Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks: As needs change, Mod the Pod!

As needs change, Mod the Pod!

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Forum Name: Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
Forum Discription: Ask maintenance questions, share your podmods (modifications) and helpful tips
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=12495
Printed Date: 18 Aug 2025 at 3:17am
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Topic: As needs change, Mod the Pod!

Posted By: Jawn
Subject: As needs change, Mod the Pod!
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2018 at 4:59pm

Wife and I bought a 2012 R-pod 177 back in 2016 and life has gotten in the way (plus some bad luck with leaks and tree damage) and we have only managed to use it a couple times. Not at all this year. Now we have a toddler and another baby on the way so I am trying to come up with ways to make it fit our family better for an upcoming trip to FL and other future uses.

Basic maintenance - It was only partially winterized last winter (drained, blown out, then I got an unexpected shower from the water heater in 35 degree weather, gave up and ran a heater inside it the rest of the winter) so I need to go through everything and make sure it all still works. A thorough cleaning and fixing a broken kitchen drawer is also in the plans. Given the age of the tires (believed original) and the distance of the upcoming trip, I am likely to go ahead and put 2 new tires on it. Last time I had the cover off the spare, it was unused and in good condition since it stays covered. To be verified.
Make room for babies - In the near future, there'll be two youngins camping with us. Our toddler will not enjoy being contained to a portable crib, so I'd like to turn the whole dinette into a gated baby room. If I can make a bunk fit above it for future use, great! My measurements indicate a twin mattress should fit on the dinette area with room to spare (but not quite room for a full), and a bunk may work with a narrow twin but headroom of both will be tight. Not sure if I can lower the bottom bed enough to be worthwhile, since the electrical panel is mounted under one side of the dinette. I suspect a bunk would have to be floor-supported (think freestanding bunk bed, but attached to walls just to keep it from moving around). I will also need a toddler-resistant gate.
Install a bigger TV - The tiny built in under-cabinet DVD/TV is pretty crappy and has no external inputs for other devices (such as a Roku). Wife picked up a black friday deal on a 24" smart TV. I'd like to put that on an articulated arm (such as an Ergotron) on the edge of the slide. I have not yet tried any disassembly but I am curious what's behind the padding that I might be able to mount it to?
Outdoor dining - I want an awning. Any experience with the Pahaque custom awnings?

Additional posts to follow within this thread for each planned mod.

Replies:

Posted By: Jawn
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2018 at 5:18pm

Install a bigger TV:

See the following for where I want to put it.

http://drive.google.com/file/d/1BPeBjbmioe8zspmEia0AscwMcC_dcs-U/view?usp=sharing - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BPeBjbmioe8zspmEia0AscwMcC_dcs-U/view?usp=sharing

This is the edge of the slide towards the rear of the trailer (near the corner of the queen bed). Was thinking of installing it at point "A" using an Ergotron type arm. Not sure what kind of material is behind this padding and if it's capable of supporting an arm mounted TV. I would expect it to be reasonably structural in nature given it's part of the slide.

http://www.ergotron.com/en-us/products/product-details/45-243#/ - https://www.ergotron.com/en-us/products/product-details/45-243#/

If that won't work, above the side window near point "B" would be the alternative. This could be with the same mount, or a normal semi-fixed wall mount.

Either way, getting power and signal to it is a different matter tho. Currently they come out of the wall in the cabinet above the bed. Not sure I could move it so I'd just have to use surface mounting cord duct to neatly carry coax and a power cable over to the monitor, or else make a whole new run to a separate exterior feedpoint.

Posted By: Jawn
Date Posted: 24 Dec 2018 at 5:32pm

Make room for babies:

The following shows approximate headroom near the current dinette area. As designed, the table folds down, cushions move around and it becomes a slightly wider than twin size bed.

http://drive.google.com/file/d/1-weYyowDVC1zbP92e0qj1H3ngpaAlrFl/view?usp=sharing - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-weYyowDVC1zbP92e0qj1H3ngpaAlrFl/view?usp=sharing

Last time we used it, our baby was about 6 months old. She's now a whopping toddler who will be almost 2 at our next trip, and she'll have a baby sibling soon after that. What worked then won't work now or in the future.

Ideally I'd like to turn this into bunk beds, with the lower having the option of being gated off. Not sure bunk beds are going to fit without lowering the height of the bottom bunk. This may be tricky... while the right dinette seat storage cabinet looks like it can just be unscrewed and removed, the left side contains the electrical panel for the whole camper. I'll have to open up that side to see if it's something that can be contained in a smaller enclosure or if I will have to stick to the 15" base height of the dinette for the bottom bunk (or even scrap the bunk idea altogether).

For the top bunk, I was considering welding up a metal support to hold top and bottom bunks in the form of a free-standing bunk bed to be installed inside, but with some sort of attachment to the walls just to keep it from moving in transit. Given the shape of the front wall, I suspect anything wider than a narrow twin for the top would be pointless.

The windows would likely be addressed by removing all window coverings and just applying an opaque vinyl "wrap" over the outside so it becomes not-a-window (to allow for daytime baby naps).