Hi from Two New MN R-Pod 179 Owners

My wife, Elvy, and I just purchased a used 2014 179 trailer and we're beginning to set it up for our first (very short) trip and camping outing. Two winters ago, we left Minnesota in late October for our first snowbird winter in a VW/Winnebago Rialta (The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent). Five months later, we staggered back home after having spent a winter trapped in TorC, New Mexico while I became a VW mechanic (since VW doesn't bother to employ such things) and wrestled with that company's awful electronics, service information, policies, corporate incompetence, and dealerships. I was pretty much ready to call the whole RV life thing a washout and return to my motorcycle/tent camping habits until I have to give up motorcycles, tents, and sleeping on the ground and find a nice convertible to grow REALLY old with. My wife, on the other hand, had a great time (other than listening to me bitch about VW) and really wanted to replace the Rialta with a truck (for the motorcycle) and a trailer. At the Minneapolis RV Show this winter, she fell in love with the R-Pod 179 and conned me into looking for one for "us." This spring, I posted a WTB ad on this list and called that "one more honey-do task completed." When one of the listers offered their 179 for a fair price and offered to deliver it, my excuses were all used up. We bought a 179 this past Friday. 

Hi Tom & Elvy,

The 12v will definitely hold out for a day or two. I switched out the factory supplied group 24 (no brand or label so I assume it is an auto battery) for a Marine/Deep Cycle group 27. It was also the largest that I could see would fit in my box. I use a solar panel to keep it topped off and has worked like a charm.
A couple of other choices are possible:
- Get a portable propane heater like the Mr. Heater Big buddy. No drain on your battery, but you will need to crack open a vent.
- You could switch out the 12v for two 6v golf cart batteries and use the trailers built in furnace with no noticeable drain for several days.
 

Welcome to the group.  If you read back through the  forum posts you will find a lot of good ideas about storage and R Pod living.  Everybody develops a style of their own as to storage of food, clothes, tools  and toys.  We find that large plastic bins are perfect for storage of food, 1 bin for breakfast , 1 for lunch and 1 for dinner.  We also have a fruit and snack bucket.  all of these live under our bed and not in the traffic pattern.  We installed a shower curtain rod in the bath and made it removable. we use it to hang wet jackets, coats and towels.  We use an icebox kept just outside the door for cold drinks and  some veggies that don't need a lot of refrigeration.  That keeps the refrigerator available for colder foods. Get nesting pots with lids-you don't need a full set of anything.  Just enough silverware and dinnerware for the number of people camping and maybe 1 or 2 more for "guests" or serving.  Keep it simple and easy.  Plastic or corelle is durable, easily replaceable and inexpensive.
We made a list every time out as to what we needed to add to the pod and also what we needed to leave at home.  After a few trips, you will be really close to having what you need and not much  extra.  Make the first trip in your driveway-the house is really close to get the things you forgot.

I think the key is not so much as what to take, but more importantly what NOT to take.

travel safe
Vann