Lift kit for 2021 R-Pod 196 HRD
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Forum Name: Warranty, Service and Recall Bulletins
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14789
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Topic: Lift kit for 2021 R-Pod 196 HRD
Posted By: Ricktoon
Subject: Lift kit for 2021 R-Pod 196 HRD
Date Posted: 08 Jul 2021 at 4:47pm
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My 2021 R-pod 196 is a Hood River Edition, but didn't come with the lift kit on the axles. Realized the clearance is tight when driving on forest service roads. Should the lift kit have been installed at the factory? Am I missing something? ------------- Rick and Ellen B 2019 Chevy Colorado 2021 Rpod 196 |
Replies:
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 08 Jul 2021 at 4:58pm
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I don't believe the lift kit works on the 4400 lb axle on the 196. It's designed for 3500 lb axles. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 08 Jul 2021 at 5:36pm
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+1 Only available on the 3500 lb. axle. ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: Ricktoon
Date Posted: 08 Jul 2021 at 6:26pm
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Does anyone know if there is a lift kit that fits the 4,400 lb axle. Seems like ones for the GeoPro of other Forest River products would work. Are any of the 196s lifted? ------------- Rick and Ellen B 2019 Chevy Colorado 2021 Rpod 196 |
Posted By: TheBum
Date Posted: 09 Jul 2021 at 11:12am
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I looked online and didn't find any such lift kits. ------------- Alan 2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod" 2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4 Three cats |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 10 Jul 2021 at 6:20am
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Are you anywhere near where you can look at a GeoPro or similar?
It's probably worth taking a look under there to see how it's set up and if it's really any different from yours. Measure the frame height to ground, check the tire and wheel size, and of course if it has a lift or not. Also check the takeoff angle of the torsion arms from the axle. There is another way that higher lift can be achieved with torsion axles, which is to have a different takeoff angle setup. Unfortunately I think that is only possible when the axle is first manufactured. If nothing useful comes out of looking at a GeoPro or similar then you might have to have a couple lifts welded that will mate up between the axle and frame rails, or DIY it. If you have the clearance in the wheel wells one other possibility is to swap for larger diameter tires and wheels, depending on how much additional height you think you need. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 10 Jul 2021 at 8:52am
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I lifted my 195 with the same kit used on the smaller units. On the facebook page (the good one V2, not the one run by the bully) many are lifting them with the same kit. I've had mine 2 years, and so far, so good, not a sign of cracking bending, etc.. If you are really concerned, have a gusset or two added to the existing design. As always, your mileage may vary, but I would say you should be ok. ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: Ricktoon
Date Posted: 10 Jul 2021 at 9:27am
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My local RV shop said they can do the job for $350 to $400. Hope it wont void the warranty. ------------- Rick and Ellen B 2019 Chevy Colorado 2021 Rpod 196 |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 10 Jul 2021 at 9:56am
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Adding a lift kit does increase the frame stress so in the unlikely event you did have a failure there FR/Lippert would probably use the lift as a reason not to do a warranty repair.
The longer along the frame rails you can make the lifts the less the bending stress on the frame BTW, because that spreads out the load from the torsion axle which is trying to bend the frame up at the back of the lift attachment and down at the front. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Ricktoon
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2021 at 4:42pm
Had a local welding shop add a lift to my RPod 196. This is a 2021 Hood River Edition which I thought came lifted, but it did not. They used tubular steel to make the lifts. ------------- Rick and Ellen B 2019 Chevy Colorado 2021 Rpod 196 |
Posted By: Ricktoon
Date Posted: 31 Aug 2021 at 4:43pm
another look at the tire after the lift. ------------- Rick and Ellen B 2019 Chevy Colorado 2021 Rpod 196 |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2021 at 2:39pm
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That lift (structural tubing) is stronger than the original frame tubing. It's stronger than the lift kit offered by forest river. You will not have any issue with that. If i were going to critique their work, I would have asked them to put a round stand off the same length as the inside dimension of the walls, to prevent the slight "sucking in " where the bolts go thru. If I may be so bold. ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 06 Sep 2021 at 4:13pm
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The issue isn't the lift kit, that's fine. It's the rpod frame itself that is at risk of getting bent. A longer lift kit that is bolted to the frame farther from the axle fore and aft would reduce the stress on it by spreading out the load. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Dirt Sifter
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2021 at 10:33am
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I like what you did, but in researching the lift for our 195 I am going with a longer tube. It only makes sense that FR touting the Hood River Edition as an off road unit should put this on at the factory. The only complaint I have is exactly what you have overcome with the tank drains so low. ------------- Greg n Deb 2020 195 HRE '07 Tundra 5.7L., '17 Tacoma 3.5L. Both with tow packages 1 Puggle, 1 Chihuahua support staff |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2021 at 3:37pm
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Roughly speaking if you double the length of the lift kit tube youree reduce the point load on the frame.e by half. Not quite true, the frame load drops off faster forward of the axle than behind it, plus the stress on the frame is worse at the rear of the lift to begin with. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Ricktoon
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2021 at 4:24pm
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I agree on lengthing the lift kit tube. I asked, but got shorter tubes from the shop that installed them. Issue is getting inside to attach bolts where the connect to the axle supports. ------------- Rick and Ellen B 2019 Chevy Colorado 2021 Rpod 196 |
Posted By: Ricktoon
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2021 at 4:31pm
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It is also worth noting the the L-shaped flange attached to the frame is the same length as the tube. You can see that looking closely at the photo. You would need to lengthen that flange or add some metal further along the frame if you lengthened the lift kit tubing. All of that is possible, but adds to the cost and could impact other components along the frame. ------------- Rick and Ellen B 2019 Chevy Colorado 2021 Rpod 196 |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 11 Sep 2021 at 6:28pm
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Yes, you need attachments to be out at the ends of the risers. Or probably easier and more secure would be to use some steel plate as webbing and Tek screws to attach one tube under the other, then attach the axle to the lower tube. I don't think that would cause any issues as long as there was access. Possibly the risers tube could be welded to the frame lbut someone with experience welding in proximity to wood would need to comment on the likelihood of damaging the floor. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2021 at 1:08pm
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Although I agree making the lift longer would probably, though not definitely, spread the weight out more. (increased length w/ still only two clamping areas, located at the same position as the shorter one) I don't see why you should need more contact surface area, than the original set up has. Lifting it has the exact same two contact points as an unlifted unit. ------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 12 Sep 2021 at 2:30pm
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It's not the vertical load, that doesn't change with the lift kit. it's the torsional moment that's the issue. The torsion axle twists the frame. By adding the lift kit you increase that if you hit a pothole which pushes the wheel back as well as up.
Look at the FEA modeling in this link: https://mechanicalelements.com/trailer-axle-springs-torsion-axle/ - Torsion axle model One of the bad things about torsion axles. We've had at least one rpod frame fail at that high stress point. By spreading out the attachment points you reduce the stress on the frame because you can create the same resisting moment with lower force on the attachment points (moment or torque equals force x distance). Hope that makes sense. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |