This is an owner's review of the Forest River R Pod 179 interior. To view the exterior review go to this link: • Forest River R Pod 179... To view my video on Basic Rving Equipment go to this link: • RV Accessories Essenti...
Boy, I hope they give you a commission or discounts or some kind of freebies because you do a thorough job of explaining this model VERY well. After looking at so many videos of so many models--182g, 171, 180, 172, 178, 179,176--I was losing my mind with confusion. Sorry about the A/c, wish it were a window unit because I'm freezing when temp goes below 75 (long time illness) but I find I always sleep outside anyway! Love to pups (we have had both kinds in our family, one had to sleep on my head and the other on my neck and outstretched arm.... Feel like I've met a friend!
I also own the model 179 R Pod and absolutely love it. I did a lot of research before buying and feel very good about my decision. If you are going to winter camp or camp off the grid, I recommend the upgrades which doubles your battery power and propane tank sizes. A very good review and I'm sure will be helpful to many who are considering a travel trailer.
Thank you for your video on the R pod 179. We went to the local rv lot and fell in love with this model. I would say we are novice campers. So your attention to detail help sell us more towards this one. Thanks again for a awesome review
Thank you for watching. With you being new to RVing, there is a link in the description section on Basic RV Equipment you might find helpful. Enjoy your new RV, we really love our RPod 179. Again thanks for watching.
Thank you so much for your work on the reviews!! I have been looking for a light RV to tow with my 2004 Honda Pilot. I ran across one of these at a recent air show. I fell in love with it and your reviews give me a lot of confidence in considering this RV. Thanks again.
Thank you so much for your comprehensive reviews. It is so good to hear it from the consumer side. Just yesterday, we purchased our new 179 R-Pod and are super excited to get started R.V.ing. We have taken notes from all 3 of your videos and will implement most, if not, every suggestion. By posting these videos we are fortunate to learn from your experience. We too, have a dog, Trixie, a Pomeranian. Again, thank you for taking the time to make and post these videos. We agree with a previous comment re, you should be getting paid in some way. Happy travels.
We just bought a used 179 and we bought it from the son of a dead guy, so we didn't get a very in depth explanation of the unit. Enjoyed seeing how you set up your trailer and am going to look through your channel and see if you did an update! Great video!
Your review was well done I could actually continue watching through to the end. I've been eyeing this Rpod for some time and since their is a resurgence in small or retro RV's it's my opinion that this simple and functional design is the way to go.
I don't have any connection to Forest River who makes the R Pod but Missy and I really enjoy our camper. There are many model types just shop around to get a good price. Word is some dealers are really charging a premium depending on location.
thanks John, great reviews of the R-Pod. my wife and I just looked at the R-Pod 176T with bunks for the kids. I think you sold me on the R-Pod vs the Palomini. Thanks again and look forward to seeing more of your videos!
+corrie feldmann We really enjoy our R Pod. Best wishes for you and your family on whatever brand you purchase. Spending time camping with the kids makes the weekly rat-race all worth it. Add to that the memories you will have to share when they get older.
+corrie feldmann Did you buy 176T? I am considering that one too but I didn't find too many reviews on 176T model. Do you like the tent pop out? How many can you sleep in the tent + dinnet area?
actually john, we decided against the Rpod because of the tent slide out. one of our goals is to go west with the kids and the salesman was telling us that a lot of campsites west don't allow soft side campers or popups except in controlled areas. my brother also took his travel trailer to the Adirondack mts. and has some cool pictures of bears in the morning sitting around their site. otherwise we would have gone with it. we ended up with a wolfpup bh16. 21' Cherokee trailer...love it but liked rpod quality better. thanks for the videos though. we really enjoyed how thoroughly you described everything and I've taken several tips from you and applied them to our own! thanks again
I just called a Western Region Sales office (Rialto, CA) and was told there isn't any restrictions to use the R Pod's anywhere that they knew or heard of concerning Soft Sides or Pop-Ups. I"m thinking a Sales Rep just wanted to sell you an RV they had in stock, regardless of truth. And boy did I sound stupid when asking the questions. Well, it's good to know there's crooks out there in the RV World who will lie like everyone else does. I'm sickened that we can't trust anyone and always have to verify everything we hear. Or just be informed so we can call them out on the BS.
Great explanations and wonderfully informative videos. Could you please tell me what the body width is of this trailer. The website says 96" but the tires are not under the trailer. Thank you in advance!!
Bought my 179 today, and have to say that your review was a big part of that decision (haven't had it out yet, but we will soon). Thanks for the review!
