New 2012 r-Pod 173
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Topic: New 2012 r-Pod 173
Posted By: sammycamper
Subject: New 2012 r-Pod 173
Date Posted: 23 Oct 2012 at 10:45pm
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We bought a new 2012 r-Pod 173 last Thursday and took it for a late season outing at a local State Park this weekend. Apparently Forest River is not making the 173 model for 2013; but I thought it offered a fair amount of versatility for a non-slider model. Since my wife and I are not particularly large people, my intention is to use the sofa for a more-or-less full-time bed, and leave the dinette setup. I sawed off a 1x10" board to fit below the back of the sofa, where I stuffed a couple body pillows to fill the gap between the top of the sofa and the wall when it is pulled out to a bed position. That arrangement makes a sleep area just slightly smaller than a full size bed. It worked OK, but a foam cushion custom cut and upholstered would do a better job than the body pillows. Our tow vehicle is a 2008 Trailblazer, and it towed the r-Pod almost effortlessly. I just sold a 21-foot KZ Sportsmen Frontier travel trailer that we had for 6 years. The Trailblazer was able to pull it; but it felt pretty well max'd out. I particularly like the fact that I don't need any mirror extenders to see to the rear while pulling the r-Pod. For this trip, the Trailblazer got about 14% better fuel economy that when it pulled the Frontier.
I drove to the campsite and setup alone before my wife joined me after work. Our r-Pod came with the r-Dome; so I set that up in spite of the generic and somewhat misleading instructions. It really wasn't bad to setup, and should be relatively easy from now on, unless the wind kicks up. With a wind, I probably would need some help. Also, the r-Dome requires a fairly sizable campsite. As long as there's room, I definitely like the size and versatility of the r-Dome. It's a great space for our two dogs in their crates, and makes a pleasant transition area from the pod to the ourdoors.
The appliances all worked as designed, and I think the r-Pod/r-Dome combo has an appealing look.
Overall, though, my wife and I were disappointed in the r-Pod. It has a profound lack of storage space; the toilet/shower stall is uncomfortably tight; and, for such a tiny pod, it was frustratingly hard to heat. It did a lousy job of retaining warm air, so the furnace had to kick on so often that our battery did not last for two nights. We have had 5 other campers. The 21-foot Frontier that I just sold had gobs of space, and it warmed up easily and stayed comfortable. The r-Pod was not noticeably warmer than the fold-down campers we've had. It seems to be very drafty, though I can't specifically determine where the cold air is coming from. The floor is particularly cold.
I plan to do some surgery that could help the storage issue some. There is a large empty area under the sofa; but the only access is to lift the sofa into the mid-transition position. I think I will cut out a section in the middle of the base under the front of the sofa, and make sort of a drawer that can be slid out onto the linoleum floor. It looks like the drawer can be about 20"Wx40"Dx10"H, which could serve as a readily accessible lay-down closet, plus hold towels and such. Extra blankets and things we don't need so frequently could still be stored in the two remaining areas under the sofa on either side of the new drawer. Wish me luck with this idea. If we're ever going to enjoy this camper, we really need a solution for the lack of storage.
Hopefully our r-Pod (is that redundant?) will grow on us. I already asked the dealer we bought it from about trading it back for a Gulfstream Visa 17 that I had overlooked on the lot; but I would take a $2500 hit in addition to the $3000 difference in the cost of the two campers. He explained that a used camper is a used camper. If so, we may as well wait at least until Spring and maybe get some real use out of it before we try a swap. I wish I hadn't seen the Visa, because it seems to be everything I really wanted; but it does have that wider profile that creates rearview challenges, it weighs about 500-600 pounds more, and it has a $3k higher price tag.
For now, I'm going to try to remember all the charming characteristics of the r-Pod that attracted me to it in the first place, and find ways to enjoy it.
Sam
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Replies:
Posted By: kymooses
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2012 at 8:23am
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I'd say congratulations on your Pod but it doesn't seem you're too happy with it just yet. There are lots of storage options that others have come up with over the years to accomodate more stuff. The Pod is just a matter of having what you need and not taking things that you don't and then finding the perfect spot for each of those things. I do have to question though. Did you not know the limitations to the storage and how close and tight the bathroom/shower was before you bought it? Surely you toured it first right? I hope you find the charm of it suits you well enough for now though at least! Happy Podding! ------------- https://calendar.google.com/calendar?cid=cnBvZC5zcG90dGVyQGdtYWlsLmNvbQ - RPod Rallies https://www.google.com/maps/d/embed?mid=1W1foQXGtrjf8aYly1uh0b-bHPfI&hl=en_US - RPod Owner Map |
Posted By: P&M
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2012 at 8:38am
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I hope you find that it is more enjoyable to go Podding in as you get adjusted to it. One comment you made which surprised me the most was regarding not being able to keep it heated. I've read many postings on here about just the opposite. Maybe there is an issue with the furnace itself, or the thermostat? I would definitely recommend taking up the issue with your dealer.
