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Travel Trailer · Ultra-Light · Single-Source Profile

2026 r·pod RP-197

A 23-foot Murphy-queen coach: a convertible front bed, a bar-top kitchen with a flip-up window and a rear full bath, with a larger fresh tank for longer dry-camping stays.

Tow-Critical Data — as built, MY2026

4,054lb
UVW
5,554lb
GVWR*
1,500lb
CCC
23ft
Length
Sleeps 3 0 slides · Ultra-Lite Built by · Forest River Murphy queen · Bar-top kitchen Selling* · ~$27,500

01 What makes it unique

The r·pod RP-197 scales the Murphy-bed idea up with a front Murphy queen flanked by wardrobes and end tables that converts to a sofa for daytime living. The interior runs front to back as that Murphy queen with the central vacuum, an off-door-side kitchen counter with a convection microwave, a cooktop, a sink and a refrigerator, a door-side living area with a bar top, a flip-up window, seats, a TV and a pantry, and a rear full bathroom with a linen closet. The bar top with its flip-up window lets you serve or relax facing the outdoors, and the dinette-style seats convert, so nominal capacity is three.

At 4,054 pounds unloaded and 23 feet, the RP-197 is a comfortable half-ton tow, and it restores the line’s 1,500-pound cargo capacity (a derived 5,554-pound GVWR over a 4,054-pound unloaded weight) for healthier loading than the tighter RP-192. It also steps up the fresh and grey tanks to 40 gallons each, useful for longer stretches between hookups. Standard equipment is the mandatory R-Pod Camp-Ready package: a 12V black-glass refrigerator, an air-fryer convection microwave, a 15,000-BTU air conditioner, an on-demand tankless water heater, a roof solar panel with a 30-amp controller and inverter prep, a power tongue jack, a central vacuum and a sealed, heated underbelly, plus a 12-foot awning.

Construction is the r·pod laminate recipe — a smooth fiberglass exterior over Azdel composite panels, a block-foam insulation core and an all-aluminum frame — a clear tier above the metal-sided value lines. For a couple who wants the Murphy-bed living-space trick with a bar-top kitchen, a real fresh-water reserve and a full rear bath in a still-light body, the RP-197 is the most flexible mid-size plan in the line.

02 Full specifications

Dimensions

Exterior length
23' 0"
Exterior width
96"
Exterior height
10' 9"
Slide-outs
0

Weights

Unloaded vehicle weight
4,054 lbs*
GVWR (derived)
5,554 lbs*
Cargo carrying capacity
1,500 lbs
Hitch / tongue weight
470 lbs

Capacities

Fresh water
40 gal
Grey water
40 gal
Black water
30 gal
Refrigerator
12V black glass

Construction

Frame
All-aluminum
Walls
Vac-bonded fiberglass over Azdel
Insulation
Block / closed-cell foam core
Front window
Curved dual-pane acrylic

Running gear

Axles
1 (single)
Hitch
Bumper Pull
Tires
Upgraded w/ TPMS
Underbelly
Sealed w/ forced heat

Galley & bath

Refrigerator
12V black glass
Cooktop
2-burner + air-fryer microwave
A/C
15,000 BTU
Water heater
Tankless on-demand
Solar
Roof panel + 30A controller

Sleeping & layout

Sleeps
3
Primary bed
Front Murphy queen
Layout
Front Murphy queen w/ wardrobes, side galley, bar-top living w/ flip-up window, rear full bath
Awning
12' (power)

03 Forest River r·pod floorplan family

Forest River’s r·pod is the iconic ultra-light, aerodynamic travel trailer marketed as “affordable luxury at the lowest tow weight in its class.” The RP-197 on this page is highlighted; the other profiled plans link to their own pages. Profiled here are breadth-spanning floorplans — from the sub-2,600-pound rear-queen lightweight to the 25-foot front-queen flagship with a theater-seat slide — with the rest of the roster catalogued on the line hub and profiled in demand order. Every r·pod ships with the mandatory Camp-Ready package: a 12V fridge, a 15,000-BTU air conditioner, a tankless water heater, a roof solar panel and a sealed, heated underbelly.

