First adventure with the Pod and one problem...

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I just got back from my longest trip with the Pod.  I went to Virginia for 5 days and 4 nights and learned a lot about towing the Pod long distances as well as giving her a good test for how she handles in off-road situations.  One major problem I had coming home in the dark was the fact that when there were no cars behind me, I couldn't see where the silver wheel wells were in relation to the roadway lines.  This may seem strange to some of you, but when making some sharp turns, you really have to be able to see those wheel wells in the dark so as not to run over any curbs.  I've thought about a fix for it.  Walmart sells reflective tape and I may just buy a strip for the front and back of the well so that I and others can clearly see where the wheels stick out in the dark.  Of course, the back sides of the well will be red and the fronts will be yellow.  Other than that, towing the Pod with my Trailblazer was more than pleasurable... more than I thought it would be.  I will tell you this, towing the Pod 5 miles down dirt roads will lower your gas milage from 9 to 10 miles per gallon to 7 or 8.  Of course, the Trailblazer without the Pod in 4 wheel drive on the off road conditions were getting me 7 miles per gallon.  The Pod, without the risers didn't disappoint.  Amazingly, I only scrapped the back stabilizers 2 times on that crazy curvy hilly grated dirt road which seemed to stretch on forever before reaching the actual camp site.  You should see the truck and Pod... they are both covered in mud.
I did learn a few things about how much water I need, how the propane faired, and how long the double battery bank lasts.  I was there for 4 nights and 5 days.  I did bring an extra 5 gallons of water and figured that in order to comfortably use the water for 4 showers, washing dishes, and bathroom use, I figure that I will need to carry an extra 10 gallons of water instead of just 5.  Yeah, I like to take long showers and I never did run out of hot water.    As it was in the 30s most of the nights I was there, I was amazed that even though the propane tank was being used for the refrigerator power, the furnace and three times on the cooktop, the propane tank was still about 1/3 full.  Amazing.  If you are wondering, I used my Weber mini-Q grill most of the camp out.  My battery had to be charged when I got there for a few hours after the long 6 and a half hour road trip with the refrigerator on battery power, but never needed another charge until the day before my departure, and even then, the battery banks said that I was one red dot down from full.  I have a double battery bank.  This is with me using the water pump for showers, the sink, and the toilet, as well as the furnace kicking on and off every hour and a half or so to keep the temp inside to a comfortable 67 to 68 degrees.  Of course, I didn't turn on the furnace until later in the evening when I was getting ready for bed.  I was also using two lights at a time inside the Pod (regular lights, not LED).  

All in all, my trip was fantastic.  The only thing that was scary was taking my Trailblazer (without the Pod) down a very rugged ATV trail.  I am so surprised I didn't bottom out because I traversed some pretty crazy mounds.  I'm lucky I was able to bearly turn around.  Yes, I got turned around or lost and took the wrong road as it were.    What an awesome trip.  I was in Gore, VA... the Cove campground.  I've been going for years, but this is the first time I've had the comforts of home and not a tent.  The guys I went with were extremely jealous as they all had tents.  They told me in jest that one night they were going to turn off my propane.  

Anyway, thought I would chime in on my awesome first long trip with my Pod.  I love her more now than ever.  

