I took 2 kids, 2 dogs, and my wife for a long one, 4500 miles round trip. Denver to Texas.. Mississippi, Little Rock, Kansas City, back to Denver with all the stuff in between. I have the 176t, with the Tent and bunks. As I have said before, RPOD's are the biggest, nicest, and lightest travel trailers I could find. There are nicer once, but out of my weight limit. We also have the RDome.
I have 2 cars, a Jeep and a Chrysler minivan. Same limitations on weight. We love our trailer, but it seems to get smaller as the days go on. My kids are 11/14 and my big dog is 45lbs. That plus shoes on the floor and there isn't any space left. That is my only real complaint. They are small. I do travel with a couple cots and I can sleep outside when the weather is good.
The fantastic fan in the bathroom is like a black hole for insects. Its gross at times. The Rdome keeps the bugs out really well, and when I don't use it, the bathroom dome is so thick you wipe it off. Gross but its better than bugs everywhere.
I use the kitchen window as the drive up for dishes. My wife will be in there and I will be outside passing things in and out. Its easier than fighting the RDome. It was very easy to add a quick disconnect for a gas grill. Thats a huge improvement. The speakers are garbage, but thats not why you buy a trailer. One mod we made. People here post lots of ways to get more utility out of such a small trailer.
Favorite feature, because they are small, we always find a campsite. My trailer envy fades really quickly when I watch other still looking for something they can fit in and my kids are already doing whatever damage to the universe they do. You can camp in a parking spot. That has its advantages.
Get a weight distribution hitch, makes the trailer way way easier to tow. Depending on where you live, they are made in Oregon and Ohio. You will see the prices change as you get closer.
During our long trip, setting up camp was always a learning experience. Do not camp under lights, the birds in the south are soooo loud. AC was sufficient and useful. Never have used the microwave for anything other than storage. The hardware underneath took a beating. Scissor jacks and I lost the black tank hardware completely. I have since put on SAV-A-JACKS to take the scissor jacks off.
Get 2 golf cart batteries since you have to buy batteries anyway. Its just better. I have a solar panel to keep things topped up, but the furnace will use the batteries. We play cards on the table, but there isn't room for drinks so I put in folding drink holders. Because they are so small, when the weather is bad, our dogs have to be on the bunks. They take up too much space. So do the kids. If you are buying for just 2 people the 179 would be a different experience.
I am buying 2 generators before I go to Utah this summer. That way I can use the AC. I also bought a new supertube, because the tube under the propane tank is not long enough to hold the black tank hose. I also put another one under there for fishing poles. You will find lots of ways to store things. Pintrest is your friend.
We love ours. After a few weeks I stopped hitting things as much. Couldn't be happier. If I could tow more weight, I would probably buy a Kodiak, but they are almost twice the price too.
Derek
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