Taking a serious look tomorrow |
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Chuck
Senior Member Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Location: Waukesha WI Online Status: Offline Posts: 140 |
Topic: Taking a serious look tomorrow Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 1:54pm |
My wife and I have an appointment to "officially" look at a RP 177 tomorrow. We've looked at it at RV shows and even on the dealer's lot but never a formal look. We'd really love to hear some pros and cons. We've looked at others of the same class and the Pod sure looks good to us but having never spent a night in one it's so hard to know. Any thoughts would be welcome.
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psaman
Senior Member Joined: 26 Jun 2010 Location: Corpus Christi Online Status: Offline Posts: 231 |
Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 2:06pm |
To us, the 177 was the best choice because of the queen bed. We didn't need bunk beds and the slide out is a big plus. Also we like the entertainment center being over the bed, makes it easier for my old eyes to see in bed. We saw the other models they had had there, but kept gravitating back to the 177. Suggest you look at any of the other models they have there just to get a feel.
Also, welcome and hope you enjoy whichever you opt for. |
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2011 R-177 "Sponge-Pod"
2011 F-150 XLT "Texas Edition" |
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rpodcamper.com
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 26 Nov 2009 Location: Reading, Pa Online Status: Offline Posts: 3990 |
Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 2:19pm |
We love our 171 (queen bed no slide) that we have owned from 2009. We have done a lot to it to make it ours but I do not regret the day we bought it.
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Hodge-PODge
Senior Member Joined: 11 Apr 2011 Location: Calhoun, GA Online Status: Offline Posts: 539 |
Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 2:23pm |
Under the forum "Introduce Yourself," take a look at the forum topic "Trying to decide" by Sadiehikes. There were a lot of opinions there on RP models and the "whys" of them all. I kept gravitating to the 177 because I like a permanent queen bed (didn't want to remake the bed every night) and the slideout. I didn't need bunks. It's really a matter of personal preference and what suits YOUR needs. The forum I mentioned may help you in that department. In the end, for me it came down to the one I preferred on the dealer's lot. The one I THOUGHT I would prefer (according to the floor plan) and the one I actually chose were not the same. So take a look at that forum if you haven't already. Good luck deciding!
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2011 RP 177, the Hodge-PODge
2011 Mercedes ML350 "A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it." |
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Outbound
podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 19 Nov 2009 Location: Oshawa, Ontario Online Status: Offline Posts: 767 |
Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 2:40pm |
You already know all the good stuff, and you'll be excited when you go to see it. Here is my list of 'cons' (and potential cons) - things that you should really have a good think about before signing that piece of paper:
- The shower. Is the bathroom big enough for you? Will you be happy with it? I suggest that you get in there, close the door and have a mock shower. - The bed. Its 6' long. It is long enough for you, or will you be uncomfortably curled-up while sleeping? - The awning. Well, actually, as you know, an R-POD does not accommodate a normal RV awning. Instead, there's an R-DOME which will take 15-20 minutes to set up and 15-20 minutes to take down again. Are you sure that you really want to deal with an R-DOME? - Television. If a television is important to you, then make sure that the size and placement of the unit in the R-POD is acceptable to you. - Storage. There isn't a whole lot of storage in an R-POD. Where will you put your pots & pans, dishes, glasses, dry food, lawn chairs, levelling blocks, water hose, BBQ and your clothes? Get an idea of where you're going to store your things. The last thing you're going to want to do at 11:00pm is to be on your hands and knees on the floor fishing out your pyjamas from the cupboard under the bed. - Interior pace in general. Think about a cold, rainy evening when you'll be stuck inside for seven or eight hours before going to bed. Where will you sit? What will you do? - The RV lifestyle / camping lifestyle. Are you sure that its for you? Yes, everyone loves the thought of waking up in the wilderness and watching the sun rise or sitting around a campfire in the evenings. But, does cooking your own meals, making your own beds, backing into a campsite, levelling the trailer, fetching fresh water, connecting power cords, filling propane tanks and emptying sewer tanks appeal to you as a vacation? Its not for everyone. Some of us love it, but there have been forum members who've made a costly mistake and discovered that RVing is not for them. Personally, when buying our trailer, I asked the salesman to leave us alone in the trailer for 30 minutes. We looked in every cabinet. We laid on the bed. We lowered the table into a bed. We had a mock shower. We thought about where we'd store things. I strongly suggest that you do the same.
