Lifelong tentcampers, now with a new Roo 235S on order

[Rhumblefish]

Hello from Missouri!

The wife and I are lifelong tentcampers, but have been convinced to come around to the "comfortable side." The wife grew up camping in a truck-insert camper with her family. I started backpacking 'n boyscouting. It took my wife a little bit of effort to convince me to carcamp, but a big cooler, stove and coffeepot brought me around. (We're boaters, too, and a lot of the ideas cross over.)

It seems like we've been tirekicking forever, but we just ordered up a new Roo 235S from RVW... which seemed like the best way to preserve the tentcamping experience while adding all the comfort and convenience of a hardsider. I'm also hoping this gets us out to the woods a lot more often, with a few less logistics (and a lot less excuses).

I'm super happy to be here with the amazing amount of knowledge and experience. I know boats, but the RV life is completely new. I'm looking forward to learn a lot, help where I can, and enjoy this amazing lifestyle.

See you around the boards!

[aceinspp]

Welcome to the forum and the world of RVing. Make sure to do a good PDI when you go to pick up your unit. You can find the PDI guide by going to the green head bar above and click on library then look for the PDI form. Good luck. Later RJD

[Reverse_snowbird]

Originally Posted by Rhumblefish

I'm also hoping this gets us out to the woods a lot more often, with a few less logistics (and a lot less excuses).

As former tent campers, we're pretty sure that that new camper is going to get you out into the woods more often. You'll gain all the time it took to unpack as well as put up and take down that tent. Plus in the worse case scenario when the weather is bad, you'll have a place to shelter with all the comforts of home.
Congratulations on your purchase!

[bikendan]

Hi and Welcome to FRF from a former Roo owner.
Be sure to check out the Roo/Shamrock sub-forum here.

[IBCAMPING]

Hello Rhumblefish, I am excited for you and all of us that have the 235S on order. They seem to be a very well thought out camper. But with a few weight issues. Such as 720lb tongue weight I think with empty holding tanks, empty propane, no battery, weight distributing hitch, and gear. This really up the amount of you tongue weight. This is my third hybrid and have been towing for over 40 yrs. I bought a very low mileage 06 Lincoln Navigator last fall knowing I was going to order the 235s and am now selling it for 2 reasons. First reason is things listed above. I dont want to push the vehicle to the limits and be white knuckling down the road or straining going up every hill. I am picking up a Toyota Tundra 4 door with 400 ft lbs of torque that will do a very nice job with out straining and give me the extra carrying space which I decided I need for longer trips. I only brought this up because you said you were life long tent campers and you tow vehicle is a Audi Q7?

[Rhumblefish]

Hi, IBCamping.

Yes, you read it right (and I hear you)... The tongue weight is pushing my TV limits pretty hard. The Q7 is rated to tow 7,700, and has enough capacity (from the sticker on the driver's doorjamb) to handle hitch weight plus my family and a few things in the car, but the hitch is only rated to 770#.

Dry numbers on the 235 are: 5,418 lbs. (with a Payload Capacity of 1,467 lbs.) and a Hitch Weight 725 lbs.

With two 6v batteries, freshwater and water heater full, LP-gas full and no cargo that weight goes up to 5,993 lbs. modest increase in hitch weight. I'm an 80% tower, so I like to stay under/within 80% of my rated capacities. I manage that with everything save for hitch weight, which I plan to mitigate by moving the batteries back/inside the coach. and getting as much off the tongue as possible. We're also here in Missouri in flatland, so a lot of our towing will be on mild grades. I'm not fooling myself here, and don't want to get any more overloaded than I already am.

So, while the Q7 (and it's Porsche and Volkswagon siblings) are surprisingly capable tow vehicles (with active suspension and an anti-sway program built into their tow mode), I'm more concerned with the Manufacturer's specific prohibition against using a load leveler (as the factory tow mount isn't rated for those kind of forces).

I plan on reinforcing the tow hitch through Can-Am to gain some additional capacity, but will take it easy and settle in. Ultimately, I will drop the Q7 and migrate to a hybrid F150, taking advantage of a better tow platform AND 7kWs of onboard power generation, but that's a future purchase.

I can also go and fetch the trailer with a full sized Dodge Ram that I've currently got setup for towing about 10,000 worth of boat, and work out how to best use the Q7 with the 235S on home turf.

So, thank you for the heads up. Your Tunrda's new specs are impressive! I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic, but realize that I am starting to get into an area I need to be very cognizant to control weight and not push too hard.

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by IBCAMPING

I am picking up a Toyota Tundra 4 door with 400 ft lbs of torque that will do a very nice job with out straining and give me the extra carrying space which I decided I need for longer trips. I only brought this up because you said you were life long tent campers and you tow vehicle is a Audi Q7?

