Almost a new r-pod owner

Hello Rik,

Congratulations on your anticipated RPod. I hope you have many fun adventures and make many great memories with it.

My first suggestion is to get the RPod and make a trip or two in it stock. Modifications will come to mind as you use it and think that something or other might be better if . . . . That is the basis of many of my mods. However, there is one thing I would check first. That is the black and gray water drain supports. They are notorious for failing.

Second, I defer to Pod_Geek on that one.

Third, it depends on what you want. Do you intend to do a lot of longer-term boondocking or to stay in RV parks with power? If it is RV parks or campgrounds with power, save money and weight and go with a single 12V battery. If you intend to do boondocking, then there are a couple of options. One is to go with two 6V batteries (wired in series). Another is to go for a single LiFePO4 battery. However, the LiFePO4 battery will require some additional changes. The stock converter does not work for Lithium batteries. It would need to be modified to have the correct charging profile. Also, the power from the tow vehicle is not suitable for Lithium batteries either. You would need to install a DC to DC charger suitable for Lithium and wire a separate power feed for it. The real advantages are weight (about 30 lbs) and long life (many times greater than Pb-Acid batteries). The disadvantage is cost plus the mods noted. You could look at my mods (link in signature) to get an idea of what would be involved with an LiFePO4 battery.

Ultimately, you will need to decide what will work for you. My choices won't necessarily be what you decide you need. Above all, enjoy the times camping with your family in your RPod. I want to get out that way again.

My wife and I are expecting a new 2021 R-pod 196 in mid-October. This will be our first travel trailer and we are looking forward to being part of the R-pod community. We live in Montana and expect to use the R-pod for camping nearby and some longer trips.

A couple questions:

1) what would be the first modification you would make to make the R-pod more useful

2) has anyone replaced the steps with the MORryde steps. They look a lot more solid to me.

3) and finally - 12 volt or 6 volt batteries. I have been reading about the topic and wonder what folks have purchased to use with their R-pods.

More details and pictures when we are hooked up.

Rik