I know this is an old video but I have thoroughly enjoyed watching this entire process. And more disturbed at the manufacturer’s workmanship. This is going to help so many people that are looking to purchase a pop up. Thank you for taking the time to record your work, this is so awesome!! You did a beautiful job!
What I don't understand is that you have such a great attitude during the whole process. I would have parked a thing in front of a Rockwood dealer with a big lemon sign attached to it until they fix the problem.
I am so thankful for life, for my family... I spent years in a pit until the Lord pulled me out. He gave me freedom and thats where the attitude comes from ☝ As for Rockwood? They would have replaced garbage with garbage and it would have taken half the summer before I got the camper back (at least that has been my previous experience with other issues). I decided the only way I could rest was to do it myself and know that it was done right 👍
Great job! Just a little note, if you want to keep your caulk fresh in the tube, seal the end with a large wire nut, just screw it on as you would on wires and it seals the end. Has worked for me for years.
I remember me trying to help my dad work around the house and with our vehicles and all he did was scream and yell at me. I am very happy that your child is treated with respect and love. You're a good father. God bless.
God bless you too 🙏 im truly sorry you had that experience. Praise the Lord that we have an opportunity to do better 🤗 and that we learned from our past.
I'm SURE this one pop-up factory build was just the ONE of probably TENS OF THOUSANDS that were made with high quality materials, superior craftsmanship, and a ROCK SOLID, easy-to-use warranty...here endeth the sarcasm.
Great video! We just bought a new 2023 Rockwood 232ESP. Thanks to you and others, we knew what to look for and that we'd have some work to do. The quality control and construction is so sloppy ... but will have an amazing adventure camper when we're done! Thanks for your good humor, insight, and generous sharing of your experience!
So the lesson I'm learning... buy new, take everything off and reseal before "ever" taking out on a camping trip. Excellent video. Sorry you had to go through this.
Uhhhhg sad but seems to be true! I’ve heard from others the same experience. Knowing what I know now, I would reseal the roof fan and all of the hardware on the very top and front/back and leave the lower bars in place. Also I’d caulk every screw and add lap sealant to every roof seam. But I’m very happy. Our camper is dry, smells like new still, and my son doesn’t have water dripping on his head while he tries to sleep 🤗🙏 thank you for the feedback!
Fellow VTer here. Great video! Picked up a 1998 Rockwood last fall, and have been working at resealing the thing. A big difference with mine is that I expected to need to reseal a 24 yo popup. Having to do all that to one that’s only a year old? Wow. There’s a certain amount of soft wood and rusty screws I’m willing to accept on my oldie, but I’ll definitely be upping my sealing game after watching all your hard work!
Hey neighbor 👋 it’s incredible isn’t it?! I had to restore a brand new camper! How insane. We owned a 1997 StarCraft. I rebuilt the roof on that but like you said, that makes sense. We thought buying new would save us the some extra effort… we were wrong 😑 Prayers for success on sealing your pop up!! Cheers to many happy memories to be made 🙏👍
Just bought a used 2020 Fleetwood and is essentially the same build. Great to know how it all comes apart and reassembled. Those corner pieces on mine are totally separated as well. It the process of resealing which brought me to this video. Many thanks.
Glad it helped! Once I resealed mine we never saw water intrusion again 👍 Keep an eye on the caulk every once in a while. It can shrink and you simply add a little more. Enjoy the camping season 🙏
Rock wood should really see your video I have one from 1996 and it's starting to show age but no leaks just shows ya craftsmanship when companies actually valued work force!!!! Great video thanks
Thank you my friend!! I made the video in hopes that it would help others. I'm sure times have changed. In fact I was curious about the Forest River/Rockwood company culture so I looked them up on Glassdoor. Seems like a high stress, low pay, high turnover business model. www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Forest-River-Reviews-E16246.htm
Heck of a job on the reseal. I have same exact model as you and got me worried about mine. Looks like they did better caulk job on mine. Fingers crossed no leaks on my trip up to colorado next week!
Still loving your videos and planning on switching to manual witch soon. One thing with camper i havent been able to figure out is where is the switch for the oval light or the one in the front cargo bay. Have you been able to turn these on?
Rockwood just slid to the bottom of my possible RV trailers. Wondering if they’ve seen this video. If not, I’m guessing they don’t care or can’t defend shabby craftsmanship. Thank you for the video.
