RE: TRYING TO PULL THE TRIGGER
There is a lot of talk of the Roo models but not much on the Forest River models who makes the Roo. Why do a lot of you folks go for the Roo over the Forest River models? Price?
FR makes hybrids in 3 brands: Roo, Shamrock and Surveyor.
Roo and Shamrock are the same trailer, except for fabric color and outside decals, and are made on the same assembly line.
the Surveyor is made in a different factory and has different floor plans and features.
the Roo has by far, the most dealerships in the country. Shamrock and Surveyor dealers are far more harder to find.
add the fact that the two largest internet dealers, RVWholesalers and RVDirect, both see the Roo and there's your answer.
as an example, there were 3 Roo dealers within a 100 mile radius from my home. the nearest Shamrock dealer was 450 miles away.
Are the FV models the upscale versions of the Roo/Shamrock? I just looked on the FV dealer finder and actually have more FV dealers closer then I do Roo dealers.
not sure what you mean by "FV"? FR is Forest River, the parent company of Rockwood, Shamrock and Surveyor. i don't know what you are asking about with "FV".
if you meant Forest River, there are dozens of brands and types of RV's made under Forest River.
they have Class A, B, C motorhomes, 5th wheels, travel trailers, ultralite trailers, toyhaulers, expandables, tent campers and park models. and there are many brands for each class of RV.
of course, they'll be more Forest River dealers than Roo because they are all Forest River dealers.
RE: TRYING TO PULL THE TRIGGER
There is a lot of talk of the Roo models but not much on the Forest River models who makes the Roo. Why do a lot of you folks go for the Roo over the Forest River models? Price?
FR makes hybrids in 3 brands: Roo, Shamrock and Surveyor.
Roo and Shamrock are the same trailer, except for fabric color and outside decals, and are made on the same assembly line.
the Surveyor is made in a different factory and has different floor plans and features.
the Roo has by far, the most dealerships in the country. Shamrock and Surveyor dealers are far more harder to find.
add the fact that the two largest internet dealers, RVWholesalers and RVDirect, both sell the Roo and there's your answer.
as an example, there were 3 Roo dealers within a 100 mile radius from my home. the nearest Shamrock dealer was 450 miles away.
RE: TRYING TO PULL THE TRIGGER
We have only been in this HTT search for 3-4 weeks and have somewhat decided Jayco, Starcraft, Roo in that order. The Roo we have not seen because the only dealer is about a 4 hr. drive, but he has sent pics and we plan to visit before deciding.
Now this is a tall order, but those of you that own one of these 3 I would like your HONEST opinion of your decision to buy your unit. It is sometimes hard for us humans to admit we made a mistake so I would like the pros and cons of your decision. Would you buy this unit again knowing what you know now and do you have have any regrets? Also consider support from the manufacturer to reconcile any problems.Thanks,Curtis
we were able to look at models of all but one brand of hybrids, back in 2006 when we were shopping.
we ended up with 3 levels of quality/fit/finish. at the top were the 3 brands you have mentioned.
we then looked at those 3 and their floorplans. for us, floorplan was the deciding factor, not the dealer.
neither Jayco or Starcraft offered floorplans with counter space like the Roo/Shamrock line. this was a #1 priority for the DW. plus she liked the interior fabrics much better than the other 2.
if Jayco had offered a floorplan like they will with the new 23M, which is a 23SS clone, we would probably bought the Jayco. this is because of Jayco's better customer service reputation. but only if they were close in price.
a lot of times, you can get a Roo much cheaper than a Jayco and Starcraft, making the customer service issue much less important.
bottom line, the Roo cost a lot less, was as good quality-wise, had better upgrades(such as ducted a/c), and offered a better floorplan lineup.
we love our Roo 23SS and obviously, Jayco has seen it and the 21SS popularity being a big enough factor to copy them.
RE: Class C with Hybrid Bunk end?
i was the one who posted the pics/links.
it is the Host 270 super C motorhome. they had a option for a rear bed or rear garage. it was originally a canvas bed but is now a hard-sided bed.
here's a link to one sold in Reno.
Host 270 MH with canvas bed.
RE: First time in RV - California Trip Advice
if you plan to drive from Big Sur to Yosemite, that'll be a very long drive! it'll take you most of the day.
in the Santa Cruz/Monterey area, you have the Aquarium and the Boardwalk for the kids. i love the area but 7 nites there is too much time to spend, when there is so much elsewhere to see.
a side trip to D-land would take up a lot of time. you would need to cut out some of your other trips. i would save it for a SoCal trip in the future so you could include San Diego.
i live in Napa and would vote "no". there isn't much for kids here. Napa Valley is Disneyland for adults!;)
RE: What is the most spectacular view you've ever seen?
i've been fortunate to see a lot of spectacular things and places but the most was my tandem skydive at 13,000ft. i could see the curve of the earth and didn't have a plane around me to obstruct my view.
it was so much for my brain to take in, it had to re-boot!
