Roo 233s Purchasing Advice

[bradacc]

Just had our 2nd trip in our 2018 233S (https://www.rvwholesalers.com/invent...or-Sale/11609/) which we took delivery of in January. Purchased from RVWholesalers, everything went smoothly.
$29.5k out the door -
$21.3k trailer
$2.0k delivery to So.Cal.
$2.0k add ons (starter kit/cover/hitch/hard wired surge protector/back up camera)
$2.3k 4 year warranty
$1.6k Sales Tax
Remainder on Doc/Title fees.

15 year loan 7.49% rate thru USBank

Best price I got from local dealers was 31k out the door, no add ons, no warranty.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by bradacc

Just had our 2nd trip in our 2018 233S (https://www.rvwholesalers.com/invent...or-Sale/11609/) which we took delivery of in January. Purchased from RVWholesalers, everything went smoothly.
$29.5k out the door -
$21.3k trailer
$2.0k delivery to So.Cal.
$2.0k add ons (starter kit/cover/hitch/hard wired surge protector/back up camera)
$2.3k 4 year warranty
$1.6k Sales Tax
Remainder on Doc/Title fees.

15 year loan 7.49% rate thru USBank

Best price I got from local dealers was 31k out the door, no add ons, no warranty.

Pretty much standard for West Coast dealers.
That's why I drove from California to Chicago and back to get our new Roo 23SS.
I wasn't about to let them rip me off.

[thestrangebrew]

I actually got my 2014 Roo for $24k out the door at our local dealer here in the Central Valley, CA. I think MSRP was around $31k. That was 4 years ago though. And we financed with our CU for 7 yrs at around 5% I think. The DW has those details down.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by thestrangebrew

I actually got my 2014 Roo for $24k out the door at our local dealer here in the Central Valley, CA. I think MSRP was around $31k. That was 4 years ago though. And we financed with our CU for 7 yrs at around 5% I think. The DW has those details down.

Probably was Best RV.
Unfortunately they have a terrible after-the-sale reputation, even though they have the best prices on Rockwood in California. Plus we didn't like their sales tactics.

[thestrangebrew]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Probably was Best RV.
Unfortunately they have a terrible after-the-sale reputation, even though they have the best prices on Rockwood in California. Plus we didn't like their sales tactics.

Actually we first went to Best RV and almost pulled the trigger but I wasn't comfortable with the horror stories I read about them. Ended up going to Toscano in Los Banos and they price matched. Couldn't be happier with their service and they're actually a lot closer!

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by thestrangebrew

Actually we first went to Best RV and almost pulled the trigger but I wasn't comfortable with the horror stories I read about them. Ended up going to Toscano in Los Banos and they price matched. Couldn't be happier with their service and they're actually a lot closer!

Good for you, have never heard Toscano matching Best.

Unfortunately Toscano wasn't carrying Rockwoods back when we were shopping.
In fact, they didn't sell any hybrids.

[thestrangebrew]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Good for you, have never heard Toscano matching Best.

Unfortunately Toscano wasn't carrying Rockwoods back when we were shopping.
In fact, they didn't sell any hybrids.

We definitely got lucky. They only had the 23IKS and the 233s when we were there. They didn't have any other hybrids at the time.

[mitchlandry]

We have a 16' 233s we bought new from Topper. The difference in show price vs. their lot price I found to be zero. Even in negotiations, they would not budge from their advertised price as listed on their website. Ours has the Sapphire package and just about all options with the exception of slide topper which is easily added aftermarket if I really need to.

With that said, it was reasonable compared to what i found online and was only about $1.5K higher than the whole-sellers at the time optioned out the same. It was not worth the hassle of paying shippers + dealing with local dealers on any warranty issues (although, we have had none).

If i recall, we were roughly about $24K OTD and they were able to find a 15 yr loan at around 5%. While i don't like 15 year, it put the payments low enough, the wife couldn't refuse the monthly to get into a camper and i just pay more than min.

In regards to the Houston RV show, we are going as the wife is ready to move up, so we are thinking 5th wheel at this time, but still TBD.

[hack522]

One other thing. Should you buy a Roo at the show, be sure they lock it up to prevent others from going in and possibly damaging it. They failed to do it for me and refused delivery. Got my money back too.

[jandg]

Thanks Mitch, that's some specific information that I was looking for..I have been talking to Desi...since you live nearby and obviously experience those hot humid days in summer I would like to ask some questions:

Is the inside temp. ok during the summer days assuming I add the Pugs/Reflectix and have a 15K btu Ac?

I do not have any cover for an RV at the time. Should I be concerned with all the rain we get here in East Texas and possible leaking bunk ends? I don't know how practical or effective a cover would be. Ive read any cover needs to be breathable but am concerned about possible mildew or mold in high humid conditions.

