Movin' On.. (sort of)

[PineForestCamper]

On the long trip home to MN from CO in August we made the decision to sell our 2013 Roo 233s. After four summers and 100+ nights I decided that hybrid canvas was not something I wanted any longer. We had moved into the hybrid from a popup and before that tented. When we purchased the Roo we were not ready to completely walk away from canvas/tent ends and loved the connection to the outside the popup and tenting had brought. I fully expected to own our Roo for many more years than four.

Here is what we loved about the Roo:
Loved the fridge, the toilet, the extra storage and all of the space the slide provides when open. Wife says her favorite thing was the bathroom in the middle of the night. No more walks in the dark and stumbling around vault toilets in grizzly bear country.

I did not like the comfort quality of the heated mattresses (all those springs), having to open the bed ends after every trip (lots of humidity in MN), the size of the bed (we had a king in our popup), and having to take all the bedding down after every trip and store on the table. We also used popup gizmos and the setup/tear down time was taking its toll. Loved those things (they work) but not the time and effort they took to setup.

When we got home we cleaned and detailed our camper so that it looked better than it did the day it was delivered. Put it up for sale on Labor Day and had no idea if we would find a buyer or not being so late in the season. I priced it to move with the hope that if it sold I could pick up a 2016 camper at a good deal just as we did with our Roo from RV Wholesalers. We did so well on that purchase that we were in a good position to do that.

The first week of October we found a buyer and that same day we put down money on our new camper. I was happy with Forest River and would have stayed with them had they still make a rear hard slide. However, a couple of years ago they stopped making the Roo 25RS. What's up with that Forest River?!?!

That left us with no choice but to go off the board and purchase an Outback 250URS made by Keystone. I looked at other floor plans however we really like the idea of towing something smaller so we can get into the rustic national forest campgrounds we love so much. Most floorplans we were looking at had the bed at the front and bunks in the rear for the kids. Once you add in the couch and dinette adjacent to each other most models were 31 - 33 feet. The 250URS is 27 and thats about all the bigger we wanted to go and thats still 3 feet up from the Roo 233s.

So we've been out for a night in a local state park with the new camper and have slept a couple of additional nights in Parking Slab Campground next to our garage. I love this thing. We plan to sleep many more nights outside during the cold MN winter ahead. We could not do that with the Roo. We are already moving ahead with mods just as we did with our Roo.

Thank you all for helping me learn what I needed to know to properly take care of that thing. That was all new stuff. A popup is one thing but the Roo was a whole different ball game. Your input, kindness and generosity were amazing. I remember that first trip out needing to dewinterize the night before we were to leave the next morning and being unaware of a valve that needed to be opened so that water could be accessed from the fresh water tank. I was at a loss. I got on this forum and within a few minutes you guys were there with the answers. Thank you for that.

So my plan is to hang around here and pop in when I need some help. I've been to the Keystone forums and they just dont have the traffic thats here. I also am planning on buying a set of poles to install on my electric awning from Turbs. I guess he's pretty busy right now so I've been told to check in with him in January. We had a manual awning on our Roo and that awning was built like a tank. Loved that thing. It withstood some pretty intense wind storms. Those electric awnings are a different story. They need some help.

So thanks to everyone again. I havent been around much. You taught me well and I havent needed to spend much time in the classroom here. One other thing. Hey Forest River! Bring back a rear hard slide. I mean why let all the business go to Keystone/Outback who is now the only manufacturer of these models. Must be a numbers game. Who knows.

--Brad--

[bikendan]

Yep, after 10 years with our Roo 23SS and retiring last year, we hope to move on to a TT or 5th wheel.
Being retired allows us to be gone 3 to 4 months straight, which a hybrid isn't good for.
Please feel free to stay a member. There are quite a few SOB owners here who still prefer FRF over other RV forums.
After all, all brands share most of the same stuff and same issues.

[geeman53]

Welcome from SW Ohio ! Good luck w/ your Keystone .

[PineForestCamper]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Yep, after 10 years with our Roo 23SS and retiring last year, we hope to move on to a TT or 5th wheel.
Being retired allows us to be gone 3 to 4 months straight, which a hybrid isn't good for.
Please feel free to stay a member. There are quite a few SOB owners here who still prefer FRF over other RV forums.
After all, all brands share most of the same stuff and same issues.

Congratulations on retirement Dan! I remember you saying you were possibly heading to rainy Washington. Do you have any TT's/5ers in mind?

