from the first weighing minus the TV weight from the second weighing. The trailer weight is the total rig weight minus the TV weight from the second weighing. Put all your weights, specs, and dimensions in this calculator and see what it tells you. https://www.ajdesigner.com/apptrailertow/weightdistributionhitch.php If you choose to tow up to your max specs you are significantly increasing your risk profile but are still legal, so that’s up to you, but If you choose to tow outside of your rated specs and have a wreck you can be found negligent. Don’t do it.
	1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold

pedwards2932 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 21 Sep 2020 Online Status: Offline Posts: 338	Post Options Post Reply Quote pedwards2932 Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Jan 2021 at 8:00am
	My 189 has a weight listed where they weighed it at the factory (3074) and I believe it was accurate but it doesn't include battery or propane tank. When I weighed it with the tanks (I had 2 -30lb tanks that were full and 15 gal of water that I didn't realize I had) and it weighed ~3400.

MarkW Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 25 Jan 2021 Location: Michigan Online Status: Offline Posts: 54	Post Options Post Reply Quote MarkW Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 31 Jan 2021 at 7:47am
	Thanks for all of the great replies. That photo is at one of the back-country sites in Big Bend NP (highly recommended, BTW -- both the park and the backcountry sites). One of the goals for a TT is to spend a few weeks in the Winter (retirement is not too far off) revisiting some of our favorite spots in the SouthWest (Tucson, Sedona, Moab, the Mojave, Death Valley). We've got a bunch of camp sites already scouted out. We'll also be planning on some northern trips in the summer -- the UP of Michigan, Ontario assuming they ever let us back in, and probably the northern Rockies at some point. As for the tow vehicle, we have both a Toyota Sienna and Subaru Outback XT, each rated for 3500#. I'm not too worried, we've had a 26' trailerable sailboat for 20 years. It has a loaded weight around the same as the R-pod and it's never been a problem. We do plan to go as light as possible, though -- so no AC or microwave and probably won't ever fill the fresh water tanks. We're used to a week of tent camping requiring a 6 gallon jerry can of water -- maybe with a refill (having been sailers, we're good at 'marine' showers -- wet down, soap up, rinse off). It looks to me that with the AC and microwave removed, we should be able to get the dry weight down to around 2700# or a bit less before we start adding things -- or are the placards showing GVW and max cargo really way off?

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: 1067	Post Options Post Reply Quote Pod People Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 30 Jan 2021 at 8:42pm
	We have a 179 and boondock a lot. It is great in many ways. As others have said, the tow vehicle is marginal at best. I weigh our rig before every trip. It varies, but not by more than 50 pounds. we usually have a canoe or two bikes-sometimes both. We also have 2 6volt batteries which improves our boondocking power supply. but they also weigh more. also, if you add double propane tank, that adds. so the weights given by the marketeers can be way off. You will probably come close to 3900 pounds once loaded. There are lots of great mods that can be done to the 179 and a lot can increase the boondocking experience. so welcome, read the forum past posts -particularly mods to 179 . Learn as you go. Be safe Vann
	Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179

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	Post Options Post Reply Quote lostagain Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 30 Jan 2021 at 8:31pm
	+2 on the weight issue.
	Never leave footprints behind. Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost