Am I making the right hybrid manufacturer decision?

[musgt91]

Hi,
My family is new to the rv world as we have always been tent campers. We have finally decided to make the plunge as we have a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old and need to not worry about the rain or overall weather conditions.

We are looking at the Rockwood Roo 235S and would be pulling it with a full size truck so pulling capacity isn't an issue. My question is, is this the right brand to choose out of all the brands available. We are looking for nice features so willing to spend a little extra. But there is only a one year warranty compared to Jayco who offers a 2 yr with a 5 yr tent coverage. Should we be looking for a different brand? We want something that is going to last and not fall apart.

Thanks

[kellem]

A little late to the party. Lol

We are likely a minority here but that's ok.
The wife and I tent camped for 15yrs before getting a P'up and then to a hybrid.

Add 2 kids,we went to a TT and in 2009 went back to a hybrid.
I've not had a single complaint with our Starcraft 21SSO, no leaks, fast setup and tear down,easy to pull.
We're both in our late 50's and kids are gone so we are looking again. Lol

Can't say enough good about hybrid camping.

[davehultin]

I just scanned this thread because I was getting nostalgic and remembering the "good old days." We started with a Rockwood Roo 21SS back in 2006. Our kids were young back then, and we had so many good memories in that trailer. SO MANY!!! Since that first trailer we upgraded to a Roo 23SS, then went to hardsides: Shadow Cruiser (it was OK, but not the best) and now a Gulf Stream Cabin Cruiser which we really really like a lot!

We're happy with the progression we've made through the campers but I still have so many fond memories from those hybrids (the 21SS in particular). I felt our Roos were always good quality, I wouldn't trade away a minute of time in either of them!

(Well, there is that one time I forget to chock the wheels the first time out on the 23SS and the whole thing rolled forward off the leveler blocks. I guess I'd trade those few moments, but even now that's still worth it for the bashful smile it's bringing to my face! We all pay our tuition at some point!)

[Ralph_Cramden]

gaylec wrote:
Jayco does have the most generous and longest warranty of any manufacturer, and I think that speaks to the quality of the product.

It may speak to the quality, or it may not. The 2 yr warranty is a "structural warranty" and all it covers is the box, essentially the wall, floor, and roof structure. Everything else, frame, roof membrane, appliances, running gear, etc.,is warranted by the manufacturer of those components for varying amounts of time and scope. It's all in the big bag of papers. The 2 yr warranty is not anything remotely close to a bumper to bumper warranty and has little to do with anything as to how the unit is built on the line.

That said if the corner pulls apart, or the wall delaminates, Jayco might have your back for two years, unless they can pin it on a component provider or even the owner due to lack of maintenance as spelled out in the legaleze. Such as saying the wall delaminated due to failure of the roof membrane or something else that leaked.

[gaylec]

Our first camper was a Jayco X17Z and we absolutely loved it. We never had any leaking problems with it and we camped several times in the rain.

We just traded it in last week and upgraded to our second Jayco, this time an X23E. I expect the same quality from this one that we had with the last one. Jayco does have the most generous and longest warranty of any manufacturer, and I think that speaks to the quality of the product.

[Burnt_Marshmall]

WOW! Looks like a bunch of grumpy trolls jumped on this thread right away. Whew, back beasts, back!

OK, I grew up in tents, went through a NC hurricane in 1974ish in a tent camper, have owned two pups and two hybrids. Almost bought a new 'couples' TT but bought another hybrid instead.

I'd encourage you to consider hybrids. Easier to store, easier to tow, you get to sleep under canvas if that's your thing. Floor plans are huge compared to TT's We started with a Roo 21SS and now have a 23 IDKS. The quality of hybrids is so much higher than when we bought our first one years ago.

FWIW, Rockwood was willing to replace both our bunk ends three years after our warranty expired and payed for the labor too.

[musgt91]

Thanks Aftermath. We are checking prices and trying to look at TT as well. Just trying to do our due diligence as this is a big spend. Also considering an ultra light Rockwood new floor plan.

[aftermath]

musgt91,
Two children 3 and 1? You are a lucky guy and I strongly suggest that you keep camping with them. We were in your shoes many years ago. Got a tent and used it for a few years. Got caught in too many rain storms and needed to "upgrade" just like you mentioned. We got a tent trailer and kept it for 17 years! Loved the outside feeling and sleeping under the canvas. Both of our girls now have families and they both own tent trailers, our youngest actually has our old one we "found" again on Craig's List.
As they aged and moved on the wife and I got a hybrid because we liked the fridge, bathroom/shower and the heater. After about 5 years we were nearing retirement and wanted to take longer road trips. We decided to move up to our current trailer.
So, right now, you are looking at something to fit your family. I am big on hybrids but like all things, you really need to take good care of it. It will serve you well if you do. I have heard only good things about the Roo's. We had a Starcraft which worked for us and I bought it mainly because we had a dealer in town and it was marked down a lot as winter was approaching.
Good luck and best wishes as you move forward. I think you are going to love camping in your new hybrid.

