New from West Virginia without an r-pod
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Forum Name: Introduce Yourself
Forum Discription: New Members - tell us about yourself and your r-pod
URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3838
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Topic: New from West Virginia without an r-pod
Posted By: The West Virginians
Subject: New from West Virginia without an r-pod
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2013 at 7:39pm
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Good evening, all.
I am coming to you from The Mountain State with no r-pod to my name. Working on changing the "no r-pod" part. 
We are a family of four that is considering a move from our Fleetwood Westlake pop up to something with hard sides and less set up time. We (I, really) have done a great deal of research on a great many trailers in this quest. I have looked at Aliners (family of four? Only if you're a family of Smurfs) and TrailManors. I have perused with much interest the fiberglass "egg" trailers (love them, love how you can customize, but they are simply more money than I wish to invest). Standard travel trailers hold little appeal for a variety of reasons. Hybrids were in the running but we want away from as much canvas (Sunbrella) as is humanly possible. I like the r-pod because of its retro look and the variety of workable floorplans to choose from. DD (8) likes it because it can be had with bunk beds. Wife is not as keen as DD and I. I know the antennae is part of the problem. Her animosity for the antennae is somewhat frightening. I saw on the Forest River website that the antennae is a standard feature. On a whim I contacted a couple of dealerships and was advised by both that it could actually be ordered without the antennae. Groovy. Point in my favor. If I can convince DW to give the r-pod an honest look we may have one by the time spring rolls around. Sooner would be nice but with DW and the kids now back in school our camping times are pretty limited so it's probably best to just give it a few more months. We will be towing with a Honda Ridgeline. Not the best for a TV, but there are worse rigs. I prefer the 178 but given the power limitations of the Ridgeline combined with West Virginia hills I think the best floorplan for us is the 172. Regardless of which model is chosen the wind resistance will be the same but I can at least keep the weight as low as possible. I'm sorry for the long post. I wish you all well, and look forward to (hopefully) becoming a podder.
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Replies:
Posted By: kymooses
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2013 at 7:56pm
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Welcome soon to be possible Podders! The 178's are popular this year, nothing but great things to say about that floorplan. But as you mention bunks are pretty cool in some of those models as well. So you have a lot of options in floorplans like you said. I think you'll find that a lot tow with less beefy v6's than your Ridgeline. But with as many occupants and accessories for 4 people I get what you're saying about weight and hills. Tough choice for sure but I know plenty of us tow with less. That being said, those of us who realize that usually end up upgrading eventually. As is the case with us!  Very cool to have you here with us though and looking, be sure to check out the facebook page if you're so inclined and use it already. Other than that, enjoy your thread reading and let us know anything you come across that you have questions on. ------------- https://calendar.google.com/calendar?cid=cnBvZC5zcG90dGVyQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ - RPod Rallies https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1W1foQXGtrjf8aYly1uh0b-bHPfI&hl=en_US - RPod Owner Map |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2013 at 8:04pm
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Welcome. I agree that the 178 is on the heavy side if you have a 3500 pound tow limit. It is one of the heavier pods. You might get away with it if you keep all of the tanks empty (except the propane) and pack light. Personally I wouldn't do it w/o a 5000+ tow limit vehicle.
------------- 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: GA_RPOD_178
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2013 at 8:23pm
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I tow a 178 with a Ridgeline. It has a 5000 lb rating. Granted the Georgia mountains don't compare with WV, but we get there. Mileage sucks, but it does with most TV's. -------------  [/URL]
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 15 Aug 2013 at 10:04pm
RPods can and are being towed by Hondas. We tow our 172 with a 2010 4WD Pilot, the same power train as the Ridgeline. The Hondas have an advantage with their 4.375 differential. So far it works very well in the mountains of Florida and Alabama , but next month will be the test. Weight was the prime factor in our selection of the 172 since we will spend a lot of time in Colorado. Mountain passes are rough on tow vehicles, but altitude saps an engine's performance. Most of WV is below 3000 feet; all except one point is below 4500 feet. So if you plan to spend most of your time in the East you should be fine with the 172. On flat roads you can't even tell the Pod is back there unless you look at the gas gauge  . The 178 is bigger and roomier, but also heavier, so consider where you will drive and camp. Regardless of which model you chose you should include a weight distributing hitch (WDH) and a ScanGauge to monitor transmission temperature.Hope to hear soon that you have joined us in Podding, ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2013 at 9:12am
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Welcome. It is nice to see that you are doing a thorough research on all of your options before making a decision. There is a lot of really great information to be found in the forums here on the Pods.
