Category: About

ForestRiver Rockwood GeoPro 19QB

• What needs improvement:
• As mentioned earlier the construction of the shell is solid, however, the interior finish is hit and miss.
  • The cabinets look great but the’flap’ panels to cover pipes are flimsy.   See the photo below. So… we removed the panel; created a little bench shelf; and gained additional storage space. I added a cross support for hanging a couple of pans too.

• Wiring not all ‘tucked in’ and tied down.  
  • The tank sensor wiring under the rig, (exposed to the road), needs a little help! We added split-tube loom to the wiring to add a little protection and abuse from the road debris.
• Tank heaters are exposed to the road and this might be a problem in the future.  A light weight panel may protect the heaters and the tanks without adding too much weight to the trailer. (Future project)

• The tongue is loaded!  Two batteries, two propane tanks, power jack and bike rack!  There’s no space on the frame for the Ford backup-target which is disappointing.
• We were concerned that we may have limited access for a WDH because of all the stuff. (note, we added an Andersen Weight Distribution Hitch, see photos below and it is a tight fit)

• Weight Distribution Hitch
  • We did not have any real issues towing, however, handling in the wind was a bit more of a problem than expected. We looked and read about the various models and chose the Andersen product.
  • Installation was easy and straight forward as you can see on the photos above.
  • We had to move the break-away switch back about 5″ but there’s still plenty of play in the break-away cable.
• Protection and Cover
  • Classic Accessories Cover… good protection when the unit is parked at home. We used pool noodles to cover the rain gutters and antennas.
  • A source for product reviews and suggestions is www.Your-RV-Lifestyle.com where they also list the Classic Accessories line.
  • We replaced the Classic Accessories cover after 2 years of the Texas sun and have replaced it with a King Bird. We will see how it holds up!!

• Removed outdoor speaker connection for now…
  • The Geo-Pro radio was wired with the inside speakers as one stereo channel and the single outside speaker as the second channel… not a real enjoyable sound.
  • So… we removed the connection to the outside speaker;
  • Wired the inside speakers as the left and right channels and;
  • Added a wiring terminal strip for easy changes in the future.
  • We also reinforced the interior panel material with Gorilla glue as speaker mounting looked like an accident waiting to happen… a bumpy road and the speakers would break out of the ceiling!

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• Added an additional solar panel
  • We added an additional 100W panel a SunPower model, (see the photos below).
  • We used pre-made ‘Y’ cables to connect the two panels in parallel.
  • We had to make 3 foot cables to connect everything together however, this is easy with crimp-on MC-4 connectors and UV protected 10AWG wire.
  • We used the 3M 5200 sealant/adhesive product and double-sided exterior tape which is consistent with the factory installation of the original panel.
  • We also added UV protected loops for cable tie-downs.

• Where does all our juice go???
  • I thought we should know what is consuming power in our rig and at what rate, so we could plan ahead for boon-docking days and off-grid days.
  • To test the DC current, I used a Hall-effect loop current detector and ammeter.
  • To test the AC current, I used a AC loop ammeter.
  • The results are in the summary in the link below.
  • As always, your mileage may vary… this is just what I measured.
    • see attached summary

• Battery Wiring and Distribution
  • Every bolt and connector is used as a tie point around the battery and DC disconnect switch. To make it easier to troubleshoot, safer and easier to service we added power distribution bus bars as shown.
  • We moved the DC distribution from the battery to a proper bus bar
    • Labeled wires, (solar charger, shore charger, etc)
    • Protected wires with split-tube loom.
  • There will be more to come – as I needed 1” loom and did not have any on hand.
  • There is one point where a frame screw had arced to an in-line connector! Glad we did this now rather than discover a problem on the road!

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• Other Items we have changed:
  • We have added storage organizers for the pass-through bay to make it easier to get gear in and out. (photos later)
  • Added Velcro under dinette cushions to keep them in place, (they slide when you sit on them)
  • Replaced the dinette cushions with the Foam Factory Lux – High Quality foam on the seats… what a difference!!
  • Added a ‘stuff-in’ insulation block to the shower skylight to keep the light out and help keep the trailer cooler. It is attached with velcro and can be easily removed.
  • Added an additional 12V plug with USB charger ports and removed the Satellite TV connector on the underside of the radio cabinet.
  • Added power switches for each DC device: The WiFi Ranger; The Radio; The new Accessory Plug; and the TV Plug and antenna amp.
    • We will label them properly before the next trip! 🙂
  • Added 2 – 12v continuous duty computer fans to the inside of the top fridge vent to move heat outside the cabin. Also added a 12v mini-fan inside the fridge and snaked the wire through the condensation drain to the outside. Put all these on a switch and regulator to maintain 12v for the fans.
  • Removed the refrigerator insulation and added radiant barrier foam inside the cabinet to keep heat out of the cabin.

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• All blinds need a foam bumper to keep them quiet in the night with the windows open and a slight breeze, the blinds bounce agains the metal window frames.
• The kitchen window needs a black-out cover as the metal blinds are not adequate for blocking the light.  This will need to be something simple, stowable and easily removed for cooking, as anything but metal would be a fire hazard. 
• More to come!

More Changes

Stairs

The pull-down steps have a metal edge that I kept catching the back of my heel on… (size 13 feet could be part of the problem…) So, to soften the edge, I split and glued a piece of rubber tubing to cover the edge:

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Drawers

The drawer glides were screwed on by machine and only two screws per glide. After 10,000 miles in less than a year, the drawers were breaking out of the glides. We removed the drawers and reseated the glides with Gorilla Glue and added an additional screw. We also added an additional screw on the sides where staples are used and glued the reinforcing piece on the base.

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ForestRiver Rockwood GeoPro 19QB

2018 Ford F-150 King Ranch 

The GeoPro

Forest River 2019 G19QB link

The Floorplan:

Our Likes / Dislikes

• What we liked:
• Full featured rig, queen bed, nice bathroom, kitchen slide-out makes the plan much more spacious, included solar panel and charger system, nice size water tanks.  
• Standing room!  
• Low profile AC unit keeps the trailer height down just a bit!
• Vent cover is great to keep some air moving through the rig when parked/stored without worrying about rain coming in.  The power vent fan is super quiet and moves a lot of air!

• What needs improvement:
• Construction of the shell is solid, interior finish is hit and miss… Cabinets look great, ‘flap’ panels to cover pipes are flimsy.   See the photo below.
• Wiring not all ‘tucked in’ and tied down.  I will work on that.  
• We added an additional page for our upgrades

Customization:

• We may look at a Weight Distribution hitch, improve the ride and handling although we have not had any real issues to date.
• Classic Accessories Cover… good protection when the unit is parked at home.

Things we will or have changed:

• We have added storage organizers for the pass-through bay to make it easier to get gear in and out. (photos later)
• Removed the ‘flap’ covers in the storage cupboards and added plywood shelves. (see photo above)
• Added Velcro under dinette cushions to keep them in place, (they slide when you sit on them)
• Added a ‘stuff-in’ insulation block to the shower skylight to keep the light out and help keep the trailer cooler.
• We may add an additional solar panel to improve our battery recovery time for boon-docking.
• All blinds need a foam bumper to keep them quiet in the night. If the windows are open and a slight breeze, the blinds bounce against the metal window frames.
• The kitchen window needs a black-out cover as the metal blinds are not adequate for blocking the light.  This will need to be something simple, stow-able, as well as easily removed for cooking, as anything but metal would be a fire hazard.