[mdcamping]

drenjoey wrote:

slavco wrote:
IMHO, solely based on some of the posts here and other forums, the older units were built better than what's out there today. My trailer is 16 years old and knock on wood, I had less issues with it than many with new trailers.

I tend to not agree with that statement. We are now on our third hybrid, and so far, we noticed how improved they have become.
From a Travelstar, to a Palomino, to a Roo 23ws, the improvements are there!
They are so much easier to set up (no more bungies), easier to winterize (from outside), easier to clean the black tank (there's an inlet outside), and I'm sure I forgot a few things!
Plus, I don't think the material quality has suffered.

Dre

My observation there was leak problems from poor construction practices on the earlier hybrids and lite trailers, especially with certain MFG's

Mike

[mdcamping]

All I could afford wrote:
Which style is mine? Perhaps a third category called ancient, or perhaps obsolete? 19 years old and still not leaking

I owned a 1999 thor aerolite, it was basicly a hybrid without the bunk ends. I Bought it new and floor started failing in 3 yrs. no leaks from anything above the floor or plumbing that I could find.

What I believe the problem was on the earlier models like mine, they used a metal skin under the trailer that caused condensation & wicking. Where now they use a material that breathes.(I ended up spending considerable laber repairing the floor but that is another story)

Just curious on your model what material do you have under your trailer?(metal or other) no staining on your lenium flooring? 🙂

Mike

[babamartha]

slavco wrote:


IMHO, solely based on some of the posts here and other forums, the older units were built better than what's out there today. My trailer is 16 years old and knock on wood, I had less issues with it than many with new trailers.

Best of luck!
Slav

I bought my 2009 Kodiak 160SVT used from a dealership. I suspect all the problems were solved by the original owner. For instance, the canvas had all been replaced. We haven't had any issues at all with it, knock on wood. I love my hybrid!

[slavco]

drenjoey wrote:


I tend to not agree with that statement. We are now on our third hybrid, and so far, we noticed how improved they have become.
From a Travelstar, to a Palomino, to a Roo 23ws, the improvements are there!
They are so much easier to set up (no more bungies), easier to winterize (from outside), easier to clean the black tank (there's an inlet outside), and I'm sure I forgot a few things!
Plus, I don't think the material quality has suffered.

Dre

I fully agree that functionally they have been improved, and many additional conveniences have been added. However I often see people complain about build quality issues, and these are not specific to any vendor. Things like the J-lock strip which attaches the tent to the body of trailer cracking/leaking on units which are 2-3 years old. Windows coming loose, fridges not working, water leaks, tv mounts ripping off the wall etc. etc. I follow a couple of Hybrid-RV groups on FB and you see all sorts of issues being discussed there.

Don't get me wrong, I take some of these with a grain of salt, as I'm sure some issues arise due to poor or lack of maintenance (or common sense) on behalf of the owner. But if I were to generalize, I would say that things tend to break more often on the newer units - again that's just based on my observations 🙂

One issue that seems to puzzle me a lot is condensation on the tent ends, this one comes up a lot! I have camped in all sorts of weather and temperatures and I never had this issue, even when it was in the 20's. So is this caused by design changes in newer RVs or is it something the RV owners are doing??

Cheers
Slav

[drenjoey]

slavco wrote:
IMHO, solely based on some of the posts here and other forums, the older units were built better than what's out there today. My trailer is 16 years old and knock on wood, I had less issues with it than many with new trailers.

I tend to not agree with that statement. We are now on our third hybrid, and so far, we noticed how improved they have become.
From a Travelstar, to a Palomino, to a Roo 23ws, the improvements are there!
They are so much easier to set up (no more bungies), easier to winterize (from outside), easier to clean the black tank (there's an inlet outside), and I'm sure I forgot a few things!
Plus, I don't think the material quality has suffered.

Dre

[slavco]

musgt91 wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. In regards to the “positive “reinforcement for purchasing any Rv there has to be always be one negative nancy.

I think we will go see it this weekend and get a better idea. I just wanted to make there wasn’t a better performing brand that I may have over looked.

Thanks!!!

I think moving from a tent into a hybrid is a great step forward. We did it 4 years ago and never looked back. You still get the "tent" feel but with all the added luxuries such as a bathroom when you need it. The only pain I can think of is having to fold up the tent-ends in the rain, but you learn to deal with it. And yes, there is some maintenance required, but that goes with ANY RV and as long as you keep on top of it, you will have many years of enjoyment. Added bonus, (depending on where you live) you can extend your camping season. We're up in southern Ontario and we go camping well into the end of October.

If you're unsure, buy something that's a few years old before investing a large sum of $$. If you find that it's not for you, you can always re-sell and get most of your money back. If you buy new then you'll be stuck or take a big hit on the price.

IMHO, solely based on some of the posts here and other forums, the older units were built better than what's out there today. My trailer is 16 years old and knock on wood, I had less issues with it than many with new trailers.

Best of luck!
Slav

[All_I_could_aff]

Which style is mine? Perhaps a third category called ancient, or perhaps obsolete? 19 years old and still not leaking