Awaiting 190 Delivery
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Topic: Awaiting 190 Delivery
Posted By: Outwest Redneck
Subject: Awaiting 190 Delivery
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 4:27am
Just put the reservation and down payment on a new 2020 190.
Gonna be the first new trailer. I've only had an old, janky ten popup and an ancient Aistream Argosy before this. Gonna be a learning curve to all this newfangled "teck-nall-oh-gee"
Anything I should know before I drive the 200 miles to go pick it up?
Planning on tugging her home with a Jeep GC Trailhawk 5.7 hemi, so at least I'll have plenty to tow it with.
Any tips, trick or eccentricities with the R-Pods???
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Replies:
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 5:36am
Welcome.
You are pretty much guaranteed to have some issues with workmanship on the trailer that need to be sorted out. Nothing special about rPods, that's just the state of quality control in the RV industry.
Have them put water in the tank, fill the water heater, and have a full propane cylinder and battery on it. Inspect and operate everything, look in all the cabinets, under that mattress, under the trailer, etc. Make sure you understand how it all works, and expect to have a punch list for them when you leave, and making a second trip to actually pick it up You will get much better service if you haven't paid them yet and taken delivery than if you tow it off the lot and then try to come back it get stuff fixed later.
Are you planning to get a weight distribution hitch for your rig? If so you might want to have that in place on your receiver, or have your dealer set it up for you when you go to pick up the trailer. Its not essential for your rig but you'll probably prefer the way it handles with one.
Are you planning to boondock? If so you'll most likely want dual batteries, so might want to have that installed at the dealer's before you pick up as well. Best is two high capacity 6V golf cart batteries in series rather than two 12V batteries in parallel. If you let them they will just provide you with one 12V battery.
------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Outwest Redneck
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 8:06am
Punchlist?
I'm looking at a WD hitch, just trying to find the right one. I reckon that if I'm gonna also tug it with my wrangler rubicon I'd prefer to have one.
We're essentially going to be roughing it everywhere we go. I don't particularly expect to ever hook it up to the pole. We do have a decent generator and are going to be adding the solar panels. So really outside of occasional A/C, lights at night or the fridge/ water heater (if I'm not running it on propane) I don't plan on running the power very often.
Even though we're in the Nevada desert, we're up north in the mountains, so it's warm in the day and cool at night... and when it's "cold" that usually means a foot or 3 of snow, so usually our camp season is well over by then.
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 8:16am
Punchlist just means the list of stuff they need to fix before you will accept the trailer. General construction industry term, sorry.
Not sure I'd try to tow a 190 with a Wrangler, especially in the mountains, and loaded for boondocking. Whats the tow rating on that? My Highlander is 5000 and that's the lowest I'd consider to tow my 179. I always boondock too and dual batteries, 30 gal of water, a genny, maybe in your case dual propane tanks for those cold nights, its going to add up the pounds really quickly.
------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Outwest Redneck
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 8:20am
It's got a gvwr of 3500 and tongue weight of 300.
Kinda part of why I went with the 190 as it spec'd at just under 3k dry.
I mean, it's not a big deal, we always take our the UTV when we go also so I can just pull that with the wrangler.
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 8:32am
I'd suggest you use the Wrangler for the UTV.
Ignore the trailer dry weight, its a useless number for a boondocker. No batteries, water in the tanks or water heater, no options, no gear. You will be at or near the traller max gross weight and over the 300 lb tongue weight. My 179 weighs in with a full fresh water tank and dual batteries at about 3700 and 500 on the tongue.
Also, the 3500 lb tow weight rating is going to be with just a driver in the Wrangler and nothing else, that's how vehicle tow ratings are done. Neither the trailer or TV numbers have much to do with real world towing.
Slightly off topic, I'm thinking about getting a UTV, what do you have and do you like it?
------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Outwest Redneck
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 8:43am
We have an '18 Kawasaki Teryx4 800cc.
If you're a speed demon and want to get crazy, it's not gonna do what you want it to. But if you're looking to go low and slow over damn near anything, it'll do.
