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Am I making the right hybrid manufacturer decision?

musgt91
Explorer
Explorer
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
47 REPLIES 47

Chuck_S
Explorer
Explorer
For us camping is sleeping in a tent or tent trailer for which a hybrid qualifies with the added niceties of a nice galley, and bathroom. Different strokes for different folks: my wife refuses to even consider a hard-sided "RV." We have a camper. 🙂

Sleeping under canvas remains paramount for us. Yeah there are compromises including drying the tentage if you have to close up with it's wet. But that's really all there is. Ya gotta make choices. Temperate weather with all the screens open is wonderful.

14 camping seasons in the same 2006 Roo 23SS with just minimal preventive maintenance and tiny repairs. 4 camping seasons prior that in a Coleman Bayside popup which was only replaced because we ran out of room inside. My wife and daughter used every cubic foot of space for their "stuff" and I literally had to keep mine in the truck. We plan to get another 14 seasons out of the Roo.

Because of their complexity popups and hybrids are often more expensive than "sleep in a box" trailers so they're not necessarily stepping stones to a RV.

-- Chuck
'06 Roo 23SS behind '17 Expedition out of Richmond
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drenjoey
Explorer
Explorer
DutchmenSport wrote:
As you can tell by my responses, rain was never our friend doing 15 years of tent camping with my wife and kids, and then 6 years of pop-up camping after that. Seems every time we went out, it rained. Everything was always wet. That's what I really remember about those days.


Did it stop raining since you bought your Montana, or is there a black cloud that follows you wherever you go !

Dre

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
To to clarify and alleviate any doubt? If the choice were an HTT or a tent, I'd take the HTT over the tent any day!

However, like a tent, or a pop-up, you still have to deal with wet ends that get folded up. Like a pop-up, it has to be opened up and dried out when you get home.

As you can tell by my responses, rain was never our friend doing 15 years of tent camping with my wife and kids, and then 6 years of pop-up camping after that. Seems every time we went out, it rained. Everything was always wet. That's what I really remember about those days.

When we got the first hard sided trailer, it seems rain was never an issue again.

We considered an HTT when we transitioned from pop-up to travel trailer. I wasn't ready to give up that outside coming inside feeling by being confined inside 4 solid walls. But the wife said she'd never go camping again if she couldn't stay dry. Thus the first hard side. It took a very short time to accept and actually like the change and haven't regretted it since.

Hopefully, my illogical negativism has given the OP something to think about.

To quote the OP and the very center of my replies: "we have a 3 yr old and a 1 yr old and need to not worry about the rain or overall weather conditions."

Anything with cloth or canvas sides is going to cause you worry and you'll have to deal with weather conditions, unlike a hard sided trailer. The HTT will not be trouble free as you are looking for. That's all I'm trying to say.

drenjoey
Explorer
Explorer
I can't believe how many negative answers you're getting..........I seriously think those folks NEVER had an Hybrid.
We are now on our third one and I don't think we'll ever go for something else. We now have a Roo 23ws and simply love it!
If I were you , I would go on Forest River forum site and read about how people are happy with their Hybrids......
Look for 2018 Roo 23IKSS - One year later

musgt91
Explorer
Explorer
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!!!

bikendan
Explorer
Explorer
Don't think you can go wrong with the Roo/Shamrock or Jayco hybrids.
Both are the best selling and have a long consistent history of building hybrids.
Just a note, the 235S is a brand new floorplan. So go through it with a fine tooth comb.
Sometimes new floorplans have teething issues.
Dan- Firefighter, Retired:C, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur:W, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever(RIP:(), 2014 Ford F150 3.5 EcoboostMax Tow pkg, 2016 PrimeTime TracerAIR 255 w/4pt Equalizer and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
camp-n-family wrote:
DutchmenSport wrote:


So why’d you by a new big @ss fiver instead of a tent??

...



To give the OP something to think about. Since they came back with a second post indicating they were just going to get another tent instead. Sometimes playing Devils Advocate get's folks to think. I'm just agreeing with them for all the reasons a tent is easier, better, and cheaper.

So, playing Devil's Advocate, how about all the reasons against a tent?

First, when it rains, you are always wet. Try as you may, you just can't get dry when it's raining and you are in a tent.

Then there is that hard ground to sleep on, and the older you get the harder it gets. And the colder it gets.

So, that means lugging along a cot, or an enormous air mattress, or mats for the ground, plus warm sleeping bags, blankets, pillows.

It means when you need bathroom facilities, you have to get up in the middle of the night and make a trek to the woods, or the bathhouse, which is closer???? Getting dressed to do so, an if it's raining, well... there again ... no where to get warm and dry when you return.

Talking about rain? Putting that tent up when it's wet with rain or dew. I've seen multiple occasions were tent camper take their tents and turn them upside down so the bottoms will dry out so they can pack up and go home.

OK, so with a tent, you have to drag your food with you in separate containers, drag them in and out of your vehicle, set up your camp kitchen and hope you didn't forget anything. If you forgot something, like utensils, you are scrambling for a stick to stir the beans and a wide leaf to use as a plate and you learn to eat Chinese style using 2 twigs for Chop Sticks!

Of course there's the wind factor. With it's windy, tents feel like they may just blow over, and sometimes they do.

There's really no privacy, can't turn a light on at night inside the tent because your shadow casts on the wall of the tent and every person in the campground can see you blowing your nose, or worse!

Then, they have no sound proofing at all. Every whisper you make can be heard clear across the campground.

When you are able to finally get everything packed up and return home, you have to store all that stuff some where. If you are an apartment dweller, where in the world do you put all that stuff?

