R-pod Owners Forum : Alaska with the 190 https://www.rpod-owners.com/ This is an XML content feed of; R-pod Owners Forum : Camping Adventures : Alaska with the 190 Copyright (c) 2006-2009 Web Wiz Forums - All Rights Reserved. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 04:59:06 +0000 Sat, 31 Dec 2022 12:02:07 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Wiz Forums 9.64 360 https://www.rpod-owners.com/RSS_post_feed.asp?TID=15341 R-pod Owners Forum https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_images/web_wiz_forums.png https://www.rpod-owners.com/ Alaska with the 190 : Like kcisland, we too drove the... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=150464#150464 Author: James07
Subject: 15341
Posted: 31 Dec 2022 at 12:02pm

Like kcisland, we too drove the Alcan last summer with 2015 178.  Round trip Sacramento to Homer was 7,000 miles.  Drove up late May and returned late August.  It was a great trip and met many great people.  Some damage, but you should not be hesitant about making the road trip.

Twice cracked front windshield, trailer brakes lost electrical connection, lower front of r-pod at the corners came apart, super high gas prices, covid hassles at border ... but the scenery, wildlife, and adventure all worthwhile.  
]]> Sat, 31 Dec 2022 12:02:07 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=150464#150464 Alaska with the 190 : The AlCan can be brutal, although... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=149343#149343 Author: GlueGuy
Subject: 15341
Posted: 15 Aug 2022 at 10:01am

The AlCan can be brutal, although not as bad as it was 20 years ago. When we've vacationed in AK, it seemed like the construction zones were constant.]]> Mon, 15 Aug 2022 10:01:05 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=149343#149343 Alaska with the 190 : Wow! I think that is persuading... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=149334#149334 Author: StephenH
Subject: 15341
Posted: 14 Aug 2022 at 7:00pm

Wow! I think that is persuading me that my idea of towing out 179 up to Alaska might not be that great an idea. :(

We already have had a bent/cracked frame from the rough pull off at highway speed that we had in Utah. That was fixed, but I still need to level out the floor a bit more. It is definitely still sagging on the slide-side, even with the outriggers.
]]> Sun, 14 Aug 2022 19:00:45 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=149334#149334 Alaska with the 190 : Masternav, hope you are able to... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=149332#149332 Author: gpokluda
Subject: 15341
Posted: 14 Aug 2022 at 6:31pm

Masternav, hope you are able to put the rpod back together again and create more memories. I will say this, however. In my years in the motorcycle industry, I have seen many highly engineered, purpose built motorcycles brought to their knees while journeying up to Alaska. I can only imagine what it would do to a lightly built RV trailer. That is one tough trip. Good for you!]]> Sun, 14 Aug 2022 18:31:37 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=149332#149332 Alaska with the 190 : Originally posted by kcisland Hello... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=149320#149320 Author: Masternav
Subject: 15341
Posted: 12 Aug 2022 at 1:27pm

Originally posted by kcisland

Hello fellow Podder’s!



I am not much for posting but thought I would do a shortreport on a recent trip through the Yukon up to Alaska and how the 190 survivedthe trip. 

The trip up was pretty straightforward up the Alcan Highway but the way home was via Dawson City and the Cassiar Highway after stopping in Whittier and Valdez.



Scenery – Indescribable! I have worked a bunch inAlaska so have seen a lot of the sites there, but the scenery in Northern BCand the Yukon is some of the best I have seen, almost as good as Patagonia.

Wildlife – over 30 bears both Grizzly and Black,hundreds of Bison, Caribou, Dall Sheep, Foxes, Snowshoe Hares, and one Lynx!

Roads – The road reports are always subjective due topeople’s experiences and what vehicle they are driving.  The lower part of BC is pretty good, similarto the US.  The upper part of BC throughthe Yukon and into Tok, AK got progressively worse starting with the standardperma frost roller coaster heaves, moving on to cracked asphalt, on to hugepotholes and drop off’s.  There werestretches of road that were gravel or pure dirt/mud and a lot of roadconstruction with long wait times for pilot cars to guide you through.  The Canadian border to Tok, AK was the worseof the whole trip where I didn’t go any faster than 40mph for stretches due tothe breakup and undulations.  Thisstretch did a number on the 190 loosening up everything (see R POD reportbelow), but then we did a stretch of over 70 miles to a small village of ManleyHot Springs that was all gravel washboard that shook the poor 190 to bits.

