Today’s review is looking at the 2022 Flagstaff Super Lite 26FKBS, which is identical to the Rockwood Ultra Lite 2608BS. I have to say, if you haven’t found a camping “tribe” yet, do so. Find friends who enjoy going camping with you and share a lot of the way you enjoy getting away and then schedule some time away.
The reason I write that is that a friend whom I used to work with at the dealership is my favorite camping buddy. Going camping with Manya, who still works at Redwood Empire RVs and is a whiz in the finance department, is super fun. And Manya has one of these Flagstaffs. So it’s surprising that I haven’t written about it yet because my wife and I and Manya and her dogs have had many, many wonderful camping adventures with our respective trailers.
We actually have a good-sized camping tribe of folks who include firefighters, peace officers, brewery owners and more. We all have a similar way of camping and finding great adventures. There is nothing more fun than camping with your friends.
Page Contents
RV quality
But first I want to talk about the quality of RVs. You will read a lot of negative comments if you utter the words “Forest River” in a conversation among RVers. I think this can be a huge mistake.
Both Forest River and Thor encourage their various divisions to actually compete with one another to a large extent. All RV companies from the cheapest to the most expensive are buying parts from an ever-shrinking number of suppliers. And the way the various brands build their respective products and the choice of parts themselves varies widely.
Flagstaff and Rockwood are Top Performers
As such, Flagstaff and Rockwood were recently awarded as Top Performers by Forest River internally. This was based on warranty and customer service data as well as sales. The experience I get from dealerships reflects this. Rockwood and Flagstaff have been able to maintain a lot of their line staff despite the current circumstances. That has been part of translating into just a better product.
But, additionally, the company does a lot of things that translate into a higher build quality. I’ve been to the plant. I’ve watched it myself. It’s why I own a Rockwood trailer (although I just totaled it – you can hear how in this podcast episode) and why I like them.
A space to hang out
When the weather’s good we often hang out at my trailer because I bring music and a projector and a griddle. But oftentimes, when the weather gets lousy, we’re in this trailer because it has theater seats and a dinette with a free-standing table so people of all girths can have a comfortable spot to sit.
And play Cards Against Humanity. Or whatever.
Rockwood/Flagstaff also offer choices in seating. So you could substitute a free-standing table and chairs for the dinette and/or substitute a tri-fold sofa for the theater seats. There’s a space heating fireplace. But the star of this show is the front kitchen.
That kitchen features a counter that spans the width of the trailer under the glow of the windshield which, in this floor plan, absolutely makes sense.
These trailers come with a 12-volt DC compressor fridge along with a 190-watt solar panel on the roof. There’s a second 190-watt panel available as an option. There’s a three-burner stove, of course, with a 21” oven. This is the oven where I saw Manya make pulled pork. This is why I am such an advocate of these larger ovens: You can actually make real food in them.
I’m always surprised by how much cabinet and drawer space there is in this kitchen. Plus there’s a pantry right by the door, with a shoe garage underneath.
Asleep at the wheel
The bedroom in this is where you’ll find the second road-side slide room, enabling a true queen-sized bed. Opposite that is a large closet and wardrobe, again with a really impressive number of places to put things. Further, there’s the storage under the bed. Lifting the bed in these trailers or the dinette cushions reveals another thing I really like about them. Anything that’s structural in a Rockwood or Flagstaff is built of welded aluminum.
This is not typical by any means.
There’s also a second door into the bedroom and, of course, a high-performance vent fan here. There’s also the Showermiser, which enables you to redirect water back into the fresh tank while you’re waiting for it to get hot at the shower, thereby extending your boondocking time.
Boondocking and travel access
While this is a good trailer for boondocking, especially if you opt for the second solar panel, travel access is not its strongest suit. However, there is a 1,000-watt inverter and many of the plugs inside are wired to that. Since there’s a 12-volt fridge, it gets to work right from the on-board power.
There are 54 gallons of fresh water aboard, and the two tanks combine to hold 90 gallons of gray water. So you could easily spend a decent amount of time off the grid.
You can get to the bathroom in road mode, though, through the bedroom door and to the fridge and the oven through the front door.
More features
Rockwood and Flagstaff models don’t often have outside kitchens, per se, but I mentioned that my trailer is often the place to be. That’s because they do have a rail on the side into which slots a flat-top griddle and a metal table. I really like this arrangement because it gives you a very functional outside kitchen without taking away storage space, per se.
You can also use this griddle on a picnic table if you so choose. But one of the first things I do when I get to camp is hang the griddle on the side of the trailer. Bacon is on it’s way!
Of course, I love the torsion axle suspension systems in these trailers as well as the frameless windows.
Another thing I like is that the controls have both traditional buttons as well as app control, so both sides of the digital divide are happy. Lastly, all the doors and baggage compartments are keyed alike.
This floor plan also sports a rear drop frame, affording good storage in the back. And there is OK storage up front under the kitchen counter.
In summary
My own personal experience with the two friends I have that own one of these shows how well they travel. Both of them have seen a great deal of road time and been to places such that their sticker map of the U.S. is quite full.
I mentioned the seating options, but Rockwood and Flagstaff have a lot of various choices to make. Those include two different exterior colors, two different interior colors, a second 13,500 BTU roof air conditioner or just a larger single unit, slide toppers and more.
The Super Lite is good for entertaining
This is absolutely a trailer where you’ll want a three-quarter ton truck to haul it around. But it offers a lot of very usable interior space and, by my own experience, is a good unit to have if you like to entertain.
And I have to say the experience I personally have along with that of the numerous friends who have Rockwood and Flagstaff trailers really do bear out what Forest River’s internal award system recognized. There are certainly RVs coming off the line now that have issues aplenty. But there are also those that continue to be made better.
OK, and on the Rockwood side, I realize that 2608BS stands for Bedroom Slide but, yeah, I think it’s funny too. (Same with the Flagstaff Super Lite 26FKBS, actually.)
*****
I would love to read your comments and suggestions over on our new forums, where you can weigh in and start or join a discussion about all things RV. Here’s a link to my RV Reviews Forum.
Tony comes to RVTravel having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. You can find his writing here and at StressLessCamping where he also has a podcast about the RV life with his wife.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
Got an RV we need to look at? Contact us today and let us know in the form below – thank you!
##RVDT1811
We have a Thor Cruiser Twilight Signature TWS-2840, which is almost identical except it has a king bed. It’s also about 3 feet longer and 1,000 pounds heavier. Even has the dual grey tanks with separate dump valves. The front one is under the huge front slide. What’s up with that??
Will these suffer from soft floor as my 2011 does. Will forest river offer support after the short warranty
I generally don’t put much stock in awards a company gives to itself (or its spinoffs) ,”awarded as Top Performers by Forest River”.
And like everyone else – how did your trailer get “totaled”?
I should have put a link to the podcast episode where I detail what happened to our rig and you can find that information here.
I have the 2020 version of the the Rockwood and couldn’t agree more on the build quality. The changes made in 2021 removed outside storage under the dinette and pushed the 12V fridge setup. I quickly found one of the last 2020 as neither of these “upgrades” appealed to me. I could not be more pleased with our camper. We have had enough time and travel with it to conclude that this indeed was a good purchase and the floor plan fits us perfectly.
So sorry to hear about your rig. Are you going to share the story? Is this your window to build the one you found at quartzsite this year?
OK, I will ask. How did you total your rig? Inquiring minds want to know.
I agree, don’t mention something unless your going to tell us.