Which r pod

Have you gone inside a 171 and compared it to the 177/178?  We were set on getting a 171 last year until we toured a 177 and a 178 in the campground were were staying at in Banff.  The slide-out may not add a lot of usable space, but to us, it made a tremendous difference in how the whole camper feels.  The 171 felt claustrophobic, with a rather small passage leading to the bed, and little room to walk or access the bathroom around if someone is using the kitchen.  The 177 and 178 open up that area quite a bit. 

We ended up purchasing a 177.  Probably would have gotten a 178, but found a great deal on a 177.  If the extra money and (little) extra weight is a major consideration, the 171 would be fine, I'm sure.  But do spend some time in each model before deciding.

As far as pricing, the internet is your friend.  I scoured the web for the best deal.  Used that number when going to two in-state R-pod dealers (no local dealers--both were about 2 hours away).  Neither could come anywhere close to that deal, so I drove 600 miles to a different state to purchase.  Many people have used Couch's RV as a starting point for price, since they tend to be as cheap or cheaper than most other dealers.  There's definitely an advantage to buying locally, especially if you end up having any warranty work done (any authorized Forest River dealer can do the work, but often, they will prioritize customers who purchased from them--and understandably so--so that you may end up having to wait a long time to get the work done).  So figure that into the equation.

Where are you located?  Are there any local R-pod dealers, or at least, within an hour of you?  Also, we purchased a 2014 at the very end of the year.  It happened to be an early 2014 model, so the dealer had it on his lot for a while (don't know why), so he was definitely more motivated than if it had been one that just arrived.  We paid $12,500 for a fairly loaded 177 last September (no R-dome, but pretty much everything else, incl. axle risers and the Crown Package).  Don't know if you could get that kind of price on a 2015, but if you can find a 2014 (which has a different paint/logo scheme), you might get it for quite a bit less than a 2015.

We used to have a 171, it was great!! We always wanted just a little bit more room. We got the 179 with the slide out and really love it. The slide and rear kitchen make a huge difference in room and storage.