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Topic ClosedPicking our 177 up in 2 weeks, a daunting 1st trip
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thadd View Drop Down
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Joined: 06 Oct 2012
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Picking our 177 up in 2 weeks, a daunting 1st trip
    Posted: 07 Oct 2012 at 6:53am
Hi fellow R-Podders! We're very excited to have just put our deposit down on our 2012 177. We're going to pick it up and have the tow vehicle (a 2008 Highlander Hybrid) all set up in two weeks. 

We're looking forward to vacations in the R-Pod, but one of the first challenges is going to be using it to help us move our 3 dogs, 4 cats, and 7 month-old baby (she'll be 9 months when we take the trip) from Pennsylvania to California (by way of Texas for Christmas). We've done lots of long road trips and are used to staying in KOA cabins with the dogs so we know a little bit what to expect, but would still appreciate any advice more seasoned campers have to share!
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Posts: 9062 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Oct 2012 at 6:10pm
Welcome.  So is that going to be a permanent move from PA to CA?
Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2012 at 9:22am
Yup, Sacramento will be our new home. We're really looking forward to all the places we'll be able to get to for weekend trips in the R-Pod.
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Posts: 335 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2012 at 10:51am
Welcome!

Bring an extra set of sheets and more towels than you think you will need.  Also bring lots of quarters for laundry and for dog washes.  The pod can feel really small when you have a smelly animal, so I'd recommend having a list of dog washes close to the campground so you know where to go if when you need it. 

Bring enough hydrogen peroxide and dawn for all your animals and a squeeze bottle to mix it in just in case one gets skunked and shares it with the others. Star
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Bill Ky View Drop Down
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Posts: 45 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2012 at 1:39pm
Traveling in December you may use quite a bit of propane for heating. Ordinary fix for that would be to use an electric heater to conserve propane, but not sure if it's a good idea or doable with a small child and multiple pets. So you may want to consider carrying an extra propane tank or getting pod setup with dual propane tanks and an auto switch over regulator. Another option I'm looking into is building a bracket to hold a 40 pound tank which will double my capacity and use the 20 pound tank as a back up.
Bill & Marilyn, Tinker Belle (Yorkie), Sparkle (Mini Dachshund) & Tootsie (the turtle) '12 RP175 '07 Dodge Ram 1500
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Posts: 216 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2012 at 2:03pm
The Rockies were daunting in May with snow and steep grades so please be careful!
Paige and Pete
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Joined: 06 Oct 2012
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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2012 at 2:10pm
Originally posted by Bill Ky

Traveling in December you may use quite a bit of propane for heating. Ordinary fix for that would be to use an electric heater to conserve propane, but not sure if it's a good idea or doable with a small child and multiple pets. So you may want to consider carrying an extra propane tank or getting pod setup with dual propane tanks and an auto switch over regulator. Another option I'm looking into is building a bracket to hold a 40 pound tank which will double my capacity and use the 20 pound tank as a back up.

That's a great point about the added propane use. We're making a bee-line south to Houston and then will be heading up to Sacramento by way of the southwest where we shouldn't have temperatures much below 50°, but those first few days of getting out of PA and the appalachians might be chilly around then.

Once we pick up our R-Pod, we'll see how everyone fits. We've had good experiences in the KOA cabins with space heaters, even with dogs and baby, so hopefully that'll be an option again. After this trip, we likely won't to much, if any, cold-weather camping again so I'm not sure mods like bigger/dual tanks will be much of a benefit for us.
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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2012 at 2:12pm
Originally posted by Paige

The Rockies were daunting in May with snow and steep grades so please be careful!

I'm definitely concerned about snow and other foul weather that time of year. Any tips to make it more manageable while trailering? It's just a matter of going slow and staying to the big roads or is there R-Pod/TV prep we should be doing too? I'm very comfortable doing normal driving in the snow, but with a trailer, I imagine it's completely different.
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Joined: 23 Jul 2012
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Posts: 216 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2012 at 3:29pm
Go west on the southern most route,,,Route 10
Paige and Pete
2010 177 - RPug
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thadd View Drop Down
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Joined: 06 Oct 2012
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Posts: 53 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Oct 2012 at 3:32pm
Originally posted by Paige

Go west on the southern most route,,,Route 10

That's the plan! I-10 from Houston to LA, then the I-5 north to Sacramento.
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