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Craig :: 2009 RP171 towed by a 2017 F150
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creel
Newbie Joined: 29 Mar 2011 Location: Bozeman, MT Online Status: Offline Posts: 32 |
Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 2:48pm |
We had a look at several different R-Pod models as well as different RV makes. The RP-177 won out for us in the end. We were after an RV with a permanent bed which also did not weigh a ton to tow. The slide out is a great bonus!!
Yes, it does not have a ton of storage inside, but, we don't carry a lot of gadgets with us, so we were able to accommodate all our pots 'n pans, dishes, coffee mugs, cutlery, food etc. quite nicely inside our 177. In the outside storage area, under the bed on the 177, we were able to fit all our other gear including a small grill still with room to spare. We've learned not take too much gadgetry with us, after all, getting away from home is also getting away from some of the gadgets! I am sure you'll be impressed with the 177, as we were and still are!
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marshwatcher
Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2011 Location: Sunny FLORIDA Online Status: Offline Posts: 127 |
Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 2:54pm |
Chuck,
All good advice in the posts prior to mine. We have a 176T and the deal maker for us was having the bunks if we ever had anyone along with us (something we couldn't be sure wouldn't happen, even though there are just the two of us) and having the tent capability when and if we wanted it. We have slept in the bunks and on the dinette bed and both work just fine. We are tall people so that was a consideration. We also love sleeping in the tent part when the weather is right. It feels like camping and during the day with the tent out, the POD seems huge. All in all, the flexibility of our sleeping choices was the deal maker for us. One more thought: the bunk area and under bunk storage are huge...it is bonus not to be missed in your consideration even if you never use the bunks for sleeping. Best of luck in finding just the right Pod with your name on it! |
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Chuck
Senior Member Joined: 29 Apr 2011 Location: Waukesha WI Online Status: Offline Posts: 140 |
Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 2:55pm |
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to comment. Outbound in particular for your thoughtful cons. In regards to camping for us? We've been tent camping for years. We have a wonderful 12X10
Eureka tent that is as good as it gets along with cots and everything. That's the rub. I am really attracted to the not spending 2+ hours setting up a campsite. Heck, I'm currently pulling a 4' X 8' utility trailer full of stuff for the site. We're all about the outdoors as are the rest of our kids and grandkids. And that's the other issue. Doggonit, I'm 61 and getting dang tired of all the set up and tear down. Your comments about the shower and storage are the biggest questions in my mind. My goal is to be moving to a more "ready to hit the road" environment. Our TV is a 2011 Honda Pilot so we can get a bit larger but I sure am attracted to the overall size of the Pod. Oh yeah, 6' bed. Wow I won't know what to do. I'm 5' 7' and my wife is 5' 5'. No problem there. But we do need to know that our grandkids (2 at a time) will be comfortable on the dinette. I assume that should work but again would like comments. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts.
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Guests
Guest Group |
Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 6:41pm |
Good luck in choosing.....it is difficult. All have offered great advise/opinions.
I used to own a 173 (dinette on one end, jack knife sofa on the other) and I slept on the dinette and was fine; although I used the sofa most often because it was more convenient. I would think the grandkids would sleep OK on the dinette. Personally, if I were buying one today, I would get one of the slide or tent models...for the extra space and general "feel" of the unit.
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techntrek
Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9062 |
Posted: 29 Apr 2011 at 9:43pm |
Chuck, welcome. I'm 5' 4" (lost an inch over the years) and the 'pod bed is just barely long enough for me. Barely. I've found my 'pod has more storage space than our old popup which had a 16 foot box and opened up to 26 feet.
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Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual
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