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Old 01-22-2019, 07:49 AM   #1
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Sold the 33' Motorhome and downsized to this:



Bigger was not better. When I unloaded the motorhome the contents filled up 8 large storage containers......why did we need all that stuff just to go 'camping'?

Anyway, it's a 2016 R-Pod 176T which has a north/south bump put tent queen bed. It's a small wet bath and I already changed out the tiny head for a tall ceramic one. Replaced the single battery(which was dead anyway) with 2 Costco Innerstate 6v's and will add solar panels later. I will be adding frame risers to lift the camper up 3-4 more inches for more ground clearance.

Looking forward to a simpler TV/trailer rig and cant wait for the first trip soon.
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Old 01-22-2019, 09:33 PM   #2
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Looks nice...congrats!
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Old 01-22-2019, 09:35 PM   #3
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Congratulations I’m kind of thinking along those lines.
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Old 01-22-2019, 09:41 PM   #4
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The wife and i are very late to the rv/camping life and often wonder how people use their rigs. If you don't mind sharing, how do you folks use your rig. We have family that have young kids that do all of the crazy baseball and cheerleading travel teams and we tell them the heck with spending all the money on hotels, get a small travel trailer.

We full time and made our decision but, if we would have known then, what we know now, things would have been a lot different. Congrats on the new rig.
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Old 01-22-2019, 09:46 PM   #5
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That's sooooo cute. It does make you wonder why we need so much stuff to RV. Probably would be a lot less to worry about breaking down if we'd just simplify.

Congrats on your new little Pod. Wishing you many happy miles.

Lori-
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Old 01-23-2019, 08:06 AM   #6
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Breakdowns are 50% of the reason we downsized. The last two trips ended up at repair shops costing thousands of dollars(and yes I did a ton of preventive maintenance myself). The other 50% was the size. We have run the gamut and over many years evolved from tents, then tents w/cots, a small pop-up, a larger pop-up, a 24' Class C, a 20' Argosy trailer, two truck campers(with the larger Lance being my favorite of all), a Class B van, a 23' Class A and then the 33' Class A.

I just never bonded with the 33'. I am a capable driver and it is something I like to do, but the size of the large motor-homes requires a lot more brain power to get them to their destinations. I found that driving it was just not enjoyable as driving anything else we have owned. Then there is the size when picking out a campsite, having to be alert all the time for overhead threats and the fact that we just don't stay inside much once parked, so all that space gets kinda wasted.

BrandSS, we have a multi purpose use. With three Welsh Terriers(25lb ea) they go with us on most trips. I really don't care for hotel/motels and if you have a dog or three that option becomes expensive and hard to find. We go up to Manitoba once or twice a year, sometimes in a hurry where we just sleep at rest stops. Other times we have time to hit the State County and National parks so we arrive early, then leave after breakfast. Then there are the long trips out West where we will camp off grid or in sites with no power or water.

The wife says that 'camping' needs to be somewhat of compromise on comfort and she really likes the hybrid tent queen bump out. Tent-like comfort/experience without the total tent hassle. Also, our R-Pod came with the 8x13' R-Dome tent which attaches to the T-Pod in the place of an awning. It can be fully zipped up with screen and storm covers, or walls can be zipped off to make it just an attached canopy. When base camping for 3 or more days it will get deployed. Here is a video of the R-Dome configuration/set-up:

https://youtu.be/jIHpckH1RDg

Don't get me wrong, even with the bump-out and the R-Dome, we are still many square feet smaller than the 33'-er with it's 16' awning, so there is going to be an adjustment phase. This week we go through those 8 bins to pick out what we actually need and leave the rest behind. For me it will not be a big deal. Each year I motorcamp, usually riding around 5K miles each trip and sleeping in a hammock 95% of the time. Packing small for me is easy, but the wife will need to "take it down a notch"....lol

My second choice was the Rockwood Roo Hybrid at 22' long. There is a substantial difference in options, weight, and build materials along with price. While searching for a used one(either R-Pod or Roo) I came across this 176T and we decided to give it a two season run and see if it works for us. The big benefit for me is that I can fix, modify or replace absolutely anything that can go wrong on a trailer. I think I can mod this R-Pod to make it work for us for a minimal investment.
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Old 02-17-2019, 05:29 PM   #7
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Rv

Good friend downsized to a r pod i think maybe 3 years ago he is happy as a lark. His last motorhomes was 35feet but he doesnt miss it. Like he says he is outside unless it rains or time to go to bed. I’m with him mine is motorized but i only have 19 feet of lenght inside but i dont miss the monster i had at all.
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Old 02-20-2019, 08:46 AM   #8
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Maiden voyage was last weekend to the beach. Other than chasing some sway issues, the trip went well. It is small, but the new full sized queen mattress was fantastic.
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Old 02-20-2019, 03:32 PM   #9
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Is it the Mtn Hood Edition? That one has the upgraded axles and lift kit. During our 2016 Alaska trip many of the R-Pods had tire, fender and axle issues....The Mtn Hood edition is more rugged.
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Old 02-21-2019, 06:34 AM   #10
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Is it the Mtn Hood Edition? That one has the upgraded axles and lift kit. During our 2016 Alaska trip many of the R-Pods had tire, fender and axle issues....The Mtn Hood edition is more rugged.
No, it is the standard Eastern edition. As far as I know the Hood Edition only has axle risers(which I have already added to mine for $70) and 15" rims w/Off road profile rubber instead of 14" rims w/street tires. The axles are the same on both editions.

Hood Editions are hard to find East of the Rockies and the dealers here can't even order one. I have been reading a lot on Pods and have found a few instances of bent axle's, but the overall percentage seems low. Mine has the Diamond shaped Lippert Torsion Axle....so far so good.
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Old 06-26-2019, 07:52 AM   #11
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We did the same. We had a 30’ Class A Newmar has motorhome. My hubby hated how it handled, and he has driven every type of vehicle from police car to fire truck to city bus. He felt like the thing was unstable. We downsized to an Aerolite 2133 and can’t wait for our first trip in July. I’ve always subscribed to the bigger isn’t always better motto, hubby not so much...but he is learning. Happy travels.
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Old 07-13-2019, 12:41 PM   #12
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We did the same. We had a 30’ Class A Newmar has motorhome. My hubby hated how it handled, and he has driven every type of vehicle from police car to fire truck to city bus. He felt like the thing was unstable. We downsized to an Aerolite 2133 and can’t wait for our first trip in July. I’ve always subscribed to the bigger isn’t always better motto, hubby not so much...but he is learning. Happy travels.
We have done 3 trips and about 800 miles....no regrets. We are relaxing more on both the drives and destination. Headed to Manitoba in August, then maybe Wyoming/Montana....it's gonna be good!
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Old 07-14-2019, 12:45 PM   #13
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How long to sell

I have my 35 foot class A for sale. How long did it take you to sell your RV?
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Old 07-25-2019, 02:23 AM   #14
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I have my 35 foot class A for sale. How long did it take you to sell your RV?
About 5 months. The first person to look at it bought it, so be patient. I used Craigslist and was descriptive with everything good/bad along with lots of pictures. Be reasonable on pricing, the used motor home market is saturated.
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