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secretbard Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 12 Apr 2011 Location: Budd Lake, NJ Online Status: Offline Posts: 195	Topic: First adventure with the Pod and one problem... Posted: 27 Oct 2011 at 6:50am
	I just got back from my longest trip with the Pod. I went to Virginia for 5 days and 4 nights and learned a lot about towing the Pod long distances as well as giving her a good test for how she handles in off-road situations. One major problem I had coming home in the dark was the fact that when there were no cars behind me, I couldn't see where the silver wheel wells were in relation to the roadway lines. This may seem strange to some of you, but when making some sharp turns, you really have to be able to see those wheel wells in the dark so as not to run over any curbs. I've thought about a fix for it. Walmart sells reflective tape and I may just buy a strip for the front and back of the well so that I and others can clearly see where the wheels stick out in the dark. Of course, the back sides of the well will be red and the fronts will be yellow. Other than that, towing the Pod with my Trailblazer was more than pleasurable... more than I thought it would be. I will tell you this, towing the Pod 5 miles down dirt roads will lower your gas milage from 9 to 10 miles per gallon to 7 or 8. Of course, the Trailblazer without the Pod in 4 wheel drive on the off road conditions were getting me 7 miles per gallon. The Pod, without the risers didn't disappoint. Amazingly, I only scrapped the back stabilizers 2 times on that crazy curvy hilly grated dirt road which seemed to stretch on forever before reaching the actual camp site. You should see the truck and Pod... they are both covered in mud. I did learn a few things about how much water I need, how the propane faired, and how long the double battery bank lasts. I was there for 4 nights and 5 days. I did bring an extra 5 gallons of water and figured that in order to comfortably use the water for 4 showers, washing dishes, and bathroom use, I figure that I will need to carry an extra 10 gallons of water instead of just 5. Yeah, I like to take long showers and I never did run out of hot water. As it was in the 30s most of the nights I was there, I was amazed that even though the propane tank was being used for the refrigerator power, the furnace and three times on the cooktop, the propane tank was still about 1/3 full. Amazing. If you are wondering, I used my Weber mini-Q grill most of the camp out. My battery had to be charged when I got there for a few hours after the long 6 and a half hour road trip with the refrigerator on battery power, but never needed another charge until the day before my departure, and even then, the battery banks said that I was one red dot down from full. I have a double battery bank. This is with me using the water pump for showers, the sink, and the toilet, as well as the furnace kicking on and off every hour and a half or so to keep the temp inside to a comfortable 67 to 68 degrees. Of course, I didn't turn on the furnace until later in the evening when I was getting ready for bed. I was also using two lights at a time inside the Pod (regular lights, not LED). All in all, my trip was fantastic. The only thing that was scary was taking my Trailblazer (without the Pod) down a very rugged ATV trail. I am so surprised I didn't bottom out because I traversed some pretty crazy mounds. I'm lucky I was able to bearly turn around. Yes, I got turned around or lost and took the wrong road as it were. What an awesome trip. I was in Gore, VA... the Cove campground. I've been going for years, but this is the first time I've had the comforts of home and not a tent. The guys I went with were extremely jealous as they all had tents. They told me in jest that one night they were going to turn off my propane. Anyway, thought I would chime in on my awesome first long trip with my Pod. I love her more now than ever.
	2010 Rpod 172 :) 2004 Chevy Trailblazer

sfish Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 18 Sep 2011 Location: Bloomington Mn. Online Status: Offline Posts: 134	Posted: 27 Oct 2011 at 8:53am
	Sounds like you had a real adventure towing the pod like an offroad dirt bike. I am worried towing mine down a public gravel road into my cabin. (low clearance). I would be jealous too if I had to sleep in a tent and my friend was in a nice warm pod. Hope you continue to enjoy your new pod. Steve
	sjf

Guests Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Guest Group	Posted: 27 Oct 2011 at 10:26am
	Thanks for the story/info. Glad you had a good time!

techntrek Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Location: MD Online Status: Offline Posts: 9059	Posted: 27 Oct 2011 at 10:30am
	Glad it all worked out. One comment on having to recharge after arriving - if your charge and ground lines on the Bargman connector are sized correctly you should arrive with a full battery. It should even be able to charge the battery going down the road, so if you boondock for 2 days then travel a few hours to another campsite your battery will be in better shape than when you left. Make sure the +12 and ground lines are at least 8 gauge wire, maybe even 6 gauge. As an alternative for the ground line instead of running large wire, it can be attached to the frame within 6 inches of the Bargman. Just the fridge is a 10 amp load on 12 volts, plus your running lights, propane detector, brakes, and brake lights all use that one ground wire and can bring your load to 20+ amps at one time. Which will drop your voltage so low the only effective source will be your pod's battery.
	Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ Pod instruction manual

TerryM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group - pHp Joined: 16 Nov 2009 Location: Saint Augustine Online Status: Offline Posts: 1950	Posted: 27 Oct 2011 at 2:00pm
	I was kind of surprised about your batteries also. Mine always arrive fully charged. If your stabilizers hit at all you should get the risers. If it had been a large rock, mostly buried, it could snag good a rip the thing off. Terry
	RP-175 W/Lift Kit 2011 Ford F-150 4X4 Saint Augustine, FL: The first permanent European settlement in the USA: 1565