R POD – Despite the following report it did as well as it could underthe conditions.  First of all I was gladI did the Offgrid axle support.  Afterthe first incident of lost camber, a new axle, and adding the support, I havereally watched the cargo weight and only ran with a 1/3 full freshwater tankand minimal supplies.  Despite thepotholes and major slams encountered, the axle camber held great and the wheelsare vertical.  But…

EVERYTHING else rattled and fell apart including:

  • the floor is sagging under the slide…I will haveto do the extension brackets
  • sink P-traps unscrewed themselves
  • the whole lower vacuum cabinet module separated fromthe upper cabinet
  • water pump filter cap came loose creating an airleak in the line
  • the sewer pipe bracket snapped and the pipe drugon the highway
  • all the AC bolts backed themselves out and the unitwas just sitting there in the housing
  • the heater has internal parts rattling (stillneeds to be inspected)
  • step screws fell out
Like I said, despite all this the 190 did well.  I know these POD’s are built light weight andcheaply, probably not meant for these conditions despite the Hood River beingsold with “offroad” ground clearance and tires.  

Being a DYI’er and a fix it guy I can easilymake all the repairs with materials substantially stronger and the 190 shouldbe able to handle almost anything after this run!

You got lucky.  We started our version of the same trip three days after you posted this, with very similar, but even worse results--we have a cracked frame in addition to the AC unit breaking loose and dragging the black water line twice and nearly a third (I caught it before I lost anything more than the cap).  The AC bolts didn't loosen in my case, but snapped off and the unit was hanging over the front of the unit by it's power cord.  One of the (only) two outrigger floor supports under the slide broke the weld and the other bent severely, resulting in the slide dragging on the floor inside.  We were probably the slowest vehicle on the highway and exceptionally careful to avoid potholes and the worst of the frost heave.  Of course, avoiding all of it is impossible, which is why any vehicle or trailer manufacturer to design and build to meet actual road conditions.  I'm not so generous with Forest River, as I don't give them credit for their flimsy construction.  

We traveled through Banff and Jasper National Parks, the Alaska Highway, a short portion up and back on the Canol Road (Provincial Highway), Fairbanks, Denali, Anchorage, a side trip to Skagway, then also down the Cassiar Highway.  We got back two days ago.




]]> Fri, 12 Aug 2022 13:27:06 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=149320#149320 Alaska with the 190 : O.G. Did you recommend 1"... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148667#148667 Author: jato
Subject: 15341
Posted: 23 Jun 2022 at 6:02pm

O.G.  Did you recommend 1" angle iron for the axle stiffener or a different size?
]]> Thu, 23 Jun 2022 18:02:16 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148667#148667 Alaska with the 190 : The only (slightly) tricky part... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148657#148657 Author: offgrid
Subject: 15341
Posted: 23 Jun 2022 at 4:24am

The only (slightly) tricky part is to get the angle bent to line up with the cambered axle. You need to find someone with a press and have them lay the angle under it with the edge up while supporting the ends. Then press down till you get about 3/16 crown in the angle. Bolt it on using 4 square u bolts at 45 degree angles. Place the U-bolts outboard as far as possible without interfering with the brake plates or torsion arms. That's all there is to it.

Recently there seems to also be a crop of bent frames showing up. The frames are bending right where the axle is attached. That attachment location is under engineered as is the axle. I didn't do this fix myself but I'd recommend replacing the lift kits with a second 4x2 inch tube matching the existing frame rail tubes. Mate those tubes up to the bottom of the existing tubes and either weld them or use gusset plates and Tek screws on each side to attach them together. Then reattach the axle to the new lower tubes, without the lift kits.

I did a calc at one point for the 179/180 size rpods to determine length of the tubes and posted it. Probably around 3 years ago. IIRC they wanted to be around 5 ft long and to extend about 3 ft behind the axle.

With the frame and axle reinforcements, the outriggers to support the cantilevered floors, and properly rated wheels and tires we'd all have pretty structurally capable trailers, then we'd be down to just worrying about shaking the interior carpentry and appliances to pieces....
]]> Thu, 23 Jun 2022 04:24:30 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148657#148657 Alaska with the 190 : Originally posted by jeepers29Thank... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148654#148654 Author: kcisland
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 9:25pm

Originally posted by jeepers29


Thank you.  I an new to the pods.  We just bought a new 180 and the tires already lean in at the top.  They were like that when I picked it up new, without anything in it.  Wonderful.

New? It should be under warranty.  I had a great dealer that submitted my claim even though my warranty was just expired.  Lippert covered it and I got a new axle.

The axle stiffener support will not fix a straightened axle - it may stop it from getting worse - but it is better to replace or re-camber your current axle then add the stiffener.