Joe Scott Congrats Joe on your purchase. I hope you enjoy your new R Pod. As a fellow owner (I do not represent the manufacturer), I have to say we love ours. Please make sure you check out the R Pod owners forum. Great community and great information. There is also a section on upcoming R Pod rally's that are organized by fellow owners around the country. We are going to one in June in West Virginia and there will be 30 R Pods there. We have rented almost the whole campground. Take care and thanks for watching.
Very comprehensive and detailed review. You could easily be an “honest” salesman, but maybe a poor one. I doubt you would make a living cuz, I expect most dealerships wouldn’t recognize your value. I wish you the best of luck, and pleasure in your future! Thanks again!
How do you deal with one person having to get up to bathroom during the night, without one person having to vault over, perhaps waking ip the other? This seems to a problem in RV's with E-W Queens. We passed on one of these in an auction today, as my wife was not convinced that I could reconstruct the bed, rotated 90 degrees. Bob in VT
Hi John and Missy. 👋👋 Does your kitchen window open? If so, you could pull your faucet sprayer outside for an outdoor shower! Cute trailer and very thorough review.😁
Hi. Thanks for the review. I just purchased this unit today and will be picking it up next friday (3-20-15) I have an Aliner Ranger and decided to upgrade to this since my new dog will be joining me now and there just wasnt enough room for her crate in the Aliner. I'm not a big fan of the bathroom set-up but my Aliner has no bath right now so at least having one will be a bonus even if it only gets used occasionally. Again, thanks for taking the time to do the review. There are plenty of dealers that put up videos of different models but it's nice to get an actual honest review from an owner.
Congrats on your purchase. Did you get this model or another model R Pod? The bathroom is a bit tight especially if you are fluffy like I am, but sure beats running to the bathhouse!
I’m researching the rPod with the intention of winter camping near ski country. Strangely, the Canadian Rockies have campsites open year round but the U.S. mostly at smaller Ski areas and mostly west of Colorado. My question, do you think a single 5’9” adult could sleep comfortably in the table area when set up as a bed? And, is it possible to set this camper up for 2x20# or larger propane tanks? Since several ski resorts offer overnight parking lot lock in, essentially boon docking, making the propane important for the primary heat source.
Yes one adult can sleep in the dinette but I would get a fold up or air mattress. Mine is set up with the two twenty pound propane tanks. Just a reminder the rpod is not a 4 season camper. When we use it in the winter we are dry camping at campgrounds with an open bathhouse. Best to you.
I 'like' this 'R-pod'...it looks good inside and out! But...I think my vote would go to the 'Rockwood Hybrid' with the 'drop-down' panel beds front and rear. The 'Rocky' is HUGE inside compared with the 'Pod!' and with more features like a 6 cubic ft. fridge w/a separate freezer. There's not much difference in price, about three grand more for the 'Hybrid' with the advantage of 'King/front' and 'Queen/rear'. (even the 'loaded' Hybrid w/power awning is still under 3k pounds!)
I wonder if I can buy one of these trailers without an air conditioner? This will greatly decrease the overall height of the trailer. I would rather sacrifice some of the cabinet space and install a small 5,000 BTU window unit. Another option would be to purchase a portable, 2 hose AC unit with variable speed compressor. The AC is sold by Practical Preppers and can run off a small generator because there is no high inrush starting current when the AC compressor starts. I plan to pull this trailer with our 2016 Toyota 4Runner. It's rated to pull 5000 lbs. I think it will pull this trailer very easily, even in the mountains. I do plan to use a load leveling trailer hitch to improve handling. I used to pull a 5,000 lbs, dual axle Terry trailer with my 6 cylinder, 1998 Grand Cherokee. The jeep pulled the trailer very well and had no problem keeping up with the traffic on freeways, even in Northern AZ mountains. I sure hope the 4Runner can pull as good. I will definitely install a large transmission cooler. Can you guys comment on how the trailer tows at highway speeds? Is there a lot of sway with side wind or when passing large semi- trucks?
the 179 was our 2nd choice. We bought a Sonic Lite 167VMS, with DRY bath 36 inch separate shower and sink with bathroom cabinet. There is more kitchen pantry space in it too. U-shaped dinette is a little smaller, that's the compromise. but there is more storage in the dinette seats. LOVE the dry bath. besides being cramped in there taking a shower, having to swab down the walls afterwards would be a pain. But glad you love yours. Precious dogs!
