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Old 08-04-2019, 11:28 PM   #1
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Considering Rockwood 8329SS - pros and cons?

We're looking at a new Rockwood 8329SS and interested in any insight from the forum. We'd be moving up from a Flagstaff 26FKWS. Going from 30' to 35' overall. Any issues getting into parks with the greater length? One of the most appealing things is the three slides. So much more living space inside. Any cons? Never owned a trailer with a slide on the living side. Any other thoughts, positive or negative would be appreciated from those who own this model or have considered it.
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Old 08-05-2019, 05:44 AM   #2
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I was going to purchase this model but it sold before I was able to buy. Ended up with the 8312ss. These trailers are built very well.
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Old 08-05-2019, 06:15 AM   #3
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A Great Layout!

In my opinion, there isn’t a better, more well thought out floor plan for a travel trailer today than that of the Rockwood 8329SS. It is just perfect.

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Congratulations!

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Old 08-05-2019, 07:03 AM   #4
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It is a nice floor plan. Fridge and dining area might not be accessible with the slides closed. If parking in campsite with trees/bush on either side, you will need more room to open opposite slides. Another point to remember is that these trailers are fairly heavy and at 10,000 lbs and more (loaded), you may need a truck driver's license to pull legally.
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Old 08-05-2019, 07:33 AM   #5
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Take a look at the 8332BS. Its close to 36 foot and we have no problem getting it through campgrounds and parking it. If you want a TT with open space, this is the one.
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Old 08-05-2019, 08:05 AM   #6
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We love the floorplan (we were looking at the fifth wheel version) but the radius shower is too cramped for my liking. (If you're a big guy or have a bad back make sure you check it out.) So we ended up getting an 8290BS fifth wheel with the 60"x30" rectangular shower. The bed slide is fantastic. It gives you so much more room to get changed in the bedroom.

You have plenty of tow vehicle for the 8329SS and Rockwoods all tow very well so that won't be an issue for you.
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Old 08-05-2019, 08:50 AM   #7
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8329SS was our second choice if we couldn't find an 8328BS.
The outdoor kitchen on the 8328BS was important to us.
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Old 08-05-2019, 10:45 AM   #8
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We have the 8329SS 2016 model bought it new. It has been a great camper for the past three years. No issues plenty of room and is great for couples! I would make sure you have the upgraded AC 15,000 BTU like we do....
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Old 08-05-2019, 11:17 AM   #9
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I like the series but don't care for the limited access to the fridge and all living areas with the slides in, also prefer a king size bed.

We got the Flagstaff 831CLBSS which if memory serves me correctly is the same as the Rockwood 8335BSS
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Old 08-05-2019, 11:33 AM   #10
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I own one, and I think its the best Bumper-Pull floorplan going. Yes, you cannot get into the fridge with the slide closed. But you only have to open it a foot or so to be able to open the fridge. Its not like you have to deploy the slide to its max width.

They are heavy, and seem to have a lot of weight on the ends compared to other trailers I have hauled. I wound up going with a new hitch because of it. The 2 recliners in the back are really stuffed in there, and I'm not sure how you can use both of them at the same time and still recline. I wound up taking one recliner out. We don't need them both, and I needed a new recliner at my lake cabin. The kitchen is fantastic with TONS of counterspace. The bathroom is more than adequate. I find the bedroom comfortable, with room to walk around the bed. Closet space is good.

About the ONLY drawback that I found is outside storage is practically nil. You have one door for a compartment that is under the bed (You can lift the bed to get to it from the inside. Its wide and deep, but kinda low. You can get a lot in there, but rooting around for the one thing you need usually means off-loading half your stuff just to find it. The only other outside compartment is a small, wedge-shaped one behind the fireplace/TV. It'll hold a couple of 5 gallon buckets worth of stuff, but the odd shape and small size means it's not very much use.

The good news is, you will be drowning in inside storage. The 8329 has so many drawers, cabinets, shelves, etc that you will never feel like you have to leave anything behind.

We love ours, and find it perfect for a pair of people. We have not had any issues getting it into any campgrounds due to the length.

