I got an email from Scott Rhode at FR that clarifies the roof material. It is not fiberglass, tpo, or edpm. Instead, it is XTRM Ply PVC roofing which is also used on the Surveyor line. It is more durable than tpo or edpm (fiberglass is not mentioned in the flyer he attached describing it). It never needs treatments. It has a Solar Reflective Index of 109. It sounds like it will be a good roof material as the manufacturer has a 15 year warranty on it.

The front and back still look to be fiberglass. However, until we see close-up pictures or see one in person, it will be hard to tell for sure where the fiberglass transitions to the PVC in front and back and how it is sealed on the edges.

Yesterday, one of our clients asked us to make a replacement cushion for a 1996 Aljo 18' double axle travel trailer.  Except for the very low ceiling [I bumped my head on the ac] it had more features than the r-Pod, including a full stove and oven, a separate shower and sink in the head, a double bed/couch, and a dinette area.  With a little work, they had taken this old classic and made it almost like new.  

There is a market for r-Pod like trailers and if FR doesn't want that market segment any more, then some other company will fulfill the demand.  Every product goes through a life cycle and eventually dies out, but where there is a continuing demand for the original concept, some clever company will jump in and grab the opportunity.  

There will likely be a demand for the smaller R-Pods as well as the 195. If we did not already have our 179, I would be looking hard at the 195 as the older we get, the harder it is to do the crawl-over. It still maintains a lot of the features of the R-Pod line even if it is not quite what is expected.

Improvements mentioned in the videos beyond what is already discussed: Fully enclosed bottom meaning it will be better in cold weather. No mention of tank heat, so it still is likely not built for 4-season use, but add the hot water recirculation modification some have done and that would solve that, at least for the fresh water system.

 As usual, they have taken a great idea and gradually ruined the whole concept of a (truly) light weight ,aero dynamic,  self contained unit and moved it into the realm of boring piano box trailer (Not camper).

It will be unusual to see a true R POD on the road in a few years..............Whatever the market calls for I guess.  I hope to have our POD for many years to come.

If your a FB RPOD member:  https://www.facebook.com/rpodRV/videos/2258091267780246/

Last summer when I asked Lippert if the had a heavier axle they could sell me the first tech sales guy said he could sell me a 4400 lb axle (could have been 4200 lbs, can't recall exactly) but it was identical in all respects to the part number I gave him for the 3500lb one I already had. When I called back later another tech salesperson told be they weren't supposed to say that but could sell me a 5200 lb rated one which was a completely different axle. We also know that the 3000 lb ones on the light rPods are the same axle as the 3500 lb ones, just with a different rating. So there is certainly some spec derating going on here at times. 

So with those specs it appears to have an axle rating of 4400 lbs (4740-340). That's the same as the Nobo's have.

I just saw this on the Forest River's RP-195 page:

Specifications

There still are no exterior pictures available on the web site.

Yes. I also made a compartment in the big space so I have another storage compartment under the bed instead of just a big open space which is unusable when the heater is being run. I keep my extra converter there along with an extra water filter and the 3/4 width linens for the dinette bed along with a blanket. It will likely have an extra blanket or other bed cover eventually. I left space so it wouldn't interfere with the heater operation. It is pictured in my mods.

Edit: To avoid more thread drift, let's take this to another topic and leave this one for the 195. I still could see us eventually moving to something like the 195. Although I could tow it with the Frontier, I would really prefer to upgrade to a newer, higher capacity TV if I were to upgrade to the 195.

It might work for my wife and I if we get to the point of having to climb over or switch sides too many times at night. She is 5'3" and we both tend to curl up when we sleep. I'm not doing anything with that unused space yet and very little with the inner part of the outside accessed underbed compartment, so I view the better access there as a benefit. 

Once you opened up some of the area which is currently under the bed you could place drawers or cabinet doors and make much better use of the under bed storage space than we can now. That would probably mean relocating some items that are currently accessed through the ourside door to the tow vehicle. There is also a wasted boxed in area just in front of the closet/drawer section that would become accessible. 

