Rockwood is a reputable company that is known for its reasonable prices and quality RVs, but are they good enough to buy? I have some experience with Rockwood products and have done some additional research on Rockwood and here is what I found.
Rockwood campers have a far superior quality than other cheaper brands such as Coleman, but they still have their issues. Problems with the warranty are common as parts of the camper are known to break often within the first year of use. Overall though, Rockwood RVs are well worth the price.
It is common for any new RV to have some problems, but I was surprised how many issues my Rockwood RV gave me to start with, and only after resolving these problems was I able to get the full experience out of my Rockwood.
(Note: This review isn’t specific to one particular Rockwood RV, but rather a summation of what I have observed and researched about Rockwood RVs in general.)
The Best Things About a Rockwood RV
Let me start by saying that although the Rockwood does have it’s issues, my family and I overall, really enjoyed the Rockwood. From it’s sporty exterior to its stylish (if not a little dark) interior, the Rockwood RV was overall a great purchase.
The Awnings
One of my favorite parts of the newer Rockwood models is the fully automatic awnings that they have. I’m not sure if you have ever had to manually set up an awning on an RV before, but it can be a real pain in the neck.
With the Rockwood RVs, all you need to do is push a button and the awnings will slide out automatically. Not only that, but you are able to adjust them to the length you want. If you are parked close to a tree, for example, and you only want the awning sticking out for a couple of feet to give you some extra shade, you can do that.
As you can imagine, this is a lifesaver when the weather is less than favorable. I have always struggled to manually set up an awning if the wind is blowing too harshly (a frequent experience whenever I camp near the Tetons), or if I am camping in the winter.
I know some other RV brands have this same feature, but it just works so well on the Rockwood that I absolutely love it.
Comfy Beds
Another great feature about a Rockwood RV is the great Murphy beds that they come with. Murphy beds are beds that can be folded into the wall when not in use to give you some extra legroom.
Not only is this Murphy bed easy to take in and out of storage (it literally only takes a few seconds. Just push a few buttons, pull a few levers and you are in business!), but it is also surprisingly comfortable. One of the biggest complaints I hear about RVs in general is how uncomfortable the furniture is.
I don’t know about you, but one of the quickest ways to ruin an RV trip in my opinion, is a poor night’s sleep. I don’t think you will have any problems sleeping on this bed.
Nice Couches
Not only that, but when you are not sleeping in the bed at night, it folds into a couch for day time use. Couches are a luxury that a lot of people don’t have while camping. It was a luxury that, I will admit, I didn’t think I wanted. But after trying it out for a couple of days, I fell in love with it.
Now my biggest issue is to try and get my kids to stop jumping on in and go enjoy the outside.
Modern Touches
The newer Rockwood RVs were built with modern conveniences in mind. Once again, I like to consider myself a traditionalist camper. I’m not the type of guy that likes to have his food served on a silver platter whenever I step foot in nature.
However, the more time I spend with modern touches like the ones found in Rockwoods, I find myself begrudgingly enjoying the convenience that they afford me.
For example, the nightstands by the bed have a USB port where you can plug in your phone or laptop or whatever. I never realized how much I detested hunting all over an RV for a convenient power output, until I didn’t have to do it.
I don’t know, maybe I’m becoming soft. If I am at least I’ll be soft and comfortable.
The Kitchen
The kitchen has adequate space. I won’t say that it is super roomy, but it definitely has enough wiggle room. It also comes with a table extension that you can place at the end of your counter that will give you a few more feet of space. I haven’t personally used it much, because it takes up too much space, but I could see how it would be useful if you were cooking a big meal.
TV
The TV in the RV is surprisingly nice. Decent size and mounted on a swivel arm, allowing you to easily just the angle of the screen, I was thoroughly satisfied with how nice the picture looked.
Watching TV isn’t one of my favorite things to do when I go camping, but let’s be honest, on a long trip during the hottest part of the day, it is really nice to flip on a movie and enjoy it with the kids.
The TV is close to the living area by the beds and couches so you are able to watch in comfort.
Ample Storage
I like being prepared. I prefer to be over prepared, and in my, quest to be prepared, I often bring a lot of stuff. Sometimes maybe a bit too much stuff.
The great thing about Rockwood RVs is that they really cater to the guy that likes to be prepared. I have never been in want of more storage space with a Rockwood RV. Never.
The pantry, for example, can fit food enough to feed an army. We fill it with plenty of food for our week long camping trips, and I we could probably still fill it with three times the amount of food that we bring.
If you are looking for an RV to take extended trips in, the Rockwood would make a great choice. I know that finding room to store all the necessities of life can be hard, but you should find plenty of space in a Rockwood RV.
It seems like anywhere that they could have put storage space they did and they are all really accessible too. Under chairs and beds, in the bathroom, even a medicine cabinet (which a lot of trailers don’t have) make it really easy to keep everything easily accessible and organized.
Water Storage
Water is a precious commodity. In our day to day lives, we can forget how important clean water is in our daily routines. From bathing to cooking, and even the dirty deeds we do in the bathroom, water is essential to maintaining a healthy life.
