Considering flagstaff 2017 27rlws emerald???

[CRUZN]

Looking for advice or ideas.

HAS ANYONE HAD THE FOUR CORNER POWER JACKS AND WISHED THEY DIDNT HAVE THEM?
DO THE HEATED TANK PADS ACTUALLY WORK?

WHAT DON'T YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS FLOOR PLAN?

CONSIDERING THESE OPTIONS:

EMERALD PKG (NOW CALLED PKG F)
OYSTER EXT (IS NOW AN EXTRA FOR THE EMERALD)
4 POWER STAB JACKS
HEATED TANKS
LADDER
1/2 SLIDE FRONT STORAGE TRAY
EXTRA MAXXAIR FAN (IN LIVING AREA)
FREE STANDING TABLE/CHAIRS
WOOD LOOK FLOOR
RAISED PANEL REFER FRONT

FYI GONE NOW IS THE FLIP UP FRONT WINDOW COVER.RPL NOW WITH A FLUSH FIT DARK AUTOMOTIVE GLASS

[lbrjet]

Why all the CAPS? 7th season and 200 campgrounds later my electric stabilizers are still going strong. I have never used my tank heaters so I can't tell you much. The rest of your plumbing is not protected so don't think you can go into constantly below freezing temps for long periods of time without additional work to protect your plumbing. I have many times overnighted between 25-30 and never needed the heaters.


2010 F250 5.4L 3.73
2011 Flagstaff 831FKBSS
Equal-i-zer 4pt 12K

[CaptnJohn]

LCI now has auto-level available for SOME TTs. Level and stabilize at the push of a button. FR is putting them on models strong enough to accept them. I'd ask..... they are on my 5er and will never be without them again.

[dougk53]

We have a 2015 27RLWS. We like the floorplan and the interior storage is awesome. Countertop extension makes for a copious amount of work area in the kitchen and makes DW and myself smile as I do a lot of food prep and cooking. I hate the electric stab jacks. They are slow and you have to go from one side to the other positioning wood as only one side comes down at a time. This trailer is very bouncy possibly due to the torsion suspension and I have the XChocks and use screw jackstands at the wheels and you better not fill your glass at the table if people are walking around as it will spill. I am going to install 6 scissor jacks and using a cordless drill will get them down faster.
Heated tanks is a matter of preference. Better ones that operate on both AC & DC can be installed later if you find the need.
Ladder IMHO is a must. Makes access to the roof and slides a snap.
Prefer the dinette booth for storage and sleeping but this is a personal choice.
While the wood look floor is nice we have the lighter gray stone look floor. It makes the interior brighter but more importantly it is awesome at hiding dirt and footprints. After all it is a camper and dirt will track in.
Keep in mind these are all personal choices on our part. overall we find the unit to be great and are happy with our choice. Good luck in your decision.

Doug

[Devilscreekw]

Everything that Dougk53 said is right on the money! We have the fridge front, looks great. We ordered the king dinette as we have LOTS of grandchildren and needed the sleeping area, but that is personal preference. I also use the X chocks, and use as many wood blocks as I can fit in depending on site, to minimize the height the scissors jacks come down, again to minimize bounce. I WD40 the jacks before every trip, and use the factory supplied tool to lower the jacks as I like to feel the pressure I am applying to each jack. I feel they are stronger than the electrics. I recently added the Stromberg Carlson Stabil-Step jack under the bottom step to minimize bounce from people entering.

We did not order the emerald edition as we did not want a darker colored trailer, as white is cooler in the summer, and did not want the bonded non-opening rear windows. Also we wanted a smoother floor surface to make sweeping up easier following a trip to the beach. Besides which, the trailer is an exact match to our white Ram truck.

[kcdelan]

Originally Posted by CRUZN

Looking for advice or ideas.

HAS ANYONE HAD THE FOUR CORNER POWER JACKS AND WISHED THEY DIDNT HAVE THEM?
DO THE HEATED TANK PADS ACTUALLY WORK?

WHAT DON'T YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS FLOOR PLAN?