You have to pack, unpack, plan, store, and prepare for every single item you take with you. You have anticipate rain, sun, wind, heat, and cold. Just how much stuff can you pack into the back of the family SUV? And in time, that packing and unpacking gets pretty old.

Well....

How about all the reasons both are good???

theoldwizard1
Explorer
Explorer
Personally, I think hybrids are a great first step up from a tent/pop up!

The sad truth is build quality varies widely even within the same manufacturer.

SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Explorer III
,... and Ralph knows best btw.
2015 Backpack SS1500
1997 Ford 7.3 OBS 4x4 CC LB

camp-n-family
Explorer
Explorer
DutchmenSport wrote:
A tent will definately be a LOT cheaper. You don't have license and title a tent to tow it on the highways. You don't have to maintain insurance on one to satisfy your lender who you borrowed money from to buy the thing, which means you won't be making payments for the next 10 years on a tent.

You won't have to worry or deal with winterizing the water system, dealing with Chinese made tires and replacing them in a year or so, filling propane tanks, filling the fresh water tank, dumping the black and grey tanks, monitoring your roof for cracks in the calking seams and doing preventative patch work.

You won't have the challenge of washing the thing, keeping black streaks from forming on the outside walls, getting a weight distribution hitch system, or ever have issues with your air conditioner not cooling enough to your satisfaction.

You'll never have issues or problems parking the HTT in your driveway or on your street and having your HOA or City Zoning citing you for illegal parking. You'll never have to pay to store it at a storage facility either.

Nope, you're better of with the tent.


So why’d you by a new big @ss fiver instead of a tent??

To the OP, a hybrid is a great next step from a tent for a family. Yes they require a bit more setup and take down time and have more opportunity to leak if not taken care of but they have their upsides too. They give you much more space for the tow length and you still get that outdoorsy camping feeling. Learning how to setup and “rough it” is good for the kids. Don’t spoil them too soon. It’s all about the experience and personal preference. We’ve had 2 big trailers since our hybrid and I still miss the hybrid. It still felt like camping, now not as much. Setup now takes just as long because we just bring more comfort ****.

The Rockwoods’ are some of the best hybrids out there. Certainly the most popular.
'17 Ram 2500 Crewcab Laramie CTD
'13 Keystone Bullet Premier 310BHPR
Hitched by Hensley

Lwiddis
Explorer II
Explorer II
“and would be pulling it with a full size truck so pulling capacity isn't an issue”

Pulling capacity is only one of the determining factors. By not stating your actual gross weight and payload capacities as a minimum you demonstrate the need to read! Some “full size” trucks have less “capacity” than my Tahoe which is adequate for my Winnebago, stuff, DW and me but not much more. You may enjoy tent camping but you can’t camp as much in a tent or pop up as I can in a TT particularly with little kids.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, WindyNation 300 watt solar-Lossigy 200 AH Lithium battery. Prefer boondocking, USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state camps. Bicyclist. 14 yr. Army -11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad

Ralph_Cramden
Explorer II
Explorer II
musgt91 wrote:
Thanks everyone. Yes, we could purchase a TT but I don't feel comfortable pulling something that big. We also enjoy tent camping so the bunk ends are nice that we feel like we are somewhat outside.

Basically it comes down to, purchase a new tent or a new hybrid. We just want to make sure our investment is going to be worth it. However, mixed reviews here seem to point me in the direction of a new tent. 🙂


Forget the word "investment" because its not really in the vocabulary be it a popup, hybrid, TT, 5er, or motorhome. The only return is the enjoyment you get out of it. Youre not going to make a dime on any of them purchasing new and whoever claims they did so is full of it.

Having owned two other hybrids, and researched everything out there before buying our current 17 Rockwood Roo to no end, I can tell you the Rockwood Roos and Flagstaff Shamrocks are the Cadillacs of hybrids. Like everything else out there you can get a bad one, and we did when ordering and refused to purchase that particular one, but they sell the most and offer the most floorplans in hybrids for a reason.
Too many geezers, self appointed moderators, experts, and disappearing posts for me. Enjoy. How many times can the same thing be rehashed over and over?

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
A tent will definately be a LOT cheaper. You don't have license and title a tent to tow it on the highways. You don't have to maintain insurance on one to satisfy your lender who you borrowed money from to buy the thing, which means you won't be making payments for the next 10 years on a tent.

You won't have to worry or deal with winterizing the water system, dealing with Chinese made tires and replacing them in a year or so, filling propane tanks, filling the fresh water tank, dumping the black and grey tanks, monitoring your roof for cracks in the calking seams and doing preventative patch work.

You won't have the challenge of washing the thing, keeping black streaks from forming on the outside walls, getting a weight distribution hitch system, or ever have issues with your air conditioner not cooling enough to your satisfaction.

You'll never have issues or problems parking the HTT in your driveway or on your street and having your HOA or City Zoning citing you for illegal parking. You'll never have to pay to store it at a storage facility either.

Nope, you're better of with the tent.

musgt91
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks everyone. Yes, we could purchase a TT but I don't feel comfortable pulling something that big. We also enjoy tent camping so the bunk ends are nice that we feel like we are somewhat outside.

Basically it comes down to, purchase a new tent or a new hybrid. We just want to make sure our investment is going to be worth it. However, mixed reviews here seem to point me in the direction of a new tent. 🙂

ricks99
Explorer
Explorer
We've had our Kodiak for 3 seasons now with no issues. My understanding is that the quality for all manufacturers is similarly low. 😞 My advice would be to find a floorplan that works for you.
2008 Dodge Ram 1500 (aka Rusty)
2017 Kodiak 172e Hybrid (aka Roxy)