Best of luck to you with whatever you decide to do! ------------- P & M ... and Comet too! 2012 171 -- The Monkey Pod 2018 Ram 2500 |
Posted By: Paige
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2012 at 9:17am
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We have had two large RV's in the past and have always brought more "stuff" than we needed to. The challenge and pleasure of having our RPod is that we only bring what we need and we make sure everything has a designated "home". To me, it brings me back to more realistic camping than when we were dragging around or driving around one of our big RV's.
Part of being an RPod owner is thinking of innovative ways to stash your "stuff". Give it some time, you might fall in love with your RPod. ------------- Paige and Pete 2010 177 - RPug 2012 Rav (six cylinder) New York & Florida residents 
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Posted By: sammycamper
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2012 at 9:08pm
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Yes, Travis and Carrie, I looked at the RPod before I bought it. I knew we would have to pare down; but I simply underestimated the problem of putting a weekend's worth of two people's clothes, towels and normal carry-ons someplace when there's no place.
The problem with heat isn't the furnace, P&M, it's cold air leaks that I haven't been able to isolate. One area I did find was along the side of the refrigerator. I temporarily stuffed some paper towels in there, and that helped considerably.
I plan to spend this weekend converting the panel under the sofa seat to gain better access to the sizable space under there. Plus, the temperature is forcast to be cold enough that I might be able to track down some of those cold air leaks.
Meanwhile, it sure is cute in our driveway. I definitely don't hate the R-Pod; and, like you say, Paige and Pete, I may very well learn to love it if we can make a few of the right modifications.
Thanks.
Sam
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2012 at 10:41pm
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Welcome. We went from a huge popup to the pod and don't have any problem packing for a week, odd that you are having so much of a problem. One thing that helps us a lot is we added 3 lidded containers which we keep outside just under the edge of the pod. Two hold trash & recycling, the 3rd holds our shoes. Our clothes go in a rolling duffel bag which rolls under our bed (in the 171). The drawers only hold more permanent things like cooking utensils. The shower is tight in ours even without the small handwashing sink that the newer pods have. I recommend removing it if you can. Not sure why you had a hard time keeping yours warm, one benefit of the pods is they have a ton of insulation. We use a small electric heater on low when we have hookups and it rarely runs. Even when I camped in January and it got down to 10 F degrees it wasn't working very hard to keep the heat in - even with a window cracked open and the vent cracked open to help control humidity. This past weekend I camped without hookups and it got down to the 40's, the furnace was set to 55-60 overnight and it didn't come on that often. Ironically the Visa 19 footer caught my attention some time ago and I'm now seriously considering the 23 foot model. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual 
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Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 24 Oct 2012 at 10:56pm
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Donna likes the size of the shower/head because there is no room for me to get in there when she is in there, dog gone the luck. ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
Posted By: sammycamper
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2012 at 6:55am
If ours had behaved that way, we wouldn't be disappointed. The cold air leaks were a MUCH greater disappointment than the space. We knew the R-Pod would have less storage space than we're used to; but we expected the benefit of a cozy pod.
