Just think how impressed we'd all be if we started pulling panels and found nice clean access holes cut just big enough and no more, with smooth edges, wires aligned neatly and labeled, holes plugged to block mice and bugs, etc... The attention to quality and detail would make us feel like if they did that, they probably did a good job on everything else, too. A small thing that can make a big difference when it comes to quality and reputation.
It would literally take about 5 more minutes per unit to cut holes properly and take a little bit of sandpaper to clean up the edges. I actually think it may take them longer to half arse the beaver saw cuts 😅
Wonderful video. greatly appreciated. We dont have a 153, but it gives us an idea of where to look and what to expect when looking at the "engineering spaces".
2024 192 here. Right off the bat, I found 1. water leaking from pex connector to the hot water tank. 2. Water leaking from the waterless P trap(Pipe connector was missing a washer on one end). Fixed both myself before they could cause any water damage to my brand new trailer. 3. A speaker wire lead was not connected to the ceiling mounted speaker. 4. Dinette table wobbles excessively. I watched this video before buying and overall the build quality is about what I expected(low expectations). Thanks for taking all the panels out and showing us what it looks like!
Someone else kinda mentioned it, those massive holes in the floor allow for rodents and bugs to get in. I just picked up a 196 via bank repo amd ive been fixing a lot of these mistakes. I screened and speay foamed the hole by the power inverter, i havent found easy access to the orher one by the controls. May have to fix it from underneath. I was amazed at rhe air draft coming in from the one i patched. Ive also fixed a broken pex connector at the shower faucet, im not sure what other plumbing problems i may have. Im going to wait until Spring before adding water into the system.
We have a 2021 RP180. The wiring behind your converter/fuse panel is way more organized than our bird nest of wires. We have done so many upgrades to our little Rpod to count and your videos would have been very helpful! Overall I agree with your assessment of the RPod. They are not built very well but serve their purpose especially if you are handy and can fix plumbing, electrical, and loose panels. They look nice until you look behind the panels.
I hope rpod / forest river feels ashamed by the workmanship or lack of, that they hide. Sad actually. Takes just minutes extra per cutout or hole, maybe 10 minutes extra for electrical to be clean. Instead... NOPE! Just nasty.
@@MR_Garage agree 100%! We are having slide issues currently that I assume are the result of improper install/support for the system. Several screws on the H- Columns had their heads pop off! Is this due to dissimilar metals with the aluminum framing or mechanical twisting due to crappy construction? Time will tell when I crack into that issue.
Looks like your TV is a Lexus GX we have save same it matches well with a the 153. Just got back from a 5,500 trip from AZ to back east and down south and back to Kingman. Screws for a couple cabinet latches came loose was our biggest problem used wood matches and reinserted screws. Thanks for showing us the guts of a 153!
Right on man! Crap gas mileage but rock solid reliability !!!! I picked my 153 up in Kentucky (long story) towed it back to Arizona. Longest single trip I have done.
Awesome video. We own a 2022 Rpod 153. I would love to run the audio from the TV through our speakers, but don't understand what connections I need... I did upgrade the interior speakers with some Polk speakers. Thanks for sharing all this info.
Hello! Just need the following two items. Plug them into the headphone out of the TV. You will need to go behind the radio and make the the red and white RCA cables are plugged into the line-in port. 3.5 to RCA amzn.to/3v3u2b9 3.5mm ground loop isolator (eliminates most all hum) amzn.to/3YBrsXf
On the small trailers, you’re better off removing the rooftop AC and installing a fantastic fan, a portable AC unit whether it’s AC or DC is more efficient than those rooftop units. That will free up quite a bit of space.
There is a trap. It's one of those new waterless P traps, which is basically a silicone sleeve that self seals when water is not running through it. Its the white tube, below the black pipes seen at 14:15
Thank you for the great review! Will be purchasing one hopefully by next week. 2022 as well, pretty good deal for the times. Just one question, when you were on the roof (which I wish was 1pc as well) toward the front of the r pod what were those black looking slots where the front piece meets the roof? Thanks
The Dometic Penguin II that they put in previous R Pod models was a nice low profile unit but was notoriously loud, and would have been even more so in the smaller 153. The Colemans are quiteter.
Agreed on that, no question. But.. this small of a trailer does not need a roof mount 13.5K super inefficient AC. A slide out / window style or similar would have been a much better option. Likely will remove mine and go a different route even here in the Arizona heat. Will figure that out here in spring and get the wart off the roof which will also allow for another solar panel up there!
@@MR_Garage Don't know that they're framed out well enough for that much weight, they do make some 9500 btu rooftop units, some of which are pretty quiet, but it';s a costly upgrade and the footprint is the same
Great video. We just got a 2024 153 beast mode and I got a lot of good ideas of where things are now. It seems like there is a lot of wasted space behind the false wall in the front under bed storage area too. I wish there was an outset access door to the storage under the dining seat. Other than that we are happy with it so far
@@MR_Garage Thats good, just put one on the outside connection. I have one in my Epro that ALL water goes thru. Once a year I open up the space under the bed and feed a new 13 dollar one in.