Thanks for the feedback. It was a terrible ownership experience but we did manage to make great family memories. In general the industry is pretty poor at build quality. Can be hit or miss. What I’ve learned is that the warranty means nothing. And if you’re going to buy a camper of any kind, it’s best to be handy with tools. Happy hunting! Praying you find a good one 🙏
Thought I was the only one. Learned a lot from you on this. Had my 1970esp make within a week after the first rain, and problem ever since, guess I’ll do the would, the plumbing is not all that great either, did that my self
Sorry you've also endured the sloppy construction. And glad to hear the vid helped! I've had plumbing issues that I've had to repair as well. Pretty campers! Low quality :(
Great vid, very informative. We have been camping for many years, in different types of units. We went back to popups again because we enjoy the outdoor feel. That being said, at the end of our camping season, March to November most years in Texas, I check the calk around our unit. Any problems that are located is cause to strip the seam clean, and reapply calk. Rubber seals are treated, unit is washed and waxed, then we park it in the barn until we start our new season. Thanks for sharing your can do Spirit with the greater popup Family. Bless you, and your Family. Happy Camping!
After watching your video I took a closer look at our 2006 Fleetwood E2; needless to say I have some work to do. Fortunately SoCal does not get much rain but the wind did its own work. Thank you for your video it was an eye opener.
I just finished a roof rebuild of an old Starcraft Centennial. Again, if I knew then what I knew now I would've been able to see the problems I was buying. It is _shocking_ how bad the factory sealing job is on your new camper. The Starcraft at least was done "right" by the manufacture but just not cared for by PO. The rebuild isn't pretty but it's solid now.
We had a 97 Starcraft that I rebuilt die to the same disregard for maintenance. But it was also very old. It made sense that I had to work on it. But I did not expect it from a new camper. I wish mine was a fluke bad build but it appears to be the norm for the industry. And poor service quality. And poor warranty support. It pays to be handy if youre going to own a camper 💪
Thank you so much for this video, we just found a leak on the forward plug in light/fan fixture on our 2021 Rockwood Pop up Model 1980 and this gave us a good start to begin the fix! Great job!
@B Annoying I have taken it back. They take weeks. Our first summer we lost 2 months before we could camp due to warranty issues. And when I got it back, it had new damage. I could keep taking it back and miss the summer camping season AND get sub-par repairs. Or do it myself. I did it myself and I sleep better knowing it was done right.
Just found your channel today!! Looking to buy a Rockwood popup, and your video is invaluable for ownership peace of mind! And, today is your surgery. Prayers for your speedy and full recovery. Jesus bless you.
for the screws that didnt 'have tooth' like on your wifi ranger... insert a zip tie until it bottoms out, then cut it flush. insert the original screw and the zip tie will help fill the hole and be soft enough for the teeth of the screw to grab. works well. also, use an old credit card to trim off the excess butyl tape. clean cut without cutting the roof (or whatever surface).
Sadly, I did not have the benefit of knowing before I started... I had to tear it down to find out where the leaks were coming from. Now that I know, in hindsight, that would be a good solution. I have shared my learning with a few others and hopefully it saves them a lot of time and effort :)
I think this was a very well done video and camper project. I find it ironic to come across your video because just today my wife and I were talking about getting a fixer upper pop up to pull behind out 2019 DGC. So your video puts me at ease with fixing leaks on any camper we get.
I learned that you need to be handy when you own a camper of any kind :) but they can all be fixed 👍 just watch for serious wood rot. Loose or flexing roof clamps are a good indicator! Happy hunting 🙏🙏🙏
Just bought a used 2021, same model and expected to find a few things to be fixed...there were. After watching your video, I inspected the roof corner brackets and found one that had leaked slightly, but nothing soft. However, each corner piece had a gap that would allow water in, so let the resealing begin. Thanks very much for taking the time to make that video:))
Its obvious you know that owning a pop up (or any camper) requires constant maintenance and inspections. So glad you caught it before any major structure damage 👍 I appreciate the feedback 🙏
I had considered it. We got a great deal on it and I really wanted to go camping with my family. We paid just under $12k and then Covid hit and suddenly they were selling for $20k. So I kept it. Fixed it. And we ended up having amazing camping trips and made family memories.
