Just my opinion - R-Pod - Fiberglass RV
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Old 02-27-2010, 10:51 AM   #1
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Just my opinion - R-Pod

While in Fla. to escape the snow for a couple wks. We saw a lot of R-Pods in RV lots (I think 19'). One couple with an R-Pod stayed next to us for a couple days and we asked to see the inside. I know for sure that we made the right decision (for us) by getting an EggCamper. Although it will sleep 4, the inside was very dark and cramped, and I could just imagine how our 2 dogs would tear up that interior (with ours we can just wipe down the fiberglass and shake out the rug). With us I believe the R-Pod would show its age real fast. The EggCamper doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, but it is nice and bright inside, simple to maintain and clean and it feels SOOOOOO roomy. Just my personal observation.

Art
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Old 02-27-2010, 03:41 PM   #2
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The Egg is one of my favorites, has everthing I need, bed, shower, potty.
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Old 02-28-2010, 10:47 AM   #3
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I stepped inside an R-pod at our local Camping World. There wasn't any spot where I could stand up straight in it. Give me my 6' 7" EggCamper.
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Old 02-28-2010, 04:15 PM   #4
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While in Fla. to escape the snow for a couple wks. We saw a lot of R-Pods in RV lots (I think 19'). One couple with an R-Pod stayed next to us for a couple days and we asked to see the inside. I know for sure that we made the right decision (for us) by getting an EggCamper. Although it will sleep 4, the inside was very dark and cramped, and I could just imagine how our 2 dogs would tear up that interior (with ours we can just wipe down the fiberglass and shake out the rug). With us I believe the R-Pod would show its age real fast. The EggCamper doesn't have a lot of bells and whistles, but it is nice and bright inside, simple to maintain and clean and it feels SOOOOOO roomy. Just my personal observation.

Art

When I was looking for a trailer, I made it a point to look up the R-pod at an RV Show. To say the least, I was very disappointed. Still haven't seen an EggCamper. Hopefully, one of you will come to the west coast.

JMP
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Old 02-28-2010, 07:08 PM   #5
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We have a couple friends from Des Moines, Iowa who traded in their Scamp and got an R-Pod last summer. They love it and have no trouble with the issues mentioned above. Both guys are 6' or more, so there must be adequate headroom for them. Just my two cents worth...
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Old 02-28-2010, 08:38 PM   #6
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I stepped inside an R-pod at our local Camping World. There wasn't any spot where I could stand up straight in it. Give me my 6' 7" EggCamper.
I don't know which model of Rpod you were in... I've been in several, over the past two years, and the height does vary from end to end (it's a teardrop, afterall), but plenty of headroom at door entry (usual headbump spot) and main living area.
Could you possibly be confusing this with an ICamp?
I have not seen an EggCamper, so can't make a direct comparison.
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Old 02-28-2010, 09:36 PM   #7
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R-Pod Ultra Lite travel trailer by Forest River
Important dimensions:
7 floorplans are available
Exterior length between 16'2" and 18'3", Exterior width 8'0"
Exterior height 8'8", with a/c 9'2", Interior height 6'6"
Ultra lightweight with unloaded weight between 1937 lbs and 2336 lbs
Load capacity 1050-`428 lbs, Hitch weight 179-241 lbs
Tanks - fresh 36, grey 35, black 35 - gallons

http://www.roamingtimes.com/rvreports/r-po...el-trailer.aspx
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Old 02-28-2010, 10:51 PM   #8
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We find ourselves checking out the R-pods at every RV show, and while cute; the inside feels a little closed in. But plenty of headroom for my six feet of height. That said, I love the large awning that follows the curve of the roof.

