Purchase Process
We ended up buying our new 2023 Rockwood 2662RK from a dealer in Northern Indiana near the manufacturer. Right from the beginning you save the delivery fee and the dealer pricing was some of the best I could find. I am not going to name the dealer as they don’t produce the unit. I see several stories bashing them but most issues stem from the manufacturer.
We had an appointment for the walk thru our 2023 Rockwood 2662RK on Friday 5/5/2023 at 12:30. The buying process was easy and the tech that preps your unit is the one that gives you a one hour walk through to go over the operation of the unit. When we arrived the unit was pulled into one of its service bays all open and ready for us to tour. The unit was clean and during the walk thru we only identified one piece of trim around the slide facia that was loose and repaired as we waited.
After the walk thru I went in to finalize the paperwork and pay for the unit. When done I went back to the bay and the tech went over the hitching procedures and got us hooked up. They had moved our prior travel trailer out of the way so we could pull the 2023 Rockwood 2662RK next to it so we could transfer our belongings.
We hit the road and stayed at a nearby Indiana State park until Sunday to test everything out and all seemed well. The only thing I noticed was some water droplets on the floor as you came up the steps near the bedroom but thought maybe my wife had done this transferring items and thought no more of it.
The Ride Home and 2023 Rockwood 2662RK Issue Number 1
We stopped just West of Indianapolis for fuel and while filling up I always open up our RV to make sure nothing has shifted in transit. Everything was in place but again I found water droplets in the same location. This time I looked up and I could see water sloshing around in the light fixture overhead. We probably didn’t notice this camping as the leveling jacks were down limiting movement.
I went back to the truck to let Anna know what I had found and look for my cell phone so I could get pictures. By the time I had gotten back in the unit Anna had removed the light fixture cover and there was a puddle of water in it. You could also see the metal of the light fixture was discolored from the water so I don’t think this was the first time the leak had occurred.
Rest of the drive home
We continued on upset over what we had just found. Previously we had our 2016 Keystone Premier 30 RIPR since it was new without any work done other than routine maintenance like new batteries, bearing pack, and new tires. We ran into some severe thunderstorms coming across Illinois and I was impressed how well the unit handled in the wind compared to our travel trailer.
At home we unhitched and unloaded the trailer thinking this may be a minor repair and would be happy if this was it.
First Communication With Dealer.
I sent an email to the dealer where we bought the Rockwood 2662RK to start the communication as I had found several Forest River products with the Teton WiFi Ranger with a cracked base that allowed water intrusion thinking this was the issue because the antenna is mounted directly above the light fixture and thought this may be the culprit.
The dealer replied back on Monday that this had been a problem in previous years but the Teton had been redesigned to resolve the issue and suggested that it could be a sealant issue on the Max Fan mounted in the bathroom and the water ran down the ceiling to the light fixture.
I had also seen this issue on the internet as a possibility. The Max Fan has four plastic brackets that come up from the shrouds base that has a slot in it that you place pins through to keep the cover in place. It seems several of these did not get sealant into the slotted area allowing a path for water to get in. My only issue with the dealer is if this is a know issue why would they not check this prior to delivery. I was told that part of the PDI was to inspect the roof sealant and touch up as needed.
I don’t have my 10′ ladder at home and could not see above the roofline on a 6′ so I went inside to remove the inner fan shroud and light fixture. There was water staining around the screw hole closest to the fan. I could not see any water marks around the inside of the fan but with the bonded roof you can barely see any wood with the foam surrounding the cutout.
2nd Issue Found and Much Worse
After looking for the leak I went back to close up the refrigerator which we had left open to dry after our trip. I then noticed a puddle of water sitting on the rear countertop. It extended from the rear wall underneath the rear passenger window and ran our around the sink almost to the edge of the countertop. You could also see the tile looking backsplash was bowed out between the two windows. The adhesion had failed most likely due to moisture and was releasing from the wall.
I got the ladder and inspected the seals around the exterior of the two rear windows but could not see anything other than there are areas around the perimeter where the lip of the frame is away from the exterior wall where I could not see the seal which could have been a bad vantage point because I couldn’t position my ladder close enough.
I went inside and check the screws around the frame as I believe it is a clamshell design where the screws pull the inner and out frame tight to make the seal. Everything seems tight so I am not sure where the issue lies.
Back to Indiana?
I sent another email to the dealer service department to notify them of the second issue and provide pictures of all and am awaiting their response. I am hoping to leave early Friday to return the unit to discuss my options. We have a trip planned beginning 5/18 in Southern Indiana and one for Memorial Day Weekend in Iowa which may have to be cancelled at this point.
Update 5/9/2023
After submitting information to the dealer they said they wanted the unit returned. Originally they were going to suggest we go to a local dealer to address the issue of the water dripping in the light but after seeing the water coming in the rear of the camper they said, “With all this going on, we would feel better if we could make sure there are no underlying issues that will appear in the future. We would like the camper back at our site to make needed repairs and inspect for further damage.” They then offered to have a driver meet me in Terre Haute Indiana which is a 2 1/2 hour trip vs 7 hours. So far the dealer seems to want to make this right.
Update 5/10/2023
We were contacted by the dealer again asking us if there were any other issues we would like addressed while the unit was at their facility. After two trips on the road now, we had a couple pieces of trim that seemed to be coming loose. One was in a corner just over the wardrobe slide out and the other was the trim across the cabinets at the head of our bed where it meets the ceiling.
Update 5/20/2023
The dealer found that water was leaking around the antenna wire into the light fixture in the hallway. The good news is, it is an access point for the antenna which is directly above and the water trailed down the wire directly into the fixture without getting on the surrounding wood. They could not find a leak in the rear of the trailer. They setup hoses running on the roof and rear windows but no leak. They also removed the window frame and said there was no evidence of moisture but wanted to keep it Friday night because it was going to rain all night. I was at the dealer Saturday morning and no evidence of water. They also fixed the trim in the bedroom. The dealer would have brought the trailer back half way to meet me but we had a trip planned for the upcoming weekend so I did not want to wait.
I started to reload the trailer on Sunday and I did find the microwave was hanging down after the return home as the mounting bolts that come from the cabinet above had come loose. I tightened and will monitor to see if I need to do something different. We are taking it out for Memorial Day and hopefully no more issues.
