Greetings from the Smoky Mountains of NC

[Smokyroo]

Good Day All:

My wife and I have ordered a Rockwood Roo 233S and this will be our 3rd camper. We have 3 wonderful kids with our middle child having special needs due to a stroke at birth from meningitis. We are avid outdoors folks and quite honestly prefer to be in a tent or in the backcountry with a backpack, but as a family camping with a disabled child, a camper is the best for all.

Our first camper was Coleman Pop-up, but we soon outgrew it as we often bring along another adult to assist us with our son and so forth. Then we bought a R-Vision 30 foot ultra-light trailer and would still have the trailer, but my wife was blown off the road on I-75 near Valdosta last summer and totalled the camper.

So we looked around and decided to down-size a little and get back that camping feel with a hybrid. Growing up my folks had a jayco popup and we traveled all across the US and Canada with that camper as kids. Loved it and jayco makes a great product. We looked at jayco, but chose the Roo because of the 3 queen beds and it apprears to be a quality build.

Our kids love the outdoors and the water, especially our disabled son who really loves being on the water, so most of our trips involve camping near the ocean or rivers and lakes. We also own a few kayaks and my baby, a Grady White 228 walkaround cuddy cabin coastal fishing boat. We love going to the Florida Keys. Camping offers us an affordable way to see the country and for us to put gas in the boat

Our preferences in camping are state parks, national parks and national forests. I am hoping the economy picks up as a trip outwest to the canyons would be great, although not much water except for Lake Meade.

Thanks for your few minutes of time...cant wait until spring. Our first trip in the Roo is slated for the kid's spring back to our old stomping grounds of Central Florida. We are going to Blue Spring State Park...as an aside I have this goofy guideline where I dont like to camp less than an hour from my house. We lived maybe 3 miles from Blue Springs, now I can camp there since it is like 630 miles from my house lol.

[tmmar]

to the forums and congrats on your new camper. Hope you and your family have many fun and trouble free trips with it.

[MtnGuy]

Welcome to the forum !!!

I was down your way last spring. Beautiful country.

Looks like I 40 through the mountains is an ongoing project.

[bikendan]

Welcome to the "Roo Kroo!!"

hopefully, you have an adequate tow vehicle. make sure that you get a good WDH with sway control, such as the Reese Dual-Cam or the Equal-i-zer. also, the Prodigy brake controller is #1 and can cost less than $100.

be sure to start posting on the Expandable section here at FRF. lots of interest on those that own the 233S.

[Smokyroo]

Thanks for the kind and warm welcome everyone...

Mtnguy,
You know I 40, the stretch along the NC and TN border there in the Piegon River Gorge is said to be one of the costly stretches of interestate to build and maintain in the US. I recall as a kid in the 70s when they were building it and my dad is a ham radio operator. He had to turn off his 2 meter radio in the car as it could cause the blasting caps to go off. To this day that stretch of road is still pretty and still under goes issues.

Bikendan, we have all the sway control stuff from our old trailer, thanks for the tips. We will either tow it with our 2008 Tundra or our 4 Runner with a V8 and tow package. The 4 Runner can tow upwards of 7,500 pounds as we have it equipped. I prefer to tow it with the Tundra because of the longer wheel base and all, but on trips where the boat comes along, the 4 Runner will be fine. My boat is 2,000 pounds heavier than the Roo and even with surge breaks on the boat trailer, the boat sometimes pushes the 4 Runner...so on longer trips with both, the 4 Runner will pull the Roo. Cant wait to get it....

[skeeterbait8]

Welcome to the forums... from a fellow ROO owner! AND we are not that far away from you. Just north of you just across the line in VA.

We have a 23SS, LOVE IT! Camped 135 days in it last year. May not get as many this year, we will see.

Enjoy!!!!

[choice spot]

Welcome. Have fun on your trips and be careful. Bryson City use to be one of our favorite places to camp. Bear Hunter's Camp ground. Right on a creek (or river). Could tube all the way into Dillsboro. Like the train there too.

[Smokyroo]

Call it irony...I grew up in Florida and we camped here alot as kids and adults. I quit my job, buy a business and move here and now I camp every else and in Florida to boot . We now do fall and winter camping in Cades Cove and a few times we will do a weekend at Deep Creek, take the boat and yaks and bikes to Tsali on Lake Fontana or head over to Davidson River for a few days.

I really want to do a childhood trip we made 3 times up to Acadia National Park and Nova Scotia, but this time bring the boat and see the coast of main in the summer from my boat. At the end of the day I enjoy living here and having soo many weekend options from the region's lakes to our national parks and national forests sites to go..

My folks would use the old jayco once or twice a year, we camp nearly year round as time,work and life allows...

[MtnGuy]

Originally Posted by Smokyroo

We now do fall and winter camping in Cades Cove.

Are you referring to the campground before you get to Cades Cove loop ?? Any trouble getting your camper in there.....it looks a little tight ??

[Smokyroo]

Chap:
You can easily get a trailer in there up to 30 feet at Cades Cove. Places like Cataloochee are a bit tighter especially the road leading to Catalooch. Abrams Creek Campground on the far southwest side of the park I do believe is limited to trailers below 24 feet or so. If you like peace and quite and low crowds, camping at Cades Cove in November is really nice, but can be cold!

[Olratlr]

Welcome to the Forum and Congratulation on your Camper.

Now go have Fun.