I wrecked our escaPod

I was surprised also. The only reason I think it can be done is that they are not going to go back and make a special frame to replace the one side. The new ones must come with the reinforcement so that whether it is ordered with the Keder rail for the R-Dome or the Awning, they do not need to have two different frames in stock. Since they will need to replace that side (and possibly, the slide-out side also), the reinforcement will be in place to support it. They are not charging additional for the installation. That helps also.

In spite of the time it is taking to get done, I am really appreciative of the support I am getting from Forest River to fix our R-Pod. When we get it back, it may undergo a name change. I'm thinking of
Thistledew." When our kids were younger, "This will do" got transformed into "Thistledew." I think it appropriate.

Edit: I just realized that you might be talking about the cost to replace the fabric on your awning. If so, I am glad you found a place that can supply the awning at a reasonable cost.

Great news! Your patience is amazing...Wish I had some!

Thank you.

Unfortunately, I can't answer the question about how the top is attached to the sides. You could search for R-Pod factory tour videos and see them in various states of construction. That may be sufficient to answer your question. I don't agree that the side-to-top junction is the weak link. There are other places that are just as, if not more, likely to leak. One is around the windows if they were not  installed correctly. On our 179, I tightened the screws in the window frame as the top-right corner (as viewed from the inside) was definitely not tightened as much as other areas. I did this and re-did the caulking around the top and sides of the window as it was not well done and had gaps and holes. The window does have a seal, but the caulking was there when we bought it. We did have some condensation from the window, but never any leaking.

One other area of potential leakage is the slide-out. If the 'Pod is set up with the door side lower than the slide side, then water could potentially run in along the top of the slide-out. If there were any gaps in the seals, water could get through there. The AC is another area where water could leak. If the AC was either insufficiently tightened (not compressing the seal enough) or overtightened (flattening out the seal), the AC could leak. Just running it should not allow moisture inside. However, if the condensation drain gets plugged, instead of condensate water running down the outside of the 'Pod, it could overflow and drip down inside. The Fantastic Fan is another area of potential leakage. I'm not talking about leaving the lid open during rain. That would not be a leak, even though water gets inside. I'm talking about the lap sealant around the perimeter. The same goes for the vent pipes and the TV antenna mount. The lap sealant needs to be inspected and any gaps patched. The procedure is simple. Wipe down the old lap sealant with denatured alcohol to clean off contaminants like oils and dirt. Then patch with new lap sealant. It can be done right over the top of the old sealant if it has been cleaned first.

The spoiler is another area. Forest River should be sealing where the wires go through the roof inside the spoiler. Mine was, but others reported that they were not sealed. That has caused leaks for some. I removed the spoiler to check, and found the wires were well sealed. However, the screws were not sealed and a number of them were rusty. When I reinstalled the spoiler, I made sure the screw holes were all sealed along with the spoiler's edges.

This may seem like the R-Pods are terribly constructed. I'm not saying that. These are issues that affect any RV. The vibrations and bumps of going down the road are stressful on seals. The things I mention are areas where things could leak. I have not experienced leaks in any of them. The worst water intrusion was when I left windows by the bed open not knowing it was going to rain during the night. Since we were in a Walmart parking lot, we did not have power to run the air conditioning. We woke to wet linens and discovered that the rain had run down to the underside of the mattress also. It was a challenge to dry things out. Since then, we don't leave windows open unless it is in an area that is sheltered such as our door window when the awning is up.

As I mentioned, our escaPOD is on its way to Goshen, Indiana

Thanks Stephen. Great info. 

It has been a while since I updated this topic. Repairs are progressing. It is scheduled to be ready for us to pick up this month on the 14th. 

Does anybody who lives in or near Goshen (or who travels there regularly) know of a good place to stay? We plan on leaving here timed to arrive on Tuesday Evening. Then we can be at the factory first thing on the 14th. I hope we can get a tour while we are there. Then we can pick up our escaPOD and bring it home.

We plan to pack minimal items needed for us to use the 'Pod on the way home. In place of our memory foam mattress, we will bring an inflatable mattress. We will have some basic things like the shelf for my CPAP machine, some basic cooking and eating utensils and disposable dishes. The main loading will wait until we get home as we will be taking off on a long trip not too long after we get home. There will be a lot of work to be done in a short period of time.