5,400 Mile Roo 233S Trip Report

[rootree]

My wife and two teenage girls just completed a 26 day westward bound trip from Texas to California. We logged over 5,400 miles and had an awesome trip.

Stops for the trip included Fort Stockton, Las Cruces, White Sands NP, Saguaro NP, Phoenix, Palm Springs, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Yosemite NP, Sequoia NP, Calico Ghost Town, Grand Canyon NP, Flagstaff, Sedona, Petrified Forest NP, Roswell, Carlsbad Caverns NP, Abilene.

We purchased our Roo 233S in February and completed a number of trips before this long trip. We also completed a number of key mods to the Roo to get it trip ready. These mods include:

Tongue Jack - On the last check out trip, the tongue jack began to fail. Given time, I replaced it with a Barker 3500 VIP. The Barker worked well but is in the way of the front tip out bed. I simply removed the plastic housing (2 screws) and there is plenty of room. In the middle of the trip my tailgate fell into the Barker jack and cracked the power unit. Great customer service from Barker, I simply removed the power unit and manually cranked the jack the rest of the trip - really not a big deal.

Tire Pressure Monitor - I purchased the TST507 Flow Through sensors and added metal valve stems. System worked well and luckily had no tire issues, especially through multiple passes through hot deserts. This was probably one of my biggest fears.

Batteries - We dry camped at the Grand Canyon, so I installed 2 130 min reserve capacity deep cycle batteries connected in parallel. This worked well and we were able to run the fridge and minimal lights for 4 days.

Fridge - Installed both an evaporator fan inside the fridge as well as 2 external condenser fans. Also installed an Accurite wireless thermometer to help track temps in fridge and freezer. Stuck the magnetic display on the vent hood by the door. This was helpful in monitoring high and low temps. The refrigerator could not hold good temps when the ambient temp rose above 95 degrees much less the high of 113 we saw. Not surprising for evaporative cooling though. Otherwise system worked great.

Rear Camera - Since the camper was prewired for the Furrion, I installed the FOS48TA-BL Observation Camera. This was a great addition as it provides visibility in the rear and really functions as a wide angle rear view camera. Highly recommend.

Overall, I consider that the Roo 233S performed flawlessly on this trip. This 3 bunk model was great for our family and never felt cramped. We love the 3 separate beds, glass shower, and large living space. The girls would often go to their respective rooms to read, draw, etc. Also, I love the size of this trailer. I really don't think you can beat the functionality you get for the size of a 25 foot trailer.

We did see 2 other Roos in the Grand Canyon and actually met fellow forum member lablover at the Grand Canyon. Thanks again for the carpet for the steps!

We highly recommend camping at Mather campground in the Grand Canyon. The sites are well spread out and the weather on the rim is pretty nice, getting down to the 60s at night. There is also a lot of wildlife in this highly visited National Park. We had a full grown male elk walk 10 feet from us right at our campsite. He had a huge rack of antlers - so impressive. We also saw and heard coyotes.

My Ford F150 (3.5 Ecoboost, SCREW) also performed well, outside of the tailgate drop. Plenty of room and power. Overall gas mileage average 10.6 miles per gallon.

We have never done such along trip but I think are now spoiled with the convenience of traveling with such amenities in our home on wheels. We will definitely be looking to do another trip perhaps east bound next time.

Thanks to all the helpful members on this forum. Let me know if I can help answer any questions.

[cheeseheadjim]

Wow. Sounds like you had a great trip. Thanks for the detailed post.



2017 Shamrock 23IKSS
2011 Ram 1500

[Lonestar1836]

Awesome trip report. Thanks for the great write up.

Mike

2009 Ford F-250 SD 4x4 Lariat
2017 Roo 233S




Happy Independence Day everyone!!!

[Mainframe]

All I can say is WOW! great post! great trip! Thanks for sharing! I am getting ready for a long trip myself! Enjoy!

[joinco70]

Sounds amazing! I am looking forward to a trip like that some day.

[kennyairport]

great post.

[rsdata]

My Ford F150 (3.5 Ecoboost, SCREW) also performed well, outside of the tailgate drop. Plenty of room and power. Overall gas mileage average 10.6 miles per gallon.

looking to replace my TV... what year, and what else can you tell me about your F-150?

I love my 183, and at 19 feet is enough to keep the wife and I happy!

Thanks for the great write-up

[MiCamper6]

We tow our new 233S with a 2016 F 150 Ecoboost 3.5 SCrew short bed with the 3.55 diff, trailer tow and 36 gallon fuel tank. There is actually more interior room (for 5 passengers) than in our Expedition. Plenty of power and capable of 20 mpg while not towing. An excellent tow vehicle.

[ChateauV10]

Great trip report! (one tiny comment...unless you have a very non-standard fridge in your rig, it's an absorption refrigerator, not an evaporative unit)

[Merlin14]

Great report! Always interested in hearing how trips go and appreciate the equip. info.
We will be moving to full sice tv and newer tt in year or so.

Request: Any chance youmight campground/park experiences or reviews?

Thanks

[rootree]

Originally Posted by rsdata

looking to replace my TV... what year, and what else can you tell me about your F-150?

I love my 183, and at 19 feet is enough to keep the wife and I happy!

Thanks for the great write-up

I have a 2013 F150 SuperCrew 3.5 EcoBoost with the 3.31 Axle ratio. My F150 tows my 233S Roo no issues at all. I am however at my payload capacity.

I think the key is knowing the details of the truck's specifications. Unfortunately the sales people will not always be very helpful so you need to do the research yourself. Reviewing the truck manufacturer towing guides will help. Ford for example has a Towing Guide you can easily find online by searching F150 towing guide - be sure to include your model year. You then need to confirm the specs of the trucks you are considering. There is a sticker on the driver's side door that will detail the truck's specs including the axle ratio and other elements. You can then apply these specs in the towing guide to determine the truck's capabilities.

As has been said on the forum numerous times, the issue with most half ton pickup trucks is not towing capacity but rather payload capacity.

[rootree]

Originally Posted by ChateauV10

Great trip report! (one tiny comment...unless you have a very non-standard fridge in your rig, it's an absorption refrigerator, not an evaporative unit)

You are correct, it is an absorption fridge, my mistake ....

[lablover]

Hey rootree, glad you guys made it home safe. It was good to meet you and share tips. That is what this forum is all about. We loved your mods. NBD about the step covers.