Screen Room--Problems - R-pod Owners Forum

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Tars Tarkas View Drop Down

Senior Member

Joined: 14 Jan 2013
Location: Near Nashville
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1447

Topic: Screen Room--Problems
Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:40pm

PM sent.

2010 176
FJ Cruiser

laureyrpod View Drop Down

Newbie

Joined: 11 Feb 2017
Location: GA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 28

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:12pm

Also I just thought of something, since I'm such a fan of DUCT TAPE.

I could split the tape in 1/4 width and lay it inside the keeder rail. Might add just enough tightness to keep the spleen in. Also might smooth over the screws a bit.

Laurey, Bella and Bogie
2016 182g Rpod
2016 Toyota Highlander
"Peace in a Pod"

laureyrpod View Drop Down

Newbie

Joined: 11 Feb 2017
Location: GA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 28

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:10pm

The first dome was purchased with my new pod. The spleen was too narrow for the keder rail. I called customer service and they shipped me a replacement, telling me that there were actually two sizes of spleen. The second dome still slips out. So I got up on a ladder and using a tool, squeezed the keeder rail closed just a couple of mm. That helped, but I still have an area which pulls out within a couple of hours.

I'm going to try some of the suggestions that followed:

--tighten the screws on the keeder rail

--remove the front and side panels (however I don't think the front panel comes off completely, just unzips

It's definitely a two person job either way, and when camping alone I probably won't be able to manage it.

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I was going mad trying to figure out what was wrong with me or the dome!

Laurey, Bella and Bogie
2016 182g Rpod
2016 Toyota Highlander
"Peace in a Pod"

laureyrpod View Drop Down

Newbie

Joined: 11 Feb 2017
Location: GA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 28

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:04pm

thanks, good tip

Laurey, Bella and Bogie
2016 182g Rpod
2016 Toyota Highlander
"Peace in a Pod"

mcarter

podders Helping podders - pHp

Joined: 07 Apr 2016
Location: Greenbrier, TN
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3419

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 6:52pm

If any of you are in the Nashville area, give me a heads up and I will give you a R dome. You have to pick it up, I'm not selling, shipping or anything else, just takes up space.

Mike Carter
2015 178
" I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

Podinaroundbc View Drop Down

Newbie

Joined: 26 Jul 2015
Location: Alberta
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 34

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 4:30pm

First thing to do is cut the front door off. Its easy. Cut the zipper and its gone. Second. Get rid of the screen skirt. A waste of time and material.

I use a cooler to stand on and feed the keder into the rail. Most of the time I can push it all the way but sometimes it jams. If it jams I move the cooler to the front and pull it into place. Next I install the front pole and pull both ends together and clip the 2 straps together. The rafters I just push in to the slots nearest the trailer and pull down on the front of the r dome and clipped them into the outer pole. I then stake is down at the front corners only. The suction cups. They are gone. We bought coloured bungie cords and we use these to keep the dome tight.

We bent a rafter pole and repaired it with wood dowel and gorilla glue. We cut the damaged end of the pole off and inserted the dowel inside. Better than factory.

Good luck.

Art & Brenda

Jake the dog

2015 179 HRE

2012 Nissan Titan

Pod People View Drop Down

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Senior Member

Joined: 22 Sep 2011
Location: Chapel Hill,NC
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1078

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 9:30am

We use the R dome quite frequently and have found several tricks to make the installation easier.

the first thing to do is measure the rail slot and the leading edge of the R Dome. It sounds as if you have a mismatch-there are 2 different sizes of rails and dome edges.

next idea to go along the entire length of the rail and make sure all of the screw heads are completely screwed in tight and the heads don't protrude up into the channel to block the r dome edge as it slides.

we will lay the rdome out on the ground at the rear of the pod with the edge next to the rpod. we will usually have one person stand on a bucket/stool/small ladder at about the wheel and pull the leading edge of the rdome through the channel while the other person smoothes out the dome on the ground and feeds the the fabric into the channel. we start at the rear and work forward.

after we get the rdome completely in the channel, we install the long fiberglass front hoop pole and stake both front corners. then we go inside the rdome and insert the 3 roof supports while standing on the same bucket/stool/small ladder. We have marked each roof support so that we know what the extended length should be. Once the roof supports are in, we stake the rest of the edges and corners.

We use the rdome for extra space and shade. Occasionally we will insert the under body screen panels, but most of the time we just leave them off. We can roll up the fabric and use it just as a shade structure or roll the sides down for rain/sun shelter. It really is a versatile piece of gear for us.

here is an earlier long post that addresses the rdome setup as well
http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1145&title=dome-setup-the-definitive-list

hope this helps you enjoy your rdome more
Vann

Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179

mjlrpod

Senior Member

Joined: 27 Sep 2016
Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1215

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:54am

Laurey

I dont know how you are attempting to put up the dome, but one tip you might try if your not already doing it is, remove all the zip out panels from the front, and the sides. It wil decrease the weight and make it easier to move around. there are a few youtube videos i've seen on putting up the dome alone. If you haven't seen them, well worth a look.

