Family Small Trailer advice for newbie! Rpod v less expensive options...

jaimez · July 23, 2018

Hello! My family of four (we have 2 kids, 5 and 10) is looking to get a small trailer. We have a van that can pull a max of 3600, so are looking at trailers no more than around 3000lbs. We LOVED the R Pods, mostly because they seem super well-crafted and small and well-insulated, as we'll be traveling a lot in the south. Alas, they are pricey compared to the sales on other trailers like the Forest River Salem FSX 197bh (the one we are currently thinking of buying). Is the R POD just trendier and therefore pricier, or does anyone know if there are legitimate and/or major pros to such a trailer? The 2018 Salem in question seems to be on "super sale" everywhere - around $12,000 when the list price is $22,000. Is this normal or is there something I don't know about this trailer?! Since we are super new to this we know nothing and so I thought I'd reach out to you all instead of trusting every salesman or woman we meet who swears by their current inventory! Thanks in advance for your insight!

SnowGypsy · July 31, 2018

I have read the quality of the R-Pod isn't what it used to be. I would join the Forest River forum if you have not and look at the types of issues people are having: http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/ Yes, all the units have issues, BUT when the same issue keeps resurfacing, it is time to pay attention.

We owned a 1999 Salem. It is an entry level model, and they play games with the pricing, but again, they are trying to unload the 2018 models right now to make room for the 2019s, so this is the time to deal on one.

With that towing capacity, you'll need to vigilant about weight. Many of the TTs are quoting a weight without options. The R-Pod tends to have greater tank capacities, but the weight of water is about 8 lbs per gallon. This is a great website to get info: http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-trailer-weight-tt.shtml

Educate yourself before going to try to deal with the sales people, and if you a "mom and pop" dealer, often they offer a no-hassle price, I have found them to give better service after the purchase although they might be slightly higher in price.

You can always check online at https://www.rvtrader.com/ and look at asking prices there as they vary wildly.