Tim
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Old 08-05-2019, 01:07 PM   #11
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If you like the floorplan, look at the Palamino Puma 31RLQS. Much the same only it has washer/dryer hookup and very large shower and large bedroom closet.
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Old 08-05-2019, 01:26 PM   #12
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If you like the floorplan, look at the Palamino Puma 31RLQS. Much the same only it has washer/dryer hookup and very large shower and large bedroom closet.
Isn't the Puma a stick and tin trailer, vs the aluminum frame and filon sided Rockwood?
I'm pretty sure that the finishes and features are better on the Rockwood, vs the Puma.
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Old 08-05-2019, 02:03 PM   #13
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We have the 2014 model and love almost everything about: 1)the large living area with 2 recliners near the TV and fireplace and the air mattress on the sofa seems very comfortable, 2)the center island without the sink. We eat most of our meals there and can put the chairs on the other side if we also want to watch the TV, 3) we can get into the fridge with the slide closed to get drinks or small items, 4)the closed bedroom and we were able to replace the RV sized queen mattress with a regular queen sized 8" foam mattress. There isn't much outside storage but we put a bed topper on our pickup which gives us the room for lawn chairs, grills, etc. Hitch weight will be heavy (about 900 lbs) but I've never heard anything about needing a truckers license to haul anything above 10000 lbs, unless that's a Canada thing. The main complaint we've had with ours is the water leak above both tire wells at the front of the 2 slides. The RV places we tried couldn't fix and neither could the FR repair people at the first FROG rally we attended. I managed to get one side fixed and the other side partially fixed, so ensure you drive yours on wet roads while under warranty.
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Old 08-05-2019, 03:36 PM   #14
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Rockwood 8329SS

Congratulations on your choice of a Rockwood 8329SS!

After many years of camping experience the DW and I chose the 8329SS as our retirement trailer. Since picking it up in December, 2015 we have camped in it for 382 nights and leaving next month on another six week expedition. We have put over 15,000 miles on it camping in 23 different states, so we have plenty of experience in this trailer.

Overall we love it and it fits our needs perfectly. We have not had any problems getting in to campgrounds, but obviously at 35' you are not going to be able to get into some National and State parks with length restrictions.

As Tim mentioned above, outside storage is limited. I use wide, flat plastic bins to organize the under bed storage space. The small space behind the fireplace actually holds quite a bit if you can figure how to stack it. I have 12 leveling pads, an air compressor, a bottle jack, tire chocks, a space heater, and a portable fan in that space.

We find that we have plenty of room for the recliners. We pull them out a bit and find it very comfortable for watching the television. You do need to make sure that the recliners are securely strapped in for travel. They tend to shift a bit while traveling so be sure to check them before completely opening the slides or they will grab the trim piece around the slides and pull it off (ask me how I know). Before fully opening the slides I bump the TV/fireplace slide open just enough to get past the island and check to make sure the recliners are fully pushed back where they belong.

The bedroom slide is very roomy. You can upgrade to a king size bed, but you lose the side storage if you do that. The two opposing slides in the living area make for a very roomy comfortable space while the island gives you plenty of counter space.

The chairs around the table also shift a bit due to the provided strap slipping as the trailer jiggles down the road. I put one clear plastic hook on a leg on each chair to help hold the strap in place. The television is on a movable wall mount and also needs to be strapped in while traveling. I put hooks in behind the TV and run a nylon strap across the front of the TV to make sure it doesn't move.

As for accessing the refrigerator while traveling, I just bump the fridge slide out about a foot or so and it is easy enough to get in to.

I also did the following mods:

Upgraded the tires to load range E Goodyear Endurance.
Husky scissor jacks just in front of the tires for added stability while parked.
Dual batteries.
Progressive Industries EMS hard wired in behind the fuse panel.
Upgraded faucet in the bathroom.
Added HDMI cables from the IRV66 for a satellite dish receiver and a Blu-Ray DVD player since the IRV66 does not play Blu-Ray.

The fit and finish on the Rockwood / Flagstaffs is very nice. During our year long search for a trailer we liked we saw many trailers and felt that the Rockwoods were well put together. I especially like the quality of the cabinets, wooden table & chairs, bar stools, and counter tops.

