Rockwood 5th wheel 2015

Our 8289WS will be 2 yrs old 12/30/15. Only real problems were a bad gear pack on the dining slide and very poor tires. FR sent me the part, changed it myself and I purchased Maxxis 10 ply tires and a TPMS for my own piece of mind. Front cap developed a good size dent in the top section. I opened it up at the roof where it meets the cap and stuffed a bunch of styrofoam under the cap, large dent fixed. Dealer in our area at least is useless to say the least, said 4 to 6 weeks to even look at it. It does have a lite frame but we knew that going in. Have close to 10K towing and love it. Problems I had showed up the first year we had it, this second year has been trouble free and a real pleasure.

Looked at both Flagstaff and Rockwoods and nixed because of the lightness of the frame. Also the quality under the skin and in the cupboards was not there.

I would agree with others. We had a 2011. It had to go back to the factory for some major repairs. I would have to say that Forest River were great to deal with. Would never consider a light weight trailer again. Rough roads beat the trailer to death.
We loved the trailer but we had too many issues. A friend had one for several years and were very pleased. They had very few issues.

We have had our 8281WS for almost a year now. We are the second owner. First owner only had it for 6 months. I know first owner had a tire blow out but no damage to the camper. Since we have had it the only thing we have had is the front cap does not have enough support behind it and has formed a dent. Not too noticeable unless you really look for it. But over all we have no complaints.

Absolutely love ours and wouldn't trade for anything. The build quality is there, as is most of the bells and whistles that you would associate with larger fifth wheelers. Do some serious research, as we did for 2 years, and you'll see what I mean. Then check them out in person; you'll be mildly surprised! The only thing we didn't get was the awning covers for the slide-outs. They weren't offered, and we forgot to ask. So I bought my wife a "WORX" blower off of TV and an 8' ladder to go with it. Works just as good! We did get the Diamond package, which makes a big difference.

I looked at them before. Really liked the lay out. Wanted to occasionally double tow so we went with a better built higher end used RV. Saved a bunch of money too.

Go to the Forest River Owner's Group forum and ask there.

FROG Forum

I'd be scares of most of Forest Rivers Lite or less expensive offering both from previous experience, what my dealership has dealt with (they pretty much stay away from most of Forest Rivers products when possible) and everything I read here and online. I know most RV manufacturers are questionable but I think forest river's lower lines are just about rock bottom in quality and more important QC at the factory.

Very similar to the fiver my parents own. It has been nothing but a nightmare since day one. It has had thousands of dollars in repairs done to it and countless trips back to the dealer. In 3 years of ownership it has spent more than 1 year at the dealer and factory for repairs.

A short list of issues:
Axles were under rated for weight
Tires also incorrect and under rated
Roof leaked and rotted requiring return to factory for complete replacement
Slide out was uneven and wore hole in floor
Slide out seals installed improperly causing water to leak in
Island not secured
Radio has never worked
Front cap warped within 1st year
Water heater failed

There's more but I think you get the point. Most covered under extended warranty but repairs by dealer were very poor. The whole mess ended in a lawsuit.

I had always heard good things about Rockwoods and I recommended the fiver to my parents. Feeling stupid now. They have come across several others that have had many similar experiences. At minimum, find an experienced reputable dealer with a quality repair shop, and get the extended warranty.

I have previously owned a Rockwood Lite. My experience with it was that is was not that well constructed. The fact that it is built to be a lite trailer was the reason of course, but I have since gone to a heavier fifth wheel.

IMHO if you are going to spend more than a couple of weeks a year in it, I'd look elsewhere. I don't believe that you can get a very well built fiver that a 1/2 ton can pull.