I do have a question out of pure curiosity though ... why does your wife hate the antenna so much? ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2013 at 10:39pm
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It isn't the altitude its the grade. We were just in WV a few weeks ago including Spruce Knob at 4863 feet. We were over 7000 feet in Albuquerque but the grade wasn't too bad. It was in the East in KY and WV where we hit spots of over 10% grade which were grinds to get up. That's where the horsepower and torque are needed. Granted, there are some big grades in the Rockies too, but there are some in the Appalachians too.
------------- 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: Thredbende
Date Posted: 16 Aug 2013 at 11:13pm
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We have put on 10,000 miles towing our 171 with a Ridgeline over the last year. We can pass other vehicles if necessary at 70 on flat road, although that speed is 15 miles faster than the owner's manual recommendation. We weigh 350 pounds live weight. Our Pod weighed 2750 pounds loaded with food, no water, with propane and 2 batteries at the Goshen rally. So perhaps this is of use in comparing different options. I believe a slide out weighs about 250 pounds.
I love being able to have dinner started in a 36 degree bleak November rain 2 hours after dark at a deserted campsite 15 minutes after pulling in. And being warm, dry and well fed. ------------- Thredbende |
Posted By: Camper Bob
Date Posted: 17 Aug 2013 at 12:10am
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I have to agree with Techntrek. Minimum of 5 K towing capacity. I know many pull with less capacity but for me a much larger concern is safety in maneuvering and stopping. But thats's me. I ordered ours with out and antenna. Happy camping and Safe Travels. ------------- Camper Bob and Camper Sue Gracie the Wonder Dog (12 LB. Mini Dachshund) 2013 Rpod 171HRE(ORPod) 2016 Lance 1685 2015 Nissan Pathfinder |
Posted By: The West Virginians
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:10am
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Good morning, all.
I apologize for not replying to your posts. It has been quite hectic lately. First and foremost thank you all for the salutations. This seems to be a very welcoming and helpful community and has helped galvanize my belief that an r-pod is a solid option for our family.
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Posted By: The West Virginians
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:10am
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kymooses - I am really torn between the 172 and 178. The bunks are pretty neat on the 172 and DD really wants them. Also, the 172 comes in just over 500 pounds less than the 178. That's pretty significant. The 178, however, has the permanent bed and big front dinette. Slides tend to worry me due to possible mechanical issues, but there is no doubt it really opens up the living space. Also, the price difference between the two models seems to be fairly minimal. With all that being said I am no closer to making a decision. Sigh. I just sent a join request to the Facebook page.
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Posted By: The West Virginians
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:15am
| techntrek - The Ridgeline packs a 5000 pound tow limit, and we have never traveled with anything in the freshwater tank in the Westlake. I am still leery, however, of the weight of the 178. Of the two models I am considering it is my favorite, but saving 500 pounds by going with the 172 may be the better option for now. |
Posted By: GA_RPOD_178
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:18am
I have had no issues pulling a 178 with my Ridgeline. I use WDH and trailer brake package and of course no extra water weight. ------------- [/URL]
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Posted By: The West Virginians
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:22am
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GA_RPOD_178 - I am jealous of you, I swear. You have the same TV as we do, and have the pod I'm most interested in. We're hoping to be down in GA next spring as we're wanting to try Jekyll Island. By any chance have you visited there? If so, what do think of it?
