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Ricktoon
Groupie
Joined: 24 Sep 2020
Location: Montana
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Posts: 67
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Topic: Lift kit for 2021 R-Pod 196 HRD Posted: 08 Jul 2021 at 4:47pm |
My 2021 R-pod 196 is a Hood River Edition, but didn't come with the lift kit on the axles. Realized the clearance is tight when driving on forest service roads. Should the lift kit have been installed at the factory? Am I missing something?
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Rick and Ellen B
2019 Chevy Colorado
2021 Rpod 196
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TheBum
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Joined: 26 Feb 2016
Location: Texas
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Posts: 1407
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Posted: 08 Jul 2021 at 4:58pm |
I don't believe the lift kit works on the 4400 lb axle on the 196. It's designed for 3500 lb axles.
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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod"
2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4
Three cats
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jato
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Location: Kewadin, MI
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Posted: 08 Jul 2021 at 5:36pm |
+1 Only available on the 3500 lb. axle.
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God's pod
'11 model 177
'17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost
Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake
"...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free."
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Ricktoon
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Joined: 24 Sep 2020
Location: Montana
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Posted: 08 Jul 2021 at 6:26pm |
Does anyone know if there is a lift kit that fits the 4,400 lb axle. Seems like ones for the GeoPro of other Forest River products would work. Are any of the 196s lifted?
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Rick and Ellen B
2019 Chevy Colorado
2021 Rpod 196
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TheBum
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Joined: 26 Feb 2016
Location: Texas
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Posted: 09 Jul 2021 at 11:12am |
I looked online and didn't find any such lift kits.
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Alan
2022 R-Pod 196 "RaptoRPod"
2022 Ram 1500 Lone Star 4x4
Three cats
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offgrid
Senior Member
Joined: 23 Jul 2018
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Posted: 10 Jul 2021 at 6:20am |
Are you anywhere near where you can look at a GeoPro or similar?
It's probably worth taking a look under there to see how it's set up and if it's really any different from yours. Measure the frame height to ground, check the tire and wheel size, and of course if it has a lift or not.
Also check the takeoff angle of the torsion arms from the axle. There is another way that higher lift can be achieved with torsion axles, which is to have a different takeoff angle setup. Unfortunately I think that is only possible when the axle is first manufactured.
If nothing useful comes out of looking at a GeoPro or similar then you might have to have a couple lifts welded that will mate up between the axle and frame rails, or DIY it.
If you have the clearance in the wheel wells one other possibility is to swap for larger diameter tires and wheels, depending on how much additional height you think you need.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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mjlrpod
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Joined: 27 Sep 2016
Location: Massachusetts
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Posted: 10 Jul 2021 at 8:52am |
I lifted my 195 with the same kit used on the smaller units. On the facebook page (the good one V2, not the one run by the bully) many are lifting them with the same kit. I've had mine 2 years, and so far, so good, not a sign of cracking bending, etc.. If you are really concerned, have a gusset or two added to the existing design. As always, your mileage may vary, but I would say you should be ok.
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2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding
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Ricktoon
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Joined: 24 Sep 2020
Location: Montana
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Posted: 10 Jul 2021 at 9:27am |
My local RV shop said they can do the job for $350 to $400. Hope it wont void the warranty.
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Rick and Ellen B
2019 Chevy Colorado
2021 Rpod 196
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offgrid
Senior Member
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Posted: 10 Jul 2021 at 9:56am |
Adding a lift kit does increase the frame stress so in the unlikely event you did have a failure there FR/Lippert would probably use the lift as a reason not to do a warranty repair.
The longer along the frame rails you can make the lifts the less the bending stress on the frame BTW, because that spreads out the load from the torsion axle which is trying to bend the frame up at the back of the lift attachment and down at the front.
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1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
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Ricktoon
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Joined: 24 Sep 2020
Location: Montana
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Posts: 67
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Posted: 31 Aug 2021 at 4:42pm |
Had a local welding shop add a lift to my RPod 196. This is a 2021 Hood River Edition which I thought came lifted, but it did not. They used tubular steel to make the lifts.
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Rick and Ellen B
2019 Chevy Colorado
2021 Rpod 196
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