Just received our 8299BS... fastest delivery ever!

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by itat

Thanks, 5picker. The brochure UVW is 9505# so not far off. Should be no problem for my F-250 gasser.

Remember...dry weight doesn't mean squat!

[itat]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

Remember...dry weight doesn't mean squat!

While the sticker weight (weighed at the factory) means more than the brochure UVW, you're absolutely right that its not the true loaded weight you'll see. Based on the 2 Rockwoods I've owned, I use that white sticker weight plus 1,000# to approximate the loaded weight for what we load in the trailer.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by itat

Thanks, 5picker. The brochure UVW is 9505# so not far off. Should be no problem for my F-250 gasser.

I have no issues whatsoever with my 2017 F-250 6.2L.

Heck, for the first year, I towed it with my 2010 F-150 5.4L and never experienced a white knuckle issue. For short weekend trips, I may have not ever traded trucks but knowing we are going to be traveling more as we have both reached the early 'retirement' age, the 150 wasn't quite enough.

[itat]

Originally Posted by 5picker

I have no issues whatsoever with my 2017 F-250 6.2L.

Heck, for the first year, I towed it with my 2010 F-150 5.4L and never experienced a white knuckle issue. For short weekend trips, I may have not ever traded trucks but knowing we are going to be traveling more as we have both reached the early 'retirement' age, the 150 wasn't quite enough.

They went to the aluminum bed in 2017 so yours may have about 400# of extra payload all other things being equal. Still, it wouldn't be a problem for my 2016. If we can only convince them to switch to the 30x60 shower bathroom layout in that floorplan!

[ThruHiker]

Originally Posted by 5picker

First, congrats ThruHiker on a super choice.
We have the Flagstaff sister 8529IKBS. We have really enjoyed ours.

You'll be glad you got the Lippert pin box if you are looking to possibly change it out. The Revolution mounts in a way that is proprietary to the framework mounting and is not interchangeable with other pin boxes. Everything I've read about the Lippert suggests it can be interchanged. I hope so.

We hope you enjoy yours as much as we have. Ours has been pretty much trouble free except for the Castle Rock tires.

Unfortunately, as much as the rest of the 5th wheel suits us to a tee... like itat... neither myself or the DW have ever gotten comfortable with the small radiused shower. We both thought we'd grow fond of it but we have not. So much so, we have begun our search for something else.

Enjoy! It's going to be really tough waiting for better weather.

Thanks! We looked at a lot, and like the floorplan (well, that is why we all buy whatever it is we buy) but especially the windows. A lot of campgrounds, not much to see but the guy next to you, but still... we like the light and the open feel from the windows at the rear end.

Thanks for the comment on the pinbox. I have noticed that the Lippert has different mounts and that implies you can change things. Did not know that the Reeves didn't, although I would have thought that they interchanged with themselves. However, at over $1000 for a new pinbox, I am going to hold off for a while. Maybe indefinitely. This model is not all that heavy, as you know, so maybe the solid pinbox (no air, that is) is fine.

Now, wait... the tires?? I have been reading about those issues, did you have any on yours? I posted a pic of what we got below; I have not researched them yet but I assumed they are from China. Same as yours, it looks like. Did you have a problem with yours? I figured that I would get a season out of them and maybe change out next fall.

I am glad to hear that you have had no issues. I did not get to check mechanical or water; too cold and we will do that when we pick it up. But the interior was very clean, everything seemed square, and when I grabbed all the cabinets, etc, it was all solid.

Oh, I would like to change out the faucet assembly in the shower. Anybody have any idea if that is possible?

Originally Posted by JohnD10

Make sure you really read the fine print on the extended warranty before you buy it.

Most are not worth the paper they are written on!

You might be better served to open a savings account and put some money in there to cover any issues.

A lot of extended warranties require specific yearly maintenance that is expensive and often isn't really needed that offsets any savings that might be had by using said warranty.

I got ripped of bad by one sold to me by the dealership for my previous TT and will NEVER EVER buy another one.

Yeah, I bought one for a Chevy Blazer around '88 or '89 and had the same kind of experience. Last one I ever bought. LOL. But, like I said, wife is agonizing over it. I would just as soon skip it; I can fix a lot, and the big stuff... well, we had our old TT for 14 years, and only had to pay to replace the fridge. After 10 or 11 years! The rest of any work it needed, I did. Well, except for wheel bearings around 8 years, but I would probably do that myself now. I have a lot more tools than I did then.

