Screened room
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4475
Printed Date: 17 May 2025 at 12:30pm
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Topic: Screened room
Posted By: johnandwendee
Subject: Screened room
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2014 at 9:06am
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We are considering buying a R-Pod (slide-out floor plan). Is the screened room useful? How much is it affected by the wind? Any other suggestions or comments? Thanks ------------- John and Wendee Bracebridge, Ontario Canada |
Replies:
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2014 at 11:18am
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The dome is the best thing about the pod. Very few podders would say otherwise I think. Like any tent type item, good staking and tie down is a must if windy conditions are expected. ------------- |
Posted By: kymooses
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2014 at 12:20pm
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i second the above, i like the dome as much as the Pod itself. we are in or under ours all the time. we only go inside to sleep. all zipped up and it's fun for nighttime or if it's a bit cooler, hot during the day; just unzip and roll up the sides and down on the front door. perfect awning! ------------- 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: johnandwendee
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2014 at 12:25pm
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Thanks Furpod,
You have answered a question we forgot to ask. Your pic shows a Golden. We have one also. I presume he can fit inside and shed anywhere. ------------- John and Wendee Bracebridge, Ontario Canada |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2014 at 12:43pm
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I heartily agree!! We have used urs down on Cape Hatteras and it has handled 20 mph winds. It added some serious extra space! We use it all the time! ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 12 Mar 2014 at 1:56pm
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I'm on the other side of the fence. We feel it is much easier to set up our two EZ-up canopies on most trips. Ours didn't come with any radiant barrier in the ceiling like the EZ-ups have, so direct sun is very hot even with the sides all open.
That said, we do set ours up for week-long trips, and sometimes if we know it will be rainy all weekend. ------------- 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: IPodAlong
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2014 at 9:21pm
| From recent experience, 20 mph is about your max on the dome room. I find it works best if it's closed tight or totally open. The weather forecasters were just a tad off on winds in Florida on my recent trip and twice I got caught in higher winds (once over 30 mph) and had to keep putting the poles back up as they fell down....once it's that windy, I thought it would have been too hard to get it down and hold onto it alone so just "maintained" it till winds died down a bit. Just to add though that I was on concrete and only had a couple of spots I could stake it....had water bags and bricks otherwise and those just aren't the same as stakes. |
Posted By: Boomertype
Date Posted: 13 Mar 2014 at 10:50pm
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I think the R-Dome decision involves knowing a bit about where you will camp the most. Lots of the campsites we camp at do not have an area that large next to the trailer pad. We drove through a bunch of them recently and with the 1.5 extra width, there were very few sites that would accommodate the extra width. We are going to take a pass on the R-Dome.
Last year we camped at a local park with some folks that had a T@B and a dome, there were large rocks under the dome space and it extended almost to the campfire ring. In parks with sidebyside parking, I doubt it would work well. I know lots of folks love them, but it's about where you camp most. The price is big for something you might only use a bit. It requires your thoughts, they are nice, but will it work for you.
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Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2014 at 10:01pm
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Other than 1 or 2 quick one-nighters at the local park, we have setup and used the dome every time we have been out podding. In cold weather we have closed up the flaps, turned on a portable catalytic heater and it was a nice warm porch. In warm weather it is shaded and cool with a fan blowing, and in buggy weather it keeps the skeeters at bay. When rain comes it does as good a job as any other shelter for the most part, and gives us a dry place to change out of muddy boots and jackets before going inside. It's big enough for us to put up a couple good sized chairs, a table and our dog kennel for Comet, along with the drinks cooler and some other storage items.
Not everyone likes it, not everyone wants it, but for us it was probably one of the biggest selling points for buying the Pod. ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2014 at 10:57pm
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I have found over the years that when the wind kicks up it is best to take the dome down. I leave the stakes in the ground, pull the shock cord out and then roll the whole dome up to the track were I use 4 or 5 spring clamps to hold it in place. In 5 minutes it's up and takes about the same to unroll it and set it back up.
We have had the wind take it down a couple of times slightly bending the shock cord and scraping the channel that the shock cord goes in to the point that we had to sew it up. Goose 
 ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee 
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Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 17 Mar 2014 at 11:00pm
Don't know why the second picture did not come up. Goose
 ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
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Posted By: Bred Flink
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2014 at 12:11am
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John, we just bought a 178 and the RDome was partly what swayed us from other trailers. The RDome extends the season for us, and allows for staying outside when weather is less than ideal. Makes a nice cook venue, good place for the dog to hang out, keeps shoes dry, shade for hot days, a semblance of security for chairs etc when we're away from the site. We also have a Siltarp for when we just want a quick roof and don't want to set up the RDome. Takes two people to set up quickly, but one person can set up RDome in 10-15 minutes. ------------- Sailing and camping Western Canada and US-NW |
Posted By: Bubink
Date Posted: 18 Mar 2014 at 11:02am
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Good idea on the spring clamps for windy conditions!! We haven't used ours yet but do know even an awning can be taken down pretty quick, pulling it right out of the rails. What size spring clamps did you get?? 4"? 5"? Will add those to our next Amazon order, that's for sure!! ------------- 2014 178 |
Posted By: Goose
Date Posted: 20 Mar 2014 at 10:25pm
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Bubink, those are all a 4 inch clamp. I picked them up at Home Depot. Goose ------------- Mother Goose's Caboose..2011 RP171..07 Grand Cherokee
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Posted By: sammycamper
Date Posted: 23 Mar 2014 at 12:55am
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I'm an rDome fan. I wish it could be set up and down as easily as an awning; but it's many times more verstile, so it's worth the trouble. It makes a great space for our dogs and their crates, and I am blown away (so to speak) by how wind worthy it is.
Sam ------------- 2012 rPod 173 2008 Trailblazer 4WD V6 |
Posted By: Garyb42
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2014 at 3:54pm
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Can someone tell me what size the dome is..I can't seem to find anything about the dimensions. Thanks ------------- Proud to be an RPod owner... |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 13 Apr 2014 at 4:20pm
They come in several sizes, depends on which pod you have. I think they are all 8 feet deep, but they vary in length from 7 to 13 feet, and there are two different sized keeders depending on year.. ------------- |
Posted By: Pod-a-terre
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2014 at 9:20am
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How does the dome work when the Pod has the risers? I thought I read somewhere that it makes it difficult to get the sides down on the ground? Thanks John ------------- John Kris "Lady Sarah" our Golden Aiken SC |
Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2014 at 10:41am
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Our pod has risers and we use the dome every time we go out. The bottom on the pod side where the loops are to stake it down are about 3-4 inches short depending on the terrain, but the black mud/water flaps that are sewn onto it on the bottom are very long and more than cover the difference. ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Posted By: rimshot
Date Posted: 14 Apr 2014 at 11:18am
| I was going to get one for my new 182 but the price scared me away. $600.00 for a tent is a bit steep in my book. They do look nice though. Also, most campgrounds I've been to around here usually have some type of barrier, like railroad ties surrounding the parking area. I guess they're to keep you from driving off the pad. These would either get in the way of set up, or they would be inside the dome. |