For sure, they could over time of rubbing against even wood. Will take a long while however. Will keep an eye on things over time. Would not hurt to zip-tie a chafe pad on known areas of potential rubbing.
a question no one has been able to answer for me.... what is the charging output capacity of converter unit? What amps does it output for charging the battery bank?
How do you like your GX for a TV? I have to drop my GX down a gear to tow on flat highway and uphill is using more lower gears. Gas mileage not good but these are good all purpose vehicles and can't see getting something just for towing. BTW video is very helpful and informative.
For a smaller trailer it is great. I like the short wheelbase + short trailer. Lets me get in places larger rigs could never dream of. When towing with the GX, you are right to drop it to 4th. Should never tow in drive. And yes, gas mileage sucks. May as well have a leak in the tank HAH! I have considered an LX570 or LandCruiser (same platform, different setups) both having the tundra 5.7L and still maintain a short wheelbase but overall I am settled in and happy with the GX. Does all I want.
It does fine but I can sleep nearly anyplace HAH! Best to convert to a full time bed with a new mattress and skip the table if you really want to sleep well.
I had one on order for 7 months. Then, they tried to up the price $6800 (Intech, not the dealer) AFTER I had a deposit in! Also, have photo sets of an new intech Horizon totally falling apart here in Arizona in the heat at Toms. After seeing that mess, I totally gave up on them. Next trailer will likely be a Lance.
@MR_garage this is the first I have heard of this kind of thing?? Hmm, we have watched tons of videos, reviews on them, what encore rog?? Do you know anything about them?
Sad part is.... most all are built this crappy until you get into the high $ units. Then you get better workmanship with the same garbage rv parts 😀 (ac, furnace, stove, fridge...) and so forth.
This is so disappointing. Not a surprise because I've seen a few other "behind the panel" videos in my search for a nice, mid-priced, couples camper. These things are built on an assembly line in an air conditioned factory. Why can't they punch perfect holes in the panels BEFORE they are assembled? Does this have anything to do with the Beaver's Union? Why do they need fist sized holes in the floor anyway? So sad, so unprofessional, and so unnecessary.
It is, especially knowing how badly they were price gouging the last several years when the economy was up. This trailer should have been a $16K trailer at best new but they were getting over $30 for these with build quality like this. Sadly, I have not found a unit that is built well until you start getting way up in price.
Indeed! Sadly not twice as good - but a lot better no doubt :) At this price point, it is what it is. Glad to see prices coming down from the pure insanity they were at.
my god...get rid of all those rubber water hoses !!!..they will leak !!!. install nothing but pex wherever there is rubber hoses. p.s. water pump ( read label on it ! ) say's...5 minutes use, 10 minute cool down ?..ditched it..went with sur-flow.
Agreed! I have always had sureflow pumps before. This one is still working fine. Our showers are very quick, pump barely used so not a big deal. For sure will replace when it kicks the bucket.
I don't even own a travel trailer and I still enjoyed this video. What a great resource!
Looking to buy this exact model. Glad I came across this video. None of this was a deal breaker but everything you showed got you a new subscriber!
Just think how impressed we'd all be if we started pulling panels and found nice clean access holes cut just big enough and no more, with smooth edges, wires aligned neatly and labeled, holes plugged to block mice and bugs, etc... The attention to quality and detail would make us feel like if they did that, they probably did a good job on everything else, too. A small thing that can make a big difference when it comes to quality and reputation.
It would literally take about 5 more minutes per unit to cut holes properly and take a little bit of sandpaper to clean up the edges. I actually think it may take them longer to half arse the beaver saw cuts 😅
@@MR_Garage I agree! LOL
That was cool!...wish they would do that for every trailer!
"somebody fed a beaver Redbull and he went to town" LMFAO!
Good review on R-Pod 15. I see a lots of upgrade before hitting the road. Thanks good work.
Wonderful video. greatly appreciated. We dont have a 153, but it gives us an idea of where to look and what to expect when looking at the "engineering spaces".
Hope it helps! They are all rather the same, just shoved in different places.
2024 192 here. Right off the bat, I found 1. water leaking from pex connector to the hot water tank. 2. Water leaking from the waterless P trap(Pipe connector was missing a washer on one end). Fixed both myself before they could cause any water damage to my brand new trailer. 3. A speaker wire lead was not connected to the ceiling mounted speaker. 4. Dinette table wobbles excessively. I watched this video before buying and overall the build quality is about what I expected(low expectations). Thanks for taking all the panels out and showing us what it looks like!