Originally Posted by itat

I asked not because I’m concerned about the rating but because I’m curious what the actual, unloaded weight of the 8299BS is.

Ah. Pic of the sticker attached. It is not a very heavy trailer, which has good and bad points, but there it is.

[5picker]

Originally Posted by ThruHiker

Thanks! We looked at a lot, and like the floorplan (well, that is why we all buy whatever it is we buy) but especially the windows. A lot of campgrounds, not much to see but the guy next to you, but still... we like the light and the open feel from the windows at the rear end.

Thanks for the comment on the pinbox. I have noticed that the Lippert has different mounts and that implies you can change things. Did not know that the Reeves didn't, although I would have thought that they interchanged with themselves. However, at over $1000 for a new pinbox, I am going to hold off for a while. Maybe indefinitely. This model is not all that heavy, as you know, so maybe the solid pinbox (no air, that is) is fine.

Now, wait... the tires?? I have been reading about those issues, did you have any on yours? I posted a pic of what we got below; I have not researched them yet but I assumed they are from China. Same as yours, it looks like. Did you have a problem with yours? I figured that I would get a season out of them and maybe change out next fall.

I am glad to hear that you have had no issues. I did not get to check mechanical or water; too cold and we will do that when we pick it up. But the interior was very clean, everything seemed square, and when I grabbed all the cabinets, etc, it was all solid.

Oh, I would like to change out the faucet assembly in the shower. Anybody have any idea if that is possible?

Issues with Castle Rock tires have been well documented here.
I started what I believe was the first Castle Rock tire post a couple years ago.

Yes, I had issues with mine and had to replace them. I got about 6000 miles and almost a year on them before three of the four failed with separated belts. Lucky for me I caught it before a trip so no damage was done to the underside of the 5th wheel like many have reported. Forest River reimbursed me to my satisfaction for the replacements. I chose American made Goodyear Endurance tires.

None the less, there are literally days worth of reading on on this forum (and other forums) on what has been dubbed the 'China Bomb' tire issue. That pertains to tires made in China (which the Castle Rocks are) that (for the lack of a better moniker) explode in use. Many claim they've had no issues but hundreds of others have reported issues. I'll let you read up and make your own decisions.

In fairness, my 5th wheel came with load range D tires and I see yours has load range E. That load range is what I went with in the Goodyear. Maybe with all the past issues, FR decided a higher load range would be a smarter choice.

It is interesting to see they are installing the Showermiser water saver feature on the shower faucet. Its design is to 'save' the water from the hot water plumbing, back to the fresh tank until the water gets hot. Then you turn the valve and no water was wasted down the drain and hence the warning about the fresh tank possibly filling. It will only possibly fill the fresh tank if you employ the feature. This set-up is highly sought after by folks who boondock (no hook-ups) as water conservation is paramount.

The reason I find it interesting is that the water heater on this particular model is pretty much right under the shower. Because of the close proximity between the two, you only draw about a cupful of water from the shower before you have hot water. On the other hand, the sink faucet in the kitchen island is 10 feet away. That would have been a considerably more logical location.

[paverdave]

Hey Thruhiker, welcome to the party....We have a 2018 8299bs and been a good trailer and alot of fun...A few things to look out for....
1-Don't use the bearing buddys..
2-Be careful of the wind catching the entry door and blowing it open all the way against the heater vent..Put a frisbee dimple in door. pic att.
3- Put those furniture pads under the theater chairs in the back of rv...then wont scratch the floor when moving around.....Stay safe.....

[ThruHiker]

Originally Posted by 5picker

Issues with Castle Rock tires have been well documented here.
I started what I believe was the first Castle Rock tire post a couple years ago.

...

In fairness, my 5th wheel came with load range D tires and I see yours has load range E. That load range is what I went with in the Goodyear. Maybe with all the past issues, FR decided a higher load range would be a smarter choice.

It is interesting to see they are installing the Showermiser water saver feature on the shower faucet. Its design is to 'save' the water from the hot water plumbing, back to the fresh tank until the water gets hot. Then you turn the valve and no water was wasted down the drain and hence the warning about the fresh tank possibly filling. It will only possibly fill the fresh tank if you employ the feature. This set-up is highly sought after by folks who boondock (no hook-ups) as water conservation is paramount.