Good luck!
]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 21:25:14 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148654#148654 Alaska with the 190 : Originally posted by postonAwesome!... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148653#148653 Author: kcisland
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 9:18pm

Originally posted by poston


Awesome!  We plan to do a similar trip over about two months.  Do you think that would be enough time for a leisurely trip?

And did you just return, so you went the four weeks prior to mid-June?

Fun!





poston,

The short answer is yes!  I do think that would be enough time!

The long answer is it depends on your camping/vacation style.  

My other vacations consist of dropping somewhere in South America with a backpack and no agenda and just start walking.  Just before Covid hit I rented a motorcycle and cruised up and down the Yucatan coastline eating ceviche.  If hit a village I liked and the food was good I would stay a few days, if it was sketchy, then I would move along.

Covid hit and we couldn't fly anywhere so I bought an R POD!  Drove to Yellowstone in the same fashion...fished my way there stopping at all the good lakes and taking in all the scenery with no agenda.  

Some folks can't vacation that way and need to zip from site to site in a frenetic pace.

There is sooo much to see on the trip up to Alaska and in Alaska itself!  Parks, hikes, museums, historical places...and if something is cool you want to hang out for more than a day.  This trip was short because there were deadlines - we had to pick someone up at the Fairbanks airport on a certain day, someone I was with needed to get back to work on a certain day...otherwise I too would have taken two months like you and probably still not seen it all!

Yes, we just got back mid June.

Have a good trip, take your time, and soak it all in!



]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 21:18:34 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148653#148653 Alaska with the 190 : Originally posted by kcisland It... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148650#148650 Author: jeepers29
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 5:53pm

Originally posted by kcisland

It is well documented here on the forum.

The axle is only rated for 3500 lbs with dry weight of 3200 lbs leaving about a 300 lbs cargo capacity.  Not much when you consider water hose, electrical cords, wheel chocks, food, pots and pans, clothing...it adds up fast. 

Top that with the unit's frame supports being too far inboard from the ends causing a cantilever, the camber can be lost from overloading and hitting a big bump.  It is very evident when your wheels toe in at the top.

Good camber:  About 1/4" gap with a straight edge.




Bad camber:  No gap with the straight edge.


Wheel tipped in at the top:


Offgrid's fix is a 3x3 structural angle supported by opposing U bolts to help stiffen up the cantilevered axle location.

Thank you.  I an new to the pods.  We just bought a new 180 and the tires already lean in at the top.  They were like that when I picked it up new, without anything in it.  Wonderful.
]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 17:53:14 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148650#148650 Alaska with the 190 : Originally posted by kcislandIt... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148649#148649 Author: poston
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 5:15pm

Originally posted by kcisland

It was a fun trip that has been on my bucket list for a while.  It really deserves more time than I took to do it (4 weeks).  I hope to do it again when I retire and just take my time and mosey hitting all the fishing spots....

Awesome!  We plan to do a similar trip over about two months.  Do you think that would be enough time for a leisurely trip?

And did you just return, so you went the four weeks prior to mid-June?

Fun!


]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 17:15:54 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148649#148649 Alaska with the 190 : You're welcome! It was a... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148647#148647 Author: kcisland
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 4:59pm

You're welcome! 

It was a fun trip that has been on my bucket list for a while.  It really deserves more time than I took to do it (4 weeks).  I hope to do it again when I retire and just take my time and mosey hitting all the fishing spots....



]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 16:59:06 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148647#148647 Alaska with the 190 : It is well documented here on... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148646#148646 Author: kcisland
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 4:52pm

It is well documented here on the forum.

The axle is only rated for 3500 lbs with dry weight of 3200 lbs leaving about a 300 lbs cargo capacity.  Not much when you consider water hose, electrical cords, wheel chocks, food, pots and pans, clothing...it adds up fast. 

Top that with the unit's frame supports being too far inboard from the ends causing a cantilever, the camber can be lost from overloading and hitting a big bump.  It is very evident when your wheels toe in at the top.

Good camber:  About 1/4" gap with a straight edge.




Bad camber:  No gap with the straight edge.


Wheel tipped in at the top:


Offgrid's fix is a 3x3 structural angle supported by opposing U bolts to help stiffen up the cantilevered axle location.
]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 16:52:04 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148646#148646 Alaska with the 190 : thanks for this Alaska report.... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148645#148645 Author: chasl
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 3:42pm

thanks for this Alaska report. helpful and interesting.]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 15:42:04 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148645#148645 Alaska with the 190 : Can you please explain the axle... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148643#148643 Author: jeepers29
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 3:04pm

Can you please explain the axle support.]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 15:04:22 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148643#148643 Alaska with the 190 : Super cool trip! https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148642#148642 Author: timirey
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 2:50pm

Super cool trip!

