Reviews and General Information: R-Pod Beast Mode Suspension

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R-Pod Beast Mode Suspension

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Forum Name: Reviews and General Information
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15871
Printed Date: 09 May 2025 at 6:35am
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Topic: R-Pod Beast Mode Suspension

Posted By: HuskyDome-ain
Subject: R-Pod Beast Mode Suspension
Date Posted: 14 Oct 2023 at 11:36am

Forest River added the "Beast Mode" suspension to the 2023 R-Pod models (at least the 180 I was looking at). Does anyone have experience with this suspension?

Any reviews would be appreciated. Thanks!

Replies:

Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2023 at 10:04am

Even with beast mode, are the attachment points still located a foot or more from the end of the axle?? If so, the axle would still bend. Wouldn't be much of a beast if so.

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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding

Posted By: CAPTKIDD
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2023 at 12:02pm

I'm waiting to get my 4th bent axel replaced with a Dexter. My 3rd was a Lippert and didn't last 600 miles and lippert would do nothing about it.

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CAPTKIDD

Posted By: poohbill
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2023 at 2:24pm

Our trailer has gone down gravel (and worse!) roads with the standard axle for years, so this announcement interested me and I read it closely. I don't have any experience towing trailers with it, but am of the opinion that their marketing will only encourage buyers to take an R-Pod where the model is not intended to go, i.e., where we go, which causes all sorts of damage costing us thousand of dollars over the last eight years. Only a beefier structure should go off-pavement, matched by an appropriately sized axle, preferably two. In a way, Beast Mode Suspension is much like the Hood River Edition.

This didn't answer your question but offered up as help.

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2016 179 Gastropod
2017 Ridgeline

Posted By: gpokluda
Date Posted: 15 Oct 2023 at 5:23pm

Originally posted by poohbill

Our trailer has gone down gravel (and worse!) roads with the standard axle for years, so this announcement interested me and I read it closely. I don't have any experience towing trailers with it, but am of the opinion that their marketing will only encourage buyers to take an R-Pod where the model is not intended to go, i.e., where we go, which causes all sorts of damage costing us thousand of dollars over the last eight years. Only a beefier structure should go off-pavement, matched by an appropriately sized axle, preferably two. In a way, Beast Mode Suspension is much like the Hood River Edition.

This didn't answer your question but offered up as help.

Agree with poohbill. To take advantage of the Best Mode Suspension, the Rpod itself would have to undergo some serious strengthening. That said, like poohbill, we had taken our 2016 Rpod down some questionable roads with no serious issues and never bent the original axle in 50+k miles. We did take certain precautions: go slow and air down the trailer tires. Of course you should always have a quality tire inflator if you are going to do that.

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Gpokluda
2017 Rpod 179(sold 2023)
2022 Escape 5.0TA
2022 Ford F150 4X4 3.5EB
Kawasaki KLR650

Posted By: seafans
Date Posted: 16 Oct 2023 at 11:47am

CAPTKIDD: How much and where is the axle bending? Axles are manufactured with a slight camber (arch). Axle must be positioned with the arch at the top of the axle. I have not measured the ark in the axle on my 192. It's cold and rainy here, don't want to crawl under it in the rain.

Posted By: CAPTKIDD
Date Posted: 16 Oct 2023 at 1:58pm

I think what is bending is the spindle part of the axel.

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CAPTKIDD

Posted By: poohbill
Date Posted: 16 Oct 2023 at 5:07pm

Let's stick to the OP's question and take this discussion to PM or a new thread.

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2016 179 Gastropod
2017 Ridgeline