2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding

coopercdrkey View Drop Down

podders Helping podders - pHp

Joined: 26 Aug 2012
Location: Cedar Key, FL
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 457

Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 6:12am

It sounds as if the spline of the r-dome is incorrect for the keder rail. (There are two non-compatible versions.)

Was the 'dome supplied as new, standard equipment or purchased as an aftermarket item?

The suction cups just don't work very well, and the under-the-trailer screening is more of a pain than it's worth. (In my opinion...)

Bob and Joyce
Jennifer and Baxter, the Campin' Cocker Spaniels
RP 177 "Key Pod"
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT / Z71

laureyrpod View Drop Down

Newbie

Joined: 11 Feb 2017
Location: GA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 28

Posted: 11 Feb 2017 at 7:47pm

Hi I bought the rpod 182g because I fell in love with the screen room. I camp alone (with two dogs) and they're not much help putting up the screen room. Unable to do it myself, I usually end up standing around looking helpless until a kindly gentlemanly type wanders over and helps. Then, together, we sweat bullets trying to get the thing mounted. Please share your tips:

1--The tent's spleen won't slide all the way through the track, not even with silicone. It gets stuck. If you let go of the end you're pushing from to try to pull it past the stuck point, the insertion end falls out of the track. Then you get to start over. The only way to get it through is with two or three people pushing/pulling/supporting the tent until you get all the way to the end of the track.

2--THEN, the tent will drop out of the track about midway across. I use DUCT TAPE to keep it up.

3--The flexible telescoping pole that goes through the arching part of the screened room broke because the tension was too much. We sawed off the broken part and put it back together (WITH DUCT TAPE).

We used ropes and DUCT TAPE to keep it up.

4--The suction cups don't stick

5--The apron screen under the step and along the bottom of the camper has to be DUCT TAPED in place.

Any thoughts or ideas?

Peace in a Pod

Laurey

Laurey, Bella and Bogie
2016 182g Rpod
2016 Toyota Highlander
"Peace in a Pod"

Author	Message Share Topic Printable Version Google Delicious Digg StumbleUpon Windows Live Yahoo Bookmarks reddit Facebook MySpace Newsvine Furl Topic Search Topic Options Post Reply Create New Topic
Tars Tarkas Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Location: Near Nashville Online Status: Offline Posts: 1447	Topic: Screen Room--Problems Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:40pm
	PM sent.
	2010 176 FJ Cruiser

laureyrpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 Feb 2017 Location: GA Online Status: Offline Posts: 28	Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:12pm
	Also I just thought of something, since I'm such a fan of DUCT TAPE. I could split the tape in 1/4 width and lay it inside the keeder rail. Might add just enough tightness to keep the spleen in. Also might smooth over the screws a bit. L.
	Laurey, Bella and Bogie 2016 182g Rpod 2016 Toyota Highlander "Peace in a Pod"

laureyrpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 Feb 2017 Location: GA Online Status: Offline Posts: 28	Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:10pm
	The first dome was purchased with my new pod. The spleen was too narrow for the keder rail. I called customer service and they shipped me a replacement, telling me that there were actually two sizes of spleen. The second dome still slips out. So I got up on a ladder and using a tool, squeezed the keeder rail closed just a couple of mm. That helped, but I still have an area which pulls out within a couple of hours. I'm going to try some of the suggestions that followed: --tighten the screws on the keeder rail --remove the front and side panels (however I don't think the front panel comes off completely, just unzips It's definitely a two person job either way, and when camping alone I probably won't be able to manage it. Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I was going mad trying to figure out what was wrong with me or the dome!
	Laurey, Bella and Bogie 2016 182g Rpod 2016 Toyota Highlander "Peace in a Pod"

laureyrpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 Feb 2017 Location: GA Online Status: Offline Posts: 28	Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:04pm
	thanks, good tip
	Laurey, Bella and Bogie 2016 182g Rpod 2016 Toyota Highlander "Peace in a Pod"

mcarter Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 07 Apr 2016 Location: Greenbrier, TN Online Status: Offline Posts: 3419	Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 6:52pm
	If any of you are in the Nashville area, give me a heads up and I will give you a R dome. You have to pick it up, I'm not selling, shipping or anything else, just takes up space.
	Mike Carter 2015 178 " I had the right to remain silent, I just didn't have the ability."

