New Rockwood 2109s Owners - Our First Week on the Road

[Harris85]

Congratulations on your new RV! Enjoy!

[EmersonTT]

friendofacatahoula, when you said you could see the tank bowing, did you mean the support struts, or the tank itself (or both)? My 2109s tank is bowed between the support struts, but the struts themselves are arrow-straight and appear to be holding very solid, even when I travel with a full tank-- which is not often or for very long, just whenever we boondock, and then only from the closest water point to the campground.

[Markval]

We are picking up our new 2109S in a couple days and are excited. Bringing it home load it up and take it for a short shake down trip right away. I'm bummed out that they quit installing the front window fiberglass cover in the later model 2017's. Added protection and an awing of sorts.

[wkn4lo]

Originally Posted by Markval

We are picking up our new 2109S in a couple days and are excited. Bringing it home load it up and take it for a short shake down trip right away. I'm bummed out that they quit installing the front window fiberglass cover in the later model 2017's. Added protection and an awing of sorts.

We just picked up our ordered 2017 last week. I was also concerned about lack of front window cover. I changed my mind now. When you sleep in the bed, you can see the stars with this new setup! With the cover there, it would block it. I think that is a unexpected bonus. We also came from a 2016 Shamrock. Having the glass shower is also a added bonus. The old curtain style we had before left water everywhere! Enjoy your new rig!

[mkillora]

We have a 2012, 2109s and find that it's a GREAT little trailer. That being said, here are some of the major "issues" that we have encountered and addressed over the years. They have all been posted on this site via various posts.
- leak on roof where TV antennae cable goes through roof;
- sagging fresh water tank brackets;
- slide motor bolts ripping out from wallboard;
- braces for front window rock guard pulling out of window frame.

Out of the above list I would suggest that you keep an eye on the fresh water tank brackets as well as the slide motor bolts. We didn't realize we had problems until learning about them from this forum.
Safe & Happy travels!

[friendofacatahoula]

Originally Posted by EmersonTT

friendofacatahoula, when you said you could see the tank bowing, did you mean the support struts, or the tank itself (or both)? My 2109s tank is bowed between the support struts, but the struts themselves are arrow-straight and appear to be holding very solid, even when I travel with a full tank-- which is not often or for very long, just whenever we boondock, and then only from the closest water point to the campground.

The tank itself bowed. The cross struts seemed to be fine. The tank bowing was more than I would be comfortable with for long trips and sometimes on tougher roads. But that's what we travel sometimes. I have seen tanks split in the past. With them bowing it just reduces ground clearance as well. Maybe minimal but again it's situational for us.

I now stop closer to where we are going to stay and top up. Plus there is no point in dragging extra weight sometimes. We have our water usage figured out as well so it helps us know how much we need before we go for however many days we are going. If we need more than that I can tanker it in my truck in large jugs.


Wow I am not sure how comfortable I would be with no front cover on the new trailers. There used to be some older trailers that had no covers and sure enough ended up with broken windows. I went as far as to add LineX to the front of our trailer. I can show you spots in the line X that goes up half way that has received a rock hit. On the outer edge but still concerning.


The new trailers look great though. We have a 15 and missed out on the new shower surround.

Is the 2017 sitting higher up? Looks like it sits like the dinette 2104 version. The back end looks beveled or it's just the photo.


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[wkn4lo]

Not sure of height increase. We traded a 2016 Flagstaff Shamrock 19. Here are 2 comparison photos

[kbuegel]

April 2016 we purchased a new 2109S from Santa Rosa RV dealership and we love it so far. Very comfortable and roomy, and my wife likes to cook so the large kitchen area is great for the two of us. We've taken 4 weekend trips so far, and planning on a two-week trip in October. So far there's not been any issues that required maintenance. But we were tent campers so trailer camping is different and has a steep learning curve.

So our trailer has the cover on the front window, which so far has been fine but the finish is different from the rest of the trailer and it picked up some sort of sap deposits which did not stick on the rest of the trailer. So I'm guessing it may weather differently than the trailer. And we have the glass shower doors which are nice, but they need a way to lock open. If trailer is not level, then doors will not stay open (of course we lock it closed when we travel). And the sensor on the black water tank seems to be erratic, but its not really a problem. No issues with fridge door skin. Also we don't use the slide lock, and so far no problems.

I'm glad to find this forum, I will check on our water tank since we usually fill it up before the trip. I was concerned about the added weight to tanker water around, and we might start using a half-tank just to be safe.