When you go out camping, you realize how scarce clean water is, and how important it is to ration what purified water you do have. I really enjoy how Rockwood RVs use water efficiently.
The faucets are sound and the toilets don’t leak like they frequently do in cheaper RVs.
Save some water, and save yourself a lot of headache.
Solid Frame
It’s the oldest cliche in the book. You drive up to a dealership looking to buy a new RV and the salesman comes out offering you a variety of choices. He walks up to one and starts beating it with his fist. Hard.
“You see this one?” he says, still banging and smiling like a toddler with a plastic hammer, “this is solid. It won’t brake no matter what abuse you put it through!”
You stare at him, still pounding and grinning like an idiot and wonder why in the world punchable walls would be included as a deluxe feature.
Well, it turns out, they are actually kind of nice.
There is a reason another name for camping is “roughing it”. Things can get dirty and hands-on fast. Hauling a 4,000-pound trailer up a 15-degree mountain incline can be tricky and I would be surprised if your trailer didn’t get showered by a flurry of pebbles every now and then.
If you are the type of guy that likes it when your things look nice and new (I know I am), then the strength of the exterior walls will be handy in preserving the fresh-off-the-lot look of your RV.
It would take a serious rock smashing into the walls of a Rockwood to dent or damage it in anyway. It will definitely get muddy, but once you wash the grime away, it will look just like it did when it rolled of the assembly line.
On top of all that, there is something comforting to me knowing that I am sleeping in something sturdily crafted.
The Worst Things About a Rockwood RV
I meant what I said, I really do enjoy my Rockwood RV, but I didn’t say that it wasn’t without issues.
Weird Lighting/Dark Interior
A big hang up with my Rockwood is that the interior is set up a little strange. For example, all the lights on the interior are a little bit weird. Near the entrance there is a switch to turn on one bulb that hangs near the front door, but it only activates that bulb.
In order to turn on the other lights, I need to go on a scavenger hunt to find 7 or 8 different switches to turn on all the lights inside of my RV. You may be thinking that that may not be such a big deal, but just wait till you get back after a long day of playing, and need to prepare for bed.
If it is at all dark inside you won’t be able to find any of the switches. Waking up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom is a pain as well. Nothing like fumbling through a pitch black RV in the middle of the night with a full bladder I always say. It builds character, yes, but I would rather just have lights that make sense.
Windows
The frameless windows are nice, but they have their drawbacks. The interior of the Rockwood is dark already, and the windows are so small that they don’t let in a lot of natural light. I’m the type of guy that enjoys as much contact with the sun’s rays as possible, and I just can’t get that with these smallish windows.
It wouldn’t be so bad if you could open them all the way, but they only open about halfway by twisting a little know that lies at the base of the window seal. On the other hand, this is also kind of a nice feature as you are able to enjoy some fresh air even if it were raining outside, but overall, I think I would have preferred larger windows.
Stove and Oven
The stove and the oven are nice, but kind of a pain to use. The oven, for example, needs to be started with a lighter which is annoying, but it isn’t too difficult. The problem with the stove is that is can be very easy to forget to turn it off and let propane pour into the rest of your RV. I haven’t had an issue yet, but I could see that potentially causing some serious harm.
Dining Room
The chairs that surround the dining room table are rigidly straight and miserable to sit on. While it isn’t bad if you only need to sit for a couple of minutes I prefer sitting outside and enjoying a meal whenever possible to sitting in those chairs.
In my opinion, one of the greatest parts about camping is the food. If I can’t properly enjoy my food, then I can get a big chip on my shoulder. I would have hoped the chairs would have been more conducive to a good meal.
Warranty Issues
For whatever reason, when I bought my Rockwood, it had a lot of broken parts. The DVD player on the TV, for example, wouldn’t start up properly. I bought my Rockwood new and wasn’t expecting so many issues.
It was easy enough to access the warranty on all of these things, but it is still frustrating navigating your way through endless phone calls and paperwork trying to fix things that shouldn’t be broken in the first place.
I recommend testing all of the features on your Rockwood before you decide to buy. You never know what might be broken. Ask the dealership about the warranty too, because if your experience is anything like mine, then you’ll be needing to use it a lot.
When I buy something I don’t want to have to wait around to use it. I want to jump right in and start playing. I was disappointed with the quantity of damaged features.
Other Information
The Rockwood RVs are not perfect, but they are still a terrific buy. If you are thinking of settling for a cheaper brand like Coleman you may want to reconsider.
In my opinion, the added price it takes to get the superior quality of a Rockwood RV is well worth it.
I really love all of the storage space and comfort that Rockwood RVs offer. A nice comfortable couch and a bed that doesn’t mess up my back are much appreciated whenever I’m out camping.
Not too mention some of the cool modern touches like a large quality TV and USB plugins. All of these things combine to make a really exceptional RV.
My biggest complain is the awkward lighting of the interior. The darker paint and furniture tones look nice when brightly lit, but make it dreary and difficult to navigate as soon as it gets dark, but this is a small price to pay when juxtaposed with the plethora of great features.
When all is said and done, I fully endorse Rockwood RVs and think they are well worth the price.