Mike
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Old 03-01-2010, 11:12 AM   #9
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Thinking back on it, I'm not sure if it was an R-pod or a TaDa, (I do remember it had a cutesy name). However, at 6' 4" I do find a lot of the little campers lacking in head room. I see that there are seven models of the R-pod and they only give one interior height - 6' 7". Being a teardrop, it seems that except for the very biggest model, someone of my height wouldn't be able to stand up straight except at the very center.
Probably a short little six-footer wouldn't find most of the models too confining, however - LOL.
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Old 03-01-2010, 03:38 PM   #10
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Probably a short little six-footer wouldn't find most of the models too confining, however - LOL.
Now Now Ray. I think that is the first time I have been called short in a long time . By the way my wife had no issue standing in any of the R-Pod models (guess there are advantages to being 4'-11"). I'll have to let her know what an advantage she has.

Mike
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Old 03-02-2010, 10:33 AM   #11
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Now Now Ray. I think that is the first time I have been called short in a long time . By the way my wife had no issue standing in any of the R-Pod models (guess there are advantages to being 4'-11"). I'll have to let her know what an advantage she has.

Mike
People don't realize what a disadvantage being tall can be. I can't buy shirts or most pants off the rack, some cars don't fit, and don't even think about going on many carnival rides - (that mistake hurt my back for years afterward). More relevant to this forum, I held off buying a molded fiberglass camper for many years because the Scamp and Casita were just too lacking in stand-up room. I only bought our camper this last year when I discovered the 6' 7" of head room in the EggCampers; we traveled over 1000 miles to buy one sight-unseen.
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Old 03-02-2010, 10:59 AM   #12
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Ray, the trailer you visited might have been a T[at]B, they're 5'9" on the inside. They came out with a bigger model but it's also 5'9" interior height. They sell those things as "teardrops" so I guess they don't plan for most people to be able to stand up in them. I'm only 5'10" but I wouldn't want a T[at]B either because it would give me a permanent slouch.

Edit: The software edited my trailer name but I think you know what brand I mean.
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Old 03-09-2010, 07:04 PM   #13
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When I first read this post, I resisted replying because of the tendency to bash anything that is not fibreglass (why can't we all just get along! )

...but as someone who has actually owned both a Trillium 4500 and an R-pod I feel I must put in my 2 cents.

We loved our Trill, but when it was totalled after being hit by a truck we thought it would be a good time to upgrade to something just a little bit bigger but still cute and unusual looking.

I looked at the Tada but at 6'2" tall, I couldn't stand up in it so that wouldn't work. I looked at a new Escape trailer but at $25,000 with all the tax and the cost to drive to BC, it was a bit much.

The R-pod offered, a queen bed, a seperate dinette, a larger fridge and freezer than the Trill, a convection microwave oven, a toilet and shower and large fresh, grey and black water tanks. It even has a small tv and air conditioning!

All this and it was only 3 feet longer and 500lbs more than the Trillium.

Yes it doesn't have as many windows as the Trillium, but it does have a large door with integral screen door which lets in a lot of light. It has 6'6" of interior height everywhere you walk inside (about 6'4" under the ac) so its very good for headroom. I was only able to stand up in one small spot in the Trillium (without shoes) without my head hitting the ceiling.

The construction is fibreglass, aluminum, foam and plywood sandwhich construction, so it won't be quite as bullet proof in several decades as a solid fibreglass trailer, but having owned various 20-30 year old trailers of various types over the years I think I have a pretty good idea on how to keep up the weather tightness.

So, each trailer has its plusses and minuses. I think the bottom line is that we all enjoy camping in our small, interesting trailers - hopefully we can appreciate what we have in common and not what makes our trailers different.

Cheers,

Phil 4500
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Old 03-10-2010, 12:02 AM   #14
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I am 6'4", I learned that headroom is far less important than bed length. I don't walk around inside very much, but I do spend a lot of hours in the sack. A bigger trailer may have a smaller bed than a little trailer.
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Old 03-13-2010, 08:45 PM   #15
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Phil, I would be interested in hearing how your fuel economy compares towing the R-Pod versus the Trillium.

R-Pod is made by Forest River, same as the Rockwood I used to own. I've gotten the impression that FR trailers are decent quality. I admire the Pods every time I drive by the local dealership. You won't catch me doing any bashing!

