The Forest River Rockwood 1940 LTD Tent Camper

The Rockwood 1940 LTD pop-up camper by Forest River is a feature loaded, value priced tent camper. We recently purchased this 2011 camper to replace an older camper in our camper rental business.

The 1940 LTD is Rockwood's entry level 10' tent camper. However, this camper does not present itself as an entry level model. The list of standard features is impressive.

The standard features include heated end bed mattresses, electric water pump, Bal crank down stabilizers, outside electric outlet, porch light, charge converter, spare tire, and much more. One important feature to me was the Goshen lift system which, in my opinion is simply the best lift system in the industry. Rockwood takes this lift system a step forward by using double posts at each corner.

Even though we are experienced pop-up owners, the young man who delivered our Rockwood 1940 LTD went through a thorough list of details about the camper. He demonstrated each feature and then made certain we understood by having us operate that feature.

Our Rockwood 1940 LTD was scheduled to go out on rental the following day so we did not have much time to become introduced to the unit. I used the dealer's method of instruction with our renters when showing these first time campers how to operate the pop-up.

A rental unit will quickly show the faults and problems in manufacturing, design, and quality. Our Rockwood has had a few problems.

When the Rockwood 1040 LTD was first returned to us we noticed that three of the curtain tie backs and the sink strainer were missing. The renter's said they had a hard time keeping the tie backs on and did not know about the sink strainer. This is a minor issue and we have since stitched the tie backs to the curtains and purchased a screw in sink strainer.

After a few more rentals I noticed that the dinette table left a mark on the wall were it rubbed in transit. I placed a length of sticky back fabric along that area to prevent further marks. There are also several scuff marks through the finish along the steps to the end beds. The wood laminate which covers the particle board interior is thin and chips easily. The biggest problem we have encountered so far is the door.

The Rockwood 1940 LTD has a two-piece door. It is the same exact design which is used on our ten-year-old Skamper. Our new door is already warped and difficult to aligned perfectly with the bottom half of the door. The weather stripping between the top and bottom halves has torn, and the screws on the top of the three-way hinge are beginning to work loose.

I will order new weather stripping and replace the screws with rivets . Rivets simply hold up better on an RV than screws. However, I cannot change the design. Forest River must come up with something better than this outdated design.

Overall, I am pleased with the construction of the Rockwood 1940 LTD. As mentioned above, Rockwood uses a double post system which means a more stable camper. The pull out bed slides are a good quality and appear as if they will hold up well for us. The refrigerator is a quality Dometic brand and the furnace is a quality Suburban brand both trusted names in the RV industry. These are also companies who provide good customer service.

The A&E awning was easy to put up and take down. It fit easily inside the vinyl bag attached to the camper. All poles for the awning are attached to the awning itself, unlike other brands of awnings which give you separate poles.

The end bed mattresses are thick and comfortable, plus they are electrically heated. The steps provided at each end make it easy to climb in and out of the beds. The dinette makes a suitable bed when it is in its folded position. When the table is up, it can be used both inside and outside the camper.

There are three 120 Volt outlets but what is missing is a 12V outlet. I'll add this in the off season. The camper has two 12V ceiling lights one at each end which provide ample light. The amber porch light is a nice feature. The sink and galley area is large enough to prepare a meal plus the electric pump saves the hand when you need water.

Since we purchased the Rockwood 1940 LTD, it has been out on steady rental. The unit has probably seen more use in the past month and a half than an average tent camper sees in a season. Certainly it has seen more first time users. So far the renters have all been pleased and that makes us happy. There are no major issues with the Rockwood 1940 LTD and we look forward to several years of ownership.