I have seen some make the aluminum drip edges above the bunk ends...this may help? Toppers apparently will install them from what I have been told.

[mitchlandry]

Originally Posted by jandg

Is the inside temp. ok during the summer days assuming I add the Pugs/Reflectix and have a 15K btu Ac?

I do not have any cover for an RV at the time. Should I be concerned with all the rain we get here in East Texas and possible leaking bunk ends? I don't know how practical or effective a cover would be. Ive read any cover needs to be breathable but am concerned about possible mildew or mold in high humid conditions.

I have seen some make the aluminum drip edges above the bunk ends...this may help? Toppers apparently will install them from what I have been told.

The inside is not too bad but it definitely struggles to keep up. We stayed out at Inks for the 4th of July last year and the temp reached 95 or so. We have the 15K, reflectix and pugs and the inside was definitely cooler than outside, but i would not say it was cold. I would put the AC on 75 and it stayed running most if not all the day during peak heat (2-5), but worked fine in the evenings and AM. Also, closing the bunk end curtains during the day helps as well to cool things off.
Camping in full 105 degree will be interesting when that time comes around, but we have not been in those conditions yet.

The coldest we have been in was last month out at Glen Rose and temps where in the teens overnight. While the trailer was fine, the hose spigot was frozen every morning and we didn't have running water until about 10AM when the sun thawed it out. The bunks where warm with the reflectix/pugs, but we also had the mattress heaters on full blast as well as the furnace.

I will say this, the heating and cooling for the rear bunk flat out sucks. I have seen some mods to vent the AC back there, but i have not pursued any as we rarely use. For heat, get an extra blanket.

Another complaint we have is the heater vents, there are only 2 and one is by the door and one is under the shower. While the one the bathroom works great when you shower, the front one doesn't seem enough on really cold nights so we leave the bathroom door open. This is not really an issue in the 40 degree weather, just something we noticed on the really cold trips.

Just a note, if you do get pugs, get the high wind. It's not much more and the fronts here move in quickly. We have been on Galveston beach, nice and calm, then bam, 40 mph gusts whipping stuff around.

In regards to storage, I don't have a cover, but we do keep ours in covered storage (not enclosed) so I can't comment on leakage. I can tell you that when traveling and going into a full downpour (the kind where you can barely see in front of you) we did have some leakage on the front bunk. While it dried out fairly quickly once the bunks were setup, i would guess you could have some leakage just sitting unprotected, but I'm not certain on this. It could have just been from the wind forcing the rain in as we were traveling highways.

I do know this, Toppers does not leave the bunks closed, they leave them open, rain, sleet or shine as they are available for viewing 6 days a week. Guessing it would be a pain to do every day opening and closing of the store. I questioned this when we were at their location and they just leave open and we didn't see any signs of mildew on the ones we looked at.

[mitchlandry]

Jandg, thoughts from RV show?

[jandg]

Unfortunately I was unable to go...had a year and half old child sick with croupe....I will be down in Houston in mid March to attend a wedding and will definitely stop by Toppers RV. I may even rent one on Galveston Island if available to really get 1st hand experience with the unit. Toppers was not coming off there price much as you or someone had already mentioned.

I personally think I will love the unit just a little gun shy about water leaks if I don't have it covered. Toppers RV mentioned they would be willing to install the fabricated aluminum tubing above the bunk ends for a couple hundred dollars...I have seen some Roo owners have done this for added peace of mind. Any thoughts on this???

There is a remote chance of making the Dallas RV Show next week.

[mitchlandry]

The aluminum channels over the bunks wouldn't hurt, basically act like little gutters to move water to sides of bunk ends.

[Velosprout]

I would suggest finding a dealer and then ordering the specific model built and delivered just to your specs. I ordered the slide topper, night shades, aluminum wheels, cherry wood, stainless steel appliance package, "Churchhill" fabrics, the extra fantastic fan vent cover, power jack, heated tanks. Forest River corporate was great about sending us sample fabric swatches so we could decide which to order. It might take a bit longer, but you will have a camper that has not set outside overwinter in a dealer's lot, and has not been toured by thousands of people at an RV show. My dealership had a few sites with hookups so we could spend a night at the dealership when we did our pickup. That way we discovered a few small things that were needing repair or adjustment over night and were repaired the next morning before we left the dealership for the first time. (Unfortunately our dealership has since been purchased by Camping World).
We built a RV pole building storage garage with 14 foot sidewalls, a 12' high roll-up door 18' wide, that will protect our Roo and a small Bass Boat year-around at our home. (30 long by 22' wide) I just wish I had built the shed before I got the Roo. It was stored in rented storage for the first three years but was in our driveway exposed to the sun in summers. Now it is fully protected winter and summer except for when in use.