This was very informative (and entertaining). Will help immensely in recovering the '98 Rockwood I just picked up. Already began by rebuilding the top side panels. Old ones were completely rotted and fell apart at the touch. Covered sides with new aluminum and am ready to put the metal brackets back on and find new gaskets/corner caps for it. I will adhere to your sealing process as closely as I can because I have some of that PTSD you mentioned after opening Pandora's Box. 80% of the screws were rusted to the point of disintegration on the top of this popup =( Thanks for putting this together and sharing!
I feel your pain on the '98 Rockwood! We had a 1997 Starcraft and I had to rebuild the side and rear panels too. The wood had turned to pudding. I literally had to scoop the old wood out. And yeah.... once you go thru it the PTSD is real :) Glad this was helpful and thank you for sharing! And I appreciate the feedback tremendously :)
@@sstressfl i'm doing the same with my 98 rockwood...replaced both of the side panels with 1" wood instead off that particle board junk. I also bed linered the inside panel to protect that from moisture.
@@sstressfl yup...i figured that the thing holding the roof over my families heads should be solid wood....it's worth the few extra bucks for piece of mind
Usually if you have loose holes in wood that a screw is loose in said holr... Apply wood glue and stuff tooth picks in the hole. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and cut or snap off the excess that is having out. Once this is done. Reattach your screws. It will hold as good as it did when it was first made.
the way its 'supposed' to be designed... the butyl tape is the primary seal and the caulk is designed to shed water away. but ONLY if they actually apply the butyl tape and caulk properly. i wish manufacturers were penalized for poor quality control.
I found a Livin Lite Quick Silver for a friend of mine for $2700 in EC. Will definitely be my next camper. No wood, all aluminum and marine grade cushions and super light.
Oh I love the idea of NO wood!!! It’s 2024! No camper’s shell should be made of wood that can rot and grow mold. I googled it. Such a cool pop up camper!!
It really is nice, they are very pleased with it, and he pulls it with a 4 cyl 2wd Nissan Frontier with no problem. I have done the very thing you did in your video except it was a $1000 popup and I knew it needed work. Rebuilt the entire roof including the side boards. Now I'm doing it all over again for my daughter who wants to start a lemonade trailer. We found a Palomino camper for $350 needs work but a good base. I'm going to hard wall it and turn it into a food trailer for her.
Your right, and it dont take long to realize most popups are not built out of much and also when you have a wife and 3 daughters they will test your skill sets to the max.
Finally had the time to watch the whole video, all 1 hour and 16 minutes! All I can say is, anything can be fixed with butyl tape, lap sealant, and a little bit of Diet Coke!
Thank you for this amazing video! I quite enjoyed learning from you. We are working on our popup roof this coming spring, so I’m doing research. I appreciate your thorough explanations. I must admit that I get Owen Wilson vibes from you and your humor!
Michael - Another help on caulking fittings with screws or bolt. If you perforate the butyl tape before you put the screw in you can inject your caulk down into the screw or bolt hole and seal the inside of the hole around the threads. No water intrusion. Warning though, with bolts when you push the bolt in there will be a stem of caulk on the end of thee bolt. If neat visually is essential wipe before putt9ng nut and washer on. If not put washer and nut on over it and it will seal the underside as well. No leaks....bob branch
Thank you for this vid. My sons and I are doing the same on our 2014. Unfortunately the back roof wall is shot. I was really aggravated. There was no sealing on the back at all. Zero. The front side, front and back were well sealed. Absolutely nothing on the back side. Any way , Thanks for a great vid and wish us luck!!
You’ll do great!! And sleep better afterward :) sorry you have to go through it though. Such sloppy inconsistent assembly. Prayers for your wild success 🙏💪👍 And thank you for your kind words! Glad the video was a help.
Sheesh, makes me want to check my 318G that I just bought in May. Luckily I live in Arizona so the rain isn't too huge of a problem. It's in the shop now due to poor assembly and whoever closed it at the dealer didn't put the galley down property and tore a huge chunk out of the galley end. Molding and trim inside was warped and it was missing gaskets on the compartments. I'll be sure and check the corners for sealing when I get it back.