For a kind of comparison... my brother-in-law has a Can-Am Maverick 1000. Playing in the sand he was in 4WD all the time, I think I used mine once. At the gas station he topped off with $18, and ours took $3.80
It's gone everywhere I've had the guts to take it with zero issues, it just won't get there very fast. It also has quite a bit of cabin noise, so if you want a peaceful ride with the wife it's perfect.... you won't hear a word she says.
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 8:58am
Thanks. Sounds about my speed. I'll mostly just use it puttering around my 24 acre SW VA mountain hobby farm and some of the neighbor's places. I'm thinking I probably ought to get something with a tilt bed though.
------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Outwest Redneck
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 9:31am
With that in mind I'd look at either the Kawasaki Mule or even a John Deere Gator. They both have dump beds.
The Mule is more off-road capable, can be had in diesel, starts around $7k up to $15k. Multiple styles to choose from and can fit 2, 3 or 4 passengers depending on the model. Heck, you can even get the little 2-seater SX model that will fit in the bed of a pickup.
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Posted By: Dirt Sifter
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 9:49am
Congratulations on the new RPod, and welcome from Eastern OR. I've been thru your area a number of times and like it a lot. Drug one of our previous TT thru a 12" snow dump there one night. The thirty footer was not cooperating so spent the night in the KOA. That is part of the reason we now have our second RPod. The only thing I can add to the above comments is that you'll want to consider a WDH with sway control. You get some pretty breezy conditions and a lot of truck traffic on those two lanes; the stability control helps.
------------- Greg n Deb 2020 195 HRE
'07 Tundra 5.7L., '17 Tacoma 3.5L. Both with tow packages
1 Puggle, 1 Chihuahua support staff
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 19 Aug 2020 at 12:09pm
Originally posted by Outwest Redneck
With that in mind I'd look at either the Kawasaki Mule or even a John Deere Gator. They both have dump beds.
The Mule is more off-road capable, can be had in diesel, starts around $7k up to $15k. Multiple styles to choose from and can fit 2, 3 or 4 passengers depending on the model. Heck, you can even get the little 2-seater SX model that will fit in the bed of a pickup. |
Thanks,
The Mule sounds interesting, I haven't looked at one yet. There are a lot of Polaris Rangers and Gators around here seems like. I think a diesel 2 seater with a dump bed might be a good choice. I'm also interested in looking at the electric Gator and Ranger, I don't need a lot of range for what I'll be doing.
------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Posted By: Outwest Redneck
Date Posted: 20 Aug 2020 at 3:54am
Yeah, you may not "need" the range... but you never know if you'll get the wild hair to go off-property with it and even then you can take extra fuel with you and extend the range.
Out here we can drive OHV's on the roads, we're just limited to a one-mile range on a highway. So it's pretty convenient for a quick run to the hardware store and you won't have to unload from the truck to load in the UTV to take the materials out on the land. And you'll have the added benefit of just going for a ride on your way to the store.
Here's a link to what I think would fit as an all-around perfect ride for what you're looking for.... now granted you could get used for cheaper, but this'll give you a good idea:
https://www.kawasaki.com/products/2021-mule-sx-4x4-fi?cm_re=MPP-_-PRODUCTTRIMLIST-_-VEHICLEDETAILS
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Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 20 Aug 2020 at 5:56am
Yep, that's about the configuration I'm looking for. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll see if I can find a dealer and try one.
There area a couple of reasons I am considering the electric option. First is its quiet, more likely not to scare off the wildlife. Second is reliability and maintenance. If I could go all electric I would, just to have to spend less time fixing and maintaining stuff, buying and transporting gas or diesel. Third is environmental, I'm a 40 plus year solar and battery guy. Oh, and did I say it was quiet?
So for me the only drawback is range, which is around 25 miles on a charge I think. As my property is a farm I can label it for farm use and drive on public highways for up to 75 miles as long as it is for agricultural purposes. But I wouldn't, because after 2 miles of state maintained gravel road I would be on a 60 mph rural highway for around 10 miles to the nearest stores. Not doing that in a UTV or on my tractor.
Anyhow, its good to have alternatives and it will be awhile before I get one anyway, we just bought the place and lots of other projects and expenses have higher priority.
------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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