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Posted By: GA_RPOD_178
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:34am
Great, come on by. Techntrek, who has already posted on this subject, stayed there during his recent cross country vacation tour. He is very helpful about all things Rpod, and I'm sure he can give you a lot more details on the campground on the north end of the Island. Jekyll is more of a throw back to "old beach" settings. It is owned by the state of Georgia and does not have the hi rise condo look of some many beach communities. We enjoy the extra space the slide out gives us (we usually have a couple of grand kids with us) and while there are always potential issues with slide outs, they are so common now that its not like you are a guinea pig for the concept. So far, no issues. ------------- [/URL]
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 5:07pm
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Yes, we were there for 2 nights in July. The sites are a bit close, and the ones that are along the road are right on the road. Not a big deal, most of the traffic is people and bicyclists. Decent amount of trees around but not all shaded, and the pool is acceptable. Laundry room if you need it. I forget if we were told there or by someone here that the city is working to upgrade most/all of the sites to full hookups. 10 minute walk to the beach and we were told its the same to the river going the other direction. We loved the area and would love to go back, but with a 12 hour drive its a bit far for a yearly visit. Which we would do if it were closer. We didn't even get the chance to explore the rest of the island since we spent our full day there exploring Savannah which is 20 minute away.
------------- 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: GA_RPOD_178
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 7:15pm
Doug, I was always "geographically challenged" in school. I told WV that you stayed on Jekyll Island, which is what he was asking about. I forgot that you stayed on Tybee Island, not Jekyll. I was just reading your review until I got to the part about Savannah being "20 minutes away". My bad. WV, sorry for my error. Jekyll is a nice place to camp. But based on Doug's comments, you should surely also check out Tybee Island. ------------- [/URL]
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Posted By: The West Virginians
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:00pm
Thank you for the insight, CharlieM. The bulk of our excursions will be on the east coast with a few trips to TN thrown in. With our current schedules heading west isn't an easy trip to plan. I'm going back and forth on the WDH. Honda doesn't recommend, but I know of several folks towing with a WDH and the Ridgeline. It's yet another conundrum I find myself in. Sway control is a definite, however. |
Posted By: The West Virginians
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:05pm
Ah, there's a question, P&M. I know she doesn't like the appearance, and she worries about the thing being ripped off by who knows what. Beyond that I'm not sure, but she truly does seem to detest an antennae on any trailer. Truly, I am not fond of it either. It's not a deal breaker for me, but if I can get a pod without I will definitely go that route. |
Posted By: The West Virginians
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:10pm
| GA_RPOD_178 and techntrek, thank you for the thoughts on Jekyll and Tybee. I confess I am not familiar with Tybee, but it sounds like a place worth visiting. I think the family would enjoy a tour of Savannah. |
Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 8:17pm
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Savannah is worth the trip. WE visited there a few years ago, and want to go back. ------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 9:37pm
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[/QUOTE]
Thank you for the insight, CharlieM. The bulk of our excursions will be on the east coast with a few trips to TN thrown in. With our current schedules heading west isn't an easy trip to plan. I'm going back and forth on the WDH. Honda doesn't recommend, but I know of several folks towing with a WDH and the Ridgeline. It's yet another conundrum I find myself in. Sway control is a definite, however.[/QUOTE] I don't have my Honda book handy so I can't quote exactly, but Honda doesn't "recommend" a WDH because an improperly adjusted WDH can cause problems. That's absolutely true! Improper adjustment can cause a dangerous situation. I've been there thanks to a lazy dealer. That's why I always recommend reading and understanding the adjustment instructions. Go through it yourself; don't trust a dealer. A properly adjusted WDH greatly increases comfort AND safety. I highly recommend, and use, WDH with sway control. ------------- Charlie Northern Colorado OLD: 2013 RP-172, 2010 Honda Pilot 3.5L 4WD PRESENT: 2014 Camplite 21RBS, 2013 Supercharged Tacoma 4L V6 4WD |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 21 Aug 2013 at 10:02pm
My bad, too. I was only half-thinking too. I saw GA and "island" and was thinking Tybee... ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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