Learning curve issues:
* Need wheel chocks at minimum, but wheel locks would be best. Not all campsites are level, and its no fun to be worried the trailer will start rolling away at night. We used some firewood as wheel chocks. Also need to get some wheel leveling pads (the ones that look like lego blocks). And a few extras for the jacks too.
* One battery is really only enough for one night of dry camping (for us). Maybe we are not frugal enough on power. So we are looking at buying a generator/inverter now. Not sure how big, but 2000W seems sufficient.
* All tanks need deodorizers. We got some packets for black water tank, but didn't think about the grey and fresh water tanks. So far we put a teaspoon of bleach and its ok now, but it got pretty stinky before we figured it out.
* Campfires are fun, but the smoke can go straight into the trailer. So we don't always open the roof vents or use the bathroom fan as much as we did when we started.
* We occasionally forget to close the roof vents, or lock all the windows, or lower the TV antenna. So we have a checklist now. Also the glass plate in microwave popped open the door but did not break, so that gets stowed now too.

Questions to the forum:
1. Battery seems to discharge slowly even when everything is off. The inverter has a low battery alarm that went off after about 10 days of storage with no power. Any idea what is drawing power, or should I just disconnect the battery to store the trailer?
2. For connecting a generator/inverter, not sure if we could run 110 volt TV off battery power when generator is turned off. Should we connect generator directly to the battery, or just let the trailer's internal inverter charge the battery and have a second battery dedicated to the generator/inverter for 110 volt usage?
3. We have a sway-bar tow hitch, and the pads for the bars wore down very quickly, so its now metal-to-metal. We are towing with a Ford Expedition which might be a bit low, putting a lot of pressure on the sway bars, but not sure how to fix that. The shocks don't seem to be adjustable.

There is probably a dozen more questions I can't think of right now, but thanks in advance to anyone who responds!

[danc]

Originally Posted by kbuegel

April 2016 we purchased a new 2109S from Santa Rosa RV dealership and we love it so far. Very comfortable and roomy, and my wife likes to cook so the large kitchen area is great for the two of us. We've taken 4 weekend trips so far, and planning on a two-week trip in October. So far there's not been any issues that required maintenance. But we were tent campers so trailer camping is different and has a steep learning curve.

So our trailer has the cover on the front window, which so far has been fine but the finish is different from the rest of the trailer and it picked up some sort of sap deposits which did not stick on the rest of the trailer. So I'm guessing it may weather differently than the trailer. And we have the glass shower doors which are nice, but they need a way to lock open. If trailer is not level, then doors will not stay open (of course we lock it closed when we travel). And the sensor on the black water tank seems to be erratic, but its not really a problem. No issues with fridge door skin. Also we don't use the slide lock, and so far no problems.

I'm glad to find this forum, I will check on our water tank since we usually fill it up before the trip. I was concerned about the added weight to tanker water around, and we might start using a half-tank just to be safe.

Learning curve issues:
* Need wheel chocks at minimum, but wheel locks would be best. Not all campsites are level, and its no fun to be worried the trailer will start rolling away at night. We used some firewood as wheel chocks. Also need to get some wheel leveling pads (the ones that look like lego blocks). And a few extras for the jacks too.
* One battery is really only enough for one night of dry camping (for us). Maybe we are not frugal enough on power. So we are looking at buying a generator/inverter now. Not sure how big, but 2000W seems sufficient.
* All tanks need deodorizers. We got some packets for black water tank, but didn't think about the grey and fresh water tanks. So far we put a teaspoon of bleach and its ok now, but it got pretty stinky before we figured it out.
* Campfires are fun, but the smoke can go straight into the trailer. So we don't always open the roof vents or use the bathroom fan as much as we did when we started.
* We occasionally forget to close the roof vents, or lock all the windows, or lower the TV antenna. So we have a checklist now. Also the glass plate in microwave popped open the door but did not break, so that gets stowed now too.

Questions to the forum:
1. Battery seems to discharge slowly even when everything is off. The inverter has a low battery alarm that went off after about 10 days of storage with no power. Any idea what is drawing power, or should I just disconnect the battery to store the trailer?
2. For connecting a generator/inverter, not sure if we could run 110 volt TV off battery power when generator is turned off. Should we connect generator directly to the battery, or just let the trailer's internal inverter charge the battery and have a second battery dedicated to the generator/inverter for 110 volt usage?
3. We have a sway-bar tow hitch, and the pads for the bars wore down very quickly, so its now metal-to-metal. We are towing with a Ford Expedition which might be a bit low, putting a lot of pressure on the sway bars, but not sure how to fix that. The shocks don't seem to be adjustable.

There is probably a dozen more questions I can't think of right now, but thanks in advance to anyone who responds!