No problem! Glad to see how much attention (negative) the RV industry is finally getting online for build quality and issues. It's painfully bad.
Someone else kinda mentioned it, those massive holes in the floor allow for rodents and bugs to get in. I just picked up a 196 via bank repo amd ive been fixing a lot of these mistakes. I screened and speay foamed the hole by the power inverter, i havent found easy access to the orher one by the controls. May have to fix it from underneath. I was amazed at rhe air draft coming in from the one i patched. Ive also fixed a broken pex connector at the shower faucet, im not sure what other plumbing problems i may have. Im going to wait until Spring before adding water into the system.
We have a 2021 RP180. The wiring behind your converter/fuse panel is way more organized than our bird nest of wires. We have done so many upgrades to our little Rpod to count and your videos would have been very helpful! Overall I agree with your assessment of the RPod. They are not built very well but serve their purpose especially if you are handy and can fix plumbing, electrical, and loose panels. They look nice until you look behind the panels.
I hope rpod / forest river feels ashamed by the workmanship or lack of, that they hide. Sad actually. Takes just minutes extra per cutout or hole, maybe 10 minutes extra for electrical to be clean. Instead... NOPE! Just nasty.
@@MR_Garage agree 100%! We are having slide issues currently that I assume are the result of improper install/support for the system. Several screws on the H- Columns had their heads pop off! Is this due to dissimilar metals with the aluminum framing or mechanical twisting due to crappy construction? Time will tell when I crack into that issue.
Looks like your TV is a Lexus GX we have save same it matches well with a the 153. Just got back from a 5,500 trip from AZ to back east and down south and back to Kingman. Screws for a couple cabinet latches came loose was our biggest problem used wood matches and reinserted screws. Thanks for showing us the guts of a 153!
Right on man! Crap gas mileage but rock solid reliability !!!! I picked my 153 up in Kentucky (long story) towed it back to Arizona. Longest single trip I have done.
Excellent video for a brand new owner!
Awesome video. We own a 2022 Rpod 153. I would love to run the audio from the TV through our speakers, but don't understand what connections I need... I did upgrade the interior speakers with some Polk speakers. Thanks for sharing all this info.
Hello! Just need the following two items. Plug them into the headphone out of the TV. You will need to go behind the radio and make the the red and white RCA cables are plugged into the line-in port.
3.5 to RCA
amzn.to/3v3u2b9
3.5mm ground loop isolator (eliminates most all hum)
amzn.to/3YBrsXf
On the small trailers, you’re better off removing the rooftop AC and installing a fantastic fan, a portable AC unit whether it’s AC or DC is more efficient than those rooftop units. That will free up quite a bit of space.
No trap under the sink? Lol, don't get me started on RPOD build quality!
There is a trap. It's one of those new waterless P traps, which is basically a silicone sleeve that self seals when water is not running through it. Its the white tube, below the black pipes seen at 14:15
Thank you for the great review! Will be purchasing one hopefully by next week. 2022 as well, pretty good deal for the times. Just one question, when you were on the roof (which I wish was 1pc as well) toward the front of the r pod what were those black looking slots where the front piece meets the roof? Thanks
Not seeing what you are mentioning?
Loved the video very informative! I have the 153 as well and love it. Could u share a link to the fridge u replaced it with?
I have a whole video on it :) ruclips.net/video/FyTQlJTl0hE/видео.html
The Dometic Penguin II that they put in previous R Pod models was a nice low profile unit but was notoriously loud, and would have been even more so in the smaller 153. The Colemans are quiteter.
Agreed on that, no question. But.. this small of a trailer does not need a roof mount 13.5K super inefficient AC. A slide out / window style or similar would have been a much better option. Likely will remove mine and go a different route even here in the Arizona heat. Will figure that out here in spring and get the wart off the roof which will also allow for another solar panel up there!
@@MR_Garage Don't know that they're framed out well enough for that much weight, they do make some 9500 btu rooftop units, some of which are pretty quiet, but it';s a costly upgrade and the footprint is the same
The coleman 13.5 weighs 100lbs! Most 8K range units are around 60lbs. Something to consider.
@@MR_Garage I’m interested in your a/c change out .
Great video. We just got a 2024 153 beast mode and I got a lot of good ideas of where things are now. It seems like there is a lot of wasted space behind the false wall in the front under bed storage area too. I wish there was an outset access door to the storage under the dining seat. Other than that we are happy with it so far
Always take a picture with your cell phone before you start cutting any wires. I would even tape the wire with a little note on it.
Love your video on the 153! You are hilarious! Question: is there a water filter in these units? Thank you!
Now I have to go back and watch what I said HAH! No water filter built in, just a small one on the pump that is for large particles on the inlet side.
@@MR_Garage Thats good, just put one on the outside connection. I have one in my Epro that ALL water goes thru. Once a year I open up the space under the bed and feed a new 13 dollar one in.
