Our Rpod journey comes to and end

We took the 179 out for its last camping trip over Thanksgiving. It’s now cleaned up with a fresh coat of wax and all of the gear has been removed. It awaits its next owner(s) who will hopefully make as many memories as we did. 

Reflecting on our journey with the Rpod, we loved the sense of community that came with it. There was usually another ‘pod in the campground and it was rare that we did not see another one rolling down the highway while we were traveling. These little campers have a loyal following which speaks volumes about the brand. Even non-Rpod owners would strike up conversations about them. Just this weekend, Gene, who owned an Alta, and I compared notes by a campfire and swapped stories from the road. There is a certain camaraderie amongst owners of Rpods and their class family like NuCamps, Hike, Alta and others.

I am grateful that our 179 did not suffer from some of the issues others have unfortunately experienced. In my opinion, it was not because we took better care of the 179 or pampered it more than anyone else. I owe the 63K, mostly trouble free miles to our Rpod being a pre-2017 model. I know others will disagree, but something changed at Forest River in 2017 and the quality declined significantly. I base this on the amount of information out there where owners with post 2016 models suffered significant issues with their campers. You almost never hear of pre-2017 models suffering from sagging floors, bent frames, and a host of other defects that simply should not happen. Even though our ‘pod was titled as a 2017, its manufacture date is 05/2016 and it wears the green livery of the 2016s. 

So why are we selling the 179? Quite simply we are ready for the next step. Longer, higher mileage trips and longer durations to match. In five short (but they will seem long) weeks we will travel to Chilliwack, B.C. to take delivery of our Escape. Could the Rpod have filled the role? Maybe. But to twist a quote from Hunger Games, the odds would not be in it’s favor. We chose to go with a unit that was not built to minimum specs, but over built. 

I will still lurk on the forum. There is a lot of knowledge here. I will even add to a discussion or two (but not about gray water!). One thing is for sure, whenever I see another Rpod in a campground or at a road stop, I will always make it a point to say an extra enthusiastic “Hi!” the the owners.

You all be safe out there!