Bought a camper (isn't a pod) |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Topic: Bought a camper (isn't a pod) Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 11:39am |
Last night we pulled home a 2008 Forest River Salem 26TBSS. Currently we do not plan on selling our pod!
We weren't actively looking to upsize, but in this case a coworker mentioned they were selling theirs and when she mentioned the price it sounded like an offer we couldn't refuse. They really wanted to move it out of their driveway, and it has some maintenance/repair issues that will takesome time and money to work out, but most of it won't be difficult. Towing it home was almost painless, surprisingly. I could feel the higher center of gravity a few times on uneven road as the top swayed. I was acutely aware of the longer size but only when making turns - and when we got into our driveway where I (ironically) scraped the rear stabilizers where the pod didn't (after adding the risers) as I tried to do a 3-point turn-around. I was already considering extending our driveway into a loop and now I must. For now I'll be backing it up 450 feet... The floor layout isn't ok. I swore I would never own a bunk house model, this one has 3 bunks (sleeps 9 total). I can live with that. The biggest downside is the bathroom isn't accessible unless the slide out is extended at least 1/3 of the way. That would be a no-go if I were actively shopping floor plans, but is a concession I made considering the price. It is very open, with no islands in the middle, overall roughly 240-250 square feet with the slide open vs. about 105 in the pod. Getting more room, a walk-around queen, and dry bath were goals for any future camper and this has that - especially for future multi-week tours. Lots of outside-accessible storage which I like. We are going for a test camp soon, so we'll see how we adjust. And with the pod still in the back pocket, worst case I can fix up the Salem and resell it.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Leo B
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4508 |
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 1:14pm |
always good to have projects!!
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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 1:36pm |
Whoops, meant to say "The floor layout is ok."
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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kymooses
Senior Member Joined: 01 Aug 2010 Location: Louisville, Ky Online Status: Offline Posts: 1807 |
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 4:04pm |
Bummer on the bathroom bit though Doug. Love to see the inside once you get some pics!
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rpodcamper.com
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Location: Reading, Pa Online Status: Offline Posts: 3990 |
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 4:17pm |
Congrats on the new camper! Thats a nice model and now the girls can bring friends (just wait till its boys they want to bring..)
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Budward
Senior Member Joined: 21 Apr 2014 Location: SC/NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 438 |
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 6:04pm |
Cool! Had to laugh at putting the slide part way out to use the bathroom on the road...
When we were r-pod shopping we looked at a CampLite that required one of the beds to be folded up halfway to get the bathroom door open! I don't think so.... |
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2014 179
Towed by a 2015 Ford Transit Diesel Supervised by a German/Aussie mix and a Labradoodle! |
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CharlieM
Senior Member Joined: 23 Nov 2012 Location: N. Colorado Online Status: Offline Posts: 1797 |
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 8:28pm |
Talk about jumping from the tiny to the tremendous! That will take some getting used to. Good luck on your new project, Doug. Our Camplite 21 also requires us to open the slide a bit for potty access. I thought it would be a problem, but turns out to be no big deal. Ours only takes 5 seconds or less for a partial open. Yours looks like it would take more, but you'll get used to it. A small belt size helps.
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Charlie
Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059 |
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 9:12pm |
My older daughter already asked if she can bring 2 friends this weekend, but we want to settle in with just the 4 of us, first.
Definitely bigger than the pod, although ironically it is the same size as the popup we had before the pod. At least that folded down to about 15 feet for towing.
Not the same fabric pattern, and this one is a year older, but this will give you the layout:
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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Leo B
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 13 Jan 2012 Location: Lyndonville, VT Online Status: Offline Posts: 4508 |
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 9:18pm |
Looks like it has a ton of room!
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Leo & Melissa Bachand
2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
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kymooses
Senior Member Joined: 01 Aug 2010 Location: Louisville, Ky Online Status: Offline Posts: 1807 |
Posted: 11 Sep 2014 at 9:35pm |
That's a pretty nice floorplan!!
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