Very well detailed review - thanks! An R Pod sized camper is nice, but the biggest shortcoming is that they're not fully self contained for going off grid, as this requires bringing along a pretty hefty external generator. In looking at blogs, a 3000 Watt generator may not be sufficient due to high startup surge currents for a 13,500 BTU A/C. Some A/C units surge too much. But then, given how loud the unit is, its use is really 'last resort'.
I just purchased a 2014 Rpod 179. Very happy with it, BUT on first trip out...slide out wouldn't work. Fortunately, the dinette bed, although was narrow, my adult son slept ok on it, and the path to Queen bed wasn't encumbered by slide out not being out. Battery was fully charged, fuses were checked, looked fine, but no luck in getting slide out. Question?....where is the "motor" for the slide out located? We were told to unplug the motor, and replug it...see if lthat would trigger the slide out to work. We could not find the motor to save our lives. Any info you have re slide-outs not working would be appreciated.
I have yet to see an RV with a "neat and clean" Audio/Video install. There are cables EVERYWHERE. It's just ugly. This is something they need to work on. Thanks for your review, I really like these, they are on top of my list when I pull the trigger.
Great Review! You sold me! We're upgrading from tent camping as well & for our honeymoon, we're going to purchase an r-pod & go camping for a couple of weeks & this is the model we're gearing towards. We also have 3 small dogs, may leave 1 or 2 at home with the kids though. I understand this review was a couple of yrs ago, so hopefully Forest River heard some of your comments & made some positive changes. Thank you again! Happy Camping!
GREAT Review!! Wish you could review all of the R Pod's. We're looking at the 183g 2016. I look to see if someone has a review but I know it won't be nearly as good as yours is. Thanks!
cordelmar we've had no issues with the shower whatsoever. After each use we make sure we wipe it down with one of those moisture soaking towels and spread the shower curtain out so that it dries real well.
Good tour for the 179 rpod. Ours will be arriving this month of August and your info really helped us to get ready for when it comes. A question we have is how well does the dinette convert to a bed? Have you used this at all?.
What a really helpful video! thank you both for the post! John you cracked me up! you didn't get too excited about much! lol just calmly assess that we should close the window and the blind! lol very nonchalant! I think I'm sold on the R-Pod! Thanks for the detailed do's and don'ts!
Excellent review! Thanks so much! I love the extra kitchen space in the 179 as well as the pantry and closet, but I think we are going to go with the 178 for the larger second sleeping space. Really enjoyed your review!! Thanks for all of the great information!!
thanks brother,we are going to buy this model,but the awning is a rippoff,six hundred dollars.this is the best model for space.found one for eighteen thousand ,2016 model.
Very comprehensive review! You provided a lot of information, and your honesty was refreshing. We are tent campers too, and this looks ideal! Enjoy your time on the road. PS - like your pooches - we have 5!
Thanks for video. Just ordered the 2016 179 RPod. This video helped me decide and feel good about the purchase. I also watched your accessory video and plan on getting many of the items you mentioned. thanks so much for the review!
Great video indeed. My wife and I are currently shopping for a small trailer for just us to spend a few months in each summer. Overall how is the quality of the R-Pod from an owner point of view. Have you had any repair issues within the warranty period.
We have an older R-Pod and agree with you faults of construction. We still enjoy our unit for the small size it is. We downsized to save fuel. Very good review! Tom J.
Thanks for doing this. My husband and I are on the fence between the 179 and the 178 and this really helped. This one seems much more spacious and has more storage. Thanks again!!! :)
We really like it. We were on the fence between those two also especially with the 178 having the larger wrap around dinette. I think if someone had young children, the 178 would be better for sleeping. For us though, and the dogs the 179 works well. We love it.
+ViperByteNetwork We're on the fence between the 178 and 179, but after seeing your video, I feel good about the 179 - the additional storage and counter space makes a big difference. Thank you so much for taking the time to show all the pro's and con's with this - I've watched your outside reviews as well.
Hello John just subscribed to your RU-vid channel. Can you tell me a little bit about your refrigerator temperature gauge I like how it has two sensors we have the same brand accurate but it only has one sensor what model number do you have?
Thanks for this great review. I was curious about the bathroom and how it was working out for people. I am only 5 foot 1 , so I should be okay. I am thinking of full timing in one...so the large storage tanks are definately a plus.
You might want to look at a mattress topper. That would be cheaper than buying a new mattresses and there are some really nice ones. Also in place of a carpet runner you might want to consider an extra thick yoga mat. It would really cushion the knees when getting up and down. Good review.
