Help: Convince me to buy an Rpod
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Topic: Help: Convince me to buy an Rpod
Posted By: trhoppe
Subject: Help: Convince me to buy an Rpod
Date Posted: 11 May 2015 at 9:51pm
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We are looking at purchasing a travel trailer in the next month. Moving to Colorado from Georgia and plan to do a bunch of exploring. We want something that we can tow around the state/mountains including some gravel roads, with what I'm assuming will be washboard/etc. No 4 wheeling, but certainly not paved. We've gotten some advice to pick up "not a stick built" trailer basically because of the gravel roads and wear and tear. Friends/etc have been steering us towards a Camplite 14DBS or a Lance 1575. Those seem to be super sturdy, plenty of options, and are in the same weight class as the Rpod 179 we are also exploring. Either way, we are planning on purchasing a trailer, keeping it ~3 years and then either trading in or selling for something else. I want to keep the "new" feel, and also I don't like maintenance. Having said all that, the Rpod has some options that we really like, and we've sort of narrowed it down to the 179 vs the Lance 1575. The Lance has better options, seemingly sturdier construction and a layout we really like. Also for 50% more money, it better, right? The Rpod has a great layout, plenty of storage, and hitch mount bike rack (huge deal, I'm a mountain bike racer). The Lance is lacking any bike mount, so I'm sure I'm in for another $1k in setting up something custom (can't do a hitch rack on them without killing the warranty) So my question is, will the Rpod last us 3 years without any issues? I'm assuming I'll have to hit the dealer after the first trip or two for some general fixes, but am I looking at 3 easy years of ownership? Or will all trailers in that $14-15k price range have "issues", and I should really be looking at the Lance in the $22-23k range in order to get that "attention to detail" during assembly and better construction? Thanks for any help!
-Tom |
Replies:
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 11 May 2015 at 10:04pm
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We had 5 easy years with our r-pod 171, towing it from Vermont to Florida (keys) twice and down to Cape Hatteras twice. We had no problems at all. We upgraded to a 179 and really like the extra room and storage. We were able to get $10,000 in trade for our 171 after 5 years. I dont know about the Lance. ------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: CFWARREN
Date Posted: 11 May 2015 at 10:11pm
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The Lance 1575 is a very nice trailer. It took me a while to decide on the Rpod 179, weighing the advantages and disadvantges of both. The Lance is for sure lighter and brighter inside, more windows, more of an open feel. What it came down to for me was cost, the local Lance dealer here wouldn't budge on price, so I walked, and bought the Rpod, and happy with the decision.
------------- 2016 179 - Hood River Edition 2008 Nissan Xterra |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 11 May 2015 at 10:37pm
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I love our pod. But if you are going into the wilderness, CL or Lance, and I prefer the CL. In fact our next TT will be a CampLite. All ready decided.
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Posted By: CFWARREN
Date Posted: 11 May 2015 at 10:42pm
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One of the issues here is whether there is a dealer anywhere near you for any particular brand. I suspect this may not be an issue for those of you in the south and midwest, but out west, you're limited to what's sold in your local area, unless you're willing to buy long-distance. For example, I've been looking at trailers for about 2 years, and a couple things I wanted to look at were Trailmanor and Hi-Lo, but there's no dealership for either within 500 miles of where I live. ------------- 2016 179 - Hood River Edition 2008 Nissan Xterra |
Posted By: trhoppe
Date Posted: 11 May 2015 at 10:59pm
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There is both an Rpod and Lance dealer like 5 miles away from our new place in Denver. So I got lucky there :) The Camplite is still "on the list", but I don't like the 2 person dinette option of the 14 DBS and the 16 DBS baaaaarely fits our truck (4Runner with V6) Glad to hear about the "5 trouble free years" from the Rpod. If "cost wasn't an issue" really, would you get the Rpod over the Lance? It's not that the money itself isn't an issue, it's that I feel the "potential cost of 3-4 years of ownership" is the same. In that in the Lance, I just have more money tied up in a trailer, but I get more back when I sell :)
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Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 7:56am
