New 2020 Rockwood Premier 2716g, ready for camping

[Mike_Up]

After having a Jayco Jay Flight 26BH 29' travel trailer, I got sick of all the work involved with going camping with the monster travel trailer so I wanted something easier. This 14' box pop up, with a slide out, proved to be the answer.

I also got sick of all the money going out with the Jayco Jay Flight on seams needing resealing all the time, and how hard it was finding and sealing leaks in the roof. I just didn't have the time to mess with it all the time or want to drop big money on the camper for just a few short camping trips each each.

Had some issues with the first pop up camper I had, that replaced the Jay Flight so that one is gone now, and I have a new one that seems much better.

Here's the new 2020 Rockwood Premier 2716g camper.

Here's the first trip in it and it was a good one!

[Mike_Up]

aftermath wrote:
Mike, very nice pop up. When it comes do doing things "easier" there are lots of ways to look at that. I had a pop up that our girls grew up in. We had it for 17 years, moved up (?) to a hybrid and now have a regular trailer. I found our old pop up on Craigslist and bought it back about 3 years ago, fixed it up and turned it over to our youngest daughter. I love that trailer.

Each move we made created issues for us. Things got easier for us in that we did far less packing before trips. All of the dishes, bedding and cooking utensils remained in the trailer. The refrigerator was a huge step up because I no longer had to pack heavy ice boxes out to the trailer. But, things did get harder for us in that access to some of our old places became much more difficult if not impossible. Storage of the trailer was harder, towing more complicated but the care of the trailer, while it did change, was not any more time consuming that what I put into the pop up.

Setting up my current trailer actually takes much less time. Back it in, level it, unhook and you are basically done. I guess it comes down to your point of view. What is really important is that you enjoy whatever kind of unit you are using. I still miss the pop up especially when I have to put up a tent now at my favorite fishing spot because I can't get the trailer in.

Your trailer looks great. I would love to have had something as nice as this all those years ago. Looks like you made a good decision. Enjoy every minute using it.

Thanks!

With this new floorplan, I'll be fine tuning storage options as I did in the previous Pop Ups. Every trip and thought, I'm changing around what is stored and where.

I do have a lot of storage but nothing like I had in the 2012 Jayco Jay Flight 26BH bunkhouse travel trailer. That thing was like a storage shed. I think I had every table, chair, latern, and other stuff, in there with still plenty of storage area left. I mean a lot left. I actually found half I had in there hadn't been used in 6 years. I was literally using it as a storage shed. House cleaning was definitely needed!

[Mike_Up]

patperry2766 wrote:
Next, the way the spare tire mounts is what I consider a major design flaw. The two big bolts that come thru the body are bolted to nothing more than paper thin plywood. After a couple of years, the bolts started pulling thru the boards on mine.

A bracket really needs to be made that will even out the stress across a larger area. I now just throw the spare in the bed of the truck when going down the road to minimize the damage until I can come up with a better solution.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind and an eye out.

[Mike_Up]

patperry2766 wrote:
PUGS

Having a pop-up, I STRONGLY recommend these to be one of your first purchases. Not only will it keep the sun from boiling you inside the camper, it will instantly keep it about 15 deg cooler on the inside. Plus, it will catch all the tree sap and anything else that might fall on the bunkends.

Second, Get some large rolls of Reflextix and cut them for the bunk end windows. Easy to store under the matresses during transport and it will give the same cooling effects as the PUGS, plus a little more privacy.

I thought about both of those years ago when I had the pop ups around 2005. I honestly don't see a need for them. My AC and heat do fine in the bunkends and heat and cold had never been a concern.

The one thing that kept me from getting them as a trial is the time to put them on and finding space to store them, beside they're really not cheap. I also don't like clipping things on areas that weren't meant to be weight bearing or have tension on them. Maybe no wearing damage would happen but since I don't actually need them, no sense in finding out.

I do appreciate the heads up as I know in the tropics and desert (California, Florida, Arizona, Texas 🙂 ), they may be useful.

Thanks again.

[Mike_Up]

PAThwacker wrote:
Hi Mike. Glad it’s working out great for you. Biggest benefit I see going back to pups is the boondocking and off road appeals. My 12 foot box with front trunk is 20 feet long closed. That’s long to k turn on a forest road but doable.

Thanks, never been boondocking except when tent camping. The older I get, I need electric for things as my body isn't as tolerant as it use to be. 🙂

But, the new camper is all LED and it's unbelievable how long the lights and such last on a battery charge so I may try to find a way to go without hookups.

[aftermath]

Mike, very nice pop up. When it comes do doing things "easier" there are lots of ways to look at that. I had a pop up that our girls grew up in. We had it for 17 years, moved up (?) to a hybrid and now have a regular trailer. I found our old pop up on Craigslist and bought it back about 3 years ago, fixed it up and turned it over to our youngest daughter. I love that trailer.

