ground clearance
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
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=3811
Printed Date: 17 May 2024 at 6:10pm
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Topic: ground clearance
Posted By: ilthyn
Subject: ground clearance
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2013 at 11:31am
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Does anyone have experience with jacking up the Pod to provide more ground clearance? Thanks ilthyn
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Replies:
Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2013 at 1:14pm
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Lots of us have added the factory risers to get another three and a half inches. Is that what you were asking? I know I did after loosing one of the stabilizer jacks. ------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2013 at 1:16pm
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Welcome. Another thing you can do is remove some of the low-hanging stuff, like the jack and the sewer tube (which is too short to be useful anyway). I added a swing-up jack in place of the fixed factory jack. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 06 Aug 2013 at 8:18pm
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I received my riser kit from FR today and hope to install them on Friday. They come with all new hardware and clear instructions. I replaced my tongue jack, too, but with an electric one. It retracts fully and is out of harm's way. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: ilthyn
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2013 at 12:31pm
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Thanks for all of the replies, I did not anticipate that FR would have a riser-kit. Perhaps it should be standard??? I have found a company in Calgary that is going to do the job for me for about $500 and will add 4 inches to the ground clearance. The dealer we bought from recommended them. I have already removed the sewage drain tube. I will report how I did that soon, but yesterday I re-stowed it in 5 seconds instead of the minute sprawled on the ground trying to get it in and locked. Cheers, ilthyn
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2013 at 12:51pm
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My guess is FR thinks the mpgs are better when it is low to the ground - I didn't notice any difference before vs. after. I do think the risers should be standard. Most other campers are much higher right from the factory.
$500 sounds very high even taking into consideration that things are more expensive north of the border. Direct from FR the latest price I've seen is $150 (US) for the risers themselves, and it only takes 1-2 hours of labor for any shop to do. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2013 at 2:01pm
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I am the one that just purchased the riser kit for $150.00 directly from FR. Installation is very simple if you have jack stands and a floor jack. There are only 2 bolts on each side to remove and 4 bolts on each side when you install the risers. I believe it will only take me about an hour since I have all the tools ready to go. By the way, FR furnishes all new bolts, washers and nuts with the riser kit. As techntrek said, it should take only an hour or two to install them, and $500.00 seems very high. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2013 at 2:03pm
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I just realized I had replied to this thread earlier. Sorry for any duplication. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2013 at 4:01pm
 I just finished installing my riser kits this morning,2 1/2 hrs tools put away and cleaned up. I`m kinda slow. the one thing i did that I haven`t heared any one talk about is making sure the axle get back to the same position for alignment purposes. I made a reference mark and used a square,it didn`t go back on it`s own. all in all it was a pretty easy job. Moe ------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150 
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: GA_RPOD_178
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2013 at 4:17pm
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My new 178 came with the risers, which is good because my mechanical skills fall well short of what I see exhibited here by so many of you. Thanks FR! -------------  [/URL]
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Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 07 Aug 2013 at 6:03pm
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Thanks for the report, Moe. I am a few days behind you in installing my risers. I am confused about making a reference mark to be sure the axle is correctly aligned. Doesn't it have to be properly aligned for the bolts to line up with the holes? Just asking. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 08 Aug 2013 at 9:58am
Bob, when I started bolting the risers in there was almost a 1/4 in difference , the reference mark I used was I put the square on the bottom of the floor and slid it back till it touched the front edge of the axle and made a mark. I may have over thought it. By the way the factory bolts where really tight. Very pleased on the finished product. The bolt holes are larger than the bolts are and that is x2 sets of bolts. I used a come along to align and hold while I tightened the bolts Moe
------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: SteveC
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2013 at 3:18pm
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I negotiated the risers into the purchase of my 2014 RP178 and agree with those who think they should be standard on all units. Wish they would offer an R Dome that was built for and R Pod with risers! I would like to get even more clearance than what the risers provide. What have others done to get more clearance? Has anyone put bigger tires on their R Pod? It looks like it could take bigger ones. Where would one go to learn what the process is to remove the sewage drain tube? Also, what is the process for draining the black water once the sewage tube is removed? ------------- 2014 R Pod 178 |
Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2013 at 4:39pm
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I looked at the height of larger 14" diameter tires and found that the difference in diameter is rather insignificant. The benefits of a switch to 15" or 16" tires are not worth the cost of larger wheels and I like the appearance of the standard 14" pod wheels. My TV has 18" wheels, but it is engineered to use that size tires and wheels, a pod is not. For example, larger wheels/tires will affect the braking ability of the pod. As for the sewage drain tube, you can relocate it, but you still need it to drain the black water so why bother moving it? Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2013 at 5:46pm
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If you do get larger tires, remember you'll need 2" of additional outer diameter to get 1" of additional height. I've considered it. When I removed the factory sewage hose tube I started using a large plastic tool box to hold the hose. That rode in the pod and was the first thing out the door when we got to camp. The box stayed outside until we left. I was careful to keep the outside clean so I wasn't worried about spreading germs. I've had the risers for a while but didn't bother putting the old tube back on since it wasn't long enough to hold my hose and connectors. Recently I added a much longer one: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3588&KW=PN=1&title=mounted-a-long-sewer-hose-tube-and-cleaned-up - http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3588&KW=PN=1&title=mounted-a-long-sewer-hose-tube-and-cleaned-up All you need to do to remove the factory tube is to take out 4 small bolts. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: ilthyn
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2013 at 7:27pm
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Thanks again for the information. I wished I had time to research order and receive the FR risers, but we are going away soon on a long trip. I was also unsure about just how much tech knowledge, skills and equipment may be needed. ilthyn
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Posted By: Tars Tarkas
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2013 at 8:42pm
I think when someone suggested removing the sewer tube to gain extra clearance that they were talking about the white tube strapped under the tongue that stores the flexible tubing that runs between your black and grey drains and the dumping station. The permanent drain plumbing on the pod is close enough to the axle that it usually isn't a problem for ground clearance. TT |
Posted By: Craneman
Date Posted: 09 Aug 2013 at 8:58pm
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this is what I did after wiping out the front storage tube. By thee way I got the idea from another member moe   
------------- Jo and Gary, 2010-174,2011 F150
Jo and Gary 2010 174 2011 Ford 150 |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2013 at 9:57am
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I like the original low-rider height of the POD, easier for Mother Goose to get in and out of once I moved the step higher. Also moved the sewer hose tube to between the propane tank and the battery box, then trimmed up the tube on the tongue jack a couple of inches to just below the holes on the sides of it.
This all made for better clearance and have not had any problems since. One thing to remember as you travel is to watch for the rises or dips as you enter or leave gas stations, parking lots or pulling onto or off the road, always take these at an angle, do not go straight over the dip or rise as you will scrape the rear of the POD. Goose  ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee 
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Posted By: ilthyn
Date Posted: 10 Aug 2013 at 7:34pm
| this is just a test because I am trying to create an avatar |
Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2013 at 6:55pm
You did better than I did, Moe. I finally started this morning and did not even have the wheels off before my wife told me it was 79 degrees in the house. Had to stop, checked the heat pump and found the starting capacitor had blown. Simple replacement, but finding a replacement was difficult. Got the heat pump back into operation, had lunch and finished the riser installation. Total time was over 5 hours. When you live in Florida, women seem to think air conditioning is more important than working on a R-Pod. By the way, my dealer had really torqued down the lug nuts. I used a pneumatic impact wrench and even with 150 psi pressure, they would not budge. Ended up using a 1/2" drive socket with an 18" socket bar, and finally slipped the handle of my floor jack over the bar. That did the trick. Lesson learned to to check your lug nuts before going on a trip. RV dealers, car and tire shops, etc., seem to have a tendency to over-torque lug nuts. Had I been away from home, I would not have been able to remove them if I had a flat. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |
Posted By: Folornhope
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2013 at 8:08pm
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Along that line of thought....how many of us carry a jack tHat we can use to lift our pod? ------------- Eddy the Escape Pod...177 Ford F150 |
Posted By: Sleepless
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2013 at 8:34pm
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Both of my vehicles came with scissor jacks that are shaped to cradle an axle or the frame. I do keep a 2 ton scissor jack in the pod, just in case. Knock on wood, but I have not had to use a jack on the road since 1999. We might also ask how many of us carry a decent wheel lug wrench in our pod. I have always kept a folding 4-way lug wrench in every trailer I have owned, but I have never had to use it on the road. My TV has 18" wheels and the wrench for them will not fit the pod. Bob ------------- 2014 R-Pod 178 (OUR POD) 2009 Chevrolet Avalanche |