First Night Out - What a Blast!
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Forum Name: Camping Adventures
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3078
Printed Date: 11 May 2025 at 10:09am Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.64 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: First Night Out - What a Blast!
Posted By: P&M
Subject: First Night Out - What a Blast!
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 1:55pm
Got our first official overnighter done in the Pod on Friday, and we had an absolute blast in it! This is so - so - so much easier that tenting!
Picked it up at the storage site in the morning with minimum issue, other than coming to agreement as to which hand signals meant what direction & that yelling at each other is not an option, and headed to the house 3 miles away to load it up. 1 mile in I looked down to check the wireless brake controller, which is when I realized that it wasn't plugged into my 12v adaptor. Crap. Quickly pulled over, grabbed it out of the glovebox, and put it in ... all was good then. Of all the things I could have forgotten the first time I get the Pod on my own ...
Once home we loaded it up with all of our camping gear. When done we realized we hadn't even scratched the surface of the storage capacity ... coming from hauling everything in the back of the SUV for tenting, which looked like a lot of stuff, to the Pod is really nice. Fired up the fridge so that it could start to cool down (figured out later that it really isn't worth it for just one night since it takes so long to chill), filled up the H2O tank since we would not have a water hookup close enough at the site to use, and then we had to run a quick errand before leaving (early voting).
4 hours later (yes, the voting lines were that long) we headed off to a local county park that is only about 5 miles away. Small, about 30 back-in tent/trailer sites (though only 2 at most were suitable for a trailer) and another 15 drive-thru RV sites that were definitely better. Having reserved a spot by phone and explaining that it was our first time with a trailer they gave us the best back-in spot, which was at the very end of the campground on a circle loop, and while it was very nice it certainly wasn't level front-to-back. Got it backed in on the second attempt, as the first was pretty cockeyed (due to someone claiming jet lag from having flown in on the redeye that morning and needing more sleep ... whatever). From there it was cool sailing to get the rest of things set up. We had timed ourselves just out of curiosity, and it took us a total of 25 minutes from when we pulled up in front of the site to be done and on to our other chores ... M making cocktails and me making a fire. This compared to the 2-3 hours it would take us to set up when tenting!
Because it was so much later at that point than we had hoped we decided not to try and put up the R-dome. It is not something that we believe will be put up for just 1 nights stay, but we wanted to try and figure it out before we go for 4 days over Thanksgiving in a couple weeks. Weather was nice anyways ... about 60 degrees & sunny, and around 40 degrees for the low that night. Furnace worked fantastic, and we didn't notice it being loud or anything like that. Slept like a couple of babies with the thermostat set at 60 and the window cracked.
Two things we found ... M noticed and commented that the lights seemed to generate a lot of heat and were getting hot to the touch which concerned her, at which point I brought up changing them to the LED's like others have done here, and she agreed that would be a good idea. Sometimes sales is all in the timing. The other thing I did find was that the gas stove top seemed to be loose, like it wasn't completely fastened tightly to the countertop. Does anyone know if it is supposed to be that way, or should I tighten it up? It worked fine and just wiggles a bit from side-to-side so I was wondering.
Started and kept a list of things we need to get/do/mod ... command hooks & shelves for cups/dishes in the cabinet, shelf in front left corner to put doggie stuff on while onsite, railing for the little front edge shelf along the dinette for books & cd/dvd's, bins & storage boxes, and so on. Made drawings and took measurements of every space, shelf, drawer and enclosed storage area so we could get items that fit accordingly.
Packing up the next afternoon when we were ready to leave was easy as well. 20 minutes to disconnect, hookup TV and be ready to leave. Packed it so that we could just drop it off at the storage place on the way home, and then it would be ready for us to use (other than food) for the next trip. As we were starting to leave M asked if we could stop at the campground office so that she could make another reservation for coming back this next weekend ... Yes!! 
------------- P & M ... and Comet too!
2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod
2018 Ram 2500
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Replies:
Posted By: Capt. Irk
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 2:49pm
Nice! Isn't it so much better than tent camping?!? First time out is more exploring, trying this here and then moving it back to there, making notes and sitting down, looking around and saying "Aaah!"
------------- 2013 176HRE / 2017 Ram 1500
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Posted By: marwayne
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 3:22pm
Just tighten the two screwes on either side of the cooktop,if that dosen't do the trick, remove the top and tighten the screwes under the cover.
------------- If you want something done right, do it yourself.
2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd.
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Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 5:00pm
Originally posted by marwayne
Just tighten the two screwes on either side of the cooktop,if that dosen't do the trick, remove the top and tighten the screwes under the cover. |
Thanks -- I tried the first and they were tight, so I'll try the second when we go back out this Friday.
