1.  Should we have the slide-topper installed???

2.  Will I want a camera installed on the back to help me park in some hidden dream location???

3.   Will I need some kind of a anti-sway hitch???

4.   What kind of mods should we consider right away???

5.   I’d like a generator that will handle the AC. What size do I need? I don’t need one for the whole camper, just the AC when it’s just so hot and humid.

6.  And what do I name it??? Now that’s a major problem!

So thanks for letting us be part of the rpod community. Please be patient with us as we learn the process of this forum. But please make any suggestions that you think we may need .

Now we’re ready for some PPP!!!

On your questions:

1) Personal choice. If not a topper then a stable stepladder and something to brush leaves and debris off the top of the slide.

2) Personal choice. If there are two of you then its not really needed for backing. rpods are a lot easier to maneuver than a big old 5th wheel. 

3) Start by loading and actually weighing your trailer and tongue under real world conditions. If you're going to be boondocking then fill your gray tank which is aft and empty your fresh tank. That will give you your minimum tongue weight, which you should always keep above around 10% to avoid sway tendency. Beyond that what you get will depend on your tow vehicle. If its a lighter TV then you'll probably want a weight distribution/antisway hitch. If its heavier then maybe an electronic antisway system.

4) rpods come well equipped so you can wait till you've used the trailer a couple of times and see what changes you'd like to make before doing a bunch of mods. The only one I'd suggest doing right away is dual batteries if you're going to be camping much without hookups. Instead of the dealer installing a single 12V battery which is typical, you can have him install dual 6V golf cart ones. 

 

5) First question is, where are you going to be camping using a generatior for the a/c? If its in park campgrounds there are usually noise restrictions that will keep you from running the generator all night on those hot sticky southeast nights. If you're truly boondocking in a remote location you can run the genny without bothering anyone, otherwise its daytime and early evening only. It's good to be realistic about generator use. Living in the southeast I find I rarely use mine for air conditioning because I'll either have hookups or go somewhere with cooler nights in the mountains in midsummer. The only true boondocking locations I camp in are in the mountains anyway. 

There are three ways to go with generators and the a/c. You can get a larger generator, around 3500-4000 watts, that will start and run the a/c directly. But that is going to be about 100lbs, so could be an invitation to lumbar disc surgery. You can get two smaller generators, each around 2.2kw and 50lbs, and run them in parallel. Or, you can get one of these smaller generators and add an Easystart to the a/c so it will start from the small genny. If you go this route you will need to avoid running any other 120Vac loads in the trailer while the a/c is running.

6) I'm sure you'll get an inspiration once you get your trailer, if not before.

Enjoy!

As for the slide topper. I believe right up front we will bite the bullet and have it installed. As for the sway issue my concern is making sure that I distribute the weigh for traveling. I am still using my truck that pulled our 5th wheel so I can handle the tongue weight. The 195 has a larger fridge and kitchen located on the back end. So I do get a little concerned about the tongue getting to light...

I like the idea about the dual battery upgrade.   As for a generator maybe I can do a mod to have one installed on the tongue??? 💡 plus that may help my concerns of keeping a good tongue weight 🤔.  

Again. Thanks for your input. 

 I'd suggest loading up and weighing the 195 and its tongue before adding a lot more weight from a genny up there. The dual batteries will add well over 120 lbs.  For that weighing you'd want the fresh tank filled and the gray tank empty. You don't want too much tongue weight, you might want to get a lighter tow vehicle someday. And you'd likely have to stack the generator on top of the batteries which might require some a-frame reinforcement, that's a lot of weight at one point load. 

Maybe this is another part of the old movie of “Invasion Of The Body Snatchers “. Just the pods are a lot better. 

If you're talking about the original 1956 movie with Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Bennell you could name your pod the Santa Mira (after the fictional SOCAL town in the movie). 

If you're talking about the 1978 remake with Donald Sutherland maybe you could call it the Space Flower, which is the form in which the pod aliens first appeared. 

I love both movies, they perfectly reflect conspiracy theory paranoia. Anyone up for some fake moon landings ?

Welcome and congratulations! I agree with the comment to have a few trips or more before you do non-essential mods (two batteries asap - yes - very useful). Otherwise, my advice is to always carry drinking water in your tow vehicle regardless of how much you have in your Pod. That way you have it whether or not your trailer system works or has hiccups. Very excited for you, you are going to have so much fun! We love ours so much we often camp in it at home in between trips. Well and for that matter, if you are able to park your RPod at your home it's a great place to do your first shake-down trip/s. 

That 195 is sweet! We have a 179 and love it after the 30' TT. Can't add much to others beyond setting the genny on the ground a ways from your house. We use a Honda 2000 with another to throw in when temps get too high. We also always carry a flat of bottled water in the TV along with a couple MRE's.

Congratulations on your R-Pod. It opens up so many more options, as you have figured out. :-)

 

Thanks for the congratulations,  we are truly excited. 

The only problem is that I can't run it (or any genny) to operate the a/c at night when I need it in most campgrounds due to quiet hours. Only a big lithium battery pack and a big inverter will help with that problem. 

remove roof air and replace with high efficiency minisplit (twice the efficiency) (about $1000), condenser goes on the A frame and the evaporator goes above the bed.

remove the golf cart batteries and replace with a 5.2kw 24V Lithium pack salvaged from a wrecked Tesla, readily available from multiple sources (located under the bed) (about ($1300) 

add a 2kw 24V to 120V sine wave inverter to run the a/c (about $400)

add 1kw solar to the rpod roof (now that the a/c is gone) (about $500)

add an MPPT solar charge controller (about $200)

add a 24 to 12 dc/dc converter and a small 12V battery to run the 12V trailer loads (about $200)

add two 12 to 24Vdc dc/dc converters to recharge the Tesla battery from my tow vehicle (about $500). 

Yep, major surgery is required but it should be a fun geeky project. 

What your talking about is not just major surgery. Sounds more like a heart transplant. 

https://www.mortonsonthemove.com/toms-tech-blog - https://www.mortonsonthemove.com/toms-tech-blog

Go slowly, drive slowly, enjoy using your pod and in time, you'll find your comfort level.

I have to admit it has been awesome how the forum allows input from every angle. Then each of us picks the path we want to take. 

Have fun! 

The requirements to run a fan or two all night are vastly different from running a/c. A two 6v battery bank and a large solar panel or two medium one's will keep you comfortable. Heck, you are 'camping' so giving up a/c for a trip is not the end of the world ;)