Thoughts on downsizing to a Roo

[ben31]

Enjoy the Roo!

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by Oops

By “jungle in the 60’s” I assume you mean Vietnam - I want to Thank you for service! We all owe you a debt of gratitude. May the good Lord bless you all for your sacrifices!

Thank you! Yes it was 2 years of paid vacation by our great uncle in SE Asia. Even just a little of that heat & humidity was enough but the monsoon season ~~

[gstockwell]

We started years ago in a popup and went to a 33' 5th whell then to a 37ft Fleetwood Expedition class A (for sale if your interested!). Just downsized to a 2009 Roo 21ss and love it!

[IsleDog]

I grew up camping in a HI-LO. when my girlfriend (now wife) and i started camping it was in a tent (all we could afford). we moved up to a large popup to try it. as we want to travel more, we have moved on to a hard side. we didnt like the set up and take down, added maintenance, opening it up when it rained to dry out, etc. it took us a LONG time to find exactly what we were looking for. we knew kids were in the future, so needed added room. plus we liked the large open feeling of the tent ends. we found exactly that in our mini toy hauler (17RP). we drop the back door, have the screen in place, and if its nasty out, close it up. best of both worlds. we loved sleeping under the canvas, but didnt like the damp feeling, even with heated bunks. if you want open space and the popup/hybrid feel, take a look at a toy hauler in your size. you may just fall in love with one!

[Oops]

We are loving it so far. Keeping in it cool in FL in July even with the 15k ac and pugs was not possible but it was tolerable and all the hard side rigs were struggling as well that’s just part of it. But we love the tents and the smaller rig is so easy to get in and out of places. I used to fret what the site would be like and how many trucks would be parked where I needed to swing the front end etc - not now! Seems like we fit anywhere no problems. It’s also much nicer in the driveway....
The Roo itself is just overall very well designed and it’s very comfortable for our large family. Outside storage is a challenge but I have a truck bed lol.
We are pleased with the transition. Probably go back to hard sides when we can go with a rear living area but for now we love it! It’s a good compromise, we get the blessings of the tent camping again with the storage of hard sides but then there is the challenge of the tents as well...

[IsleDog]

Originally Posted by Oops

We are loving it so far. Keeping in it cool in FL in July even with the 15k ac and pugs was not possible but it was tolerable and all the hard side rigs were struggling as well that’s just part of it. But we love the tents and the smaller rig is so easy to get in and out of places. I used to fret what the site would be like and how many trucks would be parked where I needed to swing the front end etc - not now! Seems like we fit anywhere no problems. It’s also much nicer in the driveway....
The Roo itself is just overall very well designed and it’s very comfortable for our large family. Outside storage is a challenge but I have a truck bed lol.
We are pleased with the transition. Probably go back to hard sides when we can go with a rear living area but for now we love it! It’s a good compromise, we get the blessings of the tent camping again with the storage of hard sides but then there is the challenge of the tents as well...

You can always run a second power cord from your trailer to the 20 amp circuit on the power pedestal and carry an in room AC that is vented through a tube outside. that would certainly help with your cooling needs.

[Ajax]

We camped in a Coleman PU for 16 years, so the move to a Roo 21SS gave us all that we craved; A full sized galley, two queen sized bunks, a bathroom, and a living area large enough for the two of us and our Aussie to dance in. Four years and 20,000 tow miles later, we're still in love with it. In addition to the simple features I mentioned, we still sleep under the canvas we grew up with sixty years ago.

Another benefit of a hybrid is the ability to slip into short sites. The box on our 21SS is 18' long, but adding 5' of bunk on either end gives you a living/sleeping area comparable to a 28' TT. And we've camped in several sites where the rear bunk is hanging off the pad by its full length. The ability to expand also makes it easier to maneuver into tight spots, which is a big plus if you're going to be camping in a lot of NP or NFS campgrounds, where they don't seem to be much concerned with accommodating big rigs. And there's always the option of opening up the loveseat into a double bed and leaving the end bunks stowed should we be in the 'Snooze & Cruise' mode, or be forced into 'Hardside' status by misbehaving bears.



Imo, the hybrids offer a lot of positive options that more than displace their negative aspects.

[RooDad]

Originally Posted by IsleDog

You can always run a second power cord from your trailer to the 20 amp circuit on the power pedestal and carry an in room AC that is vented through a tube outside. that would certainly help with your cooling needs.

This is exactly what we do in our Roo and with reflectix and pugs we can freeze ourselves out in July in Texas at night.