2018 Rpod 180 review and sad farewell |
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tcj
Senior Member Joined: 05 Jul 2018 Location: Central WA Online Status: Offline Posts: 141 |
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Topic: 2018 Rpod 180 review and sad farewell Posted: 10 Nov 2019 at 12:43pm |
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Seafans, thanks for the tip to find the sticker on the right front side of the frame. I found it and it says our Hood River Edition 180 was manufactured in Oregon in April 2018.
We love our 180. Pulls very easily with our Toyota Tacoma with 6 speed manual transmission, V6 engine, and factory towing package. The only problem we have had that was significant enough to return to the dealer to fix was a bad magnet on the left side brake. I could tell when we pulled it home after the walk through at the dealers that the brakes were not right. When I got home I felt the brake drums. The right was warm and the left was cold. I called the dealer and he gave us an appointment to bring it in the next morning. I'm lucky in that our dealer is only five miles from home. They put it in the shop right away, trouble shot it, and replaced the bad magnet while I watched. It took about an hour.
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2018 R-pod 180 Hood River Edition
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DavMar
Senior Member Joined: 04 Aug 2017 Location: Lexington, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 592 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 2019 at 2:08pm | |
Nope no big brown fuzzy critters around here, thankfully. Just tree rats (Squirrel's), and the occasional Opossum or Skunk. Please group correct me if I'm wrong but I believe the east coast factory is in Goshen, IN and the west coast in Sheridan, OR. Since Forest River is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Company maybe I can call its owner Warren Buffett the next time I have a problem, you think?
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Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog. 2017 Rpod 180 2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4 Lexington, NC |
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crazycoyote
Groupie Joined: 22 Jan 2017 Location: Arizona Online Status: Offline Posts: 49 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 2019 at 6:26pm | |
My 180 was built in the Indiana Plant, as I bought it from Cheyenne Camper Sales in Walcott, Iowa. They told me it was from Indiana Plant.
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seafans
Senior Member Joined: 24 Nov 2017 Online Status: Offline Posts: 158 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Nov 2019 at 8:42pm | |
tcj:
I purchase at the RV Super store in Pahrump Nevada. The first night we stayed in it was in Death Valley. In February we are going back with some friends. The only problems I had with our 180 was the brakes and magnets were soaked with grease from the poor assembly practice from the axle manufacture. Never use the grease fitting to lube the bearings. The outlet of the grease is at the rear seal. I have rented several of the R-pods before deciding on which on to purchase. One problem with the brakes that has plagued mine at this time is the wires going to the brake magnet. Three wires on one connector and the wire going to the brake magnet makes a 180 deg turn to the back plate. This wire brakes at the terminal connection. Will have to solder the wires together and use some heat shrink to protect them. |
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DavMar
Senior Member Joined: 04 Aug 2017 Location: Lexington, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 592 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 11 Nov 2019 at 7:27pm | |
I've often wondered why on the east coast you can't buy the Hood River west coast version of the R-Pod? Strange, you think they would offer for sale the west coast model everywhere for a few extra $$. Just doesn't make a bit of business sense to me, I mean FR is in for the money, right?
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Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog. 2017 Rpod 180 2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4 Lexington, NC |
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crazycoyote
Groupie Joined: 22 Jan 2017 Location: Arizona Online Status: Offline Posts: 49 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 11 Nov 2019 at 10:48pm | |
You are right there, I wish my trailer was higher , and I really don't care to add blocks. I am in Arizona and I would of bought a Hood River edition if the price was right. I was at the factory in Sheraton Oregon on the tour, but couldn't swing a deal, but I am happy with mine after all the mods.
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lostagain
Senior Member Joined: 06 Sep 2016 Location: Quaker Hill, CT Online Status: Offline Posts: 2595 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 8:42am | |
It may be a function of the cost of transportation. Western state prices on trailers built in the mid-west tend to be higher. Dragging a Hood River model to Ohio and trying to sell it there with a locally competitive price may not be very profitable. If one takes a look at the teaser ads for any given trailer built in the heartland, the prices tend to be several thousand dollars higher in the far west than they are within a few hundred miles of the factory. On the other hand, trailers built out this way can often be had for prices in the teaser ads one sees for mid-west constructed trailers. The closer to the point of manufacture, the better the pricing it seems.
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Never leave footprints behind.
Fred & Maria Kearney Sonoma 167RB Our Pod 172 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 2.7 EcoBoost |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2652 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 10:18am | |
I would also expect the cost of transportation over the Rocky Mountains to be a major issue. Distance and elevation.
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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DavMar
Senior Member Joined: 04 Aug 2017 Location: Lexington, NC Online Status: Offline Posts: 592 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 12 Nov 2019 at 8:54pm | |
Glue, your absolutely right, transportation to the east coast would be a major cost. My question, which I guess I didn't ask well, is why isn't the Hood River model also built in Indiana and sold on the east coast along with the standard models? Just seems to me there would be a big market on the east coast for this and dealers would love it because they can mark up the price because its a "Hood River" edition. I know for myself I would of thought long and hard and probably paid the extra markup for the option of buying the Hood River for the same model I bought from my dealer.
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Dave & Marlene J with Zoey the
wonder dog. 2017 Rpod 180 2016 Toyota Tacoma SR5 4x4 Lexington, NC |
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GlueGuy
Senior Member Joined: 15 May 2017 Location: N. California Online Status: Offline Posts: 2652 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 13 Nov 2019 at 10:13am | |
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bp
2017 R-Pod 179 Hood River 2015 Ford F150 SuperCrew 4WD 3.5L Ecoboost |
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