Thank you for you encouraging kind words 🙏

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 👍

@@sstressfl❤🙏

Thank you for the encouraging feedback and kindness 🙏 After I fixed mine it was solid and water tight. We really enjoyed it! Happy camping!! 🌞🔥🌲

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 🙏

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!

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 🙏👍

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

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.

@@sstressfl Amen!

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 Steven! That's excellent maintenance and a great tip for others. Appreciate your feedback. God bless you!

Just keep an eye on those corner pieces and screw heads! 👍 Enjoy 🙏

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?

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 :(

Appreciate the feedback! That water is merciless on a particle board vehicle :) Glad the video was a help!

Thank you brother 🙏

So glad it helped! Thank you for the feedback 🙏

@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.

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 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.

@@podfreak4ever02 That's fantastic!! The solid REAL wood and the liner. Huge improvements!

@@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

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 🙏🙏🙏

Nice tips!

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! 🙏

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 :)

LOL! You have spoken truth!! Love it :D

Thanks for the kind words and the tip! 🙏

Thank you!!

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.

Ha! Thank you for the feedback Tami 🙏 I’m glad the video helped 😀

Awesome tips. Thanks Bob!!

Uhhhg I’m sorry. But mine has been flawless since! You’ll sleep better 🙏

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 🙏

Appreciate the feedback Mark 🙏👍

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.

Yes indeed the quality of assembly is very poor. Very much regret our purchase but after fixing it have made many happy and precious memories.

Same thing my dad did to some cabinets he repaired…lol

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!

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.

Uhhg!! No fun at all. I'm glad its done. I can think of so many more ways I would have preferred to spend my time :) Thanks for the feedback!

It doesnt hurt to keep an eye on that stuff! Water has no mercy when it gets inside a popup.

Once you fix it, you might as well keep it since you KNOW what has been done :) A new one is a huge gamble. Build quality is horrible.

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 🙏

I don't blame you! Hope you find an excellent camper.

A serious shame. And I'm not alone! But now it's water tight. We're enjoying it :)

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❤️👍😀🏕️

🤣🤣😂

thank you for commenting all the way from Aust! 🙏 Cheers!

Thank you 🙏 it was a challenge but now it’s solid. Smells so good inside. So dry. We have so much fun :)

You can do it!! 😀 And when you finish you’ll sleep better and enjoy camping even more 😎💪 🙏

How much of each materials did you end up using?

@@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.

If I knew what I knew now.... whew. Thanks for the feedback! Happy hunting.

Thank you Jake🙏👍

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! 🙏😎

My Maxx air fan had a little crack in the corner that let water in! Plastic welder made short order of that. Drove me nuts trying to find the leak.

True story 👍

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 :)

Our first was a 97 :) Enjoy!

I'm so glad it helped. Sorry you have to go thru it though.

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.

Uhhhg! I hope they take care of it under warranty 👍

Thank you! I'm glad it helped generate some ideas. Appreciate the feedback :)

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.

@@sstressfl makes sense at least you will know it’s done correctly.

@@suazzz3070 True! Well, at least I'll know after our first hard rain lol

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.

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.

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.

@@tikishark1 thank you for the kind words 🙏❤️ and the feedback! Sounds like you’re about to be off to a great season. Making memories! 😁

She's rock solid now 👍

A 2019 2280bhesp. Appreciate the feedback, my friend 🙏

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

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.

LOL sounds like my house.... my wife cant keep a straight face.

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! :)

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 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 😁

Funny you mention that, I spoke to a service adviser at camping world and he said that they rebuild it and a ball park cost would be about 5k.

@@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.

Thank you so much 🙏

Thank you for the feedback 🙏

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 🙌

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 😂

Even 5k is too much for a new one 👍

@@sstressfl I only paid 2k

@@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.

Ever since I posted this video I have heard it often from others. A real shame. Hope yours is solid now 💪

I have never looked for it… I imagine it would have to be a dealer call. Hopefully you can find it 🙏

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 😊

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.

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.

My rockwood is 5 years old and i've found damaged wood on one of the sides. Any tips on fixing this would be greatly appreciated. What kind of PVC did you use? You can me email me at mhanson8011@gmail.com. Thanks!

So true! It makes up the majority of our bodies and yet its the great solvent. Given enough time water will carve canyons.

Hey thank you 🙏 the screws for thru the thin aluminum and then into the particle board. I’m shocked that it holds 👍

Thank you! I am about to haul 3 bikes up there and that makes me nervious.

Mine said 150 lb limit. 3 bikes worked well 👍 Enjoy!!

You’re welcome 🙏

Yes from day 1 it was never sealed properly. Poor assembly. I never expected that I’d have to restore a new camper 🙁

The gaps are too big. Needed caulk and butyl tape and lap sealant on roof seams 👍

@@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

@@gamerdan2310 happy hunting 🙏

😂 I didnt even want to do my own! lol

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 🙏💪

😂😂😂 Totally valid! I could see that 😂

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 kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pdx9bLGA35q3eZc.htmlsi=VAf7Wl03wdEpBDne

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.