CONSIDERING THESE OPTIONS:

EMERALD PKG (NOW CALLED PKG F)
OYSTER EXT (IS NOW AN EXTRA FOR THE EMERALD)
4 POWER STAB JACKS
HEATED TANKS
LADDER
1/2 SLIDE FRONT STORAGE TRAY
EXTRA MAXXAIR FAN (IN LIVING AREA)
FREE STANDING TABLE/CHAIRS
WOOD LOOK FLOOR
RAISED PANEL REFER FRONT

FYI GONE NOW IS THE FLIP UP FRONT WINDOW COVER.RPL NOW WITH A FLUSH FIT DARK AUTOMOTIVE GLASS

We had the Power Stability Jacks on a 2015 Flagstaff V-Lite 26WRB. They were already installed when we purchased from dealer. At first, thought it would be a nice feature. However, and they were anything but "Stable". Swore I would never have them again. Recently downsized to a custom ordered 2017 Flagstaff SuperLite 23FBDS (Murphy Bed) and made sure it came with just the Scissor Jacks installed. They are way more stable! Use my cordless-drill to operate them. We did order it with both the "Emerald" and "Sapphire" packages. We have not used the unit a lot so far but we are very happy with it. Both units came with tank heater pads but have yet to find it necessary to use them. They could prove useful if you travel in subzero conditions though.

[itat]

CRUZN, the Rockwood 2703WS is the exact same trailer as the Flagstaff 27RLWS but with different interior colors and fabrics, so if you're searching the forum, check on that model number as well.

This thread will interest you.
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...lws-53205.html

[awellis3]

Originally Posted by CRUZN

CONSIDERING THESE OPTIONS:
1/2 SLIDE FRONT STORAGE TRAY
FREE STANDING TABLE/CHAIRS

Rethink these. The front storage isn't all that deep that the tray is necessary and the tray itself takes up valuable storage space.
Getting the dinette gives you two extra storage areas, one accessible from both inside and out. The other has a full-pull drawer we use as a pantry. Behind the drawer (accessed by lifting the seat) is space to store a ½ case of wine. Also, the dinette converts to a bed. On a long tip I contracted a bad cold and Penny sure was glad she had another place to sleep. (Cough-cough, wheeze-wheeze.)

[nicholsm4]

We have the Rockwood 2703WS. Love the floor plan, especially the large living area. If you get the tv in the bedroom it is a bit tight getting between that and the bed so we go thru bathroom. I have had no problems with the power jacks, they are a bit noisy when extending or retracting. There is some rocking and we are thinking about trying X-Chocks to better stabilize the unit. We have U shape table in dining since we have kids and grandkids join us on some trips and need extra seating and the storage under it is nice. Have camped in sub freezing weather with no freeze up issues, tanks are heated. I would consider at minimum a 15k a/c upgrade and pre-wire for second a/c if you are doing any camping in hot areas. Our unit has single 13.5k and could not keep up in 100 degree daytime temps, it got hot during the day but was good at night. Thinking about adding another a/c to bedroom would have been nice to have it pre-wired. Ladder a must, love the fireplace it really puts out the heat. We preferred the colors of the Rockwood over Flagstaff. Don't have storage tray, I think it would reduce storage area. Check out outside grill mounting, ours was too low and grill hit wheel trim and did not sit level, had to modify it. Good luck

[SailorSam20500]

Take this with a grain of salt.... I was talking to a local dealer who showed pictures of his unit out camping last winter. Said the temp was in the low 20's to upper teens for the weekend. He was plugged into shore power and ran the heat pads for the duration. Pictures showed 6-8 inches of snow around the trailer. Said he was hoping for 10 degrees because that is what the system is supposedly rated for. Said he had no issues.

[Canadiancrew]

We spent a lot of time at a lot of rv shows nailing down this floor plan and have no regrets. Lots of storage. Love the pantry and the closet as you come in. We also have the u dinette. Great for when the kids and grandkids come by or stay over. Also give some extra storage with outside access. We decided not to go with the tray in the front storage. No regrets as I feel it would take up space. I just organize the space with the not so used stuff at the back and can store a lot more than if we had the tray. Got the electric stabilizers and like them and would do it again. We do have an xchock and recommend it for an trailer. The ac takes a while to cool down so order the big one. I would even like to have two of them but that's not an option. I think that would be a great option but would likely need to upgrade to a 50 amp plug and panel from the current 30 amp.
I found this trailer a little hard to get the wieght distribution set up right. With the two slides behind the axles its heavy on the rear and likes to wagg. But that's ok the floor plan makes it worthwhile. We just got back from a trip west and spent 25 days in a row on the road doing over 500 miles. No regrets.

I did not and would not get the heated tanks. Whenever we have camped in freezing temps the fresh water hoses freeze up long before the tanks do. They are sandwiched between the floors and get some insulation that way.

We do have the emerald package and love the color. I feel it shows less dirt and black streaks than the white. On the 2016 we have the back windows do open unlike a previous comment in regard to the 2015 emerald that did not.

