First Road Trip - R173

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    Hi all,

The following is a summary of the first trip in our R173.

The trip was intentionally close to home, almost 30 miles to be exact.  In case of trouble with the tow vehicle or trailer, we felt more comfortable with a short trip.  Our destination was Point Lookout State Park at the southern tip of Maryland.

The tow vehicle was our 2005 Murano SL awd.  It’s power was more than adequate for the task, as the drive was relatively flat.  The installed outside mirrors provided decent rear view around the trailer.  The drive contained no stretches of high-speed interstate or mountain climbs to impact the fuel economy.  Speed was limited to 55 where allowed.  The Murano rewarded my light foot with 12.5 mpg on premium gas.  The hitch is a Reese with no stabilizer or sway control.  At this point, it appears that these won’t be needed.  We need to become more familiar with the electric brake controller, as the trailer brakes would occasionally lock up the tires during non-panic stops.

Prior to purchasing the R-pod, we had almost no experience in towing.  As a result, the first two attempts to back the trailer into its space at home were not very pretty.  Before departing on our trip, we drove to a nearby regional park to practice backing into parking spaces in a large empty lot.  This turned out to be a good idea.  Practicing backing and communications was helpful, as the camp site we chose was at the end of a trail that was about 120’ in length and was lined with pine trees, vines and poison ivy.  An off-road excursion at this point would have been very bad.

Reservations were made via telephone, using online campsite maps as a guide.  The campground consists of several loops ranging from no facilities to complete electric/water/sewer.  We passed on sites with full hookup or no facilities at all.  One site looked the same as all the rest on paper, but we later found that there were a lot of variables to consider.  

The site we chose was deep in pine trees and was located next to a drainage ditch.  Recent spring rains and hot weather made this a perfect place for mosquitoes and they met us in a cloud.  This provided us with an opportunity to test the capabilities  of the R-dome.  Once we covered ourselves in bug spray, we installed the R-dome.  Setup was easy and quick.  Then there was the weather, which provided us with another opportunity to test the R-dome.  While the weather was mostly good, we encountered rain throughout our stay.  The rain was not particularly heavy and was not wind-driven.  The dome kept us and our gear dry.  With a small trailer, being able to have the extra space for sitting, eating and storing our gear in a rain-free and relatively bug-free environment was greatly appreciated.  In spite of the successes with bug and rain protection, the R-dome needs to be modified for improved performance.  The lower bug screen does not attach to the dome, nor does its design account for interferences created by the folding step and axle.  We have ongoing questions about the size of our R-dome and its connecting points to the R-pod, as it just doesn’t seem to fit well.  There is a lingering concern that Forest River sent a 150-series R-dome to our dealer to go with our 170-series trailer.  At this point, the dealer believes (without verification) that we have the correct R-dome.

The R-pod’s accessories all worked well during our trip, including water, a/c, and electrical systems.  The trip confirmed that the replacement city water inlet works well, as it did not eject its internals into the woods when turning on the water pump & heater.  This problem was covered in an earlier post on R-pod Nation.  

One of the improvements was to make a cover for the stove top.  Work space is too precious on the R173 to not take advantage of this.  Marilyn also found a cutting board with rubber feet that fits over the sink.  The more space, the better in the ‘kitchen’.  Future upgrades in this area are drop leaf surfaces that we will install  on either end of the kitchen counter.

Sleep accommodations in the R173 consist of a folding couch and the dinette, which converts into a sleep surface by lowering the table and arranging the cushions.  Ginger, our Pug/Jack Russell mix, slept on the couch.  During a recent weekend stay in our driveway, the dinette bed proved to be comfortable, but you could feel where cushions joined together.  Marilyn bought a 2” thick memory foam cover for our trip in the hope that comfort would improve.  While it covered the seams between cushions, the memory foam did not make the bed any more comfortable.  