Hi Michael, excellent video as always! I'm very impressed with your cheery disposition, I would be furious and mortified by the problems you've uncovered. Such appalling shoddy workmanship! Question; why don't these companies construct camper roofs with GRP? They could surely be made in one piece eliminating many seams and joints etc. After all canoes and kayak's can be built this way...it would also negate the use of cheap softwood. Here in the UK and Europe, caravans and trailers tend to be constructed using steel and aluminium extruded frames, eliminating wood altogether. Thanks once again for all your informative video content! Cheers Steve (from Wales)
I SOOOO agree with you about alt build methods. It even seems it would be cheaper and far more efficient. I even thought they could 3d print a roof top AND the entire bottom box. Either way, a solid single piece made from synthetic material would be far superior to pieced together particle board. But then again, they'd lose out on endless service visits. I have read that the business model relies heavily on repair and service and replacement parts. In that regard, they must be very rich :) My relative cheery disposition comes from knowing that no matter what happens in this world, Christ has me for eternity :) My best to you my friend and thank you for the kind words.
@@sstressfl Your new poptop is constructed very similarly to my 1980s Jayco poptop. I'd be furious too if I bought a new camper and had those kinds of troubles. Great video.
OMG! We want to sell our 2015 Rockwall ..found a corner where the wood got wet, fixed it. We decided to look for a brand new one....but watching this video...I'm thinking we should just keep what we have! What a shame that they can't make them better!
Thank you for your video. 2019 1640 esp here. Just found the corners on door side are very soft, most likely rotted. I’ve caulked every year. Apparently I will be rebuilding, fortunately I have tools and not afraid to use them. Sad how craftsmanship is a thing of the past. The buck stops here, will be made complete.
That's so sad. I'm sorry you have to deal with it, but as I have learned, maintaining & fixing a camper requires tremendous wealth... OR.... be good with tools 💪 And I felt exactly as you feel... I knew that I would take my time and it was gonna be done right! Cuz I have also learned that even if you have money it doesn't mean it will be done well. Praying for your success 🙏
I just noticed the Old English d upon your head!you must be from the Detroit area. Or Michigan, originally! It is good to see another fellow mishagander who was representing with the Detroit Tigers hat upon their head exclamation. Pointi lived in the actual city for well over 45 years, and I moved to Brighton Tennessee due to medical issues back in 2015. Thank you so much for your content. And your presence upon the screen!
Thanks Micheal, great vid! Great discussion and comments too, very informative! I've been eyeballing the Rockwood hw296 and equivalent Flagstaff models for over a year now and right until I watched this, I thought they were a pretty good buy, albeit WAY overpriced. Guess I was right about the overpriced part anyway... Forest River: you should be ashamed of yourselves, seriously! And be thankful that it wasn't me making this video, because I wouldn't have been anywhere near as gracious as the author of this one!
Oh my, I wish someone did this to my 2008 Starcraft pop-up. My roof side boards are swollen, and the wood will need to be replaced this spring. Be happy you have OCD (I believe) you just made your camper life extend by 10 years. I doubt it is limited to Rockwood, it's a Quantity world nowadays, not Quality. Sad you had to spend time repairing a new camper instead of playing with those cute kids. Bright side is, you all will have more years of camping.
We had a '97 Starcraft that turned out to be completely rotted on the sides and back of the roof. I wasn't gonna let that happen to this one. I'm happy with the final outcome. It's completely water tight. Like you said, maybe for another 10. I keep an eye on it though. I'll forever have a little bit of water-leak-PTSD. lol Thanks for sharing!
Boy OH boy!!! I bought my brand new Rockwood pop up in March of 2021, and I have noticed the crap workmanship in several areas (electrical, cabinets, gaskets). I too hoped that "new" meant some years of worry free ownership. Thanks for the video because that white gasket under the lip of the roof is hanging out of mine on one side. Now I know how to get it off. Not looking forward to pulling of the roof trim though. Just inspecting my trailer roof, and they seemed to seal the vulnerable gaps pretty good (there's that inconsistency), but I notice that the sealant around the roof fan, vents, and Wi-Fi extender is already hard. Probably getting brittle. And I'm afraid that the screw holes are letting in water, like your unit. I live in the high desert of Southern California, so I don't want our dry weather to let me get complacent. I'm going to stay vigilant on the areas you found. Cheap as the materials are, I can't watch $20k turn to dust over night. This camper has to last me another 5 or 6 seasons before my wife and I move onto something else. That something won't be another Rockwood after seeing your video. Thanks again.