Mike
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Old 03-14-2010, 02:17 PM   #16
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I have to agree with Phil that the R-Pod is a well-designed trailer. Whoever set it up had obviously looked at a number of other trailers and taken the best features. It's got everything you need in a size that can be pulled by a smaller vehicle. I know this because I've been looking pretty seriously for the few months and I've seen a whole lot of units. Not to dump on other manufacturer's trailers but some seem like a big box with a sink and others are just plain laughable, like for instance the little fold-up A-Liner that's barely big enough for a cot but lists for $17k. The only thing going against the R-Pod is that it's sold through a dealer network so buying one is going to be a lot like buying a new car, with all the same hassles. Some people like that sort of thing but dealing with dealer costs, so-called list prices, and differing mark-ups has never been my thing. There's been a used one year old R-Pod listed in the local CraigsList for more than some dealers are asking for new units.

Fortunately, I've got a handshake deal on a used Casita Liberty so keep your fingers crossed for me. I'm pretty anxious to get out of my lurking phase and start traveling.
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Old 07-01-2010, 09:10 PM   #17
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Hi Phil,

Can you give us some mileage reports when towing your Rpod? What are you using for your tow vehicle? We have been drooling over the FG Eggs for quite some time now but with a Hubby who is around 300 lbs we just cant do that tiny bed. We have a King bed at home and a queen in our popup and that's about as small as we can go and sleep comfortably. DH also has sleep apnea so we need room for the machine and hose. We also have 2 kids ages 7 and 14 so we definately want to sleep 4 and have the shower/toilet. Having just returned from a very hot and sticky miserable trip to the Florida Keys in our popup it's now for sale. The A/C couldnt keep up with the heat and humidity and the bath houses were not air conditioned so trying to take a shower or use the facilities when your dripping with sweat and your clothes are sticking to you was not our idea of fun. Plus it rained the last day we were there (of course) so had to come home and pop up to dry out. It continued to rain every day for a week and after 48 hrs we had to put the popup in the garage due to Home Owner's Assocation rules. So we put it down wet and prayed it didnt mold till the weather cleared and we could pull it out again to dry it out. A very miserable 40th bday trip for sure. We have decided on an Rpod for now and are in the process of upgrading our minivan to a bigger tow vehicle. Probably a Ford Explorer as we want plenty of oomph to travel from Florida to WY to visit family in the summers and want to camp at Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon, The Rockies etc. and still seat 7. The plan is to use the Rpod until the kids are off to college and then probably get an Egg. DH can have the rear bed and I'll take the side bed and we'll have the shower up front. We figure an Egg would survive an Alaska Trip much better as well due to it's superior construction. The Rpod we're looking at has the kitchen slide out (an extra 18 inches!), Queen bed in the rear and 31X74 bunks up front for the kids. And of course the wet bath. It's 17ft long and dry weight of around 2500 lbs. GVW around 3800lbs. Our dealer quoted us $13K with all the options (A/C, 19" LCD TV/DVD, Screen room, Convection Microwave). MSRP is $20K but nobody is selling them for that.
Anyway, we're looking for any info on the Rpod especially from previous Egg Owners for towing comparison etc. I've been on the Rpod forum and they aren't as active over there.

Thanks,
Melissa

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Old 07-02-2010, 03:02 PM   #18
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Phil, I would be interested in hearing how your fuel economy compares towing the R-Pod versus the Trillium.

R-Pod is made by Forest River, same as the Rockwood I used to own. I've gotten the impression that FR trailers are decent quality. I admire the Pods every time I drive by the local dealership. You won't catch me doing any bashing!

Mike
Hi Mike,

My fuel economy with the R-pod went down about 20-25% with our Ford Escape compared to towing the Trillium (20 mpg towing the Trillium to 15-16 towing the R-pod) but perhaps more importantly seemed to struggle to go over 55 mph. The extra height of the R-pod causes quite a bit of extra drag compared to Trilliums and Bolers. We recently attended a convention of R-pods in Kentucky and most people reported getting around 12 mpg whether towing it with a typical 6 cylinder SUV or pickup (Edge, Frontier, Traverse) or V8 pickup (Silverado or Avalanche). Naturally, the faster you go the worse your fuel consumption as wind drag increases exponentially. I actually changed to a larger tow vehicle recently as I didn't want to overstress the transmission in our Escape and I am anticipating towing larger things in our future as well. We averaged 12 mpg towing through a mixture of flat and mountainous territory but with a V8 powered Chev Avalanche and importantly were able to more comfortably keep up with traffic at 60-65 mph.