Podinaroundbc Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 26 Jul 2015 Location: Alberta Online Status: Offline Posts: 34	Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 4:30pm
	First thing to do is cut the front door off. Its easy. Cut the zipper and its gone. Second. Get rid of the screen skirt. A waste of time and material. I use a cooler to stand on and feed the keder into the rail. Most of the time I can push it all the way but sometimes it jams. If it jams I move the cooler to the front and pull it into place. Next I install the front pole and pull both ends together and clip the 2 straps together. The rafters I just push in to the slots nearest the trailer and pull down on the front of the r dome and clipped them into the outer pole. I then stake is down at the front corners only. The suction cups. They are gone. We bought coloured bungie cords and we use these to keep the dome tight. We bent a rafter pole and repaired it with wood dowel and gorilla glue. We cut the damaged end of the pole off and inserted the dowel inside. Better than factory. Good luck.
	Art & Brenda Jake the dog 2015 179 HRE 2012 Nissan Titan

Pod People Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 22 Sep 2011 Location: Chapel Hill,NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 1078	Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 9:30am
	We use the R dome quite frequently and have found several tricks to make the installation easier. the first thing to do is measure the rail slot and the leading edge of the R Dome. It sounds as if you have a mismatch-there are 2 different sizes of rails and dome edges. next idea to go along the entire length of the rail and make sure all of the screw heads are completely screwed in tight and the heads don't protrude up into the channel to block the r dome edge as it slides. we will lay the rdome out on the ground at the rear of the pod with the edge next to the rpod. we will usually have one person stand on a bucket/stool/small ladder at about the wheel and pull the leading edge of the rdome through the channel while the other person smoothes out the dome on the ground and feeds the the fabric into the channel. we start at the rear and work forward. after we get the rdome completely in the channel, we install the long fiberglass front hoop pole and stake both front corners. then we go inside the rdome and insert the 3 roof supports while standing on the same bucket/stool/small ladder. We have marked each roof support so that we know what the extended length should be. Once the roof supports are in, we stake the rest of the edges and corners. We use the rdome for extra space and shade. Occasionally we will insert the under body screen panels, but most of the time we just leave them off. We can roll up the fabric and use it just as a shade structure or roll the sides down for rain/sun shelter. It really is a versatile piece of gear for us. here is an earlier long post that addresses the rdome setup as well http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1145&title=dome-setup-the-definitive-list hope this helps you enjoy your rdome more Vann
	Vann & Laura 2015 RPod 179

mjlrpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 27 Sep 2016 Location: Massachusetts Online Status: Offline Posts: 1215	Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 7:54am
	Laurey I dont know how you are attempting to put up the dome, but one tip you might try if your not already doing it is, remove all the zip out panels from the front, and the sides. It wil decrease the weight and make it easier to move around. there are a few youtube videos i've seen on putting up the dome alone. If you haven't seen them, well worth a look.
	2017.5 Rp-172 2020 R-pod 195 2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl I'll be rpodding

coopercdrkey Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 26 Aug 2012 Location: Cedar Key, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 457	Posted: 12 Feb 2017 at 6:12am
	It sounds as if the spline of the r-dome is incorrect for the keder rail. (There are two non-compatible versions.) Was the 'dome supplied as new, standard equipment or purchased as an aftermarket item? The suction cups just don't work very well, and the under-the-trailer screening is more of a pain than it's worth. (In my opinion...)
	Bob and Joyce Jennifer and Baxter, the Campin' Cocker Spaniels RP 177 "Key Pod" Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT / Z71

laureyrpod Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 Feb 2017 Location: GA Online Status: Offline Posts: 28	Posted: 11 Feb 2017 at 7:47pm
	Hi I bought the rpod 182g because I fell in love with the screen room. I camp alone (with two dogs) and they're not much help putting up the screen room. Unable to do it myself, I usually end up standing around looking helpless until a kindly gentlemanly type wanders over and helps. Then, together, we sweat bullets trying to get the thing mounted. Please share your tips: 1--The tent's spleen won't slide all the way through the track, not even with silicone. It gets stuck. If you let go of the end you're pushing from to try to pull it past the stuck point, the insertion end falls out of the track. Then you get to start over. The only way to get it through is with two or three people pushing/pulling/supporting the tent until you get all the way to the end of the track. 2--THEN, the tent will drop out of the track about midway across. I use DUCT TAPE to keep it up. 3--The flexible telescoping pole that goes through the arching part of the screened room broke because the tension was too much. We sawed off the broken part and put it back together (WITH DUCT TAPE). We used ropes and DUCT TAPE to keep it up. 4--The suction cups don't stick 5--The apron screen under the step and along the bottom of the camper has to be DUCT TAPED in place. Any thoughts or ideas? Peace in a Pod Laurey
	Laurey, Bella and Bogie 2016 182g Rpod 2016 Toyota Highlander "Peace in a Pod"