New rockwood A122 is home...Any questions?

[hardsider]

Just picked up my new A122 today from Tom Raper RV in Richmond, IN. The unit had a couple problems on the walk through. First, one of the wall clamps (to clamp wall up to roof) was not installed correctly. The opening in the roof was scratched and bent slightly so it is obvious the problem was there at the factory. The mechanic drilled a new hole in the metal handle so that I could clamp the wall up. Still it requires I push pressure outward the wall slightly to get the handle into engage the opening properly. I also must lift the roof slightly to allow the metal clamp to clear the roof while unclamping. It works but... They said they will get a new part (handle) but I am not convinced that the installation hole for the handle is not misplaced as I assume the clamp handle is a mass produced part? Time will tell.

The other problem was a trailer tail light that didn't work. We removed the light and found an un-connected black lead for the tail light. That was an easy fix except that the tech broke the lens while taking it off and had to rob a new one from a showroom model to fix mine.

The thing tows really easy behind my 2006 Toyota Tundra V8...hardly can tell it's there except on a steep grade.

A few nice features I didn't expect (I didn't see an actual A122 until delivery today, only a A126 on showroom floor) were 1) the pull out tray in the storage compartment, 2)the heated mattress, 3)the stereo and inside/outside speakers was better than I expected, and 4)the thermostat that controls the a/c, heat pump and furnace form a single control is nice. All in all I am pretty pleased with the quality compared to a Cikira Classic Cruiser trailer I had a few years ago. The neighbors who have watched me unfold the unit are so impressed they keep bring more people and asking me to do it again. Once I figured out the "door dance" it really is a 30 second process!

One question to those who have actually camped in the FR Hardside trailers like mine. The tech cautioned against camping with the wind blowing from the rear side of the trailer as he said the wind can drive rain up into the roof apex and leak. Is this a common experience? Do I need to figure out some kind of "condom" for the peak of my roof to keep this from happening? Any experience is appreciated as we plan a 3 week trip out west on less than a month. We need to shorten the learning curve if you can help.

Thanks

[toleworks]

Congrats, Hardsider, on your new A122. I think every new trailer will have a couple of problems, we just hope they are not serious enough to negatively impact our camping experience. The first trailer I looked at was an Aliner which had alot of problems that I blame on the number of people that had gone into the unit and lack of concern by the dealer. One problem I noticed was a latch that was left loose because it didn't line up correctly with the roof slot. I bought my A122 right off the truck from a different dealer so I didn't have many problems. However, one of my latches is a tight fit and requires a slight push outward on the wall to get it latched. This is getting easier over time.

The Aliner blogs all talk about high wind kits that they put on their units. I will hold off until i get more experience with my Rockwood. I can see how setting up the unit in high winds could be a problem with the front roof panel acting like a sail. But i have not beenin that situation yet. I think for the roof to leak the wind and rain would have to be pretty bad, so i'm not going to worry about it till it happens.

So far all is well with our unit. I've had Aliner people visit our site and all have been impressed with the overall quality, and value, of the A122. I did purchase a Bal-leveler and it sure makes leveling the unit a lot easier.

We stow 2 chairs, 32" LCD TV, DVD player, and a couple of shelves (1 for Tv, 1 that fits above the sink) right on the dinette mattress. We put the TV on a shelf on top of the microwave cabinet. We stow a folding 5' table on the other bed.

We use the shower as a dish washing station (hot and cold water).

[hardsider]

Thanks for your feedback. I appreciate being able to ask questions of those who have already been there before me so I don't have to reinvent the wheel. I am intrigued by the shelf you are describing as well as anything else to gain storage space in this little guy. Can you describe it more or perhaps post a picture? I have a cap on my Tundra so I was planning on using that area to store the majority of whatever won't fit in the camper.

I did purchase an awning canopy ( 10'x10' from ShelterLogic $99) that I saw in a photo album here belonging to earthgirl. It has a peak roof and just looks too cool in front of the A122 she has.


I have used the pop-up canopies by EZ-up and they just don't hold if in much wind. This is sturdy with 1-3/8" steel pipe. It takes a little longer to assemble but if properly staked down it can handle considerable wind.

Where do you store clothing?

What kind of TV antenna solution do you or others use with your TV if there is no cable available?

Has anyone fashioned some kind of drain pipe for the sink external port to catch the runoff in a bucket or something?

Finally, I bought a Porta-Privy (outhouse-like tent) to use for showers (using outside showers) and as a home for the porta potty in the daytime. If you haven't seen one it's worth watching the videos just to see it open and close in seconds. Any Hardside owner would have to love the same instant "opening" gratification that makes us love our campers. See more about it at Outback Porta-Privy

Deployment and folding videos at: http://www.hotcampshowers.com/porta_privy_setup

Thanks again for sharing your experiences with a newbie.

[Terier]

I like the canopy with the peak roof - looks so nice with the shape of the trailer.

Hey guys - would love to see more pictures of your trailers!

[toleworks]

So far we only use the TV to watch DVDs so we don't bother with the antenna connection. I also discovered that (for longer trips) I can take along my Dish network receiver and have dozens of movies and TV shows available. The DVD player and reciever stack on top of the microwave cabinet. I built an upside down "U" shaped shelf that fits over the two units and the TV sits on top of that. The shelf elevates the TV 10" or so for easier viewing. We use both beds so we don't have to crawl over each other in the middle of the night.

Clothes storage is a problem. We tow with an SUV so we keep our clothes seperated in two clear plastic bins which stay in the rear of the vehicle. We only bring in the clothes we'll be wearing the next day.

I connected the sink drain to a 4-5 foot piece of garden hose which goes into a collapsible 5 gal container which i can easily dump.

We have a foldable screen room that we put up over the picnic table that provides protection from the bugs and sun. The awning looks good but i don't have room for both and in Florida you need bug protection.

Two other ideas that work for us. We found that suction cup items used in tile showers attach securely to the smooth outside walls of the trailer. We use one type to hang a hand towel near our food prep area and another near the dish washing area. These come off easily when packing out and don't leave marks on the wall. We also attached a paper towel holder beneath the outdoor BBQ shelf. Very convenient.

[hardsider]

Thanks. Lots of great ideas I can use. Another good point on the bugs and screen room. I'm hoping to find a screen wall kit for my awning shelter. What type of foldable screen room are you using?