Opinion on options needed

[SkipBest]

We are looking at ordering a new Rockwood Minin Lite 2503S. We need you opinions on several options we are thinking about. What are your thoughts on:
Thermo pane windows
Rear ladder
Slide topper

We will order:
Power tongue jack
Power awning
Aluminum wheels
Wood look floor

Anything else we should be adding?

Thanks for you opinions, they mean a lot!

Skip and Nancy

[TURBS]

Add the ladder !
More often then not you cannot add it later.

[Kaadk]

I love having the rear ladder on mine. But then again I'm acrophobic so having an attached ladder is the only way I'd get on the roof. If I had to lean an extension ladder on the trailer I'd have never made it up there.

Slide toppers are a bit of a hot topic. Some love em, some don't. It'll be whatever you decide. In my case, I don't have them, but with the rear ladder, it's easy for me to get up there and sweep it off when I'm closing up.

[Dave Lyon]

Slide topper for sure.

[Mountndream]

I wish I had a ladder on mine.

I would def add the Slide topper. its alot cheaper ordering it from the factory and it gives you extra protection from weather and Forest Debris.

[CampingGator]

Thermopane windows will help if you camp in temperature extremes, which you probably will do in PA. Ladder and slide toppers are other good options. I'd go for all three.

[SkipBest]

Thanks for the insights into options. Your suggestions are important to us. We will be traveling rather than staying long term in one spot. I think the rear ladder and slide topper are going to help during short stops. We are thinking that the thermo pane windows may help keep the inside more quiet as well as helping with swings in tempeture. Any problems with these windows?
Keep the opinions coming and thanks!

[ependydad]

I'd get the 3 that you asked for. The thermopane window will help regulate heat and cold. The slide toppers are save time and effort. And the rear ladder is needed for maintenance.

I'd also look at adding some kind of triangulation stabilizers (the SteadyFast stabilizers are my current choice) though they could very well be overkill on your camper.

[Ford Idaho]

Get the ladder and the slide covers, I am unsure if the windows will do much so no comment other than they may help with resale as the slide covers will.

[ChrisPlus3]

We got the cherry cabinet option which looks really good with the wood look floors. Also consider the raised panel fridge. I like the ladder and slide topper option as well, wish it was an available option when we purchased our 2504s

[SkipBest]

Thanks for all of the suggestions... now I am getting worried. After reading the Forum for a few months I fear that we are headed toward buying a unit that will have problems. I hope I am wrong?

After spending thousands on a new TT I hope to find that it was put together well, am I expecting too much? I hope many owners find that their TTs are good and not a big bag of problems?

Maybe many people post their troubles and not their good stories in the Forum... I hope so. let me know if your TT turned out to be a good investment, I need some good news.
Thanks!

[CampingGator]

I think for every one complaint you have X umber of satisfied customers. We just are more likely to complain than write about experiences that meet our expectations. While doing our research for a travel trailer I joined jAyco and Keystone forums and experienced the same on those sites.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by SkipBest

Maybe many people post their troubles and not their good stories in the Forum...
Thanks!

as someone who has been on various RV forms for 10 years, this is the real truth about them.

[racerx]

Some may disagree, but I would never own another rv without a fireplace. We love ours. The big thing about purchasing a new RV is to purchase from a good dealership. One that you know will take good care of you. I had several problems with my new fifth, however my dealership and Forest River took good care of everything. The dealership even worked the repairs around my very frequent uses. Now that we have gone through the initial repairs ( 3 years now), we are very "happy campers".

[itat]

Thermo pane windows - If you camp in the winter where it snows or the summer where oranges grow, they might be worth it.

Rear ladder - As Turbs said you can't add it afterwards. A local dealer told me he doesn't recommend them because kids like to climb them when you're not around. I haven't heard that problem here on the forum but there may be some truth to it. It's definitely more convenient than leaning an extension ladder against the trailer.

Slide topper - absolutely, on every slide.

Wood look floor - same dealer said they tend to show the dirt more than the tile look. I don't know if that's true but personally I prefer the tile look.

[Oaklevel]

Our current trailer is a Puma Unleashed we have the Wood floor "look" & love it. Would get it again. It does not show the dirt any different than any other flooring that we have had. Do like the Cherry Cabinets & Raised Panel Frig door. Does make it a little darker inside.

Agree with the other opinions .....we could not get the ladder (it was available & would have been nice) But our gate is too narrow & close to the road (have to go through at an angle) Being we have a TH the ladder is on the side instead of the rear. It would be gone by now.

[Shinny]

My two cents:

Get the ladder. It may not be able to be added later. I did not get the slide toppers, but wish I had. I hate climbing the ladder (see what I did there )and sweeping the leaves, pine needles etc off my slides before packing up to come home. I can't say anything about the windows because I have no experience with them.

I love my camper and have not had any problems with it. I too read the horror stories and was scared when I ordered mine. Just do a detailed PDI and go from there. That's all I did. I hope it helps.

[geotex1]

Slide toppers, IMO, are a must! Also best from the factory as they actually do a better install because they know exactly where the frame members are and do more of them than any dealer. Ever see wrinkled fabric on a topper? See one end taunt and the other sagged? Both? Well, that is the indicator of a dealer-installed topper. Seems all techs don't bother to read the instructions and hang the mounting channel with a body line, usually the roof, instead of a line parallel to the top of a slide.

Thermopane windows, are not a must IMO based on our camping habits. If we're talking a couple hundred bucks, I'd do them. I was shopping another brand last year and to go thermopane was a $1300 add-on for 53 sq ft of glass! No I would go with automotive style, "frameless" windows if an option.

Ladder, IMO, not needed if you've got step ladders at home. If you have slide toppers, you've no need to be on the roof regularly. How often will you be be on the roof otherwise while traveling really? Something goes awry, and you can DIY, I've yet to be in a campground where a fellow camper doesn't have a ladder they're happy to loan! We also cover our camper for the winter and I personally don't like dealing with ladders where an RV cover is concerned. I have other reasons for forming my opinion for skipping the ladder too, but you were just looking for opinions to tally it seems.

Happy camping!

[edgewant]

I like your choices for options but if it were me I'd add the heated holding tanks. Our 2011 Rockwood 8293RKSS came with them and on early November trips they got used.

We didn't have any problems with our Rockwood. DW still misses the outside kitchen.