The_Painting_Teacher
Cape Cod, MA/St. Augustine, FL
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Joined: 12/08/2005
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We've been looking at 5'ers with an eye to getting out of our 25' TT into something larger. Their 8285WS looks like something that would fit us. Any comments re the line or that particular model? Thanks for any input. Camp on!
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fivecodys
Central California
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Joined: 07/05/2005
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While I can't comment on that model, I can comment on the Ultralight series.
We have a Flagstaff 8528RKSS (see below). Same as the Rockwood just different stickers. We have been mostly pleased with the trailer.
A few little problems but the dealer quickly took care of them.
Lots of aluminum so the trailer flexes alot when you walk around.
We ordered ours from the factory.
We opted for the hide-a-bed with the air matress. So far so good.
The boys like it.
Fantastic fans in both the bathroom and the livingroom.
I passed on the RVque. I have a BBQ I liked way better.
We like the power awning.
I also added aluiminum wheels.
We also added the TV in the bedroom. I like that alot.
On a scale of 1-10 I would rate the trailer a solid 8.
They were sloppy in the construction and I have fixed somethings myself that should have been fixed at the factory.
I hear these complaints from almost everyone in my family who RV's so I guess that's normal.
If you have any specific questions let me know and I will do my best to answer them.
Bill
2007 Tundra DC
SuperGlide 14K
Prodigy Brake Controller
2009 Flagstaff 8528RKSS Ultralight Series
Air Lift 5000
"So is Congress the opposite of Progress?" 
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rocketmomkd
Chester County, Pennsylvania
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Joined: 10/17/2005
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We don't have a 5'er, but we do have the Rockwood Sig.Ultralight 8317 TT and love it. Really nice quality. Love the interior and the storage space. We've had it since April and had no major problems.
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pamie50
dunnellon,florida
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Joined: 03/23/2004
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we have rockwood 5ther 2004 pull with ford f250 v10 only thing wissh we had would be a slide out bed in bedroom so i don't bump my head. forest river good company to deal with. paul
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wa8shc
Parma, Ohio
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Joined: 12/11/2003
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Out 8243S is our 2nd Rockwood, the previous being a 2502
5th is going on it's 3rd trip to AZ shortly
Had some 'infant mortality' with regards to 3 components for which I cannot blame FR.
Only real problem with build was an overzealous application of PVC cement to 1 grey water tank drain valve, which took about 2 hrs to repair
Another poster mentioned 'a lot of flex' which I cant say we've experienced. A good set of wheel chock (homemade) and a set of landing gear cross braces, fixed all the 'flex' we've experienced
Overall, very well built, and has more than met expectations as our 'snowbird' 5th
JMHO
Denny WA8SHC and Rita WB8TIR
Siberian Husky Ta'kya (Princess RIP 10/04 Taz RIP 5/12/08)
2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Quad Cab 5.9L CTD 3.73/LSD,Quadzilla RECON monitor
2008 Rockwood 8243S 5th wheel
Pullrite 14K Superglide & MorRyde pinbox
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Merrykalia
Southwest Virginia
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Joined: 04/18/2005
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We also have an 8317SS and we really like it. We've had pups, hybrids and TT's and we really like the amount of space we have, the storage and all the other components are pretty much what you would expect.....except, we had the junk Concertone entertainment center. We've replaced it piece by piece so that we have a pretty good one now. Ours is a 2007.
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forte88
Hemet, CA
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Joined: 08/17/2004
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We had at one time were considering the 8288SS which is kind of similar except it has an entertainment center slide with a fireplace. The biggest problem we had was with the dealer not giving us a fair price, and really trying to screw us with a trade, But we came close to buying it. The issues I had with the trailer itself was that it had separate valve drains for black and grey which would require two sewer hoses with Y connector, or moving one to the other when dumping. The second problem with the drain valve was that one of them was almost centered directly under the sofa slide which would require me to get on my hands and knees and crawl under the slide to pull the lever, or disconnect the hose. If it's wet outside with puddles I'd get soaked, or if i'm parked on gravel I'd kill my knees. The next issue was the lack of outside storage. However, it was a nice floorplan. The trailer was really light, and I could almost be able to tow it with my Tundra half ton. The floor plan was it's best feature, and I don't think anyone else makes one like the 8288ss under 30ft.There were a few other nice features like heated tanks and a bed heater. My deal fell through mostly because of the dealer, but I did have some reservations because of the above.
2006 Keystone Challenger 32tkb
2004 F350 Super Duty 6.0 Turbo Diesel Dually
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cahrdw
St. Charles, MO
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Joined: 01/19/2008
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Love our 06' Rockwood 8280SS,It has really been a nice 5'ver.Like anything else if you take care of things (Axles,loose screws,general maint. items)it should reward you with years of service. We have a gas powered truck that pulls it fine (60-65 mph).We've been using quite a bit lately & look forward to every future trip.
Rich
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ready2rock
Southern Maryland
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Joined: 08/25/2007
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We love our Rockwood 8285WS Fiver. We opted for the Free Standing table versus the dinette. We also opted out of the Atrium Slide in order to have the additional cabinets above the couch and dinette.
We picked up the fiver in Dec 2008 and took it out on it's maiden voyage April 2009. We have camped 22 nights this year and will go 5 more night the first week in November.
Dave and Pam
2007 Chevy Silverado 2500
2009 Rockwood Fiver 8285WS (Ultra Lite)
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Arizona 5ers
Peoria, AZ
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Joined: 03/21/2008
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We have the 8244 2007 26 foot. We chose the Rockwood for the interior floor plan, over all weight and size. We knew we would be traveling a lot, not just park and sit, park and sit. We bought the shorter 5er so we could tow the boat too. Only problem so far has been the Concertone radio/tv control/dvd thing. I'm not sure they still come with them, but we're working on replacing ours with something else. No other problems. Just remember to use the bar included to hold the slide stable while driving. We've broken several bolts when we forgot the bar. This could be because we're off paved roads a lot, too. The Rockwood just puts up with whatever we do to it. Love it.
Over all, when we decide to upgrade,we would look at the Signature Ultra Lite again.
P.S. I think Warren Buffett still owns the company. He purchased from original owners. Warren does not waste his money.
* This post was
edited 10/22/09 10:17pm by Arizona 5ers *
2007 2500 Dodge Ram Big Horn 4X4 QC Prodigy
2007 Forest River Rockwood Signature Ultra Lite 26Ft
Lifes Just One Big Cartoon, And We're the Star Players!
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