Just keep an eye on the roof fan seal, the roof corner pieces and the front and back steel hardware 👍 and the electric winch. Ours started itself and lifted the roof until it broke. Dealer said “oh yeah you should probably put a kill switch on that to avoid that happening”. No thanks! I put in a manual winch. Works wonderfully and safely. And way quieter! I have a series of videos on this camper. It’s been a crazy ownership experience. But we have managed to have a lot of fun. And right now it’s very dry inside, and I’m finally able to start doing upgrades :)
Good video sir, if that was my camper I would take that sucker back where I got it and get a different one from. Thanks again keep up with the good videos. 👍🏽
@@SlimJimIce80 I ordered this Butyle tape (came with 2) amzn.to/3KSMd9F and 2 of these amzn.to/3KSMd9F I dipped into the second one but still have some left. I orderd 1 clear selant amzn.to/38PQ4Gl and 1 black amzn.to/38PQ5dn and 1 lap sealant amzn.to/3KSb3qm and was able to finish with some left over in all 3 tubes.
We had a leak around the roof vent which soaked the bed on our 2019 Premier 2716G. Thankfully I caught it quickly before any mould could take hold. I sealed it up properly and knock on wood that seems to have been the only bad spot. That roof of yours looks like a lot of damage and should be covered on Forest Rivers 10 year roof warrentee, it should be replaced with all the delaminating wood.
It's pretty minimal damage and everything tightened up very nicely. This popup comes with a 5 year roof warranty. Small warranty claims take a month to fix. They keep our camper forever. And they replace poor quality with poor quality. I don't see the warranty having any value and so I did it myself.
@@sstressfl that’s true and you did such a thorough, better than new, job on that roof it’s never gonna leak again. But isn’t it sad we pay big dollar for a new unit to have to go back and do it right. I had to loom all the wiring underneath the coach and secure it o the bottom of the floor as it was a mess. Plus had to seal up the 1/8” gap around the wheel well where water was coming in from driving in the rain. I guess Forest River thinks we don’t take our units out in the rain. Lol
@@steveemary4447 like I often say, it’s a labor of love! I’m sure you have some pretty awesome memories from camping as well 👍🤗 thank you for your feedback my friend. After all the work you’ve had to do, I hope you have a trouble free 2021 camping season! 🙏😎
Thanks for the vido. I will not be buying a new camper after watching this. My old campers look better to me now. Good Luke with your camper. I know it will be good when you get finched.
After the work it was solid. Never had another leak and it sat out in serious rain storms. But we ended up trading it for a 2 year old Jayco hardside. It’s been rock solid so far. And I agree with your decision ❤️ thank you for the feedback! 🙏
Yikes! That would make me pretty angry. I just bought my first one, its a 1997 thats been sitting for many years and not a hint of water damage. Now a tree branch smashed a corner that i need to fix, but thats why i got a steal of a deal on it🤣
It doesn’t have a warranty? Thanks for showing this video because I’m in the market for a popup myself so when I go shopping I’m gonna pay attention on the quality, my first choice is Coleman because I had one that was made in the 70s and it was great I actually sold it and the people still use it!
5 year on the roof! And I believe they replace it with another roof made by the same people. No thanks :) And I have not had a good experience with service. Takes a month to get your camper back and the work is nowhere near as thorough. I needed to know it was sealed. Otherwise it's just kickin' the can down the road until its out of warranty and then I'd have to do this anyway, and perhaps even more.
Nice job!!! i remember when you fixed the leaky vent fan my 2018 Rockwood HW296 did the same thing last year no Bytle tape under it just caulking around the outter edge and that was it, i installed a Maxxair Vent fan with a remote its sealed and bytle tape was used as well. Next up im removing the AC unit off the roof and replacing it with another Maxxair fan as well. Great job on the video great fix too, so far mines ok but time will tell.
With remote 😎💪💕 Very nice touch! I’m glad to be on the other side of the roof sealing now it’s time to start looking closer at the hardware mounted on the lower part of the camper. At least that’s the easy stuff 👍 Butyl tape is good stuff and easy to work with. Enjoy your upgrades. And hope you’re having a good camping season 🙏 Thank you for sharing!