Be careful picking a Tundra. They are notorious for low payload capacities.

[robcrawford]

Originally Posted by Rhumblefish

Hi, IBCamping.

Yes, you read it right (and I hear you)... The tongue weight is pushing my TV limits pretty hard. The Q7 is rated to tow 7,700, and has enough capacity (from the sticker on the driver's doorjamb) to handle hitch weight plus my family and a few things in the car, but the hitch is only rated to 770#.

Dry numbers on the 235 are: 5,418 lbs. (with a Payload Capacity of 1,467 lbs.) and a Hitch Weight 725 lbs.

With two 6v batteries, freshwater and water heater full, LP-gas full and no cargo that weight goes up to 5,993 lbs. modest increase in hitch weight. I'm an 80% tower, so I like to stay under/within 80% of my rated capacities. I manage that with everything save for hitch weight, which I plan to mitigate by moving the batteries back/inside the coach. and getting as much off the tongue as possible. We're also here in Missouri in flatland, so a lot of our towing will be on mild grades. I'm not fooling myself here, and don't want to get any more overloaded than I already am.

So, while the Q7 (and it's Porsche and Volkswagon siblings) are surprisingly capable tow vehicles (with active suspension and an anti-sway program built into their tow mode), I'm more concerned with the Manufacturer's specific prohibition against using a load leveler (as the factory tow mount isn't rated for those kind of forces).

I plan on reinforcing the tow hitch through Can-Am to gain some additional capacity, but will take it easy and settle in. Ultimately, I will drop the Q7 and migrate to a hybrid F150, taking advantage of a better tow platform AND 7kWs of onboard power generation, but that's a future purchase.

I can also go and fetch the trailer with a full sized Dodge Ram that I've currently got setup for towing about 10,000 worth of boat, and work out how to best use the Q7 with the 235S on home turf.

So, thank you for the heads up. Your Tunrda's new specs are impressive! I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic, but realize that I am starting to get into an area I need to be very cognizant to control weight and not push too hard.

How are you enjoying towing the Roo with your Q7? It sounds like we have a similar set-up, though I'm towing the 233S.

Are you using a WDH?

[Rhumblefish]

Originally Posted by robcrawford

How are you enjoying towing the Roo with your Q7? It sounds like we have a similar set-up, though I'm towing the 233S.

Are you using a WDH?

Hey, RC!

The Q7 ('17 3.0T prestige with air) pulls the 235S with little-to-no drama (when it's properly weighted). We recently drug it on its first big voyage from St. Louis to Rocky Mountain National Park with no issues, minus the typical high winds and occasional bow waves from overtaking semi's. Not a huge amount of hillwork (save for a little bit at the end, getting up to Estes Park and into RMNP), but the supercharger makes a non-issue of altitude, and the car had plenty of engine and comfort and brakes for a safe tow.

I pull @ about 65, and was happy to stay there (tho occasionally the speed would creep up thanks to all the people moving faster). It pulls just fine at 70, and I think we touched 80 once, but that was simply a lot faster than I needed to go. Plus, mileage drops into the single digits at that pace.

I am not running a WDH, nor anti-sway. Audi bakes anti-sway into it's ABS package, and we had little-to-none of it (again, save for some wind events and a little bow wave pressure from overtaking semi's). Negligible at best. We DID have some front axle lightening, that I really would like to address with a WDH, but VAG/Audi/Porsche specifically exclude running a WDH in the owner's manual, based on how the how the whole towing package is attached to the unibody. I am countering it by loading the trailer properly and trying to keep weight down.

Oddly, the 235 tows a LOT better when it's fully loaded, rather than empty. Recent power mods increased tongue weight, so I am trying to be extra careful: a weigh-safe hitch gives me visible tongue weight, so I can adjust as needed. Air suspension keeps me level (not that that's a huge concern), and 4ws gives me a little added maneuverability in tight spaces (not to mention getting hitched up).

I'm generally an 80% guy, and don't like to stress things to their specs. That being said, I'd say this was absolutely the limit for the Q. It has plenty of engine and comfort and safety to tow, but I wouldn't want to pull any more than this and have to deal with terrain.

Your 233 is lighter by a fair bit than the 235, and the tongue weight is a lot more manageable (and doesn't cut into your TV's payload as much), so I would expect it towed like a honey.

See you out there!

[robcrawford]

Thanks for sharing your experience. I heard many conflicting opinions regarding the use of a WDH, as I'm sure you did also.

In the end, I decided to go with one based on the recommendation from Can-Am. Towing so far has been easy - no sway at all. I find that the air suspension levels the vehicle pretty well before I even get the WDH fully hooked up. I'm hoping later this year to give it a try w/o the WDH to compare the experience.