Sam
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Posted By: marwayne
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2012 at 10:32am
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Here is what I would do to find the place were the draft is coming from. close the door and windows turn on the bath fan high speed and check with a smoke pencile or put a very light ,fuzzy dawn on the end of a stick and hold it into places were the draft could come from. ------------- If you want something done right, do it yourself. 2011 RP172, 2016 Tundra 5.7 Litre, Ltd. |
Posted By: rpodcamper.com
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2012 at 1:16pm
You know owe me a new keyboard and monitor as I was drinking coffee right before reading this
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Posted By: rpodcamper.com
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2012 at 1:23pm
| Sammycamper - It sounds like they may have missed closing in all the Air gaps. Look for any place they may have drilled the floor to put pipes in and see if they sealed all those. Fridge area as you alread found out, look by the door and see if there are any cracks of light coming in and also under the bathroom opnd the vent and look for any holes not sealed. I had several in ny 2009 - 171 rpod |
Posted By: wildflowerz
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2012 at 1:42pm
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Welcome! I imagine it would be hard dealing with little storage after coming from something larger. There are some great mods on this forum. We plan on adding a shelf in the back for clothing. We just got the rPod 171 last week and are back from our first weekend. The shower is definitely small so we are going to have the sink removed before next spring. My husband isn't handy so we are going to talk to the dealer about doing that for us. Every inch helps. When it first came out the bathroom didn't have a sink. I wonder if they will eventually go back to doing it that way. I'll be interested in hearing how things come along with yours and if the pod grows on you. |
Posted By: coopercdrkey
Date Posted: 25 Oct 2012 at 5:22pm
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We may be at an advantage, since the only previous camping experience we had was tenting- talk about storage issues! Our 177 is not as large as our neighbors in most campgrounds, yet we find it quite comfortable for 2 or 3 day outings. Do we have fabric "shopping bags" full of fresh linens on the way out, and "dirty laundry" on the way back? Yes, indeed. Is there a gigantic cooler straddling the tailgate of our Cherokee? Yup! When we first set out, Joyce had a "Things We Need" list. I asked her to start another list of "Stuff We Don't Need" They are approximately equal at this point. Oh, and with the R-Dome, the Campin' Cocker Spaniels are very happy to be along! Sorry if it's not for you....... ------------- Bob and Joyce Jennifer and Baxter, the Campin' Cocker Spaniels RP 177 "Key Pod" Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT / Z71 |
Posted By: sammycamper
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2012 at 8:20pm
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I spent some time with the rpod last weekend to improve on storage. I bought 3 plastic 2'x3'x8" tubs. Then I cut the two outside corners off two of them so that they would fit against the walls under the sofa. The third one, then, filled the space between them almost perfectly. I also hinged a 2'x2'x10" wood leg to the bottom inside of the upholstered panel under the seat. Now, we can lift the bottom of the panel up (the 2"x2" leg drops down to hold it up) and slide the middle tub all the way out onto the floor between the sink/burners cabinets and the bathroom. We can lay the soft plastic closet that was hanging on a bar in the bathroom in that tub, and still have room to lay jackets and such beside it. We can store extra blankets and things we don't need so often in the other two tubs that can only be accessed by lifting the sofa seat. I also installed several of those Command Strips hangers, and hung a cloth shoe organizer on the end of the sink/burner cabinet, next to the outside door.
I think those things will start to improve the storage issues.
Eventually, I want to take someone's suggestion about hanging storage trays above the window blinds.
I contacted the dealer and told them about some of your responses regarding the air gaps. I wanted to know whether that would be a warranty issue; or, if I needed to find them and seal them up myself, I wanted to know the best way to go about it. The owner said that it is absolutely a warranty issue. The pod should be easy to heat, and they would check things out and install any missing seals. He said any help I could provide about where the air is coming in would help, and I told him about the air flow beside the refrigerator, where I stuffed paper towels to temporarily improve things a little. In the mean time, I layed a 2'x6' carpet runner on the floor to make that feel a little warmer, and to protect the linoleum where we'll be sliding the tub in and out under the sofa.
So, I re-winterized the rpod and took it back to the dealer. Hope to have it back in about another week; but, this camping season will be gone. By the time we get it back it will be time to tow it to the storage barn; but I think some of these things will improve our camping experience in early Spring.
Thanks again for your encouragement and suggestions.
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Posted By: sammycamper
Date Posted: 01 Nov 2012 at 9:09pm
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One more thing:
I know my initial impression and review was not entirely positive, and I admittedly wish I had purchased a Gulfstream Visa instead; BUT I am very surprised by posts on this site and others about how dissapointed some are in how the rpod tows. One post even said that the rpod tows like a parachute. All the complaints seem to center around the aerodynamics of the pod being bad.
My brief experience is completely contrary. After 6 years of towing a more conventional 21-ft travel trailer that weight about 750-lbs more, I thought that towing the rpod was a terrific treat. No matter what shape it is, our TV is still pulling about 1-1/2 tons of additional weight. So, the fact that I feel something behind me comes as no shock. I've read posts about wind tunnel programs that demonstrate the inefficiency of the pod's design. Nevertheless, I realized about a 14% improvement in gas mileage compared to our previous travel trailer, and starting off from a dead stop was downright frisky by comparison. I put a lot more stock in my direct experience than a computer mock-up. The fact that I can use my standard mirrors for a clear rear view is a bonus.
I actually think towing the rpod and backing it into a campsite is fun.
Sam
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Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 02 Nov 2012 at 12:51pm
Welcome to the world of podmods, once you enter you can never leave. 
I like the idea of shaping the tubs to fit the wall. ------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: sammycamper
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2012 at 1:04am
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Wow!
