I bought a Jayco 23B primarily due to our affinity for a particular dealer who's treated us GREAT re/service over the years and pretty much deals only Jayco. Plus the 23B a solid floor plan.
Lately I've been checking out the Rockwood 232 and smarting a bit that I didn't shop around more. My single biggest PITA on camp trips is hauling the bikes...usually two (kidos) sometimes 4. That bike deck looks SWEET.
Then I got to thinking however, that if you push the trailer back anothger 4-5 feet behind the tow vehilce, you're probably losing some wind cushion and getting more force/wind resistance hitting the front of that trailer. I got to wonderintg if that might be one reason you don't see more of this concept becuase it seems great at first glance.
Only other 2 drawbacks I can see to the Rockwood 232 is the rectangle bath (me extra large-triangle gives me shoulder room) and NO countertop space between the range and sink. Maybe a small lack of external compartment storage.
We love our 232, the bike deck was one of the many features I like. I persoanlly don't like the triangle tub, and have mixed feelings about the window in the bathroom. it sounds nice and lets light in, but if the curtain is closed and you turn on the fan with the window open, it is like a broadway show LOL. I find the external storage to work well, and I am putting a bike stand or 2 on the deck and buying a truck bed box to strap on the front for additional storage. I find that floorplan and good dealer are 2 of the most important things in picking out a camper.
The only "disadvantage" I see in the Roo 232 front deck is the extra length of the trailer when it's not in use, a little harder to fit in a driveway or storage parking space. As for air resistance these are bricks anyway and fuel use is probably not going to be noticeably more.
We've not taken our bikes camping since we got the hybrid. Only means we walk more! But I can see the benefit for children.
These are all compromises regarding interior space, countertops, etc. Heck a Prevost motorhome is a compromise! Advice we got years ago, while shopping for our popup, was to make a priority list in priority order, not a vague one. Our popup priority was headed by top-down-refrigerator access and that limited us to a handful of popups. Front trunk and glide out dinette, the next two, limited us to one, maybe two. Our hybrid priority list was headed by a riser kit (to keep the drains intact), slide out, and separate sleeping-cooking-dining areas, meaning no dinette or galley pushed up against either bed. And a large closet or hanging locker as I was tired of getting dressed at the back of my Explorer as "my women" had all the interior storage space. Yours will vary. It it includes a front deck your choice is almost made for you.
A priority list greatly simplified our shopping.
-- Chuck
'06 Roo 23SS behind '07 Expedition out of Cleveland Our Photo pages
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