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You say you don't like the 2 person dinette, is this because you foresee large dinner parties in the TT, or some other reason? One thing to note about CL, if you want something built different, if it can be done, they will do it, costs money of course, but they are a very proactive, small, specialty builder. When I had a couple questions about how we want/need our 21RBS built/modified, I emailed them, and in a couple hours got an answer back, from the owner himself, with an explanation of how to order the mods, and how they would be charged. Also if you are handy, just like a house, you can pretty much change a TT to whatever you need, within reason. And if you yourself are not, there are companies that specialize in it.. :) And.. we are also in our 5th season with our 177, not a single complaint. What we have wanted different, we have changed. But after +200 nights, still no complaints. As far as resale value, TT's of no type are "investments" they are money pits. Just like boats or pools. (OK, I will modify that based on personal experience.. if you happen to have bought a new '53 Bambi, and still own it, and it's in good shape, you can get as much as a new one for it, easy. But you had to wait 60 years for that to happen) ------------- |
Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 8:42am
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First, full disclosure. I am a former very satisfied Rpod owner and still an active participant in this forum, but I now own a Camplite. I have no experience with Lance. We loved our Pod and towed it across the country including Colorado. There are just two of us and the Pod was very cozy, but it just got too small. Both campers are well built, but the CL has the advantage of no rot/no rust and an all welded tubular cage. The latter should an advantage on uneven bumpy roads. I carried 2 bikes on the back of the Pod with no problems, but I didn't spend a lot of time off the pavement. With the CL I got the factory to beef up their bumper and I mounted a two bike carrier on it. I can sit and jump on that carrier now with no flexing or problems. The CL will probably hold it's value better, but the initial cost is also higher. If you plan on trading in 3 years the absolute loss in dollars may be similar or even less with the Pod. I towed the RP-172 with a 4WD Honda Pilot 3.6L V6 rated at 4500#. It was very capable on flat low altitude roads, but did strain on the steeper CO mountain passes. Red Mountain and Wolf Creek passes were tests, but we just went slower. Your Forerunner should be rated at 5000# so the engine becomes the limiting factor. That's just the physics of a small engine. The RP-179 or the CL 14DBS should be OK. The 16DBS might be a test, but only climbing passes. Sometime you just won't be first to the top. BTW you have a good CL dealer in Denver. This is not a commercial for Livinlite. Everyone has to make his own decision according to all factors involved. This is just my experience and the resulting decision. ------------- 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: trhoppe
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 10:41am
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Thanks for the opinions guys. I was hoping I'd get some commercials either way. Trying to decide, and IMO real people that review and put their money where they like are the best commercials for a product either way. I don't expect the Rpod to be an "even" match to a CL or a Lance. It's not supposed to be. But I'm wondering if it's "worth it", you know? Everyone here has responded in a positive way about the RPod, so far at least. That's cool! As far as the 2 person dinette on the 14DBS. There is the appeal that with the Lance we can do 4 people in the camper. The dinette there is huge, and can sleep two people, and can also sit 3. But most important, it can sit 2 with their feet up and comfortably chilling. The 14DBS is more "sit 2 to eat and then move on". It doesn't look like a place where you can just lounge. And as said above, the 16DBS is really above our comfortable towing limit, so we're not even looking at it. It's really 14DBS (likely not), Lance 1575, or Rpod 179. All 3 of those will be 3000lbs after options (ac/awning/dual 6v batteries) and ~3700lbs loaded with our stuff. That's max that I want to tow, even with the "5000" limit. Thanks again for the opinions!
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Posted By: trhoppe
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 10:42am
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As far as "investment", in no way/how do I think this will be anything other than a money pit. What I'm trying to prevent is going past the "quick/easy resale at a reasonable cost cause it's still pretty much new" time frame. It seems that a 3 year old travel trailer in good condition should be an easy sell. It's "hand over cash and go camping", where in a 5 year old model, you start talking about what had to be fixed/replaced and might have to do maintenance. At that point, people would spend way less money and less quickly. Just IMO of course. But that's why I'm asking. All I'm trying to do is minimize how much I would lose when I sell it.
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Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 11:19am
With your stated constraints, and at great personal risk to me from my Rpod friends, I'm going to recommend the Lance. For two reasons: bigger fridge and dry bath. The fridge is only 1 cu ft bigger and the dry bath is still tiny, but these will be huge advantages when you're in the box. The Lance suffers from slightly less gray water storage, but you'll adapt. Both Rpod and Lance are above average in manufacturing. The Lance also has the "4 Season" package if you want it. Perhaps you can talk with the Lance factory on ways to beef up the back bumper for the bike carrier. The cost analysis with initial/sale/investment dollars is left to the student. 