I picked up our rpod from the dealer late Friday afternoon, and what a transformation! They injected foam sealant in all the holes through the wall in the hot water heater area, they pulled the furnace to seal that space, they pulled the converter to seal a hole for the 3" pipe under the shower, and - probably most importantly - they thoroughly sealed around those big refrigerator vents. In the process, they took pictures of all the unsealed holes to send to Forest River.
They also replaced the dvd player/tv/radio, because the orginal unit would not display anything on the screen. Plus, they installed a window blind that was missing completely. It's as if the manufacturer got in a hurry to rush our unit out the door, and just didn't finish the job.
Now, though, everything seems to work fine. I can't even describe how different it feels with the furnace running than it did on our first camping trip. Now, the whole camper has a nice even warmth. Those cold air drafts are gone, and the furnace doesn't work nearly as hard. Before, there were so many leaks that the furnace was basically trying to heat the great outdoors.
My wife and I actually sat in the camper in our driveway last night and watched a movie on the DVD player. It was just about as comfortable as our family room.
About the only thing we haven't put to the test is the air conditioner. We'll be sure to do that as early in the Summer as possible, while everything is still under warranty.
At this point, I'm not too impressed with Forest River; but I am absolutely delighted with our dealer.
Sam
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Posted By: Paige
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2012 at 7:20am
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So glad your RPod is warm now! ------------- Paige and Pete 2010 177 - RPug 2012 Rav (six cylinder) New York & Florida residents
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Posted By: Keith-N-Dar
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2012 at 9:09am
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That's more like it! Our pod is snug and comfortable. I think our pod is made as well as many RVs. I was looking at a Jayco last week where all the cabinet work was pulled away from the walls after a year, and lots of things were falling apart. With the need for construction being light and the push of assembly lines it can happen. That's why it is important to have a good dealer.
------------- Keith-N-Dar Boris & Betty (Boston Terriers) 2011 R-Pod 177 2010 Ford F-150 |
Posted By: techntrek
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2012 at 6:25pm
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Good to hear! You'll find now that you need to crack a window and the bathroom vent when it gets cooler out just to control moisture (coming from you).
------------- Doug ~ '10 171 (2009-2015) ~ 2008 Salem ~ http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=1723 - Pod instruction manual
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Posted By: dsmiths
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2012 at 7:47pm
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Sammycamper, glad they got it straightend out , You should not have had to go through that, what year is your pod ? I think like t/trek somebody was pushing production, Donna and I's Pod heats easly and even when evening get down to the hi 20's or low 30's we have a little 1500 watt electric heater that keeps the pod in the low to mid 70's, never had a problem with drafts etc, we have to keep the vent in the bath open and a window cracked to keep the humidity down. good luck and good podding. ------------- Dane and Donna Smith 2011 RP-172 2008 Chevrolet Trailblazer 4X4 lift kit prodigy wireless brake controller |
Posted By: sammycamper
Date Posted: 10 Nov 2012 at 8:54pm
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Oops...forgot to answer your question, Dane.
Our Rpod is a "2012." I noticed, though, that the date of manufacture was 4/2011. I don't know when Forest River changes the model year; but ours is probably a very early 2012.
I agree that we shouldn't have had to go through that. Someone on the other forum said that our dealer should have done a better job of prep'ing. My dealer pointed out the missing blind when I picked up the camper, and ordered that right away. The DVD player still had the protective plastic wrap on it, which is really the way I like to get a new piece of electronic equipment. I reported the problem with the display as soon as I fired it up and tried it out at home. They ordered a replacement right away and even offered to switch it with one from another new Rpod on the lot. I told them not to bother with that, because the camping season was over for us anyway. Maybe they could have done better; because they probably should have taken care of the unsealed holes that were apparent in the furnace/hot water heater area. Their overall treatment of me, though, had been outstanding. I don't think a dealer should have to finish the manufacturing job for Forest River; and I consider initially sealing exterior holes to be part of the manufacturing process. I'm glad my dealer took pictures for Forest River, and I'd like to think this was a rare occurance; but I didn't get that impression from the service manager.
All that said, I still have an overall impression of above average build quality for our Rpod. I like the way the exterior wiring is encased in tubing, the cabinets have a nice look and feel, the fiberglass has a nice finish, things seem plum and square, the door and storage lid close properly, torsion suspension vs. leaf springs, the decals are well done, etc. I wish the interior lights were LEDs and the warranty were longer; but, I think it's a generally well put together rig.
Sam
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Posted By: Camper Bob
Date Posted: 11 Nov 2012 at 7:36am
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Amen to that. Safe Travels. ------------- Camper Bob and Camper Sue Gracie the Wonder Dog (12 LB. Mini Dachshund) 2013 Rpod 171HRE(ORPod) 2016 Lance 1685 2015 Nissan Pathfinder |