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Old 07-02-2012, 06:25 PM   #1
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Anxious in northern Michigan...new mini lite owner

After what We thought was careful consideration and diligent research, my wife and I agreed on a Rockwood 2109S, which we will take delivery of this saturday.
Since we made the deal a week ago, we have found some disturbing posts on several forums regarding some persistant and very serious issues with Rockwood trailers. I have read several posts describing water damage problems causing delamination of the roof / walls/ floor. It seems common for leaks to go unnoticed until bubbles, bulges or other irregularities show up on the outside skin. Several posts involved trailers only one or two years old
I understand the need for routine maintenance, but does that go beyond visual inspection of the exterior surfaces? How can I be sure there isnt an unseen problem growing into a full blown disaster? Anybody have advice on what to look out for?
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Old 07-02-2012, 08:16 PM   #2
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First off WELCOME!!! It sounds like someone is second guessing them self. We all do that. It sounds like you done all your research and made an educated decision. IMHO you will be fine. Once you begin camping you will love the camper.

IMHO I don't think your Rockwood will have any more problems than any other manufactureor model. When it comes to leaks from the roof, the only way to prevent them is through maintenance. Inspect Inspect Inspect. I inspect my roof at least once a month and add some Dicor self leveling caulk at the caulking seams as soon as I see it begin cracking. Just a dab will do.
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Old 07-02-2012, 09:44 PM   #3
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have you read forums for other RV brands?
i'm on RV.net and i read these issues on all brands, not just Rockwood.

do a search on other brands on these other sites and see what comes up.
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Old 07-03-2012, 06:50 PM   #4
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Welcome from one 2109S owner to another and to the FROG forums!! We too were just as excited as you are and have had ours since early March. Been on 2 trips, 19 days total since picking it up. DH and I really do love ours as it provides great interior space and lots of amenities!

Don't know about the problems/issues you asked about, but consider this a heads up on potential things we should check and be aware of.

A couple of easy, inexpensive mods you may want to do is anchor the bottom of the bed curtain to the wall so it's not hanging over your face. I sewed an extra hem line at the bottom of the curtain and used a lightweight small (3/8" round??) curtain rod (think very inexpensive from Wally World). To anchor the curtain, I used clear plastic hose guide rings like the one in the shower and Command adhesive strips. First inserted the curtain rod in the hem area, leaving some curtain hanging below. Then put a piece of the Command adhesive on the back of the curtain ring and inserted the rod. Affixed it to the wall and did the same adhesive/ring on the other side. Works great!!!

DH purchased two battery operated lights at Lowes that are about 6 in long. The bulb is T-5 and they each take 4 batteries. He used screws to anchor one inside the door below counter height and high enough to reach from the door. When on, it lights up the area inside the door and the control panel. The second one, he fixed a strip of wood, bevelling the end at the front of the cabinet and anchored it to the bottom of the cabinet over the counter area to the left of the stove. He also inserted 2 screws that the light slides onto. These don't move when travelling! And the extra light is really great!

Don't know what your experience with TTs are, but we learned that the curtain at the foot of the bed will block the A/C from blowing on you. We now use ours just at the foot of the bed and leave the walk around area of the bed open - blocks the cold air from either directly on us or to the cabinets and then down on us but still lets enough cold air in to keep us comfortable. (Most recent trip was to SW Louisiana.)

If you plan on hanging clothes in the bedside wardrobes, I highly recommend Lynx Sta-Put hangers from Camping World - 6 for about $6. They have no long "neck" from the hook to the shoulder of the hanger and will give about 3 inches more hanging space so your clothes won't drag/mess up at the bottom.

Enjoy your 2109S and many happy safe travels!
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Old 07-04-2012, 08:59 PM   #5
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Thanks all for the encouraging words. A special thank you to NanaKaren for your great tips!
We aren't totally new to camping ; we have had three enjoyable years in an old '93, 20' Coachmen. The old girl served us well, but it was showing its age and there are a few things that we wish we had; among them an awning, gas refer, dedicated bed, and fresh running gear. Would have cost a couple grand min to correct all the issues except the bd, which because of the layout cant be altered.
Being limited to 5000 lbs towing capacity, the mini lites are our best bet. We considered the Palomino Gazelle, Coachmen ultra lite, Puma Canyon Cat, and the Rockwood.
It seemed the Rockwood was the best value. The Gazelle is very similar but slightly higher in price. We struck it from consideration because my emails to the factory asking for construction details went unanswered.
Anyway, I think if I am diligent in my inspection and maintenance we should be ok. Vacation begins a week after we pick it up .....stay tuned.
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Old 07-08-2012, 09:17 PM   #6
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Picked up our trailer saturday morning. Ninety mile trip home was uneventful. It tows very well with just the wdh; no sway control. First thing I did when we got home was to check the roof. I found four places that were not sealed properly. Small gaps, but certainly a concern. In other areas, the sealant isn't adhered well; looks like the surface was not properly cleaned prior to the coating being applied. The coating is globbed on like pancake batter. It is applied heavily, but not worked into the joints very well. If this is typical, I can certainly understand why roof leaks are so prevalent on these trailers. Dirt and grime will collect in the hollows and crevises preventing subsequent applications from adhering properly. After my two year warranty expires this mess is coming off! I will probably cover all seams with eternabond tape for a smooth uniform coving that will not collect contaminents and be much easier to visually inspect. In the meantime I'll be checking the roof often. On a happier note, the sealant applied to the windows, hatches and running lights is very well done .
I have not found any other serious issues so far. Everything works and the
plumbing doesn't leak. We'll see see how things go next week on vacation.
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Old 07-10-2012, 01:48 AM   #7
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My windjammer is in its second year with about 8000 miles and 47 nights so far this year and have had no problems and love our camper. We felt the rear slide was starting to sag and stopped at the factory since we were traveling through the area and they were great, and took care of us well. Keep a watchful eye on things and I believe we will have many years of trouble free service from our Rockwood.
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Old 07-10-2012, 08:36 PM   #8
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Yes Pnwbrg, I agree we will enjoy our trailer. Other than the roof, I have no other complaints ; a couple mild annoyances maybe. Nothing worth whining about.
After reading all the forums I was expecting to do roof maintenance right from the start. So, its all gonna be on me I put a note with the factory extended warranty application to let them know of the problem. BTW, my dealer had the two year warrranty app right on top of the paperwork at closing.
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Old 07-11-2012, 12:13 PM   #9
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We looked at a lot of other brands before picking up our 2109s in May, and am completely satisfied with the decision to go with rockwood. We have spent 5 weekends in it so far, and have had no issues other than the TV needing to be replaced. The camper has been great and far exceeded our expectations.
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Old 07-11-2012, 06:44 PM   #10
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Great to hear Smitty. We are anticipating many happy days in ours, beginning next week!

