Another area chosen by management is the design and engineering that goes into their products.  The original design concept of the R-Pod was for a small, economical, light weight travel trailer that could be towed by a mid-sized vehicle, thus a narrow body, super lightweight frame, and a light weight suspension.  Our 172 was exactly that and gave us few problems.  As other trailer companies began to enter the small lightweight trailer market, it seems that FR's R-Pod division decided to expand the length and width of their trailers and add slide outs to make them more roomy. Unfortunately, they apparently didn't re-engineer the chassis to accommodate the extra stress on the structure or the weight.  Most of the serious problems with their current product lines relate to the lack structural support for the coach cabin.  Now it has structural failures and leaks that are the the death knell of any wood based trailer cabin.  

It's impossible to know where the travel trailer business is going.  If demand slumps we may see more competition on quality and maintainability.  If the Covid related RV boom continues, there is little incentive for the RV industry to fix their quality deficiencies.  If I were rich and wanted to be in RV business, I'd look at importing some travel trailers from Europe, where the build quality seems to be a bit better and the prices competitive with US products.  This was the experience we had in the automotive world where imports pushed a lazy US manufacturing culture to build world class quality vehicles to compete with European and Japanese cars.

Perhaps. Or it could simply be that more of them are produced in Indiana than in Oregon. Something like 80% of all RV's in the US are made in Northern Indiana. Anybody know the production rates at the two rPod production lines? 
 

It is my impression that lift and wheels/tires have been the only differences, and that the lift is now the same east and west. What other differences are there? 

Originally posted by GlueGuy I would also expect the cost of transportation over the Rocky Mountains to be a major issue. Distance and elevation.

Glue, your absolutely right, transportation to the east coast would be a major cost. My question, which I guess I didn't ask well, is why isn't the Hood River model also built in Indiana and sold on the east coast along with the standard models? Just seems to me there would be a big market on the east coast for this and dealers would love it because they can mark up the price because its a "Hood River" edition. I know for myself I would of thought long and hard and probably paid the extra markup for the option of buying the Hood River for the same model I bought from my dealer.

Originally posted by ribet I would like to find out where the 180's mentioned above were built.  I believe mine was built in Oregon.  I will try to check tomorrow. Any ideas how to check on this?  Cant go out tonight due to a brown bear in my garage last night, 5 feet from my rPod.

Nope no big brown fuzzy critters around here, thankfully. Just tree rats (Squirrel's), and the occasional Opossum or Skunk.

Please group correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the east coast factory is in Goshen, IN and the west coast in Sheridan, OR.

Since Forest River is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Company maybe I can call its owner Warren Buffett the next time I have a problem, you think? 

We love our 180.  Pulls very easily with our Toyota Tacoma with 6 speed manual transmission, V6 engine, and factory towing package.

The only problem we have  had that was significant enough to return to the dealer to fix was a bad magnet on the left side brake.  I could tell when we pulled it home after the walk through at the dealers that the brakes were not right.  When I got home I felt the brake drums.  The right was warm and the left was cold.

I called the dealer and he gave us an appointment to bring it in the next morning.  I'm lucky in that our dealer is only five miles from home.  They put it in the shop right away, trouble shot it, and replaced the bad magnet while I watched.  It took about an hour.

There is a manufacture date and place of manufacture on a decal on the front/right hand side of the frame.  On the west coast has the Hood river edition with the higher axles and  knobby tires.  I purchased mine almost two years ago that was manufactured in Dallas,Oregon,now they are built in Sheridan,Oregon. I contacted Forest River about about a new road wheel and using the serial number they confirmed the built date and place.  She also told me besides the axle and tires the Hood River version Paint scheme has the yellow curve on the side of the pod that the east coast version does not have.

Originally posted by ribet I would like to find out where the 180's mentioned above were built.  I believe mine was built in Oregon.  I will try to check tomorrow. Any ideas how to check on this?  Cant go out tonight due to a brown bear in my garage last night, 5 feet from my rPod.

No bears in my garage so I went out and looked everywhere inside and outside on our 2919 (built in April 2018) 180.  I could not find anything indicating where it was built.

Does seem your on pretty much the same axle (lippert I believe) and never did find out frame thickness (secret I guess). That being said, probably same inherent issues with axle & frame. Just as a curiosity, if you would post up what you find on both. Axle rating & frame dimensions (width x height x thickness).

You should stick around! Far too many good folks here and most all your issues, questions and solutions will still relate.  

Best of with the new unit and safe travels!

Can I join this club???

I too have had more problems due to poor quality of build and parts used in the R-Pod that I don't know where to begin if I were to make a list! Yet, for all its many faults, we love our little Pod and beyond a doubt I've sure received an education in camper trailer repair and dealing with warranty issues with the dealer and factory. Though if like the OP of this thread I had problems with water leaks from the ceiling and de-lamination and warping of siding that would be the deal breaker and I would unload my R-Pod in a flash!

I know all RV's be it trailer campers and motor homes have issues since the beating they take going down the highways and byways. Yes, I know in everything that's manufactured there are lemons and all you can hope is your lucky enough to live in a State that has strong lemon laws on RV's. A quick short list of the problems I've had with my camper is the same as the OP he had with his. Crummy Thule awning that supports pulled out of the walls and extended braces that broke. Shower that leaked so bad I had to add support to the floor and re-putty and tighten the drain. Under the counter sink that fell down and then it was really an under the counter sink because it was held on only by the lip of screw heads they used, insane! Oh not to forget but I had to also replace its faucet because the cheap one they install in the factor broke, nice hu? Then lets add on after a year of ownership the cheap converter FR uses fries and two years out the power jack also gives up the ghost. It's been enough for most camper owners, like the OP of this thread, to say that's it I'm trading or selling but hey I'm a glutton for punishment, what can I say? Other then to say we really like its floor plan and the ease of towing and despite its many, many, problems we've had with it that we love it! Plus in my retirement years I'm thinking about opening up a camper repair business! Just kidding!