REAR BUMPER

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   REAR BUMPER.  Once upon a time, a friend of mine owned a small camping trailer, which had no rear bumper.  One evening, after a rather long day, he backed THROUGH a parking pad and into a yellow 4 inch diameter, concrete filled vertical pipe designed to prevent trailers from backing through the pad.  It worked.  The damage to the fiberglass shell across the back of the trailer was serious.   
A 2X2" steel tubing with two perpendicular welded on pieces designed to slide into the two chassis frame members would prevent the above problem.  

Total cost for tubing, welding, paint and hardware was $65.00.

I understand FR discourages adding any weight to the rear of the Pod, but the total weight is 15 lbs.

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anchorout Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 16 Sep 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 15	Topic: REAR BUMPER Posted: 24 Sep 2012 at 10:35pm
	REAR BUMPER. Once upon a time, a friend of mine owned a small camping trailer, which had no rear bumper. One evening, after a rather long day, he backed THROUGH a parking pad and into a yellow 4 inch diameter, concrete filled vertical pipe designed to prevent trailers from backing through the pad. It worked. The damage to the fiberglass shell across the back of the trailer was serious. A 2X2" steel tubing with two perpendicular welded on pieces designed to slide into the two chassis frame members would prevent the above problem. Total cost for tubing, welding, paint and hardware was $65.00. I understand FR discourages adding any weight to the rear of the Pod, but the total weight is 15 lbs.

Goose Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 24 Sep 2010 Location: Arizona Online Status: Offline Posts: 672	Posted: 25 Sep 2012 at 12:25pm
	Sounds like that might of hurt.
	Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee

techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059	Posted: 25 Sep 2012 at 4:21pm
	I'll add, "sewer hose holder in the rear bumper". Many larger TTs have them.
	Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

coopercdrkey Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 26 Aug 2012 Location: Cedar Key, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 457	Posted: 25 Sep 2012 at 5:00pm
	+1 I have so far avoided backing into anything hostile, but as they say, "There are only two kinds of RV backers... (etc.)
	Bob and Joyce Jennifer and Baxter, the Campin' Cocker Spaniels RP 177 "Key Pod" Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT / Z71

dsmiths Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 10 Oct 2011 Location: Southern Ind Online Status: Offline Posts: 866	Posted: 25 Sep 2012 at 9:23pm
	two kinds of backers, the one's who have and the one's that are going to (back through the fill in the blank)
	Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller

Keith-N-Dar Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 03 Apr 2011 Location: Mayville, WI Online Status: Offline Posts: 1447	Posted: 25 Sep 2012 at 9:29pm
	I have tree all taken care of. I can't wait for the next exciting opportunity.
	Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150

Burt Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 04 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 62	Posted: 26 Sep 2012 at 10:50am
	Replying to your comment about wanting a rear bumper and including a sewer hose holder in it, which is common on many trailers. I purchased the 15 foot expandable Rhino hose with all the attachments and then found out that there was no place to store it. Located the original maker of the tiny storage tube on the tongue of the pod, found out they make one just for the Rhino hose with attachments, called the super tube. It's about 60 inches long. Then I realized there's no place to install the super tube and I sure didn't want to store it inside the storage compartments or haul it in the bed of the pickup. The tongue would definitely not work for it. So,after I got it, the real puzzle began. After careful measurements, found the only place I could install it successfully without major mods is on the right side forward of the sewer and grey water drains. It is the perfect solution for the storage of the rhino hose super tube. The factory mounts on the super tube worked perfectly. After I checked the floor depth and outside edge material. I gumpuckyed the fasteners all up good during and after installation just for water entry prevention. The Rhino tube and all fittings go inside the new super tube storage nicely, it closes perfectly and is near where we will use it. Retroreflectively, I could have installed it under the spare tire but would have to make some very special mounting hardware to accomplish that. The way I put it in didn't put us through that endeavor. Like you all, I also wish there was a bumper but our spare tire may help if I am a bad backer upper. My wife always guides us in to the parking places OK, so I'm lucky. Burt

HuronSailor Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Location: Owosso MI Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 28 Sep 2012 at 8:53pm
	Two great new words learned from that post: gumpuckey and retroreflectively. Can't wait to use them.
	.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: 2018 rPod 180 :.

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: 29 Sep 2012 at 9:14am
	Interestingly, we have friends who handle the TT this way: He ONLY drives forward.. She ONLY drives backwards.. No lie. They apparently had to CUT their TT out of their own chain link fence the second trip out with him backing in when they got home. And she has hit a power pole in their own yard pulling forward out of the garage. But neither has EVER had an incident going the "other way".. It's weird.. but it has been working for them now for 20+ years.

Burt Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Groupie Joined: 04 May 2012 Online Status: Offline Posts: 62	Posted: 29 Sep 2012 at 10:35am
	Huron Sailor: There's more new words where those went. Gumpuckey is like duct tape...universally useful, like the metal plumber's tape with holes in it. Real men have a good supply of those 3 if they own a TT or work on their homes. However, times change. Extreme tape is now a necessity as much as duct tape is (available at Duluth trading). Then there are the new plastic epoxies as well that are coming on strong. Extreme tape deserves some attention by all POD owners as it is quick, effective and both waterproof and electrically insulative. I've used it to fix irrigation pipes as well as for insulation on electrical wiring. It's also useful for repairing handles on stuff that breaks. We used it to put foam on our rototiller handles and then extreme tape over that. Now the handles are much more comfortable. www.duluthtraiding.com More expensive than some things but worth the money. Gumpuckey comes in many forms. Times change and so do products. Waterproof silicone and Vulkem 116 are my favorites. Both are waterproof and Vulkem is flexible, waterproof and a super sealant. Vulkem is a construction quality adhesive sealant used by many professional engineers and contractors. I've used it to seal the windows on our pod, and mentioned it on this forum only to be somewhat blasted by others who prefer polyseam seal. To each his own. Vulkem does take a lot longer to dry--about 3 days but it is about the best form of gumpuckey/sealant there is in my opinion. It's a construction quality adhesive sealer that remains flexible. Unlike silicone gumpuckey, Vulkem can be painted over once it's dry. For the sealant underneath the POD and the sewer pipe holder, I used the silicone gumpuckey/sealant. Retroflectively comes from the 3M tape product advertisement I once saw. You know, the stuff that you shine your headlights on and it "bounces" the light back to you, thus retroreflective tape. I have some on our mailbox post so drunk night drivers won't take out the mailbox on our rural road. So far, no more hits in 3 years. Retroreflectively, I appreciate another good wordsmith's comments, it made my day. Very perspicacious of you to notice. They are yours to use forever. Happy Trails. Burt