We found that staying a night on the road and getting going the next morning was no quick turn around with the Roo.

Thanks for the welcome. I will be hanging around. You are right they are all plenty alike. We have already had to modify the winterization setup as the 250URS was not setup for antifreeze. Air only.

[PineForestCamper]

Originally Posted by geeman53

Welcome from SW Ohio ! Good luck w/ your Keystone .

Thank you! Would have did a rear slide by forest river but they stopped making them. Wish I knew why!

[bikendan]

We'd love a Montana High Country 293RK, but we'd need a bigger tow vehicle.
Finding a TT we both like and that our Avalanche can tow, has been difficult.
We'd like a rear bed slide TT but they all seem to come with bunk beds, which is useless for us.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by PineForestCamper

That left us with no choice but to go off the board and purchase an Outback 250URS made by Keystone. I looked at other floor plans however we really like the idea of towing something smaller so we can get into the rustic national forest campgrounds we love so much. Most floorplans we were looking at had the bed at the front and bunks in the rear for the kids. Once you add in the couch and dinette adjacent to each other most models were 31 - 33 feet. The 250URS is 27 and thats about all the bigger we wanted to go and thats still 3 feet up from the Roo 233s.

--Brad--

I've always had a soft spot for the rear slides. They always seemed to me to be another step between a hybrid and a full hard-side.

But just to point out - once you're in your site and you've extended the rear slide - your 27 ft just turned back into 31 ft again. So while you're towing length is better, your camping length doesn't seem much different to me; i.e., you may still have problems getting into some sites.

You do have some options. If you have a pull-thru and can park your truck with the hood under the slide, you can make up a couple of feet. If it's a back-in and if your slide can hang out over some kind of drop off at the back of your site. But for most sites, I think you're still 31 ft long.

[PineForestCamper]

Originally Posted by bikendan

We'd love a Montana High Country 293RK, but we'd need a bigger tow vehicle.
Finding a TT we both like and that our Avalanche can tow, has been difficult.

That Montana looks pretty nice and not gigantic like so many of the railroad cars I see being towed down the highway.

[PineForestCamper]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I've always had a soft spot for the rear slides. They always seemed to me to be another step between a hybrid and a full hard-side.

But just to point out - once you're in your site and you've extended the rear slide - your 27 ft just turned back into 31 ft again. So while you're towing length is better, your camping length doesn't seem much different to me; i.e., you may still have problems getting into some sites.

You do have some options. If you have a pull-thru and can park your truck with the hood under the slide, you can make up a couple of feet. If it's a back-in and if your slide can hang out over some kind of drop off at the back of your site. But for most sites, I think you're still 31 ft long.

You are exactly right!! Once that slide goes out its a few feet longer and we have to consider that into the equation. We had to do that with our 233s as well because with the rear bed when dropped it was 3-4 feet longer. We find ourselves not getting into shorter sites where a tree sits right at the end of the spur. We also had to consider in narrow sites where we would put a tree in between the slide and the side bed when dropped. We did want to stay shorter as it does help getting around some tight corners when driving thru campgrounds.

[PineForestCamper]

Originally Posted by rockfordroo

I've always had a soft spot for the rear slides. They always seemed to me to be another step between a hybrid and a full hard-side.

But just to point out - once you're in your site and you've extended the rear slide - your 27 ft just turned back into 31 ft again. So while you're towing length is better, your camping length doesn't seem much different to me; i.e., you may still have problems getting into some sites.

You do have some options. If you have a pull-thru and can park your truck with the hood under the slide, you can make up a couple of feet. If it's a back-in and if your slide can hang out over some kind of drop off at the back of your site. But for most sites, I think you're still 31 ft long.

How do you like your new 2503s? Why did you make the change?

[bikendan]

Originally Posted by PineForestCamper

That Montana looks pretty nice and not gigantic like so many of the railroad cars I see being towed down the highway.

Yeah, for a 5th wheel, it's short enough for most state and federal park campsites but very roomy inside.
And the amenities and higher end features are really nice.

[rockfordroo]

Originally Posted by PineForestCamper

How do you like your new 2503s? Why did you make the change?

DW got tired of clearing bunks to fold, I got tired of climbing over her at night to go to the John.

She wasn't too sure of going up to "25" footer, you the huge bathroom on the 2503s sold her.

We really like it so far. I've done about a dozen mods.