R-pod Owners Forum Homepage

This site is free to use.
Donations benefit a non-profit Girls Softball organization

Forum Home Forum Home > R-pod Discussion Forums > Introduce Yourself
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed: 2021 R-Pod 193 New Owner with questions pre-pickup
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Calendar   Register Register  Login Login

Topic Closed2021 R-Pod 193 New Owner with questions pre-pickup

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Docwoos View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 17 Dec 2020
Location: Burke, VA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3
Direct Link To This Post Topic: 2021 R-Pod 193 New Owner with questions pre-pickup
    Posted: 17 Dec 2020 at 5:15pm
Just purchased a new 2021 R-Pod 193. Will be talking with the dealer Business Rep to finish up paperwork, tags, pre-inspection, etc... There is of course a million potential coverages and upgrades to discuss.  Wondering if any are really worth it.  Any things to consider, request or avoid with the dealer? Thanks for any advice. There will be an EBC and weight distribution/sway control hitch included. Will be towing with my Honda pilot elite max towing 5000lbs
Never enough time
Back to Top
jato View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2012
Location: Kewadin, MI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3215
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 2020 at 6:39pm
Congratulations on your 193.  My personal opinion on extended warranty, upgrades and so forth - PASS.
I have never purchased an extra warranty, protection for auto, r-pod, appliance, tv, electronics, cell phone you name it and have never been burned (yet) and in the process have saved a lot of $$.  Funny how the dealer tells you how great your 193 is over the competition: it has all these features the other guys don't, it is better than the others because. . . . . and the list goes on.  Once you are ready to sign all of a sudden the tone changes now it is, "In case this happens" or "To be safe you should purchase this" or "It really makes sense to purchase this extended warranty." 

As long as you are somewhat able to do simple fixes yourself, and you probably are - forego the sales pitch, fold up your wallet and double your money.  We purchased our 177 back in January 2011 and picked it up 2 months later, it was a 4 hour drive for us to cross the Mackinac Bridge and drive all the way to Escanaba in the UP of Michigan, but well worth it.

As they do the tour through your new toy, video it with your phone or i-pad for record.  Make sure your tires are at the recommended pressure (most tire failures are not because they are made in China, rather a lot of owners don't check the pressure regularly).  Have them go thru the procedure for your EBC and WDH/sway control and how they operate and function for best results. 

It has been almost ten years since we purchased ours but back then we were given a nice discount for paying cash (certified check) instead of credit card or loan, but times change and that may no longer be a bargaining chip.

Stay tuned here, if you have a question, this is your 24/7 owners manual.  I have benefited greatly by hanging out here, reading others posts and asking questions when they come up.  And yes, welcome to the R-Pod family!
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."
Back to Top
Docwoos View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 17 Dec 2020
Location: Burke, VA
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Dec 2020 at 7:58pm
Thank you very much for responding.  I figured as much with the warranties and feel the same about them in general.  Will do on the rest of the advice about videos, tire pressures and inspection.
Never enough time
Back to Top
offgrid View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member


Joined: 23 Jul 2018
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 5290
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2020 at 9:05am
The only upgrade you might want to negotiate is to dual batteries if you plan on boon docking. The batteries are a dealer installed option so you might be able to get what you want rather than have to replace something you don’t want right away. Most folks here who boon dock tend to favor installing dual 6V golf cart batteries in series. Works better than 2 12v batteries in parallel.

Otherwise I agree with Jato, Skip the extras, often the trailers are sold with low margins and the dealers make most of their money on all that extra stuff you don’t need.

Here is the bad news: your tow vehicle does not have the capacity to safely handle a 193. The dealer is not properly informing you. Forget the unloaded trailer weight, the loaded trailer will weigh much closer to its max gross weight which is over 4800 lbs. And the Honda’s 5000 lb capacity is with nothing in the tow vehicle, You will need a heavier tow vehicle or a lighter trailer. My Highlander is also rated at 5000 lbs. I have to be very careful not to overload my rig. And I have a 179 which is at least 600 lbs lighter overall and well over 100 lbs lighter on the tongue.
1994 Chinook Concourse
1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft
2015 Rpod 179 - sold
Back to Top
mjlrpod View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 27 Sep 2016
Location: Massachusetts
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 1214
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2020 at 12:27pm
Like most things in life, it all depends on what you are doing. You may or may NOT need another tow vehicle. If you tow to the local campground 2 or 3 times a year, and it's mostly flat, and you don't pack all kinds of stuff, you will be just fine. If you want to use the camper like it's intended, packed with everything you need/want, and able to go anywhere you want, I would recommend a new tow vehicle. The new Ford, GM, Chevy mid sized trucks, all boast a tow capacity of 7,000 to 7,500. I would at least look into one of those. 
2017.5 Rp-172
2020 R-pod 195
2015 Frontier sv 4.0L 6cyl
I'll be rpodding
Back to Top
jato View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 23 Feb 2012
Location: Kewadin, MI
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 3215
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Dec 2020 at 1:52pm
+2 offgrid  Yes, by all means get 2 batteries.  The only reason I have a pair of 12v vs. 6v was that when it was purchased in January 2011, it only came with one 12v and after getting it home,  4 hours away and a few weeks later, made sense to get another like it.   Since then, the plan was to get a pair of 6v when these 'give up the ghost' which i figured they would, years ago.  However these are now 10 years and the other 3 months short of 10 years old and they were just checked a few days ago after having been charged Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.  The voltmeter showed 10.59v and the 'newer' one 12.71v.   They sit on the concrete floor in our unheated garage in northern Michigan.
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."
Back to Top
sgordytn View Drop Down
Newbie
Newbie
Avatar

Joined: 02 Jan 2021
Location: TN
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4
Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 Jan 2021 at 6:03pm
I don't have much advice as I am new to RVing and I am picking up my R-Pod 193 this month.  How are you feeling about your R-Pod 193 so far?
--------------------------
2021 R-Pod 193
2002 Ford F-150 FX4 5.4L
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Bulletin Board Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 9.64
Copyright ©2001-2009 Web Wiz