@@sstressfl here is a link to my One Drive Acct with pics of my HW296 check it out ill add more pics as im leaving tomorrow for a Month heading up Naples Maine on long Lake my wife and i go there every year. We live on Cape Cod and it's nice to get away for a Month. Forest River could do things right and add the price of things to the customer i wouldnt mind paying a little extra if it was done right. The other thing thats not right is look at the locks on the outside of your camper to the outside storage they are very cheap, and the lockup most of the time trying to turn them, so everytime ive gotten a new camper thats the 1st thing i change, and if you didnt know look at your key to those locks its probaly a ch751 which most all popups use that same lock, so anybody with the sane lock could use it on yours. I bought a shed for my backyard and it also uses a ch751 that is a universal lock i think. These are the locks i buy www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YJPHSE/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 these you probaly wont find anyone else with them and they turn very smooth just measure the size and length of the barrel on yours to make sure they are the right size, yours might be the same as mine but just check to make sure. Happy Camping. Glenn & Michelle❤️👍😀🏕️
We wanted to buy new but once I went to look at the new pop ups and seen the shotty work for the price I decided against it. We ended up buying a 2010 StarCraft and I’m about to reseal it so this was very informational. Great video..very nice work!
I wonder if the water damage is connected to the problem you had with the axles being rusted from being set up at the fairgrounds? Regardless, it's terrible that a new camper had so many new leaks. I have a similar Forest River (a bit smaller), and now I'm concerned there may be damage to our popup as well. My seals look pretty good, but I'm not sure about the screw holes.
Sadly no it’s just poor build quality. I’ve received messages from owners of Rockwood popups with the same leaks. Sloppy sealing problems. Just keep a close year on it. That ceiling fan. Those front hardware strips and the 4 corners. And of course all the screw heads. You don’t need to go as crazy as I did but be ready with the caulk! 👍
@@sstressfl I plan to take our pop-up out of storage next week for a trip. I'll double-check the areas you suggested to ensure no water got through. I also took your advice from a previous video and cleaned up the bottom of the frame as well as rebundled the wiring in conduits and zip ties. You're right, these things are thrown together with no regard to quality. We've enjoyed it quite a bit, but you definitely need to be handly to keep a pop up in good shape. Thanks for all the inspiration and great advice.
I had a couple of bad experiences with Forest River and warranty repairs. It took months. Repairs were done but always something a little worse when I got it back. I read that a replacement roof is a roof that Forest River builds. And decided that if they replace junk with junk I was at risk of greater long term damage to the camper. I wanted to be able to sleep at night so I did it myself. And I slept like like a baby 😁
@@dukemanvillle 5k? 😮 Wow I had no idea how much I saved 😄 Technically this would have been under warranty. The roof is covered for 5 years. But again, I wanted to know it was done right. And to ensure the rest of the camper did not get damaged.
If you want to be scared of buying a travel trailer of any type is to watch any of the company assembly videos on RU-vid. They truly throw them together as fast as the guys can work. There will not be consistent quality.
To work on it I used a giant tarp. But in the winter in park it in a 10x20 portable garage that I bought at Home Depot. www.homedepot.com/p/King-Canopy-10-ft-W-x-20-ft-D-Dome-Storage-Garage-G10208/203576434
I've got a 2018 Rockwood pop up, very similar, but I've got some water damage on the wood underneath the roof side panel. How tough does it look to remove that side wood/panel piece and replace? Nice video!
I replaced the side wood on my '97 Starcraft. I didnt remove the roof. I just removed the lower trim piece and separated the layers so I could reach in and remove the old wood (which had turned to pudding) and then cut and slid in the new pieces. Doable with patience!
@@sstressfl I have a 2014 Flagstaff which had very rotted wood for about 2 feet of each end of one roof side panel. I was thinking I would need to remove the entire side panel and replace the wood with an entire new piece going the full length. But it sounds like you were able to just replace the rotted section at each end? How did you attach the new sections of wood to existing wood, in place without fully disassembling the side panel? I figure it needs to be pretty strong since it carries the load of the roof between the lift points at each corner.
@timothymathison462 a full piece would be ideal and strongest. I used a strap of steel on the inside between the brace to give it stability and strength. It worked great! But definitely a full piece is a better way to go.
The roof has a 5 year warranty. They would unbolt this one and bolt on a new one. But when I first bought it, I had two issues that took over 2 months to resolve and we almost missed our entire summer. And I decided a new roof would be built by the same people... and in 2 years I'd have more damage to my popup when I discovered more leaks... I needed to know it was done right and water tight. No more waking up at 2 am with my son getting dripped on and now I sleep better.
