Rockwood Ultra Lite 5th wheel

nomoney wrote:
I'm hoping to upgrade my camper soon, and am seriously considering the Rockwood Ultra Lite, model 8289WS. I really like the size and the weight - has all the options we like too.
Does anyone have any advice of opinion about the Rockwood? I currently have a Jayco Eagle,but ready to upgrade. Looking forward to your responses!

We had a Rockwood Ultra Lite. Ours was an 8285ws. We loved the Rockwood but did have a couple of serious issues with ours. The roof delaminated and the rear wall broke away from the floor (twice). It snapped all the screws off where the wall is attached to the floor. I think the wall breaking away from the floor was caused by the frame flexing. The Ultra Lite has a 6" I-beam frame. In my opinion it may be too weak for a 30' trailer.
Our trailer had to go back to the factory to be repaired. Forest River were outstanding at resolving all issues. We had a completely new roof installed and the rear wall repaired. When the rear wall broke the second time I installed much heavier screws. The heavier screws seemed to remedy this problem. My understanding is the factory is now installing much larger screws. Although we had a couple of problems with our Rockwood we wouldn't hesitate to buy another Forest River product.
Recently we decided to trade it for a Laredo. We couldn't find a Forest River floor plan that suited our wants. The Laredo is much heavier & has a frame with 10" I-beams.
We know of three other families that own Ultra Lite trailers & have had only a couple of minor issues.

We have a Rockwood Ultra lite 8281SS and have been very pleased with it for the most part. We purchased it new in 2010 and have taken mostly weekend but several long trips--TN to Florida; and over to the east coast beaches in South Carolina and Maryland; up the east coast to Massachusetts. This past summer we had to replace a main slide motor and we have a few places where the decals are beginning to chip off; but those are the only problems we've had, so overall have been very pleased. We have 3 children and a dog, so the floor plan works for us and the interior has held up pretty well. This was our second Rockwood product (first was a Roo hybrid TT) purchased from the same local dealer----service is good for routine stuff. We had the Roo 4 years and didn't have a single problem.

I would purchase another Rockwood, but now I have an F-450 dually so not so weight limited---just driveway limited due to the slope that bottoms out longer fivers:R

We've been shopping various fifth-wheels the last several months and have decided on the Forest River Ultra Lite model 8282 based upon layout, tv capacities, options, cost, build quality, dealer proximity, trailer's GVWR. We plan to purchase a 2014 model next year.

My father bought a 2012 8289ws on my recommendation. I owned a Rockwood TT without any problems and never heard many complaints from others. I'm embarrassed now. Luckily he forked out for the extended warranty. It's been nothing but a nightmare since day one. The roof leaked around the shower skylight, now a recall item, then it leaked around the A/C and one of the slides. One slide was misaligned and rubbed through the vinyl flooring. Caulking was missing in several areas. The tires dry rotted within the first year. The stereo stopped working and the TV antenna never did. The dual mode water heater didn't work on electric and the list goes on. It has been back to the dealer countless times and has spent more than 6 months on the lot for repairs. It's going back to the manufacturer next month to have the entire roof replaced due to the leak damage.

We have met several others on the road with the same Rockwood and its twin Flagstaff model and many have had the same problems.

I owned a Rock wood and I wouldn't consider moving from Jayco to Rock wood an "upgrade".

I have to agree with 720Deere, moving from Jayco to bottom end Forrest River products in NOT an upgrade.
Forrest River uses good material and good plans, but their workforce is third rate. Every problem I've had is from poor workmanship. From improperly installing the furnace to forgetting to bolt the front cap frame to the body frame and not chalking the cargo doors is nothing but poor workmanship. My opinion of their dealers is even lower.

I have to agree with ferret grandpa, moving from a Jayco Eagle to a Rockwood ultralight is not an upgrade. We had a 1993 Jayco Eagle 215SD and sold it about two years ago and purchased an Eagle SuperLite HT 265RLS and it was not an upgrade in quality, although much larger and spacious. We looked at the Rockwood ultralights since they were closest to us, decided on the Jayco for various reasons including prices and our satisfaction with our old Eagle. Went with the superlite/ultralight because of my concern with towing capacity of our truck at the time. Ultimately, traded off that one and went with a newer truck with more capacity. Had I known I was going to do that, after nine months, I would have stepped up to the Eagle model rather than the superlite. As long as you are still looking, go online to RVWholsalers, RV Direct and RV Connection and look at trailers. I think you'll find that prices are significantly lower than at your local dealer. Then, when you find what you would like to get, get a firm price from the internet dealer and start negotiating with your local folks. That's what I did and my "local" dealer dropped his price almost 30% and was within $2,000 of the internet dealer, close enough that it made up for the cost of the trip out and back to pick up the trailer. Good luck with your trip.

just wanted to thank everyone for the comments. I am definitely reconsidering my choice now, and will probably look closer at a new Jayco. It's disappointing though, the Rockwood had features that we like,and the fact that it is lighter weight was a big factor. Considering all of the negatives though, I am thankful I posted my question! Thanks again!

nomoney wrote:
just wanted to thank everyone for the comments. I am definitely reconsidering my choice now, and will probably look closer at a new Jayco. It's disappointing though, the Rockwood had features that we like,and the fact that it is lighter weight was a big factor. Considering all of the negatives though, I am thankful I posted my question! Thanks again!

It may be best to wait until there is an RV show in your area. You can see all the manufacturers in one place & compare. I know the first 5th wheel we purchased I was more concerned about the floor plan than how it was constructed. Now I pay more attention to the construction. It is important to make sure the manufacturer hasn't sacrificed strength to achieve a lower weight. I don't have any experience with a Jayco product but only hear good things about them. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I like the Rockwood ultralights for the price point , but I wouldn't call it upgrading from a Jayco Eagle. The Eagles are a nice line - might be a good idea to look at the Superlite and full Eagles.