------------- 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: Mountainrev
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 1:03pm
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We have lived in Colorado for 19 years, and have been camping here longer than that. Prior to our R-pod, we owned popups. We just got the Pod at the end of last season, so we haven't had it long enough for me to give you a thorough evaluation, but so far, we love it. I have heard nothing but good about Lance campers. We have friends with a really nice Lance slide-in for their pickup, and they like it. As already noted, the price is a big difference. You said that you are more concerned about how much of your initial investment will you get back when you sell in a few years, than the initial cost. Campers of all varieties are really hot commodities in Colorado. I have sold two popups here (on Craigslist) and got full asking price for both, selling within days, and fielding dozens and dozens of inquiries. I don't think there would be an advantage with either camper. Like you, we have used it, and plan to continue to use it, mostly camping in National Forests via secondary roads (not off-roading, by any means, but not interstate driving and pulling into the paved RV campground). So a couple of thoughts on that aspect: First, I'd check the clearance on the Lance and compare it with the R-pod (which will be a Hood River Edition, if you buy it in Denver). My R-pod was purchased in Omaha, so it is not a Hood River, but does have the axle risers, so I feel it gives us adequate clearance for the kind of camping we do. The Lance may or may not. If it has less clearance, I think that would be a major negative. The other concern I would have about your camping in Colorado is your tow vehicle. Toyota 4-runners are great vehicles. You will be able to get where you want to go in the mountains. But be prepared for a slow drive up out of Denver! The V-6 is a bit marginal for mountain towing, in my opinion. Looks like the Lance and the R-pod are about the same weight, so no advantage either way. But I wouldn't go any heavier than either of them with your current tow vehicle. If a new tow vehicle is in your future, consider something with a bit more tow capacity, like a Sequoia, Expedition, Tahoe, etc. ------------- 2014 177 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee Turbodiesel "I lift my eyes to the hills." 
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Posted By: trhoppe
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 1:17pm
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I was hoping of what you said about selling used. Especially something small like this that's a "Fisher Price, my first camper" in that you can tow it with a smaller vehicle. I will check on the clearance, great call! What does the Hood River Edition give you that the others don't? I couldn't find ANY information about this online surprisingly. Or maybe my Google Fu isn't strong enough for this.
And lastly, the tow vehicle. Yes, these two are the max sizes we want to do. They will be ~3800lbs loaded down I believe, with maybe max 4000. Still not ideal for the 4Runner, as something 3500lbs would be perfect, but I think it will work. The Sequoia would be next on the list, but DAMN that sucker is huge. The 4 Runner has been so awesome I don't think we'll ever sell it. Maybe upgrade it for a 2012 with the V8 if we could find a cherry one. REALLY love the 4th Gen. |
Posted By: trhoppe
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 1:22pm
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Ahh found it: - Diamond plate rock protection on wheel wells and front wall - Axle riser for elevated ground clearance - X-treme 15 in. tires - Aluminum rims
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Posted By: trhoppe
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 1:29pm
| Does anyone have clearance numbers on the RPOD in terms of "important things hitting the ground"? The 1575 does have frame sliders built into the back, so that if you do hit, you won't hit anything important. Didn't see anything like that under the RPOD. Seemed you'd hit the jacks first, which could suck. |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 1:58pm
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If I was using it the way you intend, I would buy "save a jacks"..
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Posted By: trhoppe
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 2:09pm
| I think for the Rpod we'd want something like that. The Lance has these jacks that recess into the back bumper and then frame sliders right in front of them... |
Posted By: David and Danette
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 2:38pm
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I think with the Lance the materials used for building the trailer may be less toxic than that used for the r-pods if that is a concern. Both have fiberglass roofs which I think is a advantage over a rubber roof. They are both good campers though my personal opinion is that you get more for your money with the r-pods. ------------- 2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018- 2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019) 2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014) Middle Tn 2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab |
Posted By: David and Danette
Date Posted: 12 May 2015 at 5:15pm
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You may be interested in one of the newer Gulfstream Visa's the construction looked good when I looked at one. They are lite weight and they have several floor plans and aluminum framed with vacuum bonded walls and roof. We looked at one with a large rear bath and a front walk around queen bed.They upgrade the axle by 500 lbs. with larger wheels and gave it 4" more ground clearance. ------------- 2018 Vista Cruiser 19BFD (2018- 2012 Vibe 6503 (2014-2019) 2009 r-pod 171 (2009-2014) Middle Tn 2014 Ram 1500 Quad cab |