------------- P & M ... and Comet too!
2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod
2018 Ram 2500
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Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 6:54pm
P&M, sounds like a good time, Donna and I have kind of got to the point that after we back in, I work on the outside, she helps me level during the first part of the set up, then I go outside and she is inside, by the time I am done, about 10 or 15 minutes she has everything inside ship shape, vent open, windows cracked, I have the outside level, t.v. unhooked and moved away, electric on, water heater on 120vac, (she has already run the hot water to bleed any air from last trip) now if she could just learn how to scan the television for local channels we will be set. then she hollars at me, When are you going to get the grill out and start supper,
------------- Dane and Donna Smith
2011 RP-172
2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4
lift kit
prodigy wireless brake controller
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Posted By: Racer|X|
Date Posted: 05 Nov 2012 at 7:28pm
Lights get real hot....replace with LED's...you'll love it.
Have fun!
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Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2012 at 12:06am
Glad that everything went smooth for you on the first trip out. When mama's happy.......Everyone is happy. Goose
------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
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Posted By: Seanl
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2012 at 8:14am
Originally posted by P&M
1 mile in I looked down to check the wireless brake controller, which is when I realized that it wasn't plugged into my 12v adaptor. Crap. Quickly pulled over, grabbed it out of the glovebox, and put it in ... all was good then. Of all the things I could have forgotten the first time I get the Pod on my own ...
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Good news is that the brakes on the wireless controllers still work without the head end unit plugged in. The Head end until just gives you independent control of the trailer brakes and feedback on the status of the controller on the trailer.
------------- Sean, 2011 Rpod RP-173,2009 Jeep Liberty Rocky Mountain Edition
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Posted By: LarryK
Date Posted: 06 Nov 2012 at 11:47pm
I changed all of the lights to LED's. No heat and they burn far less electricity. We camp without hook ups most of the time, so conserving electricity is important to us.
Yes, camping in the R POD sure beats the tent. We tent camped for 20 years. Now we have a comfortable bed, heat when we need it and a nice place to play board games during a rainstorm. We love the POD!
------------- 2012 R Pod 177
2006 Toyota Tundra Access Cab
4.7 Liter V8
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Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2012 at 11:16am
Originally posted by Seanl
Originally posted by P&M
1 mile in I looked down to check the wireless brake controller, which is when I realized that it wasn't plugged into my 12v adaptor. Crap. Quickly pulled over, grabbed it out of the glovebox, and put it in ... all was good then. Of all the things I could have forgotten the first time I get the Pod on my own ...
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Good news is that the brakes on the wireless controllers still work without the head end unit plugged in. The Head end until just gives you independent control of the trailer brakes and feedback on the status of the controller on the trailer. |
I was hoping that was the case -- thanks for confirming it for me!
------------- P & M ... and Comet too!
2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod
2018 Ram 2500
|
Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2012 at 11:22am
Originally posted by LarryK
I changed all of the lights to LED's. No heat and they burn far less electricity. We camp without hook ups most of the time, so conserving electricity is important to us.
Yes, camping in the R POD sure beats the tent. We tent camped for 20 years. Now we have a comfortable bed, heat when we need it and a nice place to play board games during a rainstorm. We love the POD!
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Hey there LarryK! Another Spokanite!! Both of us were born & raised there and we lived there until moves took us to Seattle and Charlotte for the past 16 years. I know exactly what you mean by not having hook-ups at most of the campgrounds around there, having camped all over the NW area. That was one of the biggest differences we found down here in the Carolinas ... most all of them have hook-ups it seems.
Whereabouts do you mostly go out to around there?
------------- P & M ... and Comet too!
2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod
2018 Ram 2500
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Posted By: LarryK
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2012 at 10:17pm
P & M, We camp every year at Gillette Lake Forest Service campground in Stevens county. Gillette is part of the Little Pend Oreille Chain of Lakes off of Highway 20, 11 miles southwest of Ione, WA. This year we also camped at Lake Leo Forest Service campground, 5 miles west of Gillette. Lake Leo is a nice quiet place, with bald eagles and other interesting birds. Gillette is more active, but a very nice place.
This fall we camped at Steamboat Rock State Park on Banks lake. It was beautiful mild weather and no wind for 4 days, if you can believe that. My wife and I love to kayak. The lake was like glass.
We probably will go out to central Washington again in the early spring, when there is still snow in the northern mountains. We want to hike in Northrup Canyon, near Steamboat.
By the way my wife's brother and his wife live in Cannapolis, NC near Charlotte. Sometime we want to fly down and visit.
Nice to hear from you.
------------- 2012 R Pod 177
2006 Toyota Tundra Access Cab
4.7 Liter V8
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