RE: Campgrounds in California
most RV parks/resorts rarely have sites like the state parks. they have much smaller sites and they are closer together.
nearly all Calif. state parks don't have hookups of any kind, unlike the Oregon state parks. the few that do, are extremely hard to get reservations at.
i would suggest some of the state/national parks in NW Calif. from
we just got back from one of our favorites, Prairie Creek SP, in the Redwood National Park. there are Roosevelt elk there and Fern Canyon is a wonder to see. there are other parks in the area that are great, such as Patrick's Point SP and Jedediah Smith SP.
the North Coast of Calif. is a great place to explore.
RE: Issues with Roo. Sick of dealing with dealer.
1. I need a new bunk fan(dies when on high).
2. Shower surround peeling on other side.
3. Front bunk leaked during drive in rain.
4. Bubble on slide membrane, looks like it has excessive material and not tight. (is it the same material as on the roof and is this ok?)
5. Never received the year of road side assistance material.
6. Very loud water pump. (loudest I have ever owned out 4 RV's)
Also I feel some give in the floor. Not soft but stable like my last "heavy" campers.
1. haven't had fan problems yet, but haven't had to use them much for the past 2 years.
2. had the sink side of the surround pull away. fixed by dealer.
3. had dealer add new seals to bunk door, even though we haven't had any leaks yet.
4. mine is not as tight as on roof. it just has to be sealed. as far as i know, it's the same stuff.
5. received the package 6 months after buying. never needed it.
6. all water pumps in lower-end trailers are loud. fixes are easy, such as the Shurflo silencing kit and mouse pad under pump.
i too, have some give in floor. it's pretty typical of the different brands of hybrids we looked at.
i called Gregg Rollins at FR, twice. no answer. but i emailed him and he responded quickly. got reimbursed for warranty work at a non-FR dealer. by the way, i've had all my warranty work done at dealers that didn't sell Roos. the last dealer didn't even sell any FR products.
P.S. here's a link to a loud pump thread in the Tech forum. it was by a guy who was going to buy a new pump:
loud pump thread
RE: Tow Vehicle for HTT?
from what i've heard, the 4.6 is notorious for being underpowered for pulling a trailer, especially thru mountains.
go for the 5.4. i have a 5.3 Chevy and it allows me not to be limited on hybrid length.
a 4.6 will limit you to under 21'.
Recent trip to SW Oregon/NW Calif.
just got back from a 10 day trip to Canyonville, Oregon(Seven Feathers RV Resort) and Harris Beach CG, Brookings, Oregon and Prairie Creek RedwoodSP, California.
we had a luxury stay at Seven Feathers; cable, full hookups, shuttle, free computer access, indoor pool/spa.
then a somewhat less luxurious stay at Harris Beach SP; W/E, tv with the antenna. but a great SP and a wonderful base to explore the south coast of Oregon.
finally Prairie Creek(dry camping). we had been there 25 years ago, when we camped in a tent out of our Porsche 914. in fact, the DW decided that she was done tent camping while there. we started looking for a popup when we got home. but it was perfect there this time with our Roo! we didn't have any hookups(typical Calif. SP), but we use the Honda 2000 to top off the battery and actually watche a DVD! boy, have times changed since we were there last.:R
but we had outstanding weather for this time of year, during the whole trip. we actually spent time sunbathing on the beach at Harris and Prairie Creek! the beach temps were around 75 degrees.
it was a great trip and did a lot of good. we had to cancel our previously planned trip to Glacier NP, Yellowstone NP and Grand Tetons NP, due to the recent death of my mother. so we decided to take this trip to give us some desperately needed healing time.
everything in the Roo worked great! still very happy with it and glad we made the decision to buy it.
RE: Towing a 2001 cub 23
I'm new to the camping world. and was wondering if I will be able to tow my Cub 23 with a 2008 Sante Fe 6cyc. with a trailer brake? Any suggestions will be helpful
here's a quote from the Casita Club about the Santa Fe and towing capacity.
"I finally got to a dealership to find the towing capacity on the 2008 Santa Fe. The SE and Limited version can tow #3500 with trailer brakes and the trailer prep package (part of the touring package). This package inlcudes pre wiring, transmission cooler, larger radiator core, and more powerful fan. The actual hitch is not included in the package? The capacity without the pre package is #2000 with trailer brakes and #1650 without."
so the max with the trailer brake and the trailer prep package is 3500lbs. i'm sure that a 23' hybrid is going to weigh at least that before you put anything in it. probably 4000lbs. is the "dry" weight.
you are only going to be able to tow a 19' or smaller hybrid with that small of a tow vehicle.
