R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Podmods, Maintenance, Tips and Tricks
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: Thule Box Awning Retrofit
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic ClosedThule Box Awning Retrofit
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>
Author
Message
  Share Topic Share Topic  Topic Search Topic Search  Topic Options Topic Options
JimBinOC View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 26 Jul 2016
Location: Crazyfornia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Thule Box Awning Retrofit
    Posted: 19 Mar 2019 at 9:14pm
My wife and I own a 2017 RPod 179. Several months after we bought our "2016 and a half" the real 2017's came out and I noticed that the Thule awning was a new option. So I called Forest River to see if we could have one installed and was told that they were working on a retrofit kit for earlier models. About a year later I emailed them about the same subject and got no response. Any Podders know anything more about this?
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 7:23am
It was found that the wall just wouldn't safely support the awning without the factory backing installed during the build. Sorry.
Back to Top
JimBinOC View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 26 Jul 2016
Location: Crazyfornia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 11:59am
Thanks Furpod, I thought that might be the case. The service dept. at our Pod dealer said something to that effect but dealers say all kinds of stuff that isn't true. I guess we will have to continue to schlepp our EZ up around though a built in awning sure would be nice. 

Just FYI, while watching the Sutton RV Pod factory tour on Googletoob I noticed they were using the same aluminum frame for BOTH sides of the trailer, including the large void to accept the 179's slide room. That seems like a really bad idea in terms of structural strength. Kinda like putting a 3,500lb axle on a trailer with a 3800lb GVWR. I heard that Warren Buffet ordered cost cutting in a panic 'cause he found out he was down to his last $50 billionWink
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 12:21pm
To date, no slide has ever fallen out of, nor damaged the sidewall in normal use, on any Pod I am aware of. We did have an owner of a 178 (I think) pull forward with the slide out, and catch it on a tree somehow.. that was pretty catastrophic..Several axles have been caught on curbs, poles, rocks, etc etc
Back to Top
JimBinOC View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 26 Jul 2016
Location: Crazyfornia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 1:09pm
My concern about structural strength doesn't involve the slide out because that opening is nicely reinforced. It's the other side, which has the same frame void with none of the reinforcing for a slide out. I think they do that so that they don't have to have two different side assembly's. Just doesn't seem like a good idea for something that is intended for off road use.
Back to Top
offgrid View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 1:50pm
Originally posted by JimBinOC

My concern about structural strength doesn't involve the slide out because that opening is nicely reinforced. It's the other side, which has the same frame void with none of the reinforcing for a slide out. I think they do that so that they don't have to have two different side assembly's. Just doesn't seem like a good idea for something that is intended for off road use.

 
Off road use!? An rPod is not intended for that, its a light weight/normal duty travel trailer. The two side frames look different, they appear to be framing out the wall cutouts only in each case. 

Clearly, FR feels that that is adequate for the intended purpose, and as furpod says if they haven't had any structural failures with all the trailers out there then they are doing it right, no reason to add additional unnecessary cost and weight. There really isn't much load on the non slide side wall of an rPod anyway. Heaviest thing is the a/c unit which is carried back via the roof center section to the the vertical supports on both walls. 

If I were to wish for something to be upgraded structurally it would be the axle, there have been a significant number of issues with that. 
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 2:37pm
To date, not a single sidewall has fallen off, crushed or collapsed on a single pod, either side.

The R-Pod is neither built for, nor marketed as, an off road trailer.

At all.

The NoBo is the closest FR makes to an "off road" trailer. And I wouldn't take one very far off road myself.
Back to Top
JimBinOC View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 26 Jul 2016
Location: Crazyfornia
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 18 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 2:40pm
By off road I meant off paved roads. The Hood River Edition is intended for that, hence the larger wheels and tires and extra ground clearance. We mostly dry camp and have driven many miles on dirt tracks with our Pod. That does involve more stress and strain on the trailer than full hook-ups and smoothly paved roads. Heck, the California deserts are full of paved roads that are worse than graded dirt. Just sayin.
Back to Top
furpod View Drop Down
Moderator Group - pHp
Moderator Group - pHp
Avatar

Joined: 25 Jul 2011
Location: Central KY
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6128 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 2:50pm
Originally posted by JimBinOC

By off road I meant off paved roads. The Hood River Edition is intended for that, hence the larger wheels and tires and extra ground clearance. We mostly dry camp and have driven many miles on dirt tracks with our Pod. That does involve more stress and strain on the trailer than full hook-ups and smoothly paved roads. Heck, the California deserts are full of paved roads that are worse than graded dirt. Just sayin.


Actually, no.. The HRE package is just an appearance deal. At no place in it's brochure, on it's web page, or advertising, does FR say it's any kind of off road capable. There is nothing "beefier" or "off road capable" difference between a east coast or west coast Pod, other then the tires.

Have owners done some of it? undoubtedly. And none of them have lost a sidewall. At least not in the manner you are worried about. I have seen a couple literally shaken apart, or beat to death.
Back to Top
offgrid View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2019 at 3:32pm
+1 to furpod.

The last thing I'd worry about is the walls of the rpods failing structurally. There's almost no load on them and the load that's there is a vertical column load, the easiest kind to handle.  Even banging around on dirt roads and potholes you're going to bend the axle or the frame first.
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply Page  12>

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz