Reviews and General Information: deciding to buy

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deciding to buy

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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=7414
Printed Date: 26 May 2025 at 12:37am
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Topic: deciding to buy

Posted By: rvshopping
Subject: deciding to buy
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2016 at 10:42am

I'm trying to decide between the Rpod 176T and a Coachman Clipper 16B. The Rpod seems more stylish but I'm wondering about function. Does anyone know if the 2016 comes with the solar plug for a panel? Are the bunks really crowded? It seems like the height might be a tight squeeze. What about storage? Is there storage under the bottom bunk and dinette? If so is this storage separate from the pass through storage from the outside? In either case I think I will have to order the trailer sight unseen which makes me a little nervous. Thank you!

Replies:

Posted By: CharlieM
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2016 at 11:40am

A difficult decision because they are very similar. My guess is the Pod will be better constructed, but I've not seen the Coachman. I have owned an RPOD and was very satisfied. The Clipper has a dry bath, but the Pod probably would seem roomier inside due to the slide. Don't let the solar plug be a deciding factor. It is simply a socket with a wire to the battery, nothing more.

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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: furpod
Date Posted: 04 Feb 2016 at 5:31pm

2016 pod will have the solar plug in, and it's just as Charlie said, nothing to get bound up about.

Almost everyone with a 176T buys sight unseen, they are kind of rare.

I personally wouldn't have anything by Coachman, even a tent. But that is because a buddy had one and it was a nightmare.

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Posted By: Marco T
Date Posted: 05 Feb 2016 at 1:25pm

We bought the 2015 176t and although we haven't taken it on the road yet, we are very happy with our decision. It seems well-constructed and nicely laid out. The kids like their bunk beds, but at 32" wide, I don't think they'd feel cramped even for a moderately-sized adult. I'm also looking at solar, but think that if I buy something with different plugs it might be just as easy to clamp the cables directly to the battery to charge. Currently, (pun intended) we are looking at the 100W Renogy panel on Amazon and will probably pick a decent solar charge controller and try to mount it in a weather-proof junction box somewhere near the battery. I'm considering building a little adjustable stand to mount the panel on the ground when we set up camp. The only issue I'm trying to figure out is where to store the panel when we are not using it - it's a little too wide to fit in the pass-through storage. May need to build a storage case at the front or under the rpod.

Good luck with your decision!

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The Tri-podders
2011 Dodge Durango Citadel - 5.7L Hemi
2015 R-pod 176T