Our only initial problem was an electrical issue with intermittent loss of power. I discovered that the electrical connector on the outside of the trailer had a stripped screw on the common leg. I replaced the entire unit with a Marinco which is much better quality.

We also had the brace break on the trim piece under the bedroom slide and it cracked the trim piece. Easy fix.

The stock bathroom faucet was an inexpensive plastic one. It began to leak so it was replaced with a much nicer Delta faucet. It was not easy finding a faucet without the drain lever, but we were able to find one that fit well.

The only major issue we have had was a failure in the brakes on the trailer after an emergency stop. This was a failure of the Dexter Nev-R-Adjust brakes, not a Forest River issue. Dexter comped me with all new brake assemblies even though they were out of warranty. I did notice that the new assemblies have a new, much beefier, design so new trailers will have this new design.

I have posted pics on my mods on previous posts, so if interested you can search for them. Feel free to message me if you have any questions.

Hope you love your new Rockwood as much as we love ours.
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Old 08-05-2019, 04:14 PM   #15
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Have owned both types and find that either construction to equal if properly maintained. As far as problems with any make is a crap shoot due to poor quality control. Have had Puma for 3 years and used 90 days per year and only problem was Suburban heater circuit board,
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Old 08-05-2019, 04:30 PM   #16
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Length

It really is determined by where you stay and your style. We try to stay in state and national parks. You bare wise to consider this. It will limit spaces available in many National Parks. Especially parks like Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Teton. Spaces are very limited, if you want to stay in the park. We made reservations 11 months in advance and will be boondocking in 2 of the three. The parks that were built 75 + years ago, just were not built for big trailers. In Yellowstone the only one campground can accommodate over 44' total length, (includes TV and TT). This campground, Fishing Bridge is closed for all of 2019 for renovation. FYI, there are several side by side sites available, like 8 in park. I have found when you get over 30', it cut sites by about 35%. It is not just the trailer pads, it is the turns thru the campgrounds. Do not "fudge" length in the older parks, I have seen trailers sticking out into the road several times. You can see trees where people have scrapped maneuvering.
Someone posted a note earlier w/ percentages of sites available by size. I believe he said it cut it in half over 32'. We pull a 31' TT and that number is about right. Few problems in independent campgrounds, like KOA. Some of the state parks in Alabama, Georgie, and Arkansas we had to ask for different sites. No way my trailer was going to fit w/o hitting trees.
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Old 08-05-2019, 07:24 PM   #17
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I purchased a 8328bs and love it. 2 awnings outside kitchen. I also got auto level. no time at all to setup
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Old 08-06-2019, 02:38 PM   #18
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I have a Rockwood 8329WS fifth wheel. I think you will find Rockwood quality to be good. This is our second Rockwood. Nice floorplan. My only question with the Denali, is have you looked at fifth wheels ? Moving from a trailer to a fifth wheel, I find they tow more easily and hook up more easily. Also reduced tow length, but you do lose use of the bed as storage. Other than that comment, I think you will be very happy with the 8389SS Nice floorplan. If Walmart or rest stop camping ( we don't in ours) you will need to bump a slide to get at the fridge, but bathroom and bed should be usable with slides in. (Always check the layout with all slides in). We have slides on both sides, and in some older campgrounds, cannot extend the second awning (mounted on a slide) , although no problems running out all slides. Great choice, I think you will love it !
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Old 08-06-2019, 11:26 PM   #19
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We have this model and it’s a 2016. I would agree with everything that has been stated and we really enjoy it and it’s very comfortable for us. The only issue we are having is the roof. Where the rubber or TPO wraps over the edge it is cracking all the way around the unit. This is probably not specific to this model but is concerning. I am not the original owner but purchased it about 9 months after the original owner and you couldn’t tell it had been used. Since purchasing it I keep it stored at my shop under roof when not being used so it’s not exposed to the elements. Being the second owner i suspect Forrest River would not help with the repairs.
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Old 08-06-2019, 11:29 PM   #20
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Being the second owner i suspect Forrest River would not help with the repairs.
Most likely, since the factory warranty is only for original owner.
If the previous owner had a 3rd party extended warranty, that might be transferable.
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