Enter the "R-Pod"

[Ed Harris]

I went out looking yesterday for a new Water Fill for the Scamp and had a very tough time finding an exact replacement but I did end up at several dealers in the hunt.

At three of them I spotted this odd new rig.

http://www.roamingtimes.com/rvreports/r-po...el-trailer.aspx

I was curious enough that I went inside three different floorplans and I left each time wondering just exactly who this thing will be right for?

Clearly they look like a Teardrop but what is not so clear is how GiNormous they are or seem from the outside.
I was struck by the sheer scale of the thing until of course I went inside.

It was as though they took the sense of space we Egg Folk can take for granted and made the opposite feeling inside.
The roof line sweeps in like a teardrop but I can not understand why?
There was full standup height in the middle and shower/bath area but then the height above the table was very low and the window was fixed and small.
In fact the interior was very dark and almost claustrophobic to me.
In addition there were few tiny windows and no sense of fresh air available.

These are evidently sold as a Luxury rig of sorts but I found the exact same lack of attention to detail and terrible fit and finish here that I see in almost every conventional RV I have ever seen?

I read the alleged tongue weight and went outside to try to lift it and I could not budge it yet it claimed to be under 200lbs.
They are marketed as ultra-light weight too.

They are constructed from some type of Laminated material that is 2" thick on all sides including the floor.

Anyway these are sort of like giant overgrown Tab's but even more peculiar I thought.
One even had a Slide with the couch on it!

As usual I left grateful for my EggLightenment.

Ed

[MikeCM]

We attended the Springfield RV show in Massachusetts recently. While the general traffic was lower than in years past these R-Pods were definitely the center of attention. Every other trailer was easy to get into these clearly were packed with waiting lines. They had some cool features like Awnings that added quite of bit of space, and matched the edge of the camper itself. I wasn't really looking to buy, but was disappointed in how small the inside felt, as well as the poor layouts. At six foot, I rarely have a height issue, but was bumping the top alll the time.

I couldn't tell if the attention was because they looked so different or if people were interested in buying. Most of the families looking didn't seam to fit, too many people. The sales people didn't seam to know who to sell to or how.

I'll stick with my 1982 Burro(sleeps 2), and the 2008 Roo. (sleeps 10).

Mike

[Mike Magee]

I saw mention of these on the 'net a couple months ago, so when I saw some at a dealer 2 weeks ago I stopped and looked them over. I didn't think they seemed more crowded inside than an egg (sorry I couldn't agree with you, Ed). They seemed about the same to me. And a slideout is bound to add to the feeling of space, something not available on any egg.

I had a Rockwood prior to the Burro, and since the Rockwood and the R-Pod are both made by Forest River, the Pod had a familiar feel to it. The dark finish on the cabinets didn't really help it; instead of looking rich and nice they looked a little chintzy. And yes, they darken the interior. But new egg interiors (while bright) don't exactly look like the Ritz to me, either.

I suspect that a new R-Pod could be bought from an internet dealer for $10K-$12K. If I were looking for a new trailer this would be a candidate I'd actually think about a lot (heretic hunters, hold the flamethrowers). Actually if money were no object, I really like the look of Safari Condo's Alto trailer with all those windows.

Mike

[JenPB]

I love this forum! I learn about fixes for my own FGT, mods, upgrades, info about other FGTs, and tidbits like THIS. THANKS for sharing all the things y'all see on the road, at shows and, well, whereever.

I love my Compact Jr., but the windows in the Alto...tempting. (Then there's that whole money-is-an-object thing.)

[Ed Harris]

I saw mention of these on the 'net a couple months ago, so when I saw some at a dealer 2 weeks ago I stopped and looked them over. I didn't think they seemed more crowded inside than an egg (sorry I couldn't agree with you, Ed). They seemed about the same to me. And a slideout is bound to add to the feeling of space, something not available on any egg.

I had a Rockwood prior to the Burro, and since the Rockwood and the R-Pod are both made by Forest River, the Pod had a familiar feel to it. The dark finish on the cabinets didn't really help it; instead of looking rich and nice they looked a little chintzy. And yes, they darken the interior. But new egg interiors (while bright) don't exactly look like the Ritz to me, either.

