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R-Pod construction

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LunaPod View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LunaPod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 17 Mar 2011 at 9:42pm
Having recently sold our 42 year old Airstream and bought a 2011 173 I do have to agree that the R Pod construction is not as good as the Airstream. Of course a comparable Airstream would have cost me upwards of $50,000.00 and the layout is one size fits all in the Airstream. If one takes proper care the R Pod will last quite some time and is well thought out. Yes there are tradeoffs, but we researched quite thoroughly and bought with our eyes open and are happy with the choice.
LunaPod - Mike & Barb - 173 HRE -TV 2010 Silverado
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote tdrace Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Mar 2011 at 5:55pm

Well said! For a price there is always something better! Tongue

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote YakDriver Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Mar 2011 at 9:04pm
The biggest trade off in construction is in trying to keep a trailer of that size with a low enough weight that it can be towed easily with mid-sized TVs. I put a couple of dozen very happy trips on my R-Pod and couldn't be happier. Would I have liked an Airstream? Yep, but I didn't want the cost of a new TV and the extreme cost of the Airstream.

We had a great time with our Pod, never had a problem and made some really great friends in the process. And even if you find something else that meets your needs, you will always be welcome at one of our roundups. After all, our new 27' Zinger now serves as the buffet central at our roundups. I've stayed with the group because of the great people on this forum.

Good luck and keep us posted.
YakDriver, Ain't Leo, Chaz and Lil Harry in grrr-Pod

2013 r-Pod 182G Hood River; 2013 Ford F150 STX



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote this_is_nascar Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2011 at 6:19am
Originally posted by pmjensen pmjensen wrote:

Sadly, you're not far off the truth from what I've seen with my R-Pod.  Terrible craftsman ship, actually the worse I've ever seen and I've owned several different TT's over the years.  Mine was so poorly assembled, I had to have all my windows replaced due to the installer over torqing each side of the windows.  They "sandwiched" together and crushed the tracks of all the windows.  The windows and screens could not be moved.  They were all replaced.  Shame on me for not discovering the issue prior to taking delivery.  Nonetheless, no excuse for the installation.  If you take a look under the one bench on my R-Pod (the side you're not supposed to use for storage), you see a mess of wires, twisted and tangled on each other, sawdust all over the place, pieces of wood drill/plug holes littered about.  Under the sink, it's similar.  There really no excuse for such a terrible installation of a trailer.
 
I'd never consider another R-Pod.
 I guess my question for this_is_nascar is, if you dislike the R-Pod so much why do you still bother with the forum?

Just curious

 
Because I still own and use the unit, but thanks for asking.
"Ray & Connie"

- 2017 R-Pod RP-180
- 2007 Toyota Tacoma TRD-Off Road

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HuronSailor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2011 at 10:18am
Just went to an RV show yesterday, and saw similar craftsmanship issues in all the units: cabinet drawers stapled together, polyester batting used for mattresses in some cases, sloppy routing and bundling of wires and hoses, sawdust and construction debris. A few of the units had some pretty sloppy workmanship right out there in plain sight: chipped counters, crooked trim, exposed raw plywood edges, terrible upholstery workmanship. One RV had an entertainment unit that could be rotated to show either a flat screen TV or an electric fireplace. Although it was a great idea it was very poorly executed; the opening was not square and the unit rotated very roughly, grinding as it moved. A sloppily drilled hole with a drop pin locked it in place. A little crude, I thought.
 
Some of the units had wood 2 x 2 sidewalls rather than the welded aluminum frames our pods have - yack! Heavy, lots of potential for trouble - not good. Lots of plastic bananas, rubber grapes, and yard sale books for props. Okay, that last one doesn't really matter, it just had to be said.
 
If you didn't look too closely though, they all seemed pretty nice: leather recliners, bay windows, fake slate floors, outdoor kitchens, big BIG TVs (all tuned to the basketball playoffs), real mattresses in the master BRs, showers with doors.
 
Fleetwood, Forest River, Coachman, Palomino, and Winnebago were there, among others. No Airstreams or Freightliners, though. No rPods, either, except for a used one for sale on one of the easel boards.
 
I'd have serious doubts about a lot of these RVs if I was a full timer and moved a lot. I bet some of them wouldn't hold together as long as the term of their loans. All of them would probably be great if you picked a spot and stayed put.
 
That's my report. Back to the forum.
 
.: Mark & Beth :: Silverado 5.3L :: "arrrr"Pod 172 :: My Albums :: OurPod Blog ::
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pepperpod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Mar 2011 at 10:28am
Thanks Mark.  We missed the RV show this year. Unhappy  See you and Beth in June where the Bluegrass grows and the horses are fast. Big smile
Pepper,Coach,and Henry (a very brave little Maltese)
R Pod 172

The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor...unknown
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Whiskeyjack Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar 2011 at 1:30am
Well, my wife and I went to an RV expo at the Tacoma Dome yesterday. We looked closely at lots of trailers, and our  2010 RP 175 seemed to compare solidly with most mid priced trailers. We were very interested in looking at a Platimum Package MPG 184 which is very similar to, but very slightly larger than the RP 175. It did have some nice features that would be nice to have on our Pods, but the fit, finish, and over all look of quality, at least to us, didn't come close to our RP 175. We're happy with the decision we made, especially since the MPG line was available in our area just after we bought our Pod. We've made enough mistakes in our lifetimes and were glad this purchase wasn't one of them! 
33 years in the classroom was enough. I miss kids, coaching, and some of the adults. Grading papers? Forget it!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Okiepoders Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar 2011 at 8:59pm
We took our 2010 175 to Wyoming last summer. The only issue we had was finding lots of loose screws on the floor from the heater cover and various other things. Other than that we have enjoyed it alot.  It was the weight and size we wanted and in the price range we wanted to spend so have been happy with it so far.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pepperpod Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Mar 2011 at 7:13am
We are still getting sawdust on the floor in front of the fridge.  Any ideas on the cause.  Could the fridge be loose and rubbing on the wood?  Puzzling.Confused
Pepper,Coach,and Henry (a very brave little Maltese)
R Pod 172

The rewards of the journey far outweigh the risk of leaving the harbor...unknown
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ratdog Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 Mar 2011 at 7:41am
Any chance it could be some type of wood-eating or wood-boring insects? (Not that there's much in the rpod that could actually be called "wood" <LOL>.)
 
-- Steve

Steve, Anne, and Paige the Rat Terrier
2013 Lexus RX 450h Hybrid AWD
2011 RP-177 (aka: The Circus Wagon)
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