Picking up my MPG 184 this weekend ...

reelmpg

Member
Thanks for all the great posts folks! It is really helpful info for a prospective owner who is trying to make an educated decision.

We found a new 2011 MPG 184 sitting on a dealership showroom (had to be fate) and will pick it up on Friday. We will be towing with a 2011 Honda Odyssey with a tow upgrade.

I don't know how many 184s were made but I would be interesting in connecting with owners of this model. Please send me a notification. There is not as much info on the net on this model with the delayed release and subsequent halt in production. I really liked the front kitchen and with just two of us we preferred a permanent bed and sofa.

We have been researching awnings, storage, TV etc. solutions all week as we prepare for our first night of camping...looking forward to spending some quality time at the campsite just checking out the trailer.

Judy & Mark Reel
New owners of 2011 MPG 184
Allen, TX
 

jimtoo

Moderator
HI Judy and Mark,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

I'm sure some of our members will jump in soon.

Enjoy your new toy.

Jim M
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi Judy and Mark,

Welcome to the Heartland family!

One thing you might want to do is ask the dealer to recaulk roof, windows, seams, or do it yourself. Since your unit didn't roll off the factory floor last week, it probably needs that routine maintenance.
 

marc515

Well-known member
Welcome to the MPG club. My only concern is what is your Honda's towing capability? If it's 3,500Lbs you are pushing the safety envelop. The 184 base weight is 2,988, and that doesn't include the battery. Remember, the towing capacity is calculated with a driver only, and all additional weight affects the towing capacity. I've weighed most of the stuff we loaded in our MPG, and that stuff totals approximately 531 LBS. You may not load as much stuff, but stuff adds up quickly. If you have something like an Equalizer, E2, or other weight distribution system, don't forget to add that weight also.
 

Leanna66

Member
Congratulations on finding a new 184. I love that floor plan. I have a 2011 181 that was gently used. I searched online for quite a while, before I found it in a neighboring state. I love it.

There is a thread regarding awning options for the MPG with links. //heartlandowners.org/showthread.php/36001-Self-Contained-Awning-for-the-MPG?highlight=mpg+awning
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Welcome Judy and Mark!

I second what Danemayer said, check the caulk... If its really been sitting, it will need this done. Otherwise you open yourself up for potential hidden leaks, once you start using it and/or storing it outside.

Be sure to check out the upcoming Texas and Oklahoma Rallies (goto the main forum page and on the left is the list). They are not too far from you, in Canton, TX and Thackerville, OK. Join us! It's a great bunch of folks.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

reelmpg

Member
Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!:) We did pick up the MPG last Friday so we are officially MPG 184 owners now.
MPG mark Small.jpg

Thanks Marc & Joan for the caution on tow weight. 2011 Honda Manual says 3500 with 2 passengers so you are correct, everything will need to be weighed as we know we are approaching the limit. Strangely our Colorado PU was rated for 500# less so we decided to outfit the Odyssey. As you may be able to tell from the picture we picked her up in the rain. Our dealer helped us get a good hitch height match which they found is key with these smaller vehicles. We did feel some slight sway when the winds gusted hard or when we were suddenly passed by multiple 18 wheelers. We concluded this probably a fair weather setup and we do have to take it easy on speed. At some point we may add a new vehicle, and will definitely keep the tow capacity in mind on our next purchase. For now, we will travel light.

Thanks Dan and Ann for the caution on the caulk. Our dealer did re-caulk the obvious exterior points, but we will probably will do some extra caulking this weekend just to be sure. Water is our RV's enemy. After the drive home in the rain, the only leakage we had was from the holes near the brackets in the vent cover. The vent in the main part of the trailer is over the sofa..so need to solution that one. Any ideas? It was raining pretty hard.

After much deliberation we chose to go with the Dometic Dome Cabana from ebay - Banner Breeze. Weight was a consideration as well as effort and price. Will let you know how setup goes this weekend.

Judy
 

danemayer

Well-known member
After the drive home in the rain, the only leakage we had was from the holes near the brackets in the vent cover. The vent in the main part of the trailer is over the sofa..so need to solution that one. Any ideas? It was raining pretty hard.
Probably just needs a little caulk in the right places.
 
Welcome to the MPG family. We bought our 181 last year and pulled it with our Odyssey. It really pushes the limits of what the Odyssey is capable of pulling. Our major problem was that it sat too low. We were always scraping the ground. We finally decided we needed another vehicle so we got a Ridgeline. It's a much better experience now. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone!:) We did pick up the MPG last Friday so we are officially MPG 184 owners now.
View attachment 25662

Thanks Marc & Joan for the caution on tow weight. 2011 Honda Manual says 3500 with 2 passengers so you are correct, everything will need to be weighed as we know we are approaching the limit. Strangely our Colorado PU was rated for 500# less so we decided to outfit the Odyssey. As you may be able to tell from the picture we picked her up in the rain. Our dealer helped us get a good hitch height match which they found is key with these smaller vehicles. We did feel some slight sway when the winds gusted hard or when we were suddenly passed by multiple 18 wheelers. We concluded this probably a fair weather setup and we do have to take it easy on speed. At some point we may add a new vehicle, and will definitely keep the tow capacity in mind on our next purchase. For now, we will travel light.

Thanks Dan and Ann for the caution on the caulk. Our dealer did re-caulk the obvious exterior points, but we will probably will do some extra caulking this weekend just to be sure. Water is our RV's enemy. After the drive home in the rain, the only leakage we had was from the holes near the brackets in the vent cover. The vent in the main part of the trailer is over the sofa..so need to solution that one. Any ideas? It was raining pretty hard.

After much deliberation we chose to go with the Dometic Dome Cabana from ebay - Banner Breeze. Weight was a consideration as well as effort and price. Will let you know how setup goes this weekend.

Judy
 

Jimmyd

Member
Congratulations on the MPG! We towed our 185 with a 2008 Chevy Uplander (extended wheelbase). If you are familiar with "the sisters" on I-80 in western Wyoming or the Arizona strip on I-15 south of St. George, or Utah Rt 39 over the Monte Cristo range, as a reference, the Uplander performed over all of these very well. I added a transmission cooler and airbags and towed with an Equalizer W.D.H.. We averaged 14 mpg over 400 miles coming back up I-15 from Zion National Park.
Obviously, a vehicle with a higher tow rating will tow better. The question is, once you have a vehicle with 5000lbs or more towing, why deal with the shortcomings of the MPG, namely the tight space? IMHO, there are other factors to be considered when talking about what T.V. will do what with your MPG, like how the vehicle performs whatever else you need it to do....commuting, getting groceries, going skiing.....
 
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