R-Pod 189

Although my Heartland Big Horn fifth wheel is a great RV with all the amenities I would want, it is somewhat of a beast to move, particularly, for short trips. More importantly, because I have a Jeep and a RZR, I have to make two trips wherever I go.

This has led me to try a slightly different lifestyle where I use the Big Horn as a semi-permanent residence and a smaller RV for road trips. After looking at a number of travel trailers, I chose the Forest River R-Pod RP-189 which at 20'4" in length and an unloaded weight of 2792 pounds can be towed by my Jeep and will fit in small sites such as those found in older state parks...

Now for the bad news. Due to the short supply of RP-189s, I had to travel to Upland, California to buy one from The RV Spa dealership. My first disappointment was the transporter requirement for titling and registering a RV out-of-state which cost me an additional $520.

Next, although I was told I would receive the Manufacturer's Statement of Origin (MSO) along with a 90 day permit at the time of purchase, it turned out I will not get the MSO for another two weeks and instead of a 90 day permit, I got a one trip permit (had I titled the vehicle in CA, I would have received everything immediately). The problem with this is it will now take 4-6 weeks for the State of South Dakota to send me the plates and registration I need to be completely legal and that is if the dealer does what they say they will do. Based on my experience to date, I am not holding my breath.

Lastly, the air conditioner in my new unit ran for about five minutes this morning before shutting down. I checked the circuit breakers and fuses to no avail and then called several RV dealers in the Las Vegas area. Due to the current heat wave, the earliest appointment I could get was over two weeks away.

I was able to get a mobile RV repairman out this afternoon, who told me he could do the work under the manufacturer's warranty. After he arrived, he quickly found that the Dometic thermostat was bad and had to be replaced which solved the problem. Unfortunately, when he called Dometic, he was put on hold for about 20 minutes before being cut off and on the call back got a message that they were closed for the day. I had to write a check for $325. Hopefully, I can get Dometic to reimburse me for the full amount but based on past warranty claims experience, it will probably be a long, drawn out affair.

Between California's weird regulations and poor customer service from the dealership and Dometic, it has been a very frustrating couple of days. I like to think it will only get better from here on out.

Surge Protector

In the seven years I have been on the road as a full-time RVer, I have discovered that the electrical hook-ups at RV parks vary all over the map. I even had a power surge that tripped the circuit breaker in the inverter for my residential refrigerator. That's when I purchased my first surge protector.

In order to protect the electrical system in my new R-Pod trailer, I bought a Progressive Industries Portable SSP-30XL RV Smart Surge Protector. When I plugged it into the 30 amp outlet at my storage site, it indicated I had an "open neutral" connection. I am not an electrician so I looked it up online and discovered that is not a good thing, particularly, with 50 amp circuits.

When I contacted the park's office about the problem, they immediately sent someone down, who not only confirmed the open neutral connection but made the repair in about 15 minutes. Another reason I have been very pleased with the service here at the Las Vegas RV Resort. If all goes well, I hope to have something to plug into the surge protector tomorrow afternoon. 

California Craziness

It seems like every week you read or hear about some crazy law or regulation that California passes that increases the state's cost of living and makes you wonder "what were they thinking" (my favorite is the anti-flatulence law). Most of the time, I just shake my head and am thankful that I do not have to live there.

However, this week I get to experience first-hand the cost of one of their laws. If all goes well, I plan to pickup a small travel trailer in Upland, California on Thursday. As a resident of South Dakota I like to title and register all my vehicles there. In all of the states where I have purchased vehicles in the past, all I had to do was let the dealership know I was going title it out of state; sometimes, I had to sign a government exemption form or if the state had a reciprocal agreement with SD, pay the sales tax at the time of purchase. The point being there was no additional cost.

Not so with California. In order to title and register your RV out of state, you have to pay a transporter to take it to the nearest state line before you can take possession. In my case, I have to drive to Upland to complete the paperwork/purchase and then follow the transporter to Primm, Nevada before hooking it up to my truck. The cost: $520 ($455 towing + $65 notary public). What a waste of time, fuel and money.

RV Water Leak

Yesterday afternoon, I discovered water dripping from the bottom of my RV which is never a good sign. Fortunately, it turned out to be from the overflow vent on the fresh water tank. Knowing that it was not from the gray or black tanks allowed me to wait until this morning when the pavement was no longer the temperature of the sun to make the repair.

After a little detective work and calling the psychic hotline, I decided the problem was due to a defective valve that diverts water from the main hose to the various RV tanks. Replacing the valve was not difficult. The real work involved emptying the cargo bay and removing two panels to get to the backside of the valve and unhook the multiple connections...

It's been a couple of hours since the replacement and I have neither flooded the park nor the interior of the RV so I am going to call it a success. It never hurts to have an additional skill set in case this retirement thing does not work out.

Vegas Heat

It's not even officially summer and the daytime temperatures here in Las Vegas are already over 100 degrees F. How do these temperatures affect life in a RV...

• Air conditioners run constantly from about 10:00 in the morning until 10:00 in the evening and then intermittently throughout the night. Fortunately, the Las Vegas RV Resort caps your electric bill at $175 per month from April 1 through September 30 which is less than I paid for my home back in NC.
• I now take showers using the cold water tap only. Sometimes, I have to let the sun heated water in the hose run a bit to cool down to a comfortable temperature. Hopefully, by turning off the water heater, I can offset some of the energy used by the A/Cs.
• Pet owners carry or drive their dogs to the "doggie park" to keep them from burning their paws on the pavement.
• You plan your outdoor activities based on the time of day.