Happy camping
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Old 07-12-2012, 06:28 PM   #11
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We just picked up our 2109S July 3d. A kitchen drawer doesn't stay closed (dealer can't fix it so they are going to put in a magnet latch) & there is a sticker for the slide about placing a travel lock between the sidewall & the face board on the slide. The guy working on the drawer looked at the sticker but didn't think one came with the 2109S. Did you some type of locking arm for your 2109S?

Thanks.
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Old 07-12-2012, 06:35 PM   #12
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Lift up the foot of the bed and check there. That's where the factory placed the slide lock that came with ours. We're really glad it was included as we've been on some hilly roads with some turns sharper than we like to deal with, but the trips have been awesome!
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Old 07-12-2012, 09:25 PM   #13
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My slide lock was in tbe slide upper cabinet. Gonna store it in the garage, cant imagine ever needing it.
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Old 07-12-2012, 09:44 PM   #14
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Might want to rethink that. If something happens like the slide popping open enroute somewhere and there's damage, your insurance company can refuse to pay since you didn't use it or have it with you.

I know, they're not the easiest thing to install if you're not tall enough to reach where it needs to be placed. But it is a good thing to keep the slide from coming out when you're driving.

Just a thought.......
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Old 07-13-2012, 08:57 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NanaKaren View Post
Lift up the foot of the bed and check there. That's where the factory placed the slide lock that came with ours. We're really glad it was included as we've been on some hilly roads with some turns sharper than we like to deal with, but the trips have been awesome!
Quote:
Originally Posted by mararra View Post
My slide lock was in tbe slide upper cabinet. Gonna store it in the garage, cant imagine ever needing it.
Thanks much. I have looked both places (forgot about the under the bed storage but my wife knew about it) & found nothing. I checked under the sofa as well. The only tools I got were in the front storage where the water heater & pump are located, awning hook, manual slide tool, & a useless lug wrench that you could never get enough toque to get a lug nut off or back on.

I have not found anything about it on line from Forest River or Rockwood. Maybe they stopped including it on the 2013 model. Any ideas how to find out besides another trip to the dealer? There is a phone number to Forest River in Goshen (about 30 minutes from where I grew up) that I might try calling.
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Old 07-13-2012, 10:34 AM   #16
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From what my husband says, all RVs with slides come with slide locks. I'd call the dealer if distance is not a factor and if no satisfaction, call FR.

Read on another RV forum that a strong wind with a backdraft can pull the slide out. The person reporting it said the wind pulled it out at the top.
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Old 07-13-2012, 12:45 PM   #17
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We purchased the 2012 Flagstaff 25KS in Feb. It did not come with slide locks. I questioned this during PDI and was told they were not needed and did not come with this camper.
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Old 07-13-2012, 09:19 PM   #18
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Dealer tech said it wasn't necessary to use the slide lock. "They can do more damage than good ". I 'll check into it a little further however.
Iswartz, check your manual. If it gives instructions on use, as mine does, I would imagine it was supposed to come with the trailer.
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Old 07-14-2012, 06:34 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mararra View Post
Dealer tech said it wasn't necessary to use the slide lock. "They can do more damage than good ". I 'll check into it a little further however.
Iswartz, check your manual. If it gives instructions on use, as mine does, I would imagine it was supposed to come with the trailer.
The Forest River manual? I have looked & found the slide but it said nothing about the slide lock. What page # is it on since I can't seem to find anything lately. If you could tell me where I put my new trailer hitch lock, that would be helpful too
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Old 07-14-2012, 12:30 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lswartz View Post
Thanks much. I have looked both places (forgot about the under the bed storage but my wife knew about it) & found nothing. I checked under the sofa as well. The only tools I got were in the front storage where the water heater & pump are located, awning hook, manual slide tool, & a useless lug wrench that you could never get enough toque to get a lug nut off or back on.

I have not found anything about it on line from Forest River or Rockwood. Maybe they stopped including it on the 2013 model. Any ideas how to find out besides another trip to the dealer? There is a phone number to Forest River in Goshen (about 30 minutes from where I grew up) that I might try calling.
We bought our 2013 in May and the slide lock came with it. Our dealer told us to use it and that it was important to make sure the slide was braced with it.

I would call Forest River and ask for one.
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