We have a Hybrid and are happy with it. Ours is a
2013 Rockwood Roo M233S. We bought it in the spring of 2024 are the third owner.
It is 4372 lbs empty and 6205 loaded. I can tow it without any issues with my 2016 F150 sport (EcoBoost 3.5 and tow package).
We previously owned a pop-up before this.
It is amazing how much space you have by not having to give up floor space for beds since the beds all fold out. You'd be in for at least another 2-4k in weight to have the same square feet of living space. The beds are no less comfortable than any other RV beds I've slept on. I'm 6'3" and have plenty of room.
There was a little leak over one of the beds when we bought it and I was able to fix it while camping using a speedy stitcher and some seam sealer. Gear Aid Tape works for pin holes. These are long-term solutions as well as we're on season four of similar repairs on the Bimini top for our boat and it's holding strong. Re-doing all the roof joints with Eterna bond instead of lap sealant will give you years of worry-free, leak-free performance as well.
Here's a short of it at Jordan Lake, NC.
A high-wall pop-up with a slide and bathroom would be nice as well. They typically max in the 4000 lb range but are easier to tow due to their lower profile. The bad thing about pop-ups is there is limited space to store your junk, so you'll have to fill up your truck bed.
Our camping evolution went like this.
- Boys and me camping with scouts until last year when they had both aged out (and got their Eagle Scout, this continued concurrently with the steps below)
- Camping at campgrounds with the whole family in cabins and yurts of progressing "niceness," size, and expense for a few years.
- Buying a 12 person tent that we used as a "glamping" tent for four with rugs, fans, and air mattresses to make it super comfortable. We did this for about a year
- Buying the pop-up and using it for 18 months
- Buying the hybrid and selling the pop-up
I wish I still had the pop-up in addition to the hybrid. We had a rather nice setup with all the little modifications we made, and it would be great to tow with the LJ when we want to just go somewhere with just the LJ, like going to a campground at the beach and then driving out on the beach... could be the same for trails. We're looking for a teardrop now for this purpose (will still keep the hybrid).
Our days camping really fluctuates. I think we got in almost 4 weeks last year, cut short by having to come back on day 2 of a 7-day trip because of a hurricane, but we've not been camping again since then. We do have an 8-day trip planned in August. I think the wife and I will go on more trips after this fall since both boys will be in college.
As others have said - you don't get an RV to save money, you get an RV because you like RVing. I could probably meet most of my recreational needs with hotels, cabins, and Airbnb/Vrbo for the cost of buying, maintaining and towing an RV and sometimes I do depending on the circumstance. If I'm going to the beach to fish, I like the RV. If I'm going to do other beach stuff, then maybe a hotel/resort is better. If I'm going to a lake with a campground and will have the boat, I like the RV.