Thanks for the info! Been a busy few days, took a while to get back to the thread. I will look up your tire posts; I have been reading about CB's on various posts. Great... I did not really want to buy four new tires right away. I would also go with Goodyears. Have you, or anybody, tried monitoring the tires with an IR gun at stops? I am going to try that, although IDK if the gun will be sensitive enough, and if a failing tire would differ enough in temperature to pick up on. There are also the TPMS out there, but it seems easier to just use a tire gauge when stopping. We are planning to travel a lot, a little at a time, though. Should not have to do so much of the 8-hour there, two days on site, 8 hours home.

OK... that is what that is for the shower faucet. I did not know that was a return system. We are not planning to boondock much, if at all, so I'm still musing about replacing the all-plastic $9.95 shower valves with something a little sturdier. At a minimum, a metal hose and better shower head. At most, whole faucet changeout if that is possible without too much hacking up the shower surround and piping.

Originally Posted by paverdave

Hey Thruhiker, welcome to the party....We have a 2018 8299bs and been a good trailer and alot of fun...A few things to look out for....
1-Don't use the bearing buddys..
2-Be careful of the wind catching the entry door and blowing it open all the way against the heater vent..Put a frisbee dimple in door. pic att.
3- Put those furniture pads under the theater chairs in the back of rv...then wont scratch the floor when moving around.....Stay safe.....

Thanks! We are really looking forward to using it next year. We had a TT for over ten years, been planning the 5er for a while.

So... I am guessing that the Bearing Buddies you did aftermarket? Or do they actually supply them under the plastic caps? Looks like they let a little too much grease through! I have to confess, on our old TT - which we did the typical weekend use, 6-7 times a season, maybe a longer week trip in there - I never thought about the wheel bearings. Had to have them replaced after about 7 years, lucky there because I didn't maintain them at all. Be a little different on this one, I've learned a little. Maybe!

Thanks for the tip on the door and furniture pads. Hm. Any way to put a bungee or door damper arm on the door? Probably nothing for a damper to attach to on the camper side? I'll put it on the list of things to look at next spring when we pick up the 5er. Would not have thought about the floor until it was too late, thanks for that.

Dave, does yours have the square-sided sinks in the island? Not sure if they changed that from '18 to '19. My wife is not happy about that; they (the sinks) are ugly and are going to be hard to clean. Another idea in the back of my head is whether or not we can do better sink(s) at some point, but frankly we will live with the camper as-is for a while first.

[5picker]

Yes get a TPMS. I got the TST 507 shortly after we got our 8529IKBS. You'll find you dont need that tire pressure gauge as much as you think. A quick glance at the tire pressures on the monitor will tell you everything in about 15 seconds. None of that stopped my tires from going bad though.

I use an infrared temp gauge to periodically check hub temps but more often than not, just the back of my hand.

One correction on another post... the trailer doesn't come equipped with 'bearing buddies.' The Dexter axles do come equipped with E-Z Lube spindles. Kinda the same but yet different. Visit Dexter's web site for details. Many here will tell you not to use them, many say they work fine. You'll need to draw your own conclusions.

Best if luck with your new rig!

[ThruHiker]

Wish I could get the trailer tires to interface to the truck, but not happening any time soon. We're getting a new F350 for the 5er; it has the capability, if you buy a raft of stuff from Ford. If I do a TPMS at all, it will be aftermarket I think; I'll check out the TST.

Thanks for the good wishes! I'm sure we'll do fine, we are looking forward to it. Biggest issue is going to be traveling with two dogs and two cats... that will be a first. Used to travel with one dog all the time back in the day, rarely with a dog and cat. Now... twice as many, I figure it will be FOUR times the problems!

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by ThruHiker

Biggest issue is going to be traveling with two dogs and two cats... that will be a first. Used to travel with one dog all the time back in the day, rarely with a dog and cat. Now... twice as many, I figure it will be FOUR times the problems!

Been RV'ing with cats for years...most recently four Mainecoones!

250 miles or maybe three hours tops and they have to pee...or else!

And you'll need one of those small Bissell pet carpet shampooers (notice the missing dinette cushion?).

[Ejs4029]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

Been RV'ing with cats for years...most recently four Mainecoones!

250 miles or maybe three hours tops and they have to pee...or else!

And you'll need one of those small Bissell pet carpet shampooers (notice the missing dinette cushion?).

Hi John, Do the cats ride in your TV when you are travelling ?