I have a 2000w inverter and 2 batterys. When the batterys are fully charged I can use the microwave for quick heat ups also we can make a pot of coffee. I wired a dedicated plug to use the coffee maker and a 2 way switch so i can switch the microwave between shore and inverter power. If all you want to do is use the TV you could use a small 100w inverter that plugs into the 12v outlet and the batt. would do just fine. As far as the batt. drain could you just use the batt. disconnect ? Hope this helps.

[rockfordroo]

The battery will discharge unless you have/install a battery disconnect switch. Your CO/propane detector is one load that is always on. Brains for the fridge draw power, too.

You should provide manufacturer and model of your hitch if you want someone to help with that question.

[friendofacatahoula]

Now I am going to have to go look at a 2017. Thanks for the additional photo wkn4lo. Your wheels do not even look to be within the wheel wells unlike our 2015. It's either just the photos playing trickery or they have lifted the new ones. Ours does not sit that high.




Someone mentioned the need for chocks and levellers. Personally I find the Lego block style to be a pain. These are my favourite.

https://www.etrailer.com/Wheel-Chock...en/AM3604.html

There are some videos floating around of how they work. For lighter trailers like the mini lites they are great. Larger trailers I have seen this style sink into the ground a little.



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[stevejahr]

When we were shopping in late '15 we noted that the 2109 was the exception in the Rockwood lineup with only 2 level step while almost all of the others had 3 level steps. My theory is that the 2109 actually sits down over the wheels whereas the other models have full decking out over the wheels.

It may be very possible that FR has lifted the 2109 in later versions. They have done so with our 2604WS model. There was a report here of issues on one rubbing the tires because it has the 15" wheel/tire setup without the frame lift kit. Note that ours has 14" wheel/tire setup so there is obviously a change afoot there.

I really liked the 2109S. Seemed like a great trailer for a couple. My DW liked the extra space in the 2604WS though so that is what we came home with.

[friendofacatahoula]

The reason the 2109 has sat lower than the comparable 2104 is the slide mechanical area rests under the couch and the dinette version must sit higher accommodate that.

For cost savings it would make sense they both sit on the same platform. It will be interesting to see if the new 2109 has in fact changed. I will be raising mine with the dexter lift kit regardless.


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[High Plains Drifters]

Originally Posted by Markval

We are picking up our new 2109S in a couple days and are excited. Bringing it home load it up and take it for a short shake down trip right away. I'm bummed out that they quit installing the front window fiberglass cover in the later model 2017's. Added protection and an awing of sorts.

Depending on how late a model you bought, it may have solid surface counters and the newer graphic pkg., those are some nice features. Too bad they quit the rock guard though.

[wkn4lo]

Here are additional pics. You all have me interested in the height thing now. May have to get my WDH system dialed in a little more. It looks a little high in the front in some pics.

[ColoradoRick]

Originally Posted by wkn4lo

Here are additional pics. You all have me interested in the height thing now. May have to get my WDH system dialed in a little more. It looks a little high in the front in some pics. Attachment 118401Attachment 118402Attachment 118403

A great looking Rocky you have there! Something I've learned for leveling is to level her and get the bottom supports down before extending out the slideout. (And, also, to never leave the awning extended at night or if you leave the area....unexpected wind gusts can damage it pretty quickly.)

[friendofacatahoula]

The pic of mine is sitting a little lower in the front than how I typically tow but I had just filled water tank plus had an additional 50 gallons right at the back of the box with a full load of fire wood as well so it was squatting a bit.

I am going to swing by my trailer today as I need to grab the propane tanks off it for filling and I am going to measure the height at the wheels to the bottom of the trailer. I wonder if they added the torsion spacers to the new ones?

I really like the new graphics. I wish ours had more red in it.


We leave our awning out all the time. With its spring loaded arms it can handle quite a bit of wind. It made me nervous the first wind storm we had and being in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains the wind can get up very high quite quickly. When I watched how it would absorb the wind I was much less concerned. I only retract it now if it's making a bunch of excessive noise.


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[okiecowboy]

Great looking trailer! But take heed to ColoradoRick's advice about the awning. The wrong gust of wind will tear it right off your trailer. Don't ask me how I know.


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[wkn4lo]

If the winds starts whipping at all, our awning comes in. I also bring it in when we leave for awhile. That, and turn off water supply!

[Markval]

We picked up our new retirement home today what a sweat trailer. Quality issues are noticeable but nothing I can't fix or live with. It is just a camper Not an Air Force fighter jet. I am a retired aircraft inspector. The PDI I let the wife do it or we would have never got out of there. Lol.