A “suite” new under-30-foot couple’s travel trailer that’s rich in features, including an outside kitchen.
By Bruce W. Smith
April 2024
When camping in the summer, it’s awesome to have an exterior kitchen where you can prepare a nice meal while basking in the outdoors with family and friends. The aroma of food cooking on the outside grill, and the proximity of a fridge a few steps away from a picnic table or camp chairs, is many RVers’ equivalent of camping nirvana.
An outdoor kitchen has a swing-out propane stove and an 8-cubic-foot fridge; a griddle attaches to the side of the RV nearby.
A downside of an outside kitchen is they typically are found only in travel trailer models with a bunkhouse. The space beneath the bunks lends itself to accommodating the components and framing needed to build an exterior kitchen. However, not everyone in the market for a travel trailer with an outside kitchen wants or needs bunks.
“We see a lot of demand for non-bunkhouse models with an outside kitchen,” said Anthony Yoder, regional sales manager for Forest River’s Rockwood division. “That’s how our new 8265KBS floor plan — which is the first of four floor plans in our new Signature Suite Series trailers under 30 feet — came to be.”
Yoder noted that the outside kitchen in the 8265KBS is installed underneath the linen closet in the bathroom at the rear of the RV. “Having the bathroom at the rear of the trailer allowed for a more spacious bathroom and linen closet, which in turn allowed for the outside kitchen to be installed without compromising bathroom space.”
I recently had the opportunity to see this for myself when I reviewed this unit at Bish’s RV in Junction City, Oregon.
RICH IN FEATURES AND QUALITY
Rockwood officials have always prided themselves on building travel trailers at a level above much of their competition in terms of the quality of materials used in the construction process — from torsion axles to rooftop solar panels to cabinetry made from real wood.
The Signature Suite Series 8265KBS tow-behind — a twin-slideout, 9,810-pound-GVWR, 29-foot-11-inch-long model — also incorporates 5/8-inch tongue-and-groove plywood floors, six-sided aluminum-framed construction,an aluminum-framed bed base, and tinted frameless windows. It comes with an 1,800-watt inverter to maximize the juice coming from the 200-watt solar panels. This unit’s 7-foot-2-inch ceiling height is one of the tallest in this market.
This type of build quality makes the 8265KBS a very strong home on wheels for a couple, yet it is light enough to be towed by nearly all of today’s full-size pickups with gas V-8 or diesel engine packages.
An optional king-size bed is available.
KING STYLE, SHORTER FOOTPRINT
One of the nice elements in the 8265KBS’s bedroom is the big picture window in the front cap. Combined with the curbside window over the dresser drawers and countertop, and the windows in the slideout for the optional king-size bed, the cap window makes the bedroom bright and airy when the shades are open.
I also like how designers placed the shirt closet to allow the wraparound of storage cabinets under the countertop that stretches along the front and the side wall. The cabinets boast real wood with soft-close doors, and the drawers incorporate smooth-glide hardware. Bedroom storage also includes four cupboards above the bed, and small shelves on each corner by the padded headboard.
Another nice feature in the bedroom is the dual drawers beneath the aluminum frame of the bed. The lighter bed framework makes it easy to lift, and struts hold the bed up to allow access to items stored in the back of this cavernous space.
A nice-size rear bathroom closes off with a pocket door for privacy.
WELL-APPOINTED BATH AND KITCHEN
Rockwood designers didn’t skimp on the bathroom, either. It’s located in the rear of this nearly 30-foot-long RV. Slide the bathroom door into its pocket and you’re greeted by upper and lower cabinets, a quiet Maxxair ceiling fan, a skylight, a nice vanity, and a roomy shower with a built-in seat and multiple shelves. All the drawers ride on full-extension glides.
As noted previously, the wall-mounted linen cabinet allows for the installation of an exterior kitchen without compromising space in the bathroom. The cabinets are made from real wood; the residential-style fittings and fixtures are upscale; and tasteful flooring has been used.
The galley has a farm-style sink, three-burner range, and 11-cubic-foot fridge.
