Lovin the Pod
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Category: R-pod Discussion Forums
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=9093
Printed Date: 25 May 2025 at 3:40am
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Topic: Lovin the Pod
Posted By: MichelleC
Subject: Lovin the Pod
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2016 at 2:39pm
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Hello-
We purchased our 2016 RP-177 back in June. I have been reading the forum and getting lots of great mod ideas  since then but just finally got around to getting myself set up.We had a 1988 Jayco pop-up and were thinking it might be time to make a change when on Memorial Day weekend as we were heading out of town I saw a trailer up ahead of us and convinced my husband to catch up to it so I could check it out. I thought it was one of the cutest campers I have seen! And the couple pulling it looked to be about our age (late 50s) so I figured it had to have a bathroom in it which is what we were looking for. When we got home I started researching, found a dealer and a week later we were picking her out. Absolutely love her!!!!! We did a number of trips to a couple of different lakes within 1-2 hours of home through the summer and then in Oct took her to Kansas to go to the NASCAR race. Experienced some wind and quite a bit of sway. 60 was top speed. Dealer says we don't really need more than a sway bar but I am seriously thinking about a WDH/sway control. For the most part I am the one that pulls her as we have a boat and my husband pulls it. Is the WDH/sway control overkill or really worth the $$ it is going to cost? ------------- 2016 RP-177HRE pulled by 2008 Chevy Tahoe Happy Husband, Happy Wife, Happy Golden Retriever makes for a Happy Camper Life :) |
Replies:
Posted By: M&M
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2016 at 3:03pm
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Good Afternoon MichelleC, My wife and I picked up our 179 in August. We had never towed anything before. We had the dealer install a WDH/sway control and we are happy that we did. I don't know how it would be without it, but it tows like a dream with it. Just my two cents. Congratulations and welcome to the group! Happy Travels! ------------- 2017 179 "Big Sexy" 2012 Honda Pilot |
Posted By: furpod
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2016 at 3:26pm
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Having towed a 177 many miles, both with and without a WDH, we like the way it rides with the WDH. We don't use sway control.
http://www.reeseprod.com/products/weight-distribution/round-bar-wd/round-bar-w-hitch-bar/xihofqeC8HLX0se2X!82G4J3ASe57Ttc - We use this one. ------------- |
Posted By: Leo B
Date Posted: 02 Dec 2016 at 3:51pm
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Welcome to the group! Congrats on your 177
!!
------------- Leo & Melissa Bachand 2017 Ford F150 2021 Vista Cruiser 19 csk Previously owned 2015 Rpod 179 2010 Rpod 171 |
Posted By: mjlrpod
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2016 at 8:46am
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My opinion is simple. I would rather think 5 years from now " i wonder if i really needed this" than possibly end up with a major issue and be standing on the side of the highway thinking " Why didn't i take that simple step that cost a lousy couple hundred bucks" . I've been in a vehicle as a kid when the trailer almost jack knifed. I watched in fear as it swayed back and forth and my dad fought to regain control. Had there been any traffic around us, who knows what might of happened. That was the only time, with many trips with that trailer, that something like that happened. If i recall correctly, that was when he bought the sway bar. I use the " better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it " approach on this subject. you'll only live thru that once without realizing how important it " can " be. Me personally, i have WDH with sway control. The fastway E2, and it was $525.00 installed. Over ten years its fifty dollars worth of piece of mind per year. That's my opinion, only you can decide the thing that's right for you
------------- 2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2016 at 1:21pm
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We purchased our 177 back in March 2011 and towed it home in our '08 Explorer across the UP of Michigan and finally home in Northern Michigan, a trip of 240 miles in a lot of snow. No sway control, no WDH and no problems. The following month we went on our first trip, got up to 45 mph and nearly lost control as the pod was swaying back and forth. No trip, went back home and installed a sway control bar. Since then we have traveled over 25,000 miles (upgraded to a '13 Explorer) out west, down south, east to Pennsylvania and have had no problems, even with very strong cross-winds in excess of 25 mph while driving. Maybe if I had a WDH as many do, I would upgrade as I hear they improve the quality of your ride, but we are comfortable using just the sway control for the past 5 and a half years. Only thing you cannot forget to do is to loosen it before backing up, else you will destroy the sway bar. I haven't done it (fortunately) yet, but have seen others who forgot and saw the results.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2016 at 1:25pm
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MichelleC. Enjoyed your post, we started with a small Rockwood popup when our family was small (4). As the family and kids grew in size we purchased a Rockwood 1160 popup in 1993 and continued with that until we saw our first R-Pod in October 2010 while camping as Fort Wilkens SP in Copper Harbor, MI. After that we were smitten and ordered our 177 in January 2010 from a dealer in Excanaba, MI. Great dealer, great travel trailer, many great memories.
------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: ParPod
Date Posted: 04 Dec 2016 at 2:15pm
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MichelleC. Congrats on the 177. We use the Fasway E2 hitch. I got the information about it from this forum and told our dealer when we purchased our 179 this past summer to provide that as well. Now having said that.....we needed both WD and AS for the TV that we are currently driving and the E2 provides both. I asked the Service Manager about still using the hitch when we go to a larger vehicle. His consensus was yes the new vehicle might not "need" it per se but it just makes towing easier and more stable. Sounded like good advice to me. ------------- Bob&Margaret 2017 179 2016 Toyota 4Runner 2 sets of Golf Clubs |