First real Pod trip

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   My wife and I took our usual trip from Colorado to West Virginia to see my dad, but this time we took our 171 which we had bought last summer and barely used.  Instead of driving 1500 miles straight through like we usually do with no trailor, we stayed two nights at places we used to camp at in the 70's (Mill Creek at Paxico, KS and Grampa's Farm in Richmond, IN).  Grampa's Farm was particularly nice for an off-I70 park, with swimming, hot tub and hiking trails, but Mill Creek has a busy train track running right alongside.  

When we got to WV, we stayed at an old Boy Scount camp undergoing renovation by new owners called Copperhead in Tyler County, just a few miles from my dad's house in Middlebourne.  It was an open area and still has pit toilets, but was peaceful with many trails and creeks nearby.  

On the last day at Copperhead, the skies opened up while we were away and on our return, we found our R-Dome collapsed with poles mostly bent or broken.  Lesson learned:  Don't leave the Dome pitched and unattended if rain is forecast!  The pole set, which we won't receive for another couple of weeks, costs somewhere around $150 plus $25 shipping.  On our way back, we stayed at Arrow Rock Historic Site, near Boonville, MO, a really nice spot with all the amenities.  However, that night we discovered we no longer had air conditioning, for no discernable reason, since it had worked the night before.  Luckily, Dometic warranties the AC for 2 years parts and labor, plus 1 year parts, so we are covered.  Since I had put in the constant fan mod for 2009 models, I had to restore it to the original configuration before dropping it off at the authorized repair place, although I'm sure the mod had nothing to do with the failure.

All in all, we had a great time and can't wait until we get our Pod back for the next trip.  We towed it with a GMC Savana van with a 5.7 liter engine and got 10 miles per gallon at about 65 mph.

Bob and Fran

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69boss Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 May 2009 Status: Offline Points: 32	Post Options Post Reply Quote 69boss Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: First real Pod trip Posted: 21 Jul 2010 at 2:08pm
	My wife and I took our usual trip from Colorado to West Virginia to see my dad, but this time we took our 171 which we had bought last summer and barely used. Instead of driving 1500 miles straight through like we usually do with no trailor, we stayed two nights at places we used to camp at in the 70's (Mill Creek at Paxico, KS and Grampa's Farm in Richmond, IN). Grampa's Farm was particularly nice for an off-I70 park, with swimming, hot tub and hiking trails, but Mill Creek has a busy train track running right alongside. When we got to WV, we stayed at an old Boy Scount camp undergoing renovation by new owners called Copperhead in Tyler County, just a few miles from my dad's house in Middlebourne. It was an open area and still has pit toilets, but was peaceful with many trails and creeks nearby. On the last day at Copperhead, the skies opened up while we were away and on our return, we found our R-Dome collapsed with poles mostly bent or broken. Lesson learned: Don't leave the Dome pitched and unattended if rain is forecast! The pole set, which we won't receive for another couple of weeks, costs somewhere around $150 plus $25 shipping. On our way back, we stayed at Arrow Rock Historic Site, near Boonville, MO, a really nice spot with all the amenities. However, that night we discovered we no longer had air conditioning, for no discernable reason, since it had worked the night before. Luckily, Dometic warranties the AC for 2 years parts and labor, plus 1 year parts, so we are covered. Since I had put in the constant fan mod for 2009 models, I had to restore it to the original configuration before dropping it off at the authorized repair place, although I'm sure the mod had nothing to do with the failure. All in all, we had a great time and can't wait until we get our Pod back for the next trip. We towed it with a GMC Savana van with a 5.7 liter engine and got 10 miles per gallon at about 65 mph. Bob and Fran

PodPatrol Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Status: Offline Points: 22287	Post Options Post Reply Quote PodPatrol Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jul 2010 at 2:31pm
	Glad the trip was successful, inspite of r-Dome failure, and AC conking out. And yes, it has been repeatedly posted to never leave the r-Dome unattended. The AC units have had their issues, but for the most part have proven to be very reliable effective units. A Van sounds like a great way to tow ! Glad you had an enjoyable trip !

david950 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 05 Apr 2010 Location: Broussard, LA Status: Offline Points: 103	Post Options Post Reply Quote david950 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jul 2010 at 8:54pm
	What was the A/C doing - not cooling, no fan, no nothing?

gmandual Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Status: Offline Points: 470	Post Options Post Reply Quote gmandual Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 21 Jul 2010 at 9:03pm


69boss Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 May 2009 Status: Offline Points: 32	Post Options Post Reply Quote 69boss Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jul 2010 at 1:40pm
	The AC worked perfectly on Sunday and then blew ambient temperature air on Monday. Maybe it lost its charge or a compressor seal went out. The fan worked fine. I had the Dome zipped up, but not staked down. I think it was the weight of the water that collapsed it. Has anyone had problems with water pooling on the roof? Thanks, Bob

PodPatrol Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Moderator Group Joined: 24 Sep 2009 Status: Offline Points: 22287	Post Options Post Reply Quote PodPatrol Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 22 Jul 2010 at 1:53pm
	As with all "Awnings, or r-Domes, water is it's worst enemy next to wind. Once a small depression develops from water, it usually grows bigger, and will compromise the whole structure. Wind for that matter, can take one out in a Swiss second depending on the situation. It is always recommended to keep an eye on local weather reports when determining if you should take it down, or leave it up.