Forest River Rockwood Folding Trailer reviews

The HW296, was my 6th RV. I have had RV's from 19 to 32 feet. I bought into the 2 axle foldable camper idea, because they blend the best of both worlds. This High Wall tracks with the stability of a large towable, but tows like a folding camper. Storage is easier at only 22 feet closed. Fully deployed, 27 feet provides room to breath and enjoy real amenities. The High Wall designs allow for big beds, bathroom, big sink, adequate refrigerator, A/C, furnace, lots of storage and 360 degree views. In 2021, my Rockwood High Wall became the victim of a tornadic cross wind while heading West on I90 in South Dakota. It peeled the top off like a sardine can lid. My insurance company bought me a 32 foot Gray Wolf to replace it, because no High Walls were available. Well, less than 2 years later I am on the hunt for another HW296. They are just that appealing to me. As with any RV, there are pros and cons. However, if you want a low profile towable with great amenities, consider the biggest and best folding camper design in the industry, the Rockwood HW296. Show less

I grew up camping in my parent's pop up. I then bought a used one in 2008 and owned it for 6 years. I purchased this Rockwood 1640LTD in 2022. While it is smaller than my parents & my previous one, one of the best things about a pop up is the fact that, like any pop up, because bunks that slide out, that makes it feel larger. Also, I know it will withstand quite a bit of wind, as we camped during a terrible thunderstorm with winds up to 40-45 mph which were shaking the entire camper. Everything stayed dry inside. It was a bit scary, and we did drop it down due to the high winds. The decor is nice. We've never really use the sink so I cannot speak to that. Storage is a bit minimal, but it's also a very small pop up so not much room for storage. But it holds everything we need - some tools, the extra jack stands we have, leveling items and stuff to lock up the camper. The one problem we had was our 12V refrigerator stopped working within the warranty. Contacted Geek Squad thru Best Buy as they handle that service. The c.s. rep could not find an exact replacement, so they sent the closest thing available model-number-wise. Well, that's a 110V unit, not a 12V one. So we do not have a working refrigerator, and I am still waiting for their response on how to fix this. Also, the small area of canvas on the front section by the door is a bit short by probably an inch or two, at least. It is very difficult to velcro that section into place. And pushing the metal braces into place for the bunk ends is quite the chore - they can be quite difficult to get all the way pushed out and set in place. Other than that, it's generally pretty easy to pop up and tow - we towed it with a Honda C-RV (!!) - mostly it's been great for us so far. Show less

This Fold up Unit in my opinion is worthless unless you are plugged in to power all the time! It does have a solar panel but will not charge or keep up with the electric refrigerator or the all electric hot water heater. Cannot use the RV for regular outback camping unless you are parked in a RV Park with full electric hookups! We did not know this when purchasing this Unit! Show less

The build quality was horrible. Had to replace lift system after 3 years. The black tank valve Broke off in my hand. Worst of all the front wall of the camper broke away from the sidewall causing the front bunk and wall to peel away from the rest of the camper. I believe it's a design flaw with the bunk end supports. I had high hopes that we would use this camper for many years but was fortunate to trade it in for what we paid for it. Also blew two tires . I feel the tires were at or near there max load carrying capacity. Also had to replace awning pole when one was bent.also microwave became dislodged from it's bracket causing the microwave to fall out. Show less

From day one this trailer has been a money sucking disaster. Almost the moment the trailer was out of warranty things started to go wrong. The roof leaked through the roof rack, causing rot and forced the replacement of roof, not covered. The pop up winch sheered, making it unusable after a 3 hour drive to a campground. Not covered. Screws rip out easily and parts break. Wires have come loose, the weatherstripping is useless, and it is impossible to plug all of the gaps to keep insects out. Overall the Rockwood ESP belongs in the scrap pile. It is certainly not with the price paid. Show less

Given that many companies are short handed and back logs are significant, the consumer has to do many repairs themselves..so having such poor customer service who tells you that they are not bonded to work with the public, is just that…poor customer service…When screws fall out, bungees cords fray, making order of frequent replacement parts or recommendation would be helpful, especially when local dealers are 6 months out on repair work. I will never buy another rock wood/forest River product for this reason.. A liner has much better customer service..in this regard. Show less

Bought the freedom just about 1 year ago. Wife and I take the grandkids with us. Can’t say anything bad about this pop up. Sets up easy and pulls great behind our Jeep Wrangler. The A/C cools without any problem and when the temps drop to 37 the heater keeps us warm and toasty. The frig is small so we just keep our drinks in it. I did add an extra propane tank with auto changeover regulator. In heavy rains we stayed dry and cleaning the Vinyl when closing up to go home was the easiest. Had to order a part from rockwood and I would do business with this people again and again. They were great DM Show less

This 36’ Rockwood, without slide outs, its interior design has been functional for 3 people for 5 years and could accommodate more. Prior sole owner, a mechanic, for 27 made some improvements like adding an automatic parking brake when in the gear park” it stays that way. We overhauled ours a year ago and only needed a “mild” one. We replaced all auto electric major items, all with ease, to have reliability as those items wear with age. It’s like new and Vroom. Big powerful Ford 460cu.in. engine using unleaded gas, is easy to maintain from either front or between driver Show less

We searched a long time for this camper and were excited to find one and purchase it. The dealer we bought it from was a pleasure to deal with and when we picked it up there were a few items missing (cap for the sewer tube, 1 light, pantry and clothes pantry) and a poorly installed awning support (3' short of where it should be). The Dealer informed that it might take a while to get them but they would be in touch. After about 1 month of trying to get some details I finally contacted Rockwood. They were helpful in getting someone at the Dealer to speak with but once I was connected with that person they also stopped calling and emailing me back. I am more upset with the Dealers lack of response and lack of caring than I am with Rockwood. We have taken our camper on 2 trips and really enjoyed it but I am concerned about the lack of communication from the Dealer and Rockwood. Show less

This was a great little camper for my husband and I, tiny living at its best. I take it out on my own and set it up no problem. Although, I wish I would have seen the reviews about the Actuator, We are on our 3rd one, they run out in about a year and a half, after the warranty wears off. My husband took the motor apart, it had water in it and had rusted. If I would have seen a review about this known problem, I would have picked a different camper Good Luck Show less