R Pod...

[GPW]

Well you guys know how I feel about the RV industry , BUT ... yesterday , went to a local RV dealer to get a "garnish ring " for my vent ... While I was there, spotted this TD looking TT ... Just HAD to stick my nose in ... And it was Pretty Nice ... Seemed like a good use of space .. still had all that RV silliness in it , but we did like the floorplan ... May steal some ideas from those guys ...

Remarkable thing , it was Light (2000lbs dry), and had a 1300 lb cargo capacity ... and a real seamless fiberglass roof .... no silly rubber or plastic with their attendant problems... Decently priced too (12K +) , and of course since the RV dealer's lot was stuffed with non selling trailers, they were ready to deal from the getgo , I didn't have to say a word and he was already offering a discount ... got a brochure and ran off , quick as I could ...
Worth checking out for ideas... Just FYI

[Alfred]

I think the R-Pods are interesting campers, too. They come with several different floorplans. Here are some linked pix:









AL

[GPW]

Al, it was the TD shape that caught my eye amongst all those ugly "Boxes" ...

[JuneBug]

They now make a version with a"garage" or large hatch in the back. It looks like the designers had more tailgating in mind than actual cooking.
I thought the only thing lacking in that version was a pass-through from the front of the R Pod to the "garage."

[jerry101jlh]

We considered the R Pod and MPG before buying from Little Guy. On the way up to pick up the LG I saw an R Pod on the road and it looked extremely awkward and unstable. Have to admit both the MPG and R Pod both had great features including the tip out bed area

[pete42]

Slow said "I seen one in riverton last week. they did turn me on much."

does that mean you liked them or like me sometimes you leave off the ( n't ) and meant to say " didn't turn me on much".

Like everything days gone bye or days to come prices are what they are high price today will be the old low price in 10 years.

I have found most used trailers cost as much as a new one.

[GPW]

Most everything seems "High" these days .... Luckily I got out of there while I could, only spending $6.27 , which I thought was reasonable ...

[WayneW]

My wife and I almost bought one a few years ago. We wanted the one with the bunks in the front and my recollection is that it was about $12K. I was surprised at how little storage they had for the size. Most of the TD's I've seen have more storage/cupboard space, but you do have a bathroom and modest kitchen in the R-Pod. I thought the construction was quite good (same walls you would get on a more expensive full size RV). The inside seemed flimsy, but it seems most RV's are these days. It looked light enough that a small SUV or pickup could pull it, but with fresh/grey/black water tanks and running about 17 feet long, it is probably a little heavy for an Outback. I wouldn't pull it with anything less that a 4.0L engine (maybe a 3.6 ).

[jerry101jlh]

The R Pods and MPG's someone over 5'9 can stand up in, has a 6'3 ceiling height if I remember correctly. The T@B's have a 5'8 ceiling height. I found 2011 new R-Pods and MPG's from around 11 something up to 14K. Those were the best prices I found.

[the other side]

And if you look on that one link, they even have a hybrid (the tent that comes off of the back and has a mattress for a bed, for concerving floor space on a bed). I looked at those before I decided on a tear too. I looked REALLY GOOD AND HARD. I agree they don't look solid while they are being towed. Because it is so big yet so light weight, they probably used cheap material. AC is extra. The maintenance would be just as involved as a larger TT but on a smaller scale. And I agree the storage is lacking. Also I considered since they were so new nobody would know the problems they are going to have (I don't want to have to deal with the bugs of a new brand product). And finally, if I'm going to spend THAT much money, I EXPECT to have a FULL size fridge.

[GPW]

Guys , just so we get it right ... I would NOT recommend buying ANYTHING RV ... We all Know about that !!! Just thought the floor plan was interesting , and some ideas of space arrangement might be useful when we Build our own ... out of Quality materials ...
Seeing the RV lot waaay overcrowded with trailers , confirms that the RV industry is in Big Trouble ... A Problem they brought on themselves ... I've not seen even one RV that I thought was Good Quality ... We've seen LOTS of Super Quality TDs here !!! The reason I consider myself a teardropper (if that's the correct term ) and NOT an RV' er...

Yes ,I got severely "burned" by the RV industry ... Still paying on a TT that's falling apart faster than we can fix it ... (Jayco Quality.. ) Yeah right !!! "Quote the Raven ... NEVERMORE "

[jerry101jlh]

I personally think that the rv industry is a good place to get ideas as they have the money to research, experiment with and ultimately produce, where most of us don't have that luxury. I didn't say "buy" one, but I'm not one to ever not want to look at what others do and if I see what I think is a good idea, put it in motion or at least keep it in mind. That's maybe the best thing about this forum is all the people with all their own ideas. It really boggles my mind sometimes how creative teardroppers are.

[GPW]

True, let them spend the money on development ... We'll just nick their good ideas ...

[the other side]

GPW

[GPW]

OK , I know that wasn't very nice to say , but be assured they'd do the same if Profit were involved...
Actually it would seem the industry would benefit from taking Mike's advice and only use the Best materials ... Since they have a proclivity of using only the worst materials (cheapest )....
But then they couldn't sell overly Expensive parts and their dealers wouldn't be able to charge RIDICULOUS prices to fix things that shouldn't have broken in the first place...... all about the Money ...