I got to redo my 2010 high wall roof sides.. same thing as you.. Just got to say.. I really laughed my ass off at 24:50 OMG that was funny.. just going along gently and whamm! I really respect you for keeping your cool as you go along.. wow. Mine is 11 years old and I'm really pissed lol This is our first trailer, I always thought Forest River was a quality product.. I am in AWE. I work for Novabus (city bus manufacturer) and we do such more steps in the prep than what Forest River does.
It’s a seriously big undertaking! And the worst thing is.... you don’t know what’s really leaking until you tear it all apart! But I gotta say, it’s been water tight even thru the insane heavy rain storms we’ve had recently 👍 I appreciate you taking the time to give me feedback. Glad you got a laugh lol My best to you on your project 💪👍 and for it’s everlasting water tight seal 🙏 Thanks man ✌️
I personally think the companies do it on purpose... so you have to buy a new one in a short period of time. Great video! Thanks for all the good information
They drive their employees to build faster and faster. It motivates them to start cutting corners on quality. Overall the rv company relies on warranty work to catch the errors. However, warranty work is not always quality especially when they replace junk with junk. I always tell people that if they are going to buy an rv of any kind, it's very important to be handy with tools.
Thank you Marc! Its a very fine camper once its water tight :) We like the size, the color, the hot water and the shower! My wife and I need a 2" pad on the bed to make it comfy other wise its just too hard especially on longer trips. Hope you find a good one! :)
@@sstressfl Alot of hard work and dedication you have committed to the preservation and integrity of the structure, I wonder how many people really understand what it is getting into this life style, I am also looking at the hard roof tow campers, Rockwood should hire you to work for them.
@@wingmanhoy3999 LOL oh I dont think I'd want to do this for a living! But camoing is fun! And you're right, I think I read 20% or more of new camper buyers during covid want to return their campers. It does require some level of work :) but for us, we enjoy the experiences. A hardside camper is definitely easier to use and maintain. Ya just need a bigger tow vehicle. Happy hunting for that perfect one. Maybe you can find one with a built in "toy hauler" and bring your motorcycle! :)
1. Your voice reminds me so much of Conan O'Brian. Very cool! 2. Do you find the construction of older campers was better, or do you think they have always been shoddy? I just bought a 2000 popup and I know we're going to have a lot of rehabbing to do on it, especially the roof.
1. Thank you :D I like Conan!! 2. I think older campers were better in some ways but perhaps only in quality of assembly??... The awnings seemed better on older campers! More sturdy. But when I tore this one apart, I couldn't see a difference between this 2019 model and my 1997 Starcraft. They used the same materials and same construction methods.
I bought for super cheap a new palomino (same company) that had a tree land on the roof while parked at the dealer. I immediately resealed everything with lexol. Never had another leak. And wow talk about cheaply assembled. Man I can't imagine paying 16+k for one of these, built like they are.
@@BMMEC2009 Thats great! I just meant if it was a regular brand new undamaged trailer, knowing what I know now.... it is not worth their asking price. I didnt pay retail, but I still paid too much.
Nice and detailed. Curious what yeer yours is? We have a 2018, 1640LTD. So far no H2O. I sealed the heck under n over when purchased. However have'nt checked some of the parts you worked on. Will do so shortly. Thanks for the vid.
Why did you not contact the dealership or manufacturer for a new trailer it should have been under warranty I would sent this video back to the ceo of the company
After two previous warranty fixes I decided it was better if I did the work myself. They would have replaced the roof with a roof built by the same people. I needed to know it was actually built right so no greater damage would occur that would effect me later down the road when I was outside of warranty.
It’s crazy how water is absolutely necessary to sustain life, yet it can be relentlessly damaging! With the way those screws rusted, I wouldn’t doubt if it was already taking in water while it was sitting out on the sales lot. I’d be SO pissed!!!!
If this is brand new why did you not contact the manufacturer or the place where you purchased it? This is infuriating we have a forest river 2013 coachman travel trailer same shoddy work. I'm sorry you had to make these repairs. They probably wouldn't have done the good job you are doing.