I suspect that a new R-Pod could be bought from an internet dealer for $10K-$12K. If I were looking for a new trailer this would be a candidate I'd actually think about a lot (heretic hunters, hold the flamethrowers). Actually if money were no object, I really like the look of Safari Condo's Alto trailer with all those windows.

Mike

Now those are interesting?
Any idea how much they cost?
I imagine keeping the roof contraption from leaking might be a challenge but why don't the domestic manufacturers look to this style and design for a change?

[Dana T]

Not nearly as spacey (in all senses of the word) is the iCamp by United RV. I found it cute but thought I needed more headroom (interior height is 71"). Today I went to the web site (http://www.urvusa.com/) to double-check the weight and find it is really heavy -- 2366lb dry! Now I remember why I crossed them off my list of possibles...

[Dianne Dohei]

We looked at these a month or so ago. And I have to agree with Ed on the overall feeling of the unit. And when you try to think where to store even the most basic things (like clothing), there is no storage space. Even the slide out model, which offered more space for people, didn't have much more than three drawers and a small cupboard under the sink. Not very functional.

Dianne

[SherryNPaul]

... iCamp by United RV. I found it cute but thought I needed more headroom (interior height is 71"). Today I went to the web site (http://www.urvusa.com/) to double-check the weight and find it is really heavy -- 2366lb dry! Now I remember why I crossed them off my list of possibles...

I probably would also have crossed it off for value/construction/price ratios.... I think the freight from the factory in China adds to the price, significantly. Very cute, though.

[Jason, M]

I probably would also have crossed it off for value/construction/price ratios.... I think the freight from the factory in China adds to the price, significantly. Very cute, though.

R-pods are made by a company called Forest River.... unless they are shipping them over from overseas

[Dana T]

R-pods are made by a company called Forest River.... unless they are shipping them over from overseas

Jason, SherryNPaul was responding to my comment about the iCamp, which is made in China. And they would be right about the price but I never got that far because the trailer was too heavy for me to even consider.

Perhaps I hijacked the thread by mentioning the iCamp (after all, the title of the thread refers to the R-Pod) -- but I thought it was OK because the Safari Condo Alto was mentioned as another interesting new design, and people were comparing the R-Pod to their current trailers.

[SherryNPaul]

Sorry, Jason,
I thought including the quote would make my comment about the iCamp clear... I could have worded that better.

The R-pod is indeed American made, and quite cute, also. It drew quite crowd at the RV show this year. We're not in the market, but like to go to the show, dry camp for the night, and see what's new...

Sherry

[doris shamieh]

I like the r-pod but the price is up there, $12,000. They weight as much as my 17 foot Roo. I also felt that the inside of the r-pod was closed off from the outside. Why don't all the windows open? Is this camping? I'm still trying to talk my husband into selling the Roo and going to an older egg or a teardrop.

Cheers,

Doris

I went out looking yesterday for a new Water Fill for the Scamp and had a very tough time finding an exact replacement but I did end up at several dealers in the hunt.

At three of them I spotted this odd new rig.

http://www.roamingtimes.com/rvreports/r-po...el-trailer.aspx

I was curious enough that I went inside three different floorplans and I left each time wondering just exactly who this thing will be right for?

Clearly they look like a Teardrop but what is not so clear is how GiNormous they are or seem from the outside.
I was struck by the sheer scale of the thing until of course I went inside.

It was as though they took the sense of space we Egg Folk can take for granted and made the opposite feeling inside.
The roof line sweeps in like a teardrop but I can not understand why?
There was full standup height in the middle and shower/bath area but then the height above the table was very low and the window was fixed and small.
In fact the interior was very dark and almost claustrophobic to me.
In addition there were few tiny windows and no sense of fresh air available.

These are evidently sold as a Luxury rig of sorts but I found the exact same lack of attention to detail and terrible fit and finish here that I see in almost every conventional RV I have ever seen?

I read the alleged tongue weight and went outside to try to lift it and I could not budge it yet it claimed to be under 200lbs.
They are marketed as ultra-light weight too.

They are constructed from some type of Laminated material that is 2" thick on all sides including the floor.

Anyway these are sort of like giant overgrown Tab's but even more peculiar I thought.
One even had a Slide with the couch on it!

As usual I left grateful for my EggLightenment.

Ed