RE: Just Saying Hi / New Member
welcome to our little club! you should be able to get more info on hybrids than you can hold in your brain, on this forum.
when we shopped for ours, we felt that Jayco, Starcraft and Roo/Shamrock were the best built.
we thought Jayco and Starcraft had a slight lead because of their great customer service reputation over the Roo/Shamrock.
but the Roo/Shamrock had a far superior floorplan lineup. none of the other two had floorplans such as the 236(no longer made), the 21SS and the 23SS.
so we chose the floorplan we wanted. but Jayco has come out with a 21SS copy and may have a 23SS copy out next year. so they are going to be more competitive with the Forest River products.
my advice is to look at the actual brands and sit in them. open up cabinets and doors and look them over. see which one feels right.
i would wait and see what Jayco has to offer next year.
but we love our Roo!:B
RE: Please help, problem with one tent end
We own a 2004 Aerolite Cub C-160........we love our hybrid trailer, but......we have a problem and don't know what to do or where to take it to get fixed. The front bunk end has a "tear" in one corner where it attaches at the top. It used to be smaller than it is now, but over time it has enlarged. We have been using a really "sticky" tape to hold it together, but we don't think this is going to last. It's not the tent fabric. It's the plastic that the tent is attached too and where it is clamped down to hold in place. The plastic is ripped. Of course, it was out of warantee when this happened. Any suggestions??
most tent ends have a 6 year warranty. a lot of people with Cub/Kodiak and Coyote have had this problem.
contact Thor and see what they say.
you might be able to get a canvas shop to sew it back on the plastic piece.
RE: Big rig friendly California Coast
We are heading to Arizona from Vancouver, BC area and would like to travel along the west coast before heading over to Yuma. We are traveling in a 40 foot motorhome towing a Jeep. Any concerns or recommendations you would like to share regarding roads and campsites would be appreciated. We will be leaving mid October so winter should not be a problem. I hope!
Thanks
there are 2 coastal routes in Calif. the main one is Rte. 101, which is big-rig friendly. but parts of it go inland.
Rte. 1 is the other. parts of it merge into 101. but the other parts are coastal while 101 goes inland.
Rte. 1 has a few sections that are difficult for big-rig RV's. these are generally avoided by most. i think the Leggett to Ft. Bragg route and the Carmel to Hearst Castle route are the ones most discussed.
RE: Thoughts on 2 weeks of RV'ing in New Zealand
joshjack, we felt we would be less restricted by using a car over a RV. we just got in and went. we didn't have to fill water tanks, empty tanks, pickup at campsite, buy food/supplies and etc...
sooner schooner, i agree about our great country. and we have spent a great deal of time seeing it.
but i believe Americans who don't ever travel outside the U.S., especially teenagers, are missing a lot. i believe that the image of the "Ugly American" is the result of Americans traveling and expecting everything to be "American-like".
i've traveled in Europe, Mexico, Canada, the South Pacific and the Caribbean. in almost every place, i found that nearly all loved Americans and America. what they didn't like were Americans that expected people in other countries to speak english, serve American food, have American TV shows and cater to their every whim.
i've seen this behavior many times and felt ashamed.
that said, i've also seen citizens from other countries acting the same.
i feel that traveling abroad and meeting the real people of that particular country, is an enriching and educational experience.
the result is a deeper and richer appreciation for our country, the U.S.A.
you will come back, no longer taking for granted the freedoms and plenty that being an American provides.
and you'll understand why so many people continue to dream of living in America.
RE: RV Cover for 23SS
i also have an ADCO cover for my 23SS and i live in California!
chuck has a great pic of his 23SS covered in snow, with the cover on.
i bought one off of Ebay and use it because of the constant sun and the wet winters.
RE: Thoughts on 2 weeks of RV'ing in New Zealand
great report! we went to NZ for our 20th anniv. and my 50th B-day.
it had been a dream of mine for many years.
we debated about renting a RV or just a car. we finally decided on the car and staying in motels/inns/B&B's.
that said, i still wish we'd done the RV. but we wouldn't have been able to see that much of the country as we did with just a car. we saw most of both islands in two weeks.
we still might go back there and do the RV thing.
RE: Buying a generator
Are considering purchase of an "All-Power" 6500 watt diesel genset. Does anyone out there have one and what is your opinion?
please, before you get responses, clarify what you are going to use it for. such as: back-up for your home during outages, or for boondocking, or for campgrounds.
if it's for campgrounds, please don't.:E
for the other two, it should be a great purchase.
RE: Thanks Chuck
i've been a member of this forum for 3 years. Chuck S. has been a great resource for info and pictures for the forum, especially for his beloved Roo 23SS.
i like his tongue-in-cheek humor. but it does rub some the wrong way, especially if they don't read between the lines or his smiley icons.;)
what a lot of people don't know and Chuck doesn't brag about, is that he is a highly decorated Vietnam Vet and retired Lt. Colonel.
he is an expert on military firearms and has published many articles on them.
i found this out a while ago. Chuck, i hope i'm accurate on my info.
i'm sure this all gives him the ability to look at things logically and analytically, including hybrids. obviously, he is passionate about hybrids and has taken the time to truly learn everything about them. just like he has in his previous interests/experiences, including his military career.
Chuck, sometimes i feel like i'm the only one who gets you sometimes. just like me and Dennis Miller!:B