FloorplanNominalSleepsNotable
RP-17119' 0"3Front dinette, side kitchen, wet bath, rear queen — lightest plan
RP-18020' 0"3Side queen, off-door slide kitchen, dinette, rear full bath
RP-19020' 4"4Front queen, U-dinette, mid-kitchen slide, rear full bath
RP-19420' 6"3Front queen, booth dinette, central kitchen, rear full bath — no slide
RP-19222' 2"3Front Murphy bed, booth dinette, rear full bath
RP-19723' 0"3Front Murphy queen, bar-top kitchen, rear full bath
RP-20025' 0"5Front Murphy queen, rear double bunks, full bath — no-slide family plan
RP-20325' 0"7Front Murphy queen, rear double bunks, full bath — slide family plan
RP-20525' 0"2Private front queen, theater seating, rear corner kitchen, full bath
RP-19825' 6"3Private front queen, pass-through bath, slide living area
RP-20625' 6"2Front queen bedroom, theater-seat slide, rear full bath — flagship
RP-20725' 8"2Private front queen, 64" theater seating, full rear bath

Every r·pod uses vacuum-bonded laminate construction: a smooth fiberglass exterior over Azdel composite panels, a block-foam insulation core and an all-aluminum frame, finished with a curved dual-pane acrylic front window — a clear construction tier above the metal-sided stick-and-tin value lines. The signature bulbous, aerodynamic profile keeps frontal area and tow weight low. Standard equipment is the mandatory R-Pod Camp-Ready package: a 12V black-glass refrigerator, an air-fryer convection microwave, seamless Surf-X countertops, a 12V TV, a power tongue jack, a central vacuum, a large roof-mounted solar panel with a 30-amp controller and inverter prep, a 15,000-BTU air conditioner, an on-demand tankless water heater and a sealed underbelly with forced heat. A power awning is standard on select models. West Coast units add the mandatory Hood River Edition (all-terrain tires with TPMS, advanced ground clearance, a Maxxair vent cover and 12V tank heaters). Lengths, weights and equipment change with options and model year — always confirm against the unit’s own weight sticker. Additional r·pod floorplans are catalogued on the line hub.

04 What owners & reviewers report

Murphy queen with wardrobes plus a bar-top kitchen

The front Murphy queen converts to a sofa for daytime space, and the door-side bar top with a flip-up window opens the living area to the campsite — a flexible, social layout.

Bigger 40-gallon fresh and grey tanks

The fresh and grey tanks step up to 40 gallons each (from the 30/30 on the smaller plans), stretching the time between fills and dumps for longer stays.

Healthy 1,500-lb payload restored

A 1,500-lb cargo capacity against a 4,054-lb unloaded weight is a comfortable margin for a couple — more usable load than the lighter Murphy-bed RP-192.

GVWR is derived, not separately published

The 5,554-lb GVWR is unloaded weight plus cargo capacity and matches the figure on the plan’s detail page; both inputs are factory estimates, so it is flagged.

Selling price runs below the placard

Dealer MSRP placards run into the high-$30,000s while selling prices commonly land near $27,000–$28,000; the figure shown is dealer-typical selling and is flagged.

SOURCING — ownership notes to be expanded with cited threads from owner communities & forums per the data plan

05 How it compares

↓ Step down
R-Pod RP-192

A shorter 22-foot Murphy-bed plan — the same convertible-bed idea, lighter and cheaper, with smaller tanks and tighter payload.

↑ Step up
R-Pod RP-206

The 25-foot flagship — a fixed front queen bedroom and a theater-seat slide instead of a Murphy bed, with more living space.

↔ Cross-shop
Cherokee Grey Wolf 26DBH

A larger family bunkhouse one construction tier down — bonded-aluminum wood-frame value build with bunks, heavier, at a similar price.