]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 14:50:53 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148642#148642 Alaska with the 190 : Mine got surface rust too, used... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148641#148641 Author: offgrid
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 11:42am

Mine got surface rust too, used to live near the beach on the OBX. Not an issue. If you want you can spray everything under there with Fluid Film. Seems to be good stuff, lanolin based so it won't hurt your clothing. ]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 11:42:43 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148641#148641 Alaska with the 190 : Yep, agree on the marketing comment!So... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148638#148638 Author: kcisland
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 9:43am

Yep, agree on the marketing comment!

So many sites to see and explore, things are going to go wrong...might as well have a positive attitude or stay home!

Here is your axle support in action after over 5600 miles...

Before and after:




Held up great besides my paint job getting sandblasted.  Miles of gravel blasted off my zip ties holding the brake wiring too.

Poser pic of the 190 in Whittier:


]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 09:43:42 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148638#148638 Alaska with the 190 : Yikes, a whole lot of shakin'... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148637#148637 Author: offgrid
Subject: 15341
Posted: 22 Jun 2022 at 9:01am

Yikes, a whole lot of shakin' going on. Glad you have a positive attitude. Probably most of the issues with fixtures and appliances would have happened regardless of what trailer you have as all the mfrs pretty much use the same components. The floor and cabinet problems I'd agree should probably be attributed to cheap construction practice.

As for the "Hood River" version being more robust, sorry west coast owners but I've seen no evidence at all of that. As far as I can tell it's been strictly a wheel and ground clearance difference, sometimes. The rest is just marketing IMHO. ]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 09:01:53 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148637#148637 Alaska with the 190 : Hello fellow Podder’s! I... https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148632#148632 Author: kcisland
Subject: 15341
Posted: 21 Jun 2022 at 4:23pm

Hello fellow Podder’s!



I am not much for posting but thought I would do a shortreport on a recent trip through the Yukon up to Alaska and how the 190 survivedthe trip. 

The trip up was pretty straightforward up the Alcan Highway but the way home was via Dawson City and the Cassiar Highway after stopping in Whittier and Valdez.



Scenery – Indescribable! I have worked a bunch inAlaska so have seen a lot of the sites there, but the scenery in Northern BCand the Yukon is some of the best I have seen, almost as good as Patagonia.



Wildlife – over 30 bears both Grizzly and Black,hundreds of Bison, Caribou, Dall Sheep, Foxes, Snowshoe Hares, and one Lynx!




Roads – The road reports are always subjective due topeople’s experiences and what vehicle they are driving.  The lower part of BC is pretty good, similarto the US.  The upper part of BC throughthe Yukon and into Tok, AK got progressively worse starting with the standardperma frost roller coaster heaves, moving on to cracked asphalt, on to hugepotholes and drop off’s.  There werestretches of road that were gravel or pure dirt/mud and a lot of roadconstruction with long wait times for pilot cars to guide you through.  The Canadian border to Tok, AK was the worseof the whole trip where I didn’t go any faster than 40mph for stretches due tothe breakup and undulations.  Thisstretch did a number on the 190 loosening up everything (see R POD reportbelow), but then we did a stretch of over 70 miles to a small village of ManleyHot Springs that was all gravel washboard that shook the poor 190 to bits.


R POD – Despite the following report it did as well as it could underthe conditions.  First of all I was gladI did the Offgrid axle support.  Afterthe first incident of lost camber, a new axle, and adding the support, I havereally watched the cargo weight and only ran with a 1/3 full freshwater tankand minimal supplies.  Despite thepotholes and major slams encountered, the axle camber held great and the wheelsare vertical.  But…

EVERYTHING else rattled and fell apart including:

  • the floor is sagging under the slide…I will haveto do the extension brackets
  • sink P-traps unscrewed themselves
  • the whole lower vacuum cabinet module separated fromthe upper cabinet
  • water pump filter cap came loose creating an airleak in the line
  • the sewer pipe bracket snapped and the pipe drugon the highway
  • all the AC bolts backed themselves out and the unitwas just sitting there in the housing
  • the heater has internal parts rattling (stillneeds to be inspected)
  • step screws fell out


Like I said, despite all this the 190 did well.  I know these POD’s are built light weight andcheaply, probably not meant for these conditions despite the Hood River beingsold with “offroad” ground clearance and tires.  


Being a DYI’er and a fix it guy I can easilymake all the repairs with materials substantially stronger and the 190 shouldbe able to handle almost anything after this run!


]]> Tue, 21 Jun 2022 16:23:53 +0000 https://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15341&PID=148632#148632