First Time purchasing an RV

[dryflyusa]

Hello everyone
From : The Adirondack State Park

Welcome any and all in-put. We are thinking of purchasing our first RV and the R-Pod 180 has caught our eye for a number of reasons.
Please tell me the pro's and con's of the R-Pod.
Planning to take it X-Country...Yellow Stone etc.

[Iwannacamp]

Beautiful place... the quest for the RV is one of the fun parts.

[iamsister7]

We love our 180. The biggest selling point for me personally, was the dry bath. There's just the two of us, so the small dinette is fine. As with all models, the bed can be an issue with the "back" person having to crawl over (or wake up, or both) the "front" person if they need to get out of bed! We are getting used to that though.

[Chief T]

If available in your area, consider the Rockwood Geo Pro or the Flagstaff e-pro. Very similar floor plans to the 180.

Safe and happy travels.

[dryflyusa]

Originally Posted by iamsister7

We love our 180. The biggest selling point for me personally, was the dry bath. There's just the two of us, so the small dinette is fine. As with all models, the bed can be an issue with the "back" person having to crawl over (or wake up, or both) the "front" person if they need to get out of bed! We are getting used to that though.

Thank you so much. Just the two of us as well and we love the small dinette AND the dry bath. We know the bed is going to be an issue but we're going to deal with it...too many other plus's to the 180.
Larry

[iamsister7]

My thoughts exactly!

[JerryR]

Uh.... can you tell me what is meant by the term "dry bath"?

[LynnGlaze13]

Originally Posted by JerryR

Uh.... can you tell me what is meant by the term "dry bath"?

A dry bath is one where everything in the bathroom isn't part of the shower.

There is a curtain/door to keep the sink and toilet from getting wet when you shower.

A wet bath you just close the door and everything inside is the shower.

[trozfast]

TEST and LOOK at EVERYTHING. Go over it like your buying a regular home. Have any issue fixed before you buy.

[Chaplain Kent]

The IPod was high on our list when looking to downsize from our 32' Airstream. The deciding factors were the single axle and the bed. Our Coachman 192RBS has a walk around queen with two axles. What we gave up was the dinette having just a sofa. Two ottomans that double for storage are now are tables for eating and resting our feet after a fun day of camping. The two axles are important as a safety factor. The small tires spin at a high speed when traveling and have a tendency to blow, with four tires you remain safe with three still on the road if one goes.

[RGH2CO]

We looked at most of the trailers mentioned here, but wanted just a little more while still staying in the meduium SUV or 1/2 ton towable range. My anticipated tow vehicle is a Grand Cherokee with the 5.7L Hemi V-8 since we'll be living in the mountains of Colorado, but the V-6 or diesel could easily handle this trailer most anywhere. We've settled on the Rockwood Mini Lite 2104S as the only TT that could sleep 4 adults (2 over 6'4") and carry over 1000 pounds of cargo, yet still be comfortable and usable for 2. With the Murphy bed option it has great living space, and with the 84" dinette it makes a second bed big enough for 2 adults. I really wanted the additional outside kitchen of some of the larger TTs, and the 2104s includes an outdoor grill (propane from onboard system) and work shelf, and storage is better than most smaller trailers. I'll post a couple of quick links below. Good luck in your search!

Forest River Rockwood Mini Lite 2104S Links

RV Guide Specs and more
2017 Forest River Rockwood Mini Lite 2104S Trailer : Reviews, Prices and Specs : RV Guide

Example 2018 on sale in Utah, good photos
https://www.rvusa.com/rvs-for-sale/2...-84107-2157036

Virtual Tour

[Sujo70]

Check out the Flagstaff Micro lite. We love our 21ds with the Murphy bed. Lots of room to move around in but still compact. Good Luck and Happy Camping!

[markb422]

I think one of the main reasons that people upgrade their RV is the bed issue. It was for us and we moved up to a walk around queen. Another was the single axle. Things that will determine how soon you will upgrade is your lifestyle and your tow vehicle. for example, if you both go to bed and get up at the same time. Or, if you are pulling a single axle trailer with a short wheel base tv or without a wdh. If you think anything mentioned will be a concern, save yourself the trouble and money lost, get into something like others have mentioned or the Passport 195 has a nice floorplan, queen bed, dual axle, and no slides if that worries you also.

[Arenablanca]

We have a 179 HRE and just finished 140 nights of camping in it this year. Our outing was almost 11,000 miles and included 14 national parks, 6 national monuments, as well as several dams. We opted for the larger kitchen and storage. The wet bath wasn't an issue for us as we don't do very much "boondocking." and plan on using the showers at campgrounds.

Regardless of the model you are choosing, you need to consider what you will be towing with. Our 179 weighs around 2900 pounds without water, propane, and stuff you take along -- clothes, cameras, etc. Total weight is around 3400 pounds. While there are people who pull R-pods with Ford Escapes, I would not want to. I think a decent margin of safety is to not tow more than 75-80% of your rated tow capacity.

That being said, I would start the whole search with the tow vehicle. Do you plan to get a new one? If not, find out what the rated towing capacity of your current vehicle is. Remember the amount being towed is not just the camper but also includes the weight of the campers and the weight distributing hitch.

Spend some time at a dealer sitting in a R-Pod and doing the things you think you will be doing. Spend at least 20 minutes without a dealers rep with you in each model you are considering. If the dealer rep won't do that, find a different dealer or ask for a different rep. You also might want to find a R-pod rally and try to visit at the same time. Ask some other owners what they think.

[markb422]

When looking for an RV I have had dealers suggest staying over night in one like you are looking at. Many dealers have camping areas on their lots with hook ups so you can try it out.

[sportbikenut]

Originally Posted by Sujo70

Check out the Flagstaff Micro lite. We love our 21ds with the Murphy bed. Lots of room to move around in but still compact. Good Luck and Happy Camping!

Please tell me more as I am close to picking up my new 2018.5 21DS and would appreciate any feedback. Thanks!