I wish the would combine the 179 with the 180 for the bathroom and leave the 179 kitchen it can be done by making the bathroom longer lose the one of the closet.
Very good review, in and out, I've watched both 3 times now! I'm torn now between an Rpod, Camplite, and Lil Snoozy. The AC unit is a big problem for me, we will travel in Summer & warmer months for the most part. That sound level is not acceptable at all. Wonder if I can mount a traditional AC unit like the Lil Snoozy has? Looked at the Rockwood Hybrid mentioned below, but that's a freaking Tent! *LOL* Thank you very much.
Really appreciate the thorough review! And special thanks for running the A/C! I'd heard it was loud but WOW! I'm on the fence between this trailer and a couple other lightweight trailers. Thank you for taking the time to put this together.
M Ravitch Thank you for watching. One thing we found that seems to quiet it down is the filters. LOL I know. We didn't know that they were in a plastic pouch in some paperwork. Still loud but not too terrible.
Awesome! The new color scheme (the green) I am being told by my RV dealer is getting mixed reviews. I really like the cream color the best myself. BTW if you haven't signed up yet, I recommend going to the R Pod Owners Forum. Great place for information on tips, maintenance, modifications and rally's. Thanks for watching and enjoy!
I bought a tilt bracket for the TV for about $21 from Walmart. (Sanus VuePoint F11c Tilting Wall Mount for 13"-32" TVs) The holes matched the original bracket holes on the 19" TV perfectly. You are correct- the TV is very difficult to watch unless it's tilted.
+don jardon Thank you for watching. We found a tilt bracket at Wally World as well. But I think we paid about $49 for it. The new bracket pivot point where it bolts to the swing arm didn't line up so we had to use one where we replaced the whole swing out unit. Works great! Thank you for the tip for others to share.
hi. Watched both your reviews on the R Pod 179. Extremely detailed. Very helpful! Nice job! May I ask how much you paid for this? A ballpark total figure (including taxes). I suppose it needs to be registered as well with the DMV? Do you need separate auto insurance? Thanks!
Trailer only about $16,500 after taxes. However, we added a R Dome, a Cover (the good one) and I had extra battery and propane added for going off grid. I also had a sway bar added and a brake controller. I think we rolled out at about $18K after everything bought and installed. Yes in Kentucky you register it as a camping trailer and there is extra insurance but it doesn't cost as much as a truck or car. Thanks for watching.
This is interesting because my husband and I bought an 178 in June and have taken 7 trips in 3 months and just upgraded to a 179 because the lack of storage drove me nuts. Wish we had seen the 179 to start. Was an expensive mistake. You forgot to mention that you have to put the table on the seat when you travel. You don't on the 178. We pick our 179 up in a few days and plan to travel to Tahoe in it. The storage will make life easier. Also we bought like a 2 or 3 inch gel memory foam topper at Costco and cut it down to 74" short Queen. It's to die for comfy no need to replace mattress. Two other negatives, anyone over 6 feet wouldn't fit in the shower. Also my husband uses a small travel pillow so the length of the bed isn't an issue. Another thing I don't like is crawling over my husband at night to use bathroom but you have less access to bed in the 178 because slide out butts up against bed. Good review.
Thank you for watching. We just started strapping the table to the seat. Before we just moved it on to the bed. I am going to look into that topper from Costco you suggested. I need to check the height of the wet bath as I thought the ceiling height was 6'6". Thank you again for watching.
we are planning on buying our first self contained camper and this was very helpful. We are moving up from a pop up camper for our retirement. Nice job on your video. Thanks, Ed And Carolyn
Thank you so much. Your great review helped us not only to gain info about this particular model, but for small campers in general. We're completely new to this and are getting ready to buy one!
HI Thank you for watching, If you are new to RVing, I have a video out on some basic equipment that you need and nice-to-haves when going out camping. Here is the link: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MbLYczS072Q.html
I recommend a four inch memory foam toper for your bed this will save you a lot of money you will have to cut to fit. Rv mattress are not cheep. As for the door most campers are broken into because of the window. I would only want a peep hole.You need to do what works for you. Good luck and God bless
+biblesnbarbells If you don't mind me chiming in here, the slide out was one of the really good things I like about mine. It's a double tracked slide out so there's much less chance of it getting hung up while being extended or retracted.
Thanks for your help Cliff. I am closing on a 2015 (New) model 179 this week. Cannot wait to pick it up. Are you part of the Facebook R-Pod Users Group? Anthony.