[rlocicero]

I like the corner stablizers but they are not jacks. I like the fact that when they go down, the first one to touch the ground locks to allow the other to finish going Down. We use the plastic pads under the stabilizer pad. Positioning them is no problem once you have done it a couple of times.. I am not personally fond of the Windows on the emerald package. Our 829fkss flagstaff has the atrium window package. The Windows are huge and the cross breeze is great.

[rlocicero]

My wife does love the floor plan and we would consider it for our next purchase. It is definitely 1/2 ton towable and we like the layout. My preferences are for front kitchens but FR discontinued the 29 foot version.

[Devilscreekw]

Forgot to mention we also ordered the 15K upgrade on the AC. My wife likes it cool, and even on 90 degree plus days (we seldom reach 100) the trailer cools in only a matter of minutes.

We also did not order the half storage as it cuts down on the main storage area where I keep all the chairs, full set of tools etc. The chairs take up the back half of the area, but still can be reached easily.

If you must tow it with a half ton, get a good quality anti-sway hitch system. I ordered the Equalizer 4 way 1200 pound unit and will heartily recommend it. When I picked up the trailer from the dealer I was still using my old Equalizer with the 750 lb chain attached springs and no anti-sway. It was a brutally windy day and I could not get past 50mph without frightening sway and bounce, even with my Ram 2500 crew.

[ronzo101]

We ordered our 27rlws after seeing tons of TT's. Bottom line was we loved the floor plan, the Jack & Jill bathroom, kitchen work space, exterior color, dark windows and table/chair combo. (We opted for the table/chair option because we could configure it to our needs even though we lost some storage.) The ladder for roof access is a must but you loose the optional grill mount for the rear bumper in our case. (I did install one afterwards, but the grill wasn't that great to begin with)
Don't like (My opinion only), virtually no ventilation as far as the windows go on the left side.......only "Opening" window on that side is the one over the couch. The rear windows are fixed too. We use the a/c a lot!
The stabilizers?.. well all I can say is they kind of stabilize, period! I also use aux jacks to minimize the "Bounce".
This drives my nuts...the shower door only opens approx. 75 to 80 degrees because on the sink base, but I will address THAT this off-season.
Chairs for the dinette hit the window treatments when you push the chairs back, the treatments are cardboard and cloth; I have since removed the side treatments. The side "Hard" window treatments were only installed on the slides. (?) The bedroom had cloth side curtains and the rest of the trailer had nothing but the "top" window treatments
Bedroom flat screen TV ?......get the thinnest wall bracket you can find, you will hit it at some point.
Had to reinforce some of the cabinet shelving in the "Ell" section of the counter to hold pans etc.
The pull out storage tray was not an option at the time for us but I wouldn't want it anyway, looses to much needed storage I think.
Again we are very happy with the layout and have overcome some of the drawbacks to our liking, no regrets and would do it again. And it's still a sharp looking unit to us.

[CRUZN]

Thank you for all the advice.I love this forum.
We love this floor plan for all you get in a 32ft rig with a base wgt. 6618# thats 1/2 ton towable.I never thought I'd own a 3 slide unit but the space inside this thing is awesome.My wife likes the closet slide and the bathroom location.
I wish the outside front baggage area was a pass thru but will make do.I deleted the 1/2 storage tray based on comments here as I had the same concerns of space usage.The kitchen counter L is massive and look forward to using every inch.We don't like built in dinettes and don't need the sleeping space with the fold out couch.We may put recliners in the dining slide area and make do without a table.
I did delete the power stab's and keeping my cordless drill.I always wanted these but based on some member replies here they are not that effective on this chassis compared to the scissor jacks.Thanks again.We like the Oyster ext. and I think it will not show dirt as much.Keeping the Emerald Pkg F and adding 2 extra Maxxair's to help with the low-flow flush windows.
My TV is a 2012 4x4 F150 3.5 Ecoboost 3.73 Max tow/HD payload rated at 11,200 and reusing my 10k# e2HITCH ROUND BAR WDH.Hope fully I can get this setup to be effective.I will try to update this when we take delivery and get our 27RLWS on the road.Thanks for all the input.

CRUZN
S.E. MI
Retired AT&T Comm. Tech
Currently School Bus Driver
2012 F150 4x4 SCrew 3.5 Eco 3.73/Max Tow/HD
2015 Coachmen Apex 215RBK

[dougk53]

We tow ours with the same configuration truck but without the HD Payload. Our payload is 1800# so yours should be higher. You should have no problem towing provided the hitch is set correctly. I use a Reese Dual Cam that I have had on 3 trailers now. Added 100# airbags for hauling wood to heat my house but only run about 20# when towing. Trailer should be a good match for your truck. Good luck.

Doug