Potential Owner with questions

Ryan as for the cost, we bought our 2012 177 fully loaded, raisers, dome, AC, micro/conv. etc.  for little over  16k taxes in.  As for your tv a rateing of 3500lb is very close to max.  for safety I'd think twice on that one.   What ever tv you get make sure you install a tranny cooler couple hundred now will save  several thousand down the road.

HI,

Agree.  I used a 2003 Toyota Sienna for years with a (much heavier) popup, then the pod.  The real problem for me wasn't hills as long as they were on back roads.  The problem was highway speeds with hills and/or headwinds.

You can find a dealer that will complete the purchase ahead of time via fax/courier, then can get the paperwork to customs before you even cross the border heading south.  Hitch up, get through customs and you are on your way.  I've heard of this being done before.

Hi, thanks for responding.

Well, at this point, we could buy the trailer, but I wouldn't leave enough money to buy a new tow vehicl. For the time being, we can borrow my parents 2012 Honda Odyssey. Is it the best scenario... No, but it's the only scenario that would allow us to get the rpod we'd really like and out camping this year.

We would do local camping until we could afford to buy our own tow vehicle, most likely a Tacoma in a couple of years. We live in Campbell River, on Vancouver Island and there is quite a few government campsites that don't require any significant journeys on logging roads, hills or curves to get to. Several are flat journeys on paved roads. So that's what we'll work with until we can buy a tow vehicle and the kids get a bit older for longer, more adventurous journeys.

We're going to look at some trailers today and see if the rpod is the best fit for us, but from my research online, it sure looks it will be. Even with the money I'd save by going into Oregon, it seems like quite a hassle to get it across the border now. Having the paper work faxed 72 hours before crossing etc. that would mean we'd have to stay there for a few days away from the kids on our buying trip. Is there good value in buying locally for service reasons? What price should I put on that when I factor in potential savings of buying in the states?

Thanks!

Being born and raised in WA, and having spent a considerable amount of time in BC & Alberta and therefore knowing the terrain very well, I would suggest you think through completely how, when and where you would use the Pod for camping.  While I also only have a 3500# towing limit for mine, I currently live in Charlotte NC where our terrain is mostly flat with some rolling hills, and we are content to head to nearby places to camp that are not a days drive away.  Unless I was going to be doing the same type of camping in WA or BC, I wouldn't even attempt it in my rig.