First trip with Vibe

  We arrived back home after a two week trip with our Vibe to Tennessee. We enjoyed the Vibe very much and do not regret buying it and would recommend others to have a look at the Vibes if shopping for a camper. The extra room was great, it having over three feet more in length and 1 1/2" in width for interior room. Weighing about 700 lbs more than our r-pod 171 the mpg was the same or a little better. It will take time to know for sure but by doing the math each tank full we got 12.6 to 13.8 mpg. On our way up to Tennessee we carried about 850 lbs. of flooring,paint and tools. Fully loaded between truck and camper we were hauling about 4,500 lbs camper and cargo. The V front makes a difference in handling and MPG. I am curious if marywayne will notice any difference with his modification of a V nose on his r-pod. I still agree the r-pods quality in construction is better in ways than the Vibe but one can always make improvements as we have. One thing for sure it is a little heavier and up hills or mountains you feel the difference but with our truck it was no problem.  I think the r-pods have a advantage with lite weight tow vehicles that have towing capacities of 3,500 lbs. The Vibe needs a little larger vehicle and more power. Over all a nice camper for one wanting a little more room as we did. My wife wanted a full bath and I wanted to stay small the Vibe for us was a good choice.   David and Danette

I currently own a V nose 20ft enclosed trailer and have owned the same size in the traditional front.

If there was any difference in fuel mileage I haven't detected it.   It is usually grossing near 7000 lbs and is pulled with a 96 F350 Powerstroke diesel that weighs right at 10,000 lbs.

My gut says the V nose should return less drag, but I'm not convinced real world delivers it.
Several online sources indicate there is no advantage to the V nose aerodynamically.

 I liken it to the tailgate down effect on pickup trucks.  Many will swear they get better fuel mileage with it down even though several wind tunnel tests have proven it actually increases drag when down

Glad you are happy with the Vibe!   
I always assumed the V front would offer less drag, but I used to think the tailgate down on a pickup did too

Now I do think the rounded front and back of the r-pod helps with drag, but I could be wrong there too!