We've been very happy with the quality and features on our R-pod but you've managed to zero in on the one sore spot compared to our old Trillium - increased fuel consumption.

Thanks for not bashing!

Phil
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Old 07-02-2010, 03:13 PM   #19
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Hi Phil,

Can you give us some mileage reports when towing your Rpod? What are you using for your tow vehicle? We have been drooling over the FG Eggs for quite some time now but with a Hubby who is around 300 lbs we just cant do that tiny bed. We have a King bed at home and a queen in our popup and that's about as small as we can go and sleep comfortably. DH also has sleep apnea so we need room for the machine and hose. We also have 2 kids ages 7 and 14 so we definately want to sleep 4 and have the shower/toilet. Having just returned from a very hot and sticky miserable trip to the Florida Keys in our popup it's now for sale. The A/C couldnt keep up with the heat and humidity and the bath houses were not air conditioned so trying to take a shower or use the facilities when your dripping with sweat and your clothes are sticking to you was not our idea of fun. Plus it rained the last day we were there (of course) so had to come home and pop up to dry out. It continued to rain every day for a week and after 48 hrs we had to put the popup in the garage due to Home Owner's Assocation rules. So we put it down wet and prayed it didnt mold till the weather cleared and we could pull it out again to dry it out. A very miserable 40th bday trip for sure. We have decided on an Rpod for now and are in the process of upgrading our minivan to a bigger tow vehicle. Probably a Ford Explorer as we want plenty of oomph to travel from Florida to WY to visit family in the summers and want to camp at Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon, The Rockies etc. and still seat 7. The plan is to use the Rpod until the kids are off to college and then probably get an Egg. DH can have the rear bed and I'll take the side bed and we'll have the shower up front. We figure an Egg would survive an Alaska Trip much better as well due to it's superior construction. The Rpod we're looking at has the kitchen slide out (an extra 18 inches!), Queen bed in the rear and 31X74 bunks up front for the kids. And of course the wet bath. It's 17ft long and dry weight of around 2500 lbs. GVW around 3800lbs. Our dealer quoted us $13K with all the options (A/C, 19" LCD TV/DVD, Screen room, Convection Microwave). MSRP is $20K but nobody is selling them for that.
Anyway, we're looking for any info on the Rpod especially from previous Egg Owners for towing comparison etc. I've been on the Rpod forum and they aren't as active over there.

Thanks,
Melissa
Hi Melissa,

See my previous post about mileage. As for travelling with two kids, I think you might want to get something a little bigger than an R-pod. Don't forget that not only will you have four bodies in the trailer, you will need a place for all their stuff and you'll need to be able to move around a bit. If I were you, I'd be looking a a conventional white box type of trailer in the 19-23 range with a queen bed for Mom and Dad and bunk beds for the kids, seperate dinette and bathroom with a seperate shower stall and toilet. Good luck in your search.

Phil
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Old 07-02-2010, 03:51 PM   #20
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Thanks for chiming in, Phil.

Melissa, before you buy it's great to get all the family together in the prospective trailer and spend maybe an hour just moving around in there, talking, and considering what it will be like. If the 'Pod still feels cozy but not cramped and you're happy with it, great.

If you decide you need more space, you might look at the Rockwood 2306... queen bed plus 3 bunks, and a dinette to boot. It adds 6' and 800 lbs but will probably only subtract 1 or 2 mpg versus the R-Pod. Not as cute on the outside, I know. Best to get an anti-sway, load leveling hitch such as the Equal-i-zer if you do go that large. I used to tow a Rockwood 2304s with an Explorer, it did ok... sold the 2304s due to finances, not because we didn't like it.
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