On our last trip, it was quite chilly and rainy and we didn't use the R-dome. Between the shoes, dog dishes and the dog ( a lab), floor space was pretty much non-existant. I must admit that it was at that point that I really wished we had a larger trailer.

Thanks for the compliment!  The awning is Italian, made by the company Fiamma, and is model F45.  Trailmanor uses them with both their fold-down and upright trailers.  It's dead easy to set up (I certainly don't miss the R-Dome set-up).  If it has a fault, it is probably not as wind-resistant as a more traditional awning.  If the winds are predicted to go over 15 MPH, the awning gets stashed.  The good news is that it's a 2 minute, almost effortless job to do.  

I'm not going to commit that it's adaptable to an R-Pod - that's for others to determine.

BTW, I  think that your Coleman rig is also very sharp!

 

But, it seems to be pretty common to get the dealer knock $2K or so off the price of the pod by various tactics. It was pretty easy in our case, just showed them the sticker from another dealer for an identical model, and asked them to price match. Done.

 

So I guess I'm saying to just be sure the price of the pod relative to the Surveyor really is $250, and that you're not comparing an inflated pod price to a Surveyor price. That may or may not influence your final decision. Maybe you've already done this. I'm just sayin' ...

 

Either way, you'll have lots of support here on the forum, I'm sure.

I agree that you need to look seriously at some anti-sway control for the CJ and possibly a weight distribution hitch as well.  With the lower weight of the r171 we are only putting anti-sway control on our unit.  We have good weight distribution but have noticed some sway from passing trucks.  

They are passing us not the other way around.  We take that pulling the barn door problem with the r*pods seriously and travel below 60 mph.

 

The only caveat for towing any travel trailer with the FJ might be its short wheelbase. It would be very prudent to make sure you set yourself up with both a WDH and sway control. A short wheelbase is very good for an able offroader like the FJ, but the shorter the wheelbase, the more prone to sway when towing. My Tacoma has a 6500 lb. tow rating, and you said the FJ is rated at 5000 lbs. I believe the FJ has a little more hp. and torque than the Tacoma. The wheelbase is the only thing I can think of that would cause your lower tow rating ( not knowing your wheel/tire size or rear end ratio). 

We have a 4 liter V6 in our Tacoma which is much more power than we need for our r171.

 

Nice looking rig, Big Bit!  It looks like it has the type of awning I thought could be adapted to the Pod - self storing, in it's own box.  I thought I could fasten it in 2 places on the "flat" roof/rail portion of the 170 series Pod and then make 2 small brackets to fasten it where it would extend beyond the curvature on the front and rear. 

I used to own a RP173, but now I don't even own a FR product.  Most here seem to be pretty cool

and enjoy interacting with other campers.  I don't know if you know this but, the Surveyor is extemely similar to the Pod - even made in the same factory, by the same workers as the Pod (they make Pods for a week or two and then they make Surveyors for a week or two.  Had there been a Surveyor dealer near me, I would likely have one now.

 

Don't get me wrong - the Pods are cool in their own way and they are the RIGHT camper for a lot of folks.  But, they are not the "right" camper for everybody, due to different wants/needs.  Even FR knows this and that's why they produce other lines of campers.

 

Keep in mind that most here are "pod-heads" and crazy about their campers that they have much invested in....which is entirely understandable. (This is an Rpod forum, afterall) That's OK!  As I have stated many times before, the people are much more important than what they sleep in at night. IMHO 

 

Sounds like the dealership has Surveyors they need to move.