I had a couple other issues that took 2 months to resolve under warranty. The quality of support is lacking and you’re exactly right, they would have replaced the roof with another roof built by the same people. I needed to know it was sealed properly. 👍 Lots of unexpected work on this new camper. About the same I had to do on our old 1997 Starcarft. Crazy!! But hey, now I sleep like a baby and water doesn’t drip on my sons head at 2am 😂
I used the same screws. The heads are tiny and allow for needed clearance. A specialty screw that I would need to order online and wait a week. So I decided it was ok to reuse them since I was sealing it up anyway. They worked great! And so far not a single indication of water leaks anywhere 🙏💪
Great video Mike! This is absolutely nuts what you are doing, you shouldn't have to be doing that. What kind of warranty is on something like that? Either way I am thinking about getting a pop up although at our age (70 yrs) maybe that's not very practicable. It still looks a lot nicer than tenting.
Thank you James! I agree! Brand new campers should not need to be restored! It was under warranty but for every warranty fix they keep it for a month or more. And when you finally get it back the work is typically terrible! I needed to know it was done right. I didn’t want junk to be replaced with the same junk. And as of this Spring we traded the popup for a 2 year old hard side. No more sliding or moving parts. Just a solid box :) so far it has been amazing. Easier setup and takedown. The AC and heat are flawless. And the kids (now bigger) fit in the trailer much better :) I made a video about that too ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ovM9NOz4SIc.htmlsi=VAf7Wl03wdEpBDne
No the roof actually has a 5 year on it. But after waiting 2 months for two previous warranty issues and receiving poor quality service I decided the only way I was going to be able to sleep was to KNOW it was done right. I assumed they would replace junk with junk. So I did it myself and even after massive downpours we’ve had here, the wood is dry dry dry 🙏 Thank you for the encouragement!! Happy camping to you 😎
@@sstressfl Wow makes me really rethink my upcoming purchase though I believe most are made to this quality. From my understanding these things a re largely assembled using cheap manual labor so those workers probably care very little. Keep up the great work my friend!
@@kevinfreeman2293 it’s hit and miss in this industry. They consider parts and service the profit center. It is industry wide but popups by their very design are def more fragile but we really like ours. No regrets when I see the kids faces at the campground.
I've only bought used pop up campers. . I am wondering if a new one comes with a warranty of any kind that's a lot of work for a year old camper. I'm sure it wasn't cheap.
5 year warranty on the roof. But after two previous warranty claims that took 2 months to resolve and returned the camper with a fresh hole punctured in the roof I had enough. They replace garbage with garbage. The only way to fix it right was to do it myself. It didn’t cost that much. It was mostly time. Was rock solid afterward 🙌
This worries me. Our 1 year old camper has the corner or 2 sides popped up just like yours. Ugh. And our awning also already ripped almost like dry rot
I’m sorry :( sounds like the same build quality as mine. And yes my awning is completely dry rotted too. Especially the bag. Will need an entire new assembly in the spring.
I have only experienced very poor service. Previous warranty claims took 2 months before we could go camping for the first time. And why would I want them to replace the entire roof with a roof built by the same people? Continued leaks would only damage the rest of the camper. I needed to know it was water tight. And the only way to do that was to do it myself.
When I started I didn’t know what I would find… but I learned as I went. Now that I know, I wouldn’t strip it down as much. I’d seal all screw heads and hardware, including the roof rack bars/mounting points. I would yank the fan and seal it properly with butyl and lap sealant. I would also pull all 4 corner pieces and at the very least apply a bead along the top of the front and back metal trim pieces and then caulk the heck out of the plastic corner pieces. The front and back proved to be the worst most vulnerable areas. Mine has been water tight since, but I keep an eye on it to make sure there isn’t too much caulk shrinking and new leaks. I have touched up a couple of places on those plastic corners but no evidence of any new leaks. Camper is a joy now that I can sleep better at night 😊
@@sstressfl okay. Thank you for the reply. I know exactly what to look out for when I go see them at the dealership. Looking at a Coachmen Clipper 806xls or a Flagstaff 206ltd. Brand new w/ac they are about same price. $12-$13+k
Now that I know what I know? I would have left the side hardware alone. But I still would have removed all 4 corners and the front and back hardware strip. Resealed with butyl tape and caulk. Caulked all the screw holes and heads. 👍
You REALLY need to do BETTER Rockwood... This trailer is only 2 years old... There is NO reason it should be leaking like that... These things aren't cheap. They should be made better.