Tom Montante Awesome, on July 1 you will be an official Podling (not my words, that is what they call us new R Pod Owners) LOL We just got back from the Eastern Round Up R Pod rally at Beech Fork State Park in West Virginia. It was great fun and looked really cool seeing about 30 R Pods all together. You will find the R Pod community is great. Everyone is so friendly and helpful. Take care and enjoy.
I sure agree with you on the AC. For the R pod it is a waste. a small 110 powered unit would make so much more sense. Lower the cost and generator friendly. Less noise too.
Another issue is because it is 13,500 BTU AC it requires a more robust generator to crank it up should you loose electrical power. A normal Honda or Yamaha 2000 W generator won't kick it over unless you mod it with a different starter capacitor. They could have used a 11,000 BTU and it would have been sufficient IMO. Thank you for watching.
The bathroom has two (3 pocket each) storage sleeves. They are big enough to store toiletry kits and other items. However, under the sink we add a command products shower caddy for more storage. Love the command products!
Nicely done presentation of the RP179 features, John! Where did you purchase the door hooks? We are in the process of selling our 2011 RP177 and purchasing a 2016 RP179, and your review helped us complete our decision. Here is a BIG Thank You from Bend, Oregon.
I love your R Pod videos! I also love the fact that you take four dogs camping. We've been investigating different campers with the goal of choosing one that would allow us to travel with our pack. You've shown us that it is indeed possible. If you get a chance could you explain how the vignette transforms into an extra bed? I've found pictures that show a dropped take me but which cushions do you use on top of the table and do they stay put? Thanks again.
I always keep my grey tank open to drain when im hooked to sewer. If you dont have a sewer hose angle rack id get one it allows the liquid to flow without clogging. What i do on the last day is ill close the grey water tank and allow it to fill up a little and when i drain the black tank i can open up the grey water and flush the hose. Just a tip im not sure you may of been dry camping in this video if thats the case you couldnt of done this but just incase you wasnt its a helpful tip.
When we are private campgrounds they usually have full hook-ups. In the state campgrounds we use they usually only have water and electric with a dump station. The reason I didn't have it hooked up in this video is because our site was right next to a cabin and there were little kids. I was concerned they might knock it loose. Thank you for watching.
I've always been told to use the grey water to clean everything out after dumping the black, it makes sense to me since the grey is usually full of soapy water.
Thanks for your great review! We were going back and forth between the 178 and 179 and I'm glad my wife found this review. After the review and reading the comments by Twinkiltoes and others we're going to pickup the 179. The storage is a big deal to us and the 179 looks like it has it all over the 178. It'll be a done deal tomorrow.
You are correct, the 179 is best for storage. The 178 is best if you have more than 2 people as the dinette on the end makes a better second bed. Congrats on your purchase. Are you getting the newest model that has the green sides with the outside faucet? I would recommending visiting the R Pod owners forum. Massive amounts of information and great people.
ViperByteNetwork It's a done deal as of this morning. We did get the newest model with the green sides and most of the time it will just be the two of us except for the rare occasion when the grand kids come too. I'll check out the forums. Thanks!
home ranch Awesome! Welcome to the R Pod family. I think you will find it to be a great community. They actually have rallys. We are going to one in West Virginia in June. Looks awesome seeing a section of the campground filled with about 30 R Pods.
I found the cutting board at Walmart, by Fabreware, the largest one they had. The rail is called galley railing and you can find it at Home Depot or Lowes.
Jesse Young Missy and I have winter camped for a few days down to 7 degrees. But that was dry camping as we used the bath house. We were comfortable but could sure feel that cold on the floor. So I would say, not with out tank heaters and some way to skirt the bottom. Google some of the videos of winter living in an RV and there are some special modifications and considerations you have to make to not keep it from having plumbing issues. Also you have to remember that you only have about 1 1/2 inches of foam insulation in the walls and single pane windows. Remember just like a tent, a camper will condensate inside without proper ventilation. Its doable but you have to have the correct setup. Take care.
Jesse Young Missy and I have winter camped for a few days down to 7 degrees. But that was dry camping as we used the bath house. We were comfortable but could sure feel that cold on the floor. So I would say, not with out tank heaters and some way to skirt the bottom. Google some of the videos of winter living in an RV and there are some special modifications and considerations you have to make to not keep it from having plumbing issues. Also you have to remember that you only have about 1 1/2 inches of foam insulation in the walls and single pane windows. Remember just like a tent, a camper will condensate inside without proper ventilation. Its doable but you have to have the correct setup. Take care.