I also like the vent hood for the stove. It has been mentioned more than once that one would be good to have and FR listened. That would help with the "dinner will be ready when the smoke alarm goes off" situation. I would be able to work around the counter space limitation, especially since there are cabinets above the sink and stove which are another thing that I really like about the 195 design. If the table indeed no longer has the pivoting mechanism but instead has legs that collapse and a slot for storage by the door, that is another thing that has been a source of annoyance for many that will have been addressed. As for the refrigerator location, in order to have the dry bath, the pantry has to be somewhere. It would either be where it is in the 195 design or if the refrigerator were in the same place as the 179, the pantry just swap locations and the counter space would still be limited. In the 195 layout, it is highly likely that the refrigerator performance will be much improved as the air flow for the back of the refrigerator should be much improved. If the refrigerator were to be put in the same location as in the 179, the airflow would still be less than ideal due to the need to vent it through the side of the slide-out. So many people would rather have the dry bath with separate shower. The wet bath (I don't mind it) is a turn-off to many.

All in all, I think FR put a lot of thought into this design. Will it please everyone? No. Will it be something that will be popular and sell well? I think so depending on the price point.

If you have a single spray port, and you have the access, you could connect it to the hot water line rather than the cold. Then add an adjustable thermostat to the water heater and your water will be just the right temperature coming out of your spray port. Pretty simple mod. 

StephenH, I think you could do something like you're suggesting by removing the 179 closet and rebuilding it on the opposite wall just in front of the slide. You would have room to reuse the same closet door I think. You would lose the bottom drawer or two, because the furnace is under there. 

That would give you a L shaped bed area along the front and passenger side walls, with both legs of the L about 75 inches long. You would need to be willing to play footsies with your trailer mate though .

Did FR go too far in flattening the back of the 195?  Only time will tell, but there is nothing really special about a trailer with a rounded front and a flat back.  You can find several brands within the FR lineup and many from other manufacturers.  Personally, what I think FR is trying to do is catch the part of the market of aging Pod owners who want a full bath and a little easier to access bed.  I think they figure we are losing agility and, though we still want a small trailer, we now want the ease of getting in and out of bed easily and the convenience of a separate shower.  

They're right in going after this market segment and will probably have a successful product provided they keep the value for the price competitive with other brands.  If I were in the market for a new trailer, I'd certainly consider the 195, but i'd also seriously take a look at the Pacific Coachworks 18FB as an alternate.  At that point, it all boils down to price (assuming comparable quality).  I feel no sense of personal loyalty to Mr. Buffett or any of his companies.

As Honda has made the Civic larger over time they did not retain the original "small" Civic. Instead, they introduced the Fit as the smallest car in their US product line. By doing it that way they have retained the distinctiveness of both product lines while being able to cash in on existing Civic customers' desire for a larger vehicle as they aged. Smart strategy that worked well for them. FR is not doing that (so far) with the r-pod. 

As to manufacturers making what customers want in order to survive, that is not how marketing led companies work. Companies that are sales driven have a short planning horizon and want to make what customers tell them they want today. Successful marketing driven companies filter what sales is telling them about their customers, assess their own and their competitor's producs and capabilities, and then plan their product lines and marketing materials to "teach" customers what they ought to want.  Best example of this in history? The iPhone. 

My concern with having a "big fat" r-Pod in the lineup is that it creates a muddle, customers will no longer know what an r-Pod is and isn't as distinct from other products in the market. Maybe FR has decided that  most everyone who wants a "small" r-pod has already bought one, or maybe they are planning a new "small" product line like Honda did, or maybe they are being short sighted. Again, time will tell.

All that being said, if you like the new "big fat" r-pod, buy it, nothing wrong with that. I'm sure it will be a good product. Its too big for me. 

My thoughts too on the heater pads.

As long as I can continue to climb over my wife, we will likely stick with our 179. When I can't do that, I can use my modified dinette. In that case, I may reduce the queen mattress size and make some cabinetry in the front end of the 'Pod. While I would like to go with the 195 because of multiple features with it that I like, finances dictate sticking with what we have for now. We just plunked down almost 3K on the new axle, brakes, hub, and slide-out leak repair so money for trading isn't necessarily there and won't be for a while. That is okay since it won't even be available for several months.