[itat]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

Been RV'ing with cats for years...most recently four Mainecoones!

250 miles or maybe three hours tops and they have to pee...or else!

And you'll need one of those small Bissell pet carpet shampooers (notice the missing dinette cushion?).

That picture reminds me of the Star Trek episode "Trouble With Tribbles"!

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by Ejs4029

Hi John, Do the cats ride in your TV when you are travelling ?

Yes...in pet carriers in the back seat of the truck.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by itat

That picture reminds me of the Star Trek episode "Trouble With Tribbles"!

Funny stuff!

🤣

[ThruHiker]

Wow. That is a LOT of cat!

Our two are just DSH-cats (Domestic Short Hairs). They are small and medium sized. I was wondering, too, how yours traveled. My wife has ordered a couple of soft-side collapsible-type cat carriers. We are thinking the cats on the floor in the back of the crew cab, the dogs on the seats. Dogs are Shelties - Shetland Sheep dogs. They are medium-sized. So, in theory this works, but I am kind of dreading the practice part.

John, do your cats yowl when traveling? Or did they at first then settle? One of ours tends to do that; I am really hoping he gets used to being in the truck. Did you ever try leaving them in the camper? If the weather is not too extreme, I am thinking about putting them in the pet carriers but leaving those in the camper. We would still be stopping every few hours at most to let them out... and I can imagine getting them back in again, LOL. But I am not sure about the circus in back of the truck with two cats, two dogs.

Finally, where do you keep their litter box? Our 5er has the Rockwood hole already cut under the bathroom sink, so adding a ramp there would be easy. Could also cut a hole under the stairs, maybe - more stuff in that area. Or might be able to put an access someplace else. In any case, I am envisioning the litterbox in the basement. Not sure about food; for that, has to be someplace the dogs can't get it. Unfortunately, this time the dinette is chairs not benches because your solution there is perfect for feeding them.

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by ThruHiker

Wow. That is a LOT of cat!

John, do your cats yowl when traveling? Or did they at first then settle? One of ours tends to do that; I am really hoping he gets used to being in the truck. Did you ever try leaving them in the camper? If the weather is not too extreme, I am thinking about putting them in the pet carriers but leaving those in the camper. We would still be stopping every few hours at most to let them out... and I can imagine getting them back in again, LOL. But I am not sure about the circus in back of the truck with two cats, two dogs.

Rounding them up for the load out is the fun part!

That is a whole post in itself!

That being said...I put them in the carriers inside the trailer.

Get one larger hard sided carrier...the cats will try and claw their way out of the soft-sided ones.

I have two carriers and put two cats in each, although now that one of them has gone to kitty kat heaven, one will be traveling alone.

One of them likes to meow for a few minutes, then once they get comfortable he stops.

Although...when they have to pee...you'll get what I call 'The Kitty Choir'!

Finally, where do you keep their litter box? Our 5er has the Rockwood hole already cut under the bathroom sink, so adding a ramp there would be easy. Could also cut a hole under the stairs, maybe - more stuff in that area. Or might be able to put an access someplace else. In any case, I am envisioning the litterbox in the basement. Not sure about food; for that, has to be someplace the dogs can't get it. Unfortunately, this time the dinette is chairs not benches because your solution there is perfect for feeding them.

As for the litter pan, I removed the couch from the back wall of my 5'ver and put the litter pan there.

With three large mountain lions...it has to be big!

I thought about doing the pan under the bed...but that would be a big PITA to clean and change...especially with my three monsters!

As for letting them travel in the trailer...tried it for one leg of a trip...bad idea!

Cost me a $200 gel foam mattress pad after one of them freaked out and peed right in the middle of the bed while underway.

Guess that was their way of telling me not to do that again!

(The desk is now gone)

[billnelson]

Originally Posted by ThruHiker

Hi all. About a month ago, we ordered a 2019 Rockwood 8299BS. We then forgot about it, figuring that we'd hear from the dealer in Feb. Maybe late Jan. Maybe March... who knew? Didn't care. Up here in NH, camping is not much on our minds right now.

Then, a week ago, we got a call from our dealer telling us that the trailer was there and that it was beautiful! Wow... holy camping cats and dogs, Batman!! They were right on both counts. We couldn't believe how fast it showed up, and it is beautiful!

We don't even have the TV yet; we are working on ordering an F350 sometime in the next couple of weeks, when we can come to an understanding with a dealer on price. That will probably not show up three weeks later.