The kitchen is just as nice. The range is a high-output, three-burner model with residential-style heavy grates. Underneath is a 21-inch propane-fueled oven, and overhead is the microwave. The deep, rectangular farm-style sink is flush-mounted in the L-shaped counter. Three big drawers beneath it, plus several cabinets, provide space to store all your cookware and cleaning supplies. The “L” part of the countertop also serves as a dining table for two, as this model doesn’t offer a free-standing dinette.
On the opposite wall (off-door side) is a floor-to-ceiling pantry and an 11-cubic-foot 12-volt refrigerator/freezer. This Rockwood tow-behind also comes equipped with a WaterPur filtration system and a quick-recovery water heater.
LOUNGE IN COMFORT
The street-side slideout is home to the 67-inch theater seating arrangement. Each reclining chair has adjustable lumbar supports, as well as USB outlets that make it easy to keep electronics charged. The recliners face the smart TV that is mounted in the cabinetry above the kitchen sink.
One street-side slideout holds a 67-inch theater seating arrangement.
There’s a Bluetooth speaker in the ceiling, and if you download the WeRV app, powered by Lippert Components’ (LCI) OneControl technology, you can use your smartphone to control the lights, awning, slideouts, water heater, and air-conditioning system from inside or outside the trailer.
LCI officials note that using the company’s WeRV app in conjunction with the OneControl feature gives Rockwood owners a considerably upgraded RV experience, putting unique customizations and total control at their fingertips. WeRV also allows users to receive real-time diagnostics regarding vital information such as battery voltage.
UPSCALE EXTERIOR AMENITIES
Outside, the 8265KBS is fully equipped, including a power tongue jack, a tire pressure monitoring system for the Goodyear Endurance tires, Nev-R-Adjust electric brakes, and a 22-foot power awning. The outdoor kitchen has an 8-cubic-foot fridge and a convenient swing-out two-burner propane stove. The outside shower fixture offers hot and cold water. An insulated underbelly and 12-volt thermostat-controlled heated holding tanks help to extend the camping season. Several options are offered, among them an electric auto-leveling system.
Of course, the 8265KBS has all the requisite connections and hookups for traditional RV campsites, including a 55-amp converter/charger, a Winegard Air 360+ omnidirectional antenna, and cable/satellite connections.
All in all, the Rockwood team has done a commendable job in designing and engineering the 8265KBS. With an MSRP of $63,457, it’s a little on the pricey side in this highly competitive market. But what you get is a well-built, nicely furnished couple’s trailer for those seeking more upscale surroundings in a less-than-30-foot-long RV that’s towable by half-ton pickups.
SPECIFICATIONS | 2024 ROCKWOOD SIGNATURE
MANUFACTURER
Rockwood, 201 W. Elm, Millersburg, IN 46543; www.forestriverinc.com/rockwood; (574) 642-2640
MODEL
2024 Rockwood Signature
FLOOR PLAN
8265KBS
EXTERIOR LENGTH
29 feet 11 inches
EXTERIOR WIDTH
96 inches
EXTERIOR HEIGHT
11 feet 7 inches
INTERIOR HEIGHT
7 feet 2 inches
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING (GVWR)
9,810 pounds
GROSS AXLE WEIGHT RATING (GAWR)
8,800 pounds
UNLOADED VEHICLE WEIGHT (UVW)
7,649 pounds
HITCH WEIGHT
1,010 pounds
CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY (CCC)
2,161 pounds
TIRES
Goodyear Endurance 15-inch ST225/75R15/E
BRAKES
electric, self-adjusting
HOLDING TANKS
fresh water — 54 gallons;
gray water — 78 gallons;
black water — 39 gallons
PROPANE CAPACITY
60 pounds (2 30-pound tanks)
WATER HEATER
6-gallon propane/electric; quick recovery
ELECTRICAL SERVICE
50 amps
HEATING SYSTEM
35,000-Btu furnace
AIR CONDITIONING
(1) 15,000 Btu
REFRIGERATOR
11-cubic-foot 12-volt
WARRANTY
1 year bumper-to-bumper;
2 years fiberglass;
lifetime limited roof
MANUFACTURER’S SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE
$63,457