Craig

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SOMD 173 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Location: Maryland Status: Offline Points: 15	Post Options Post Reply Quote SOMD 173 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: First Road Trip - R173 Posted: 11 May 2009 at 1:32pm
	Hi all, The following is a summary of the first trip in our R173. The trip was intentionally close to home, almost 30 miles to be exact. In case of trouble with the tow vehicle or trailer, we felt more comfortable with a short trip. Our destination was Point Lookout State Park at the southern tip of Maryland. The tow vehicle was our 2005 Murano SL awd. It’s power was more than adequate for the task, as the drive was relatively flat. The installed outside mirrors provided decent rear view around the trailer. The drive contained no stretches of high-speed interstate or mountain climbs to impact the fuel economy. Speed was limited to 55 where allowed. The Murano rewarded my light foot with 12.5 mpg on premium gas. The hitch is a Reese with no stabilizer or sway control. At this point, it appears that these won’t be needed. We need to become more familiar with the electric brake controller, as the trailer brakes would occasionally lock up the tires during non-panic stops. Prior to purchasing the R-pod, we had almost no experience in towing. As a result, the first two attempts to back the trailer into its space at home were not very pretty. Before departing on our trip, we drove to a nearby regional park to practice backing into parking spaces in a large empty lot. This turned out to be a good idea. Practicing backing and communications was helpful, as the camp site we chose was at the end of a trail that was about 120’ in length and was lined with pine trees, vines and poison ivy. An off-road excursion at this point would have been very bad. Reservations were made via telephone, using online campsite maps as a guide. The campground consists of several loops ranging from no facilities to complete electric/water/sewer. We passed on sites with full hookup or no facilities at all. One site looked the same as all the rest on paper, but we later found that there were a lot of variables to consider. The site we chose was deep in pine trees and was located next to a drainage ditch. Recent spring rains and hot weather made this a perfect place for mosquitoes and they met us in a cloud. This provided us with an opportunity to test the capabilities of the R-dome. Once we covered ourselves in bug spray, we installed the R-dome. Setup was easy and quick. Then there was the weather, which provided us with another opportunity to test the R-dome. While the weather was mostly good, we encountered rain throughout our stay. The rain was not particularly heavy and was not wind-driven. The dome kept us and our gear dry. With a small trailer, being able to have the extra space for sitting, eating and storing our gear in a rain-free and relatively bug-free environment was greatly appreciated. In spite of the successes with bug and rain protection, the R-dome needs to be modified for improved performance. The lower bug screen does not attach to the dome, nor does its design account for interferences created by the folding step and axle. We have ongoing questions about the size of our R-dome and its connecting points to the R-pod, as it just doesn’t seem to fit well. There is a lingering concern that Forest River sent a 150-series R-dome to our dealer to go with our 170-series trailer. At this point, the dealer believes (without verification) that we have the correct R-dome. The R-pod’s accessories all worked well during our trip, including water, a/c, and electrical systems. The trip confirmed that the replacement city water inlet works well, as it did not eject its internals into the woods when turning on the water pump & heater. This problem was covered in an earlier post on R-pod Nation. One of the improvements was to make a cover for the stove top. Work space is too precious on the R173 to not take advantage of this. Marilyn also found a cutting board with rubber feet that fits over the sink. The more space, the better in the ‘kitchen’. Future upgrades in this area are drop leaf surfaces that we will install on either end of the kitchen counter. Sleep accommodations in the R173 consist of a folding couch and the dinette, which converts into a sleep surface by lowering the table and arranging the cushions. Ginger, our Pug/Jack Russell mix, slept on the couch. During a recent weekend stay in our driveway, the dinette bed proved to be comfortable, but you could feel where cushions joined together. Marilyn bought a 2” thick memory foam cover for our trip in the hope that comfort would improve. While it covered the seams between cushions, the memory foam did not make the bed any more comfortable. Craig

TerryM Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 05 Apr 2009 Status: Offline Points: 633	Post Options Post Reply Quote TerryM Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 May 2009 at 5:46pm
	Good wright up Craig! I take it that your AC unit didn't go off and on all the time like some people have been reporting? Terry

brods365 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 17 Mar 2009 Location: Red Wing, MN Status: Offline Points: 18	Post Options Post Reply Quote brods365 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 May 2009 at 6:56pm
	We also have a 173. I installed a drop table on the sofa side. I used a wooden cutting board which I covered in clear coat. The brackets I picked up at Menards. They move up and down and snap into place when the table is up. Be sure to use long boards on the inside that go from the top to the bottom and fasten the boards on the bottom inside with screws. I used two 1X4's. The plywood is pretty thin and this gives the table more stability. I could try to post pictures.

yizit Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 25 Feb 2009 Location: Wis. Dells, WI Status: Offline Points: 984	Post Options Post Reply Quote yizit Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 11 May 2009 at 7:00pm
	Glad everything worked out better the second time around. We like the additional room in the 173, but the storage was an issue for us. Where do you store all your clothes, shoes, etc.?
	Former owner of 2009 Rpod 172 Darlene & Jim, Ewok our Lhasa Roada our 2004 Roadtrek 190P Conversion Van

SOMD 173 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 11 Apr 2009 Location: Maryland Status: Offline Points: 15	Post Options Post Reply Quote SOMD 173 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 12 May 2009 at 6:16am
	Terry, I can't answer your question about the a/c. Temperatures were nice enough to not use it at all. However, it was run for only a couple of minutes to extinguish a hot flash. Yizit, Storage is an issue with the 173 and we are looking for solutions. For now, clothes went into the bath/shower, as we used the camp's bath house as much as possible. Possible solutions include installation of a removable rod in the bath that can be removed when needed. We are also looking into drop tables on either side of the counter top. Rectangular cutting boards seem like an easy starting point. They won't be needed most of the time, but during food prep and cleanup they add precious working space. Craig