Some pics below...

Some differences in the 2019s and the 2018s that we saw to order from. Most are cosmetic. Interior maple cabinets are very nice, but are a darker finish than last year. We liked the lighter finish, of course. They changed the style of the fold out couch/bed some, too... notice the straight lines whereas last year's were rounded. (Jacket not an option, I have a pic without it but that one wouldn't upload correctly LOL.)

We ordered with a king bed, which pretty much fills up the space but we expected that. That's OK, we'd rather have the room for sleeping. Cats and dogs will like it better too, although they only get it when we're not using it. Mostly. FWIW, it turns out with the king bed you can only open those two drawers underneath the closet hatches about halfway. No biggie, clothes are flexible.

Some other changes, less cosmetic, are visible in the pinbox and the rear cargo carrier. When we ordered, we were expecting a Reese Revolution and a large cargo shelf. Well, they changed that for 2019 as you can see. Pinbox is now a Lippert and the rear carrier is about half the size it was. Ouch. I guess having the carrier not fall off from overload is a good thing - but now bulky light stuff is out, too. The pinbox... well, I guess it's the same just different LOL. I had thought about talking to my dealer about swapping the standard Revolution for a Fifth Airborne, and only a little cash, guess that is out now. I may still do that, but I will have to pay for all of it and have an extra pinbox lying around if I do. Anybody using a Fifth Airborne? If so, is it worth it?

Finally, the control panel is pretty even though it is still just switches. Membrane switches and LEDs over them, which is cool looking. Not a touch panel or anything programmable, but it does look good I'll give them that.

Overall, we are pretty excited and happy with the unit. Build quality seems good after reviewing the interior. I did not do anything much with the systems and exterior... the dealer is keeping it for us through the winter, and we will do all that when we pick it up in the spring. Damm. I wasn't planning on getting go-itis until spring... now I want to hit the road tomorrow! Well, there is still the truck to get so that will slow us down some. In the meantime, we have lots of pics and are busy buying all the stuff we will need inside.

We have a 2016 8299BS we bought new. We do have the Reese Revolution hitch but do not have it activated to pivot 22" back. Was way to finiky to hitch up, neede to be deadon straight into it or would not hitch. Had it coverted back to normal. Had a 38' Montana for 8 yrs with the 5th Airborne pin box. Was awesome. Really smoothed out the 2300# weight of the pin. The 8299bs is abt 1750# and is much less aggressive on the bumps. Was considering the Airborne, but not worth the money at this point. Looks like you have the Moyride steps. We have the standard 4-step foling steps. How do you like setting up and storing? We made 2 alterations: removed the wine rack and installed a shelf for paper plates, cups and napkins. Also added 2 additioal shelves in the linen closet in the bathroom. More storage. We love our 8299bs. Hope to enjoy it in Florida for a couple of months. Heading down late in January.
Hope you enjoy yours as much as we enjoy ours.

[Indy500]

Originally Posted by ThruHiker

Thanks for all the views and good thoughts, guys!!




Yup, we have a bunch of stuff in the basket on Amazon for Friday. My wife is all over the interior, she has been buying odds and ends on sale for the last couple months. UPS knows us very well... one of our dogs loves the UPS guy for some reason too. I am sure we will have everything we need... and some things we don't... by spring. Me, I am keeping an eye on the B&W Companion hitch I want at eTrailer, and the bed cover for the F350. Hoping one or both get a discount of anything this week, since they normally never do. I am also putting together the tool kit, have a ton there since I used to have a hobby car and got rid of it this last year.




Yeah, we are deeply bummed about losing half the warranty with it sitting for the winter. We bought it "right now" because we are more worried about the potential for price increases from China for all the stuff that goes into making a camper. Even with show prices in Feb (around here) we decided to place an order and get a price this year. We just never thought it would show up so soon!




LOL. Yeah, it is. Like I said, really nothing much different is just on/off switches, and membranes at that. But yeah it will look nice in the dark!




Funny you should notice that. We were told that the tan is now standard... because everybody wanted it... and we paid EXTRA for a white exterior instead! Go figure. But, we are getting a white truck, and figure that it will look pretty good with that. Here's hoping, anyway.

Do us both a favor, when you go to the dealer ask them what the reset button on the control monitor panel is for. Very nice 5er you have. I have 2018 8288ws and we love it.