Each move we made created issues for us. Things got easier for us in that we did far less packing before trips. All of the dishes, bedding and cooking utensils remained in the trailer. The refrigerator was a huge step up because I no longer had to pack heavy ice boxes out to the trailer. But, things did get harder for us in that access to some of our old places became much more difficult if not impossible. Storage of the trailer was harder, towing more complicated but the care of the trailer, while it did change, was not any more time consuming that what I put into the pop up.

Setting up my current trailer actually takes much less time. Back it in, level it, unhook and you are basically done. I guess it comes down to your point of view. What is really important is that you enjoy whatever kind of unit you are using. I still miss the pop up especially when I have to put up a tent now at my favorite fishing spot because I can't get the trailer in.

Your trailer looks great. I would love to have had something as nice as this all those years ago. Looks like you made a good decision. Enjoy every minute using it.

[patperry2766]

SoundGuy wrote:

patperry2766 wrote:
PUGS

Having a pop-up, I STRONGLY recommend these to be one of your first purchases.

Second, Get some large rolls of Reflextix and cut them for the bunk end windows.

You're talking to a veteran popup camper, I'm sure Mike was long ago aware of PUGs & Reflectix. 😉

Maybe so, but in the 5 years I've been camping and the countless places we've been...even Florida, I've NEVER seen them on another pop-up or hybrid. Even if he knows about them, maybe someone else can benefit from the information who didn't.

[SoundGuy]

patperry2766 wrote:
PUGS

Having a pop-up, I STRONGLY recommend these to be one of your first purchases.

Second, Get some large rolls of Reflextix and cut them for the bunk end windows.

You're talking to a veteran popup camper, I'm sure Mike was long ago aware of PUGs & Reflectix. 😉

[patperry2766]

Next, the way the spare tire mounts is what I consider a major design flaw. The two big bolts that come thru the body are bolted to nothing more than paper thin plywood. After a couple of years, the bolts started pulling thru the boards on mine.

A bracket really needs to be made that will even out the stress across a larger area. I now just throw the spare in the bed of the truck when going down the road to minimize the damage until I can come up with a better solution.

[patperry2766]

PUGS

Having a pop-up, I STRONGLY recommend these to be one of your first purchases. Not only will it keep the sun from boiling you inside the camper, it will instantly keep it about 15 deg cooler on the inside. Plus, it will catch all the tree sap and anything else that might fall on the bunkends.

Second, Get some large rolls of Reflextix and cut them for the bunk end windows. Easy to store under the matresses during transport and it will give the same cooling effects as the PUGS, plus a little more privacy.

[PAThwacker]

Hi Mike. Glad it’s working out great for you. Biggest benefit I see going back to pups is the boondocking and off road appeals. My 12 foot box with front trunk is 20 feet long closed. That’s long to k turn on a forest road but doable.

[Mike_Up]

opnspaces wrote:
I like it, it looks sharp. The carpet in the wet bath is a nice touch.

I've thought about selling my 27bh and going strictly popup. Actually since my Suburban is currently dead I'm having to use the popup anyway. And with the kids out of school I was thinking about hitting a local campground in the middle of this week. This post made me want to go all the more. 🙂

Thanks for the compliments.

I camp mostly at state parks that are very unlevel so with a large 29' travel trailer, it was time consuming with lynx levelers trying to get the camper side to side and back to back level, many times had to block up both tire sides to get rear up high enough to be level with front when on an unlevel decline.

The pop up being very short from jack to axle, makes leveling much MUCH easier.

I also always had to carry my heavy 80# Blue Ox Sway Pro or Reese Strait-Line (HP Dual Cam) anti-sway hitch system to the shed on the other side of the yard. That was real work right there. Since my driveway and street are so narrow, I'd have to almost jack knife the camper into the driveway and doing so, required taking the WDH spring bars off while parked on the street, before backing into the driveway. Yet another pain that I never have to do with the pop up.

Unbelieveable how much cheaper plates and insurance are I'm saving about $500 - $600 just on those a year and that's from a 2012 Jay Flight to a new 2020 Rockwood Premier.

Even though the pop up has longer setup time, backing and leveling are very quick so it's about a wash overall.

It's so nice not worrying about hitting low hanging trees limbs and needing to back up and turn around like I had to do several times with the Jay Flight. Older campgrounds just don't always keep their trees trimmed for higher profile campers in the more scenic spots. Out in treeless green grass you didn't have to worry a lot but I wanted wooded, scenic sites that weren't on top of everyone like a parking lot.

So I'm starting to see the benefits of the pop up already with my first trips which negate the setup of the pop up.

[Lwiddis]

Campground looks nice. RVs not too close together.

[opnspaces]

I like it, it looks sharp. The carpet in the wet bath is a nice touch.

I've thought about selling my 27bh and going strictly popup. Actually since my Suburban is currently dead I'm having to use the popup anyway. And with the kids out of school I was thinking about hitting a local campground in the middle of this week. This post made me want to go all the more. 🙂