Forest River Interview

I was going to do a phone interview with Mr. Mike Dolowy of Forest River concerning the R-Pod.  It became apparent that he is a busy man.  Better him than me!

I sent him a list of 9 questions.  Below is listed the questions and answers:

Q: How did the name of R-Pod come about & by whom?
A: the name R-pod was created by our G. M. Kevin McArt...  the name has a lot to do with the shape and design of the trailer..  shaped like a pod.

Q: Have the sales been up to expectations? Any surprises as far as sales goes?
A: sales have been better than expected...  there is quite a following and the forums have really helped..  thru the month of October, R-pod reached # 31 in retail sales by brand name nationally!!!

Q: What is the most popular model?
A: our most popular model would be a toss up between the 171, 172, and 175...  that will probably change because of the new models that were introduced.

Q: Any idea as to how many units have been sold or manufactured?
A: nationally, retail registrations are at 771 thru October... and I'm guessing there were a couple hundred more sold in Canada..  hard to say, no way to track registrations in Canada.

Q: How are the Hybrids doing?
A: too early to tell...  we sold a bunch of them,  so the dealers have them in stock...  but, tents usually don't sell until the spring.

Q: Any hints on options that may be coming out soon?
A: as of today, we don't have any plans to add any more options.

Q: Does anyone from Forest River keep an eye on what modifications the owners are doing to
    their R-Pods?
A: actually, we do... we are probably on r-pod nation 2-3 times a week.

Q: . Is there any chance that Forest River can offer any assistance or presence at the East Coast
      Rally in June?
A: is that the rally in Kentucky??   we were planning on attending that rally.

Q: Have you seen the new copy cat MPG?  Any thoughts on that?
A: unfortunately, I did see the mpg.  what can you say??  heartland is notorious for copying other manufacturers products.  i did review their brochure and noticed they have no clue!!!   they say that they laminate their roof. impossible...  they say they have a dome awning option.. but don't have the rail for it..  their refer is only .3 cubic foot bigger...   the brochure says in one spot that they use an 11,000 BTU a/c and then in another column they use a 13,500 BTU a/c.. which is it??

Interesting so Forest River is coming to the Round UP and they do read the forum.  

Great interview, Terry.   I am excited that FR will be in Kentucky!

I like that they read the forums. I agree, it would be nice if someone would answer questions occasionally.

(please excuse and spelling or punctuation problems...we lost internet at the house so I can only post from my iPhone...hopefully we are back online by tomorrow or Wednesday)

Very Interesting FR going to the Kentucky round up and now it's a couple of FR employees are going.

With so many Pods scheduled to be at the ER in June, don't be surprised
if a FR presence is for marketing. Perhaps not.
Like I mentioned @ the other forum, why would they be interested in improving
the Pod when the owners do that themselves ?
Perhaps some "safety" issues may find their way into production,
like the LP tank retainer, perhaps a better regulator, but Im just guessing here.
I believe that the Lightweight TT market is just now catching steam,
and as we all know, no manufacturer can justify giving the customer more
than what they need. With the Pod, I was impressed with the holding tanks
and the Slide option. Other than it being light and inexpensive, it's not a
revolutionary thing, as noted with earlier models of the TearDrop style.
The Pod isn't a Full-Time unit. I believe it's intended purpose is more geared
toward the Week-End Warrior get-a-ways.
For the price it's nice !!! Plus you can tow with smaller vehicles.
For Example .... Honda found out that most of the people/families that owned
Hondas also owned a truck, large or small. The Pod fills a gap of wanna be
RVers, as an entry level TT.
Of course this is just my opinion.