I’d be worried about wire chafing while going down the road having no protection for rubbing wires against the cut outs..
For sure, they could over time of rubbing against even wood. Will take a long while however. Will keep an eye on things over time. Would not hurt to zip-tie a chafe pad on known areas of potential rubbing.
a question no one has been able to answer for me.... what is the charging output capacity of converter unit? What amps does it output for charging the battery bank?
Hello, 30A is the rating on mine.
How do you like your GX for a TV? I have to drop my GX down a gear to tow on flat highway and uphill is using more lower gears. Gas mileage not good but these are good all purpose vehicles and can't see getting something just for towing. BTW video is very helpful and informative.
For a smaller trailer it is great. I like the short wheelbase + short trailer. Lets me get in places larger rigs could never dream of. When towing with the GX, you are right to drop it to 4th. Should never tow in drive. And yes, gas mileage sucks. May as well have a leak in the tank HAH! I have considered an LX570 or LandCruiser (same platform, different setups) both having the tundra 5.7L and still maintain a short wheelbase but overall I am settled in and happy with the GX. Does all I want.
Great video, whats your thoughts on sleeping on the bed in this model. About to seriously consider a 153.
It does fine but I can sleep nearly anyplace HAH! Best to convert to a full time bed with a new mattress and skip the table if you really want to sleep well.
so for the walls, ceiling, front cap, rear, and floors....is it all azdel? I hate fiberglass insulation
The walls are azdel. Front cap and rear wall are standard fiberglass.
@MR_Garage thank u!!!
Considering buying the 153, what"s the width of the rear door opening and the entryway? thx
I will try to get that soon - very standard RV door width. My guess is 26" but will verify.
@@MR_Garage thx
So was this unit assembled in the Mid-West plant or a West Coast plant ...?
Indiana on this one. I have seen hood river / rpod west units, not seeing anything better or worse.
Nice vid! found a 2022 somewhere for $22K out the door. that a good deal ?
If that is the closest unit to you, not a bad deal but not awesome. Try to get them to $19K.
Buy an intech, all aluminum cage frame
I had one on order for 7 months. Then, they tried to up the price $6800 (Intech, not the dealer) AFTER I had a deposit in! Also, have photo sets of an new intech Horizon totally falling apart here in Arizona in the heat at Toms. After seeing that mess, I totally gave up on them. Next trailer will likely be a Lance.
@MR_garage this is the first I have heard of this kind of thing?? Hmm, we have watched tons of videos, reviews on them, what encore rog?? Do you know anything about them?
I have not researched them or checked them out before. Looks like a neat little trailer on a quick search.
@@MR_Garage forest river partnered up with haulin trailers and is making a toy hauler similar to the intech discover
good video, it's a shame you purchased this and have to repair they're mistakes.
No Quality control.They do that bc most rv company they are protect it by law we can’t sue them.
Right! All sorts of bad legalese writing. Thor is the worst of them in this respect.
I am currently looking at buying a RV ....the quality on these "suck"!
Sad part is.... most all are built this crappy until you get into the high $ units. Then you get better workmanship with the same garbage rv parts 😀 (ac, furnace, stove, fridge...) and so forth.
This is so disappointing. Not a surprise because I've seen a few other "behind the panel" videos in my search for a nice, mid-priced, couples camper. These things are built on an assembly line in an air conditioned factory. Why can't they punch perfect holes in the panels BEFORE they are assembled? Does this have anything to do with the Beaver's Union? Why do they need fist sized holes in the floor anyway? So sad, so unprofessional, and so unnecessary.
It is, especially knowing how badly they were price gouging the last several years when the economy was up. This trailer should have been a $16K trailer at best new but they were getting over $30 for these with build quality like this. Sadly, I have not found a unit that is built well until you start getting way up in price.
Love camping but I refer to our campers as “expensive junk”.
100%. Shed on wheels... Poorly made shed on wheels :D
You get what you pay for, you mention Lance in your comments well that's fine but it'll cost you twice the money!!
Indeed! Sadly not twice as good - but a lot better no doubt :) At this price point, it is what it is. Glad to see prices coming down from the pure insanity they were at.
my god...get rid of all those rubber water hoses !!!..they will leak !!!. install nothing but pex wherever there is rubber hoses. p.s. water pump ( read label on it ! ) say's...5 minutes use, 10 minute cool down ?..ditched it..went with sur-flow.
Agreed! I have always had sureflow pumps before. This one is still working fine. Our showers are very quick, pump barely used so not a big deal. For sure will replace when it kicks the bucket.
2020 and later built units are bad for quality, and the emphasis has been profit and quality.
Sadly, they were not better before 2020, I know I have inspected them 😂 But yes, in general RV and TT quality took a dive during covid due to demand.
I'm disappointed about the build quality. Thanks for opening eberything up and tracing down!
You and me both!