2020 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2889WS 5th Wheel Tour
If you haven’t had a chance yet, take a look at our 2020 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2889WS 5th Wheel Tour video located at the top of this post. I’m mainly creating this blog post to give you a bit more details what I (Shane) liked and disliked about this 5th wheel to hopefully help you in your search.
LAYOUT/DESIGN
THE GOOD
If you are planning on taking this 2020 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2889WS 5th Wheel out for weekend trips and really only are going to set it up while at a RV park, this will feel like a home away from home. The island in the middle by the kitchen offers great prep space for meals and gives it that I’m at home vibe.
The entertainment center is angled pretty well to be viewed by all parts of the living area, whether you are at the dining table, 2 reclining chairs, or at the couch.
The lighting in this RV is absolutely fantastic. Large windows surrounding the living room area will allow you to soak in the views from the mountain side, desert, or beautiful lake you are parked next to.
The bathroom and bedroom layouts are pretty standard for this size of a 5th wheel, but still get the job done. You can also access the bathroom on trips easily when you need to stop along a long drive.
THE BAD
If you plan on stopping at a Walmart or boondocking location that doesn’t allow you to pop out slides, your access will be very limited. One of my biggest gripes about these types of layouts is that fridge access is denied by either the opposing slide or in this case, the island in the middle.
The opposing slides offer a ton of room for 95-99% of the time you will be likely using the RV, but if you do need to stop and get something out of a rear cabinet, at least one slide needs to come out.
Previously I said the island gives you extra prep space for preparing kitchen meals, but on the other side, it also takes a little bit away from that open feel you would get otherwise.
Bathroom sink area is a bit small, but this is a smaller 5th wheel, so I can’t knock it too much.
For US, working on the road is very important. We try to find a RV that has multiple uses for each area. This layout might be a bit more awkward if you were trying to work on the road, but I realize that isn’t what everyone is looking for in a RV.
LAYOUT SUMMARY
Since I am judging this from my perspective and my experience, I give this layout a 3/5 just because there are a few things you can improve. I’m not saying it is horrible, Deanna and I could definitely make it work if we had to while traveling full-time. However, I think there are more usable layouts out there, so once I find one that seems perfect to me, that will get the 5 star rating.
APPLIANCES
Honestly this rig has some pretty impressive appliances for its price range. An upgraded water heater, ceiling fan, 3 max air vents, great stove/microwave, and even a fireplace make this truly feel like a home.
Although this does only have 1 AC unit with the 50amp connection, I think in most locations you will be happy with the temperature based on the amount of ventilation this rig is capable of.
I gave this a 4/5 because it isn’t top of the line equipment, but in this price range you really are getting your money’s worth in my opinion.
COMFORT
For this size of 5th wheel, they are really packing quite a bit of items to make the stay very comfortable for longer adventures. Looking at the chairs from a distance, they honestly didn’t look all that comfortable to me. However, after sitting in them for a bit while taking down some notes, I could see myself kicking the chair back and staying a while.
The couch was really cushy too, although I didn’t put the backrests back into place for a proper test.
The dining room chairs could leave a bit to be desired, but they were never really meant to be lounged in for long periods of time to begin with.
The queen bed in the bedroom sucks just like most RV beds to be quite honest. I recommend replacing whatever bed you get with some sort of memory foam mattress. It adds weight, but if you plan on spending a lot of time in the RV, totally worth the relief in back pain. I highly doubt you will find a RV in this price range with a super comfy bed to be fair.
The shower is a good size for this 5th wheel and gives you plenty of space to turn around. And if any smells haunt this RV, you have 3 Max Air Fans to get those smells out in probably seconds.
As I said in the video, I thought it was odd that the RV was equipped with 50amp but only had the one AC. We only need one AC half the time in our 30ft 5th wheel, but there have been a few extra hot days where the 2nd unit came in handy.
Overall, I’d give this unit a 4/5 in comfort level because it is pretty dang nice.
BUILD QUALITY
Although I did compliment this 2020 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2889WS 5th Wheel quite a few times while touring it for the build quality, it is still really a mid-tier priced 5th wheel. So just like most things in life, you get what you pay for. I honestly do think Rockwood has really stepped up their game in the build quality since even 6 years ago.
The cabinets seemed to be fairly sturdy and didn’t wobble as I opened them, like many RVs these days.
The counter tops weren’t marble or anything, but seemed solid and felt as if they would hold up against someone that isn’t SUPER careful with kitchen utensils.
Although at this price range you do only get single-pane windows, I liked the fact that they were fairly tinted and the design allowed for some better ventilation even if rain was coming down. (Max Air fans need a window open to serve a purpose, so these were key in the overall design).
The toilet was a harder plastic. Not a fan myself as cleaning plastic isn’t nearly as easy as cleaning porcelain, nor does it hold up as long.
We have really enjoyed our turning point hitch on our current 2019 Grand Design 273MK 5th wheel. Although it might not be needed with our short bed (6’9″) F250, I liked knowing I would have a great maneuverability when needed.
There are definitely some improvements that can be made as far as build quality, but Forest River gives you pretty good materials in this price range to work with. 3/5 is the best rating I would give this particular rig.
STORAGE
When trying to market a 5th wheel as an Ultra Lite, you have to be careful on the amount of storage you give people so they don’t overload the thing. At the same time, the 5th wheel has to be usable for at least weekend trips and possibly week long trips.
I think Forest River did a great job maximizing the available space inside and outside of this RV. Sure the pass through and outside storage of this 5th wheel aren’t as big as some larger brands, but this is a lighter 5th wheel. It just makes sense.
There is plenty of room inside this 2020 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2889WS 5th Wheel to store everything you need for at least a week’s stay. Deanna and I have a tad more storage in our current 5th wheel, but we lived in a 21ft travel trailer for 6 months and did just fine. So honestly, if we can do that you all can handle a weekend trip with family with no issues whatsoever.
For this price range and size, I would give this a 4/5 rating just because there will be something better out there. This is pretty close to maximizing the storage availability for the overall allowed weight capacity though.
BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
Now all the other categories that I mentioned above were pretty opinionated, and this would probably be the most opinionated category. This will really depend what you want out of the 5th wheel you are purchasing and how much you plan on using it.
For me personally I would rate this a 3/5 just because we bought a similar sized 5th wheel that fits us better than this particular model. Our 5th wheel had a similar MSRP (a little less) but we blew any deals I have found online for this away.
Don’t get me wrong, this offers some cool features like a ceiling fan and a ton of ventilation and other perks. Not to mention it has a different type of layout than ours, but to me it seems a bit over priced.
If this 2020 Rockwood Ultra Lite 2889WS 5th Wheel fits all your needs and you can’t find something else with a similar layout or build quality, then this might just be your rig. RVs come in all shapes and sizes so it all comes down to what exactly you need/want.
NOTE FROM WRITER
If you enjoyed this blog post or the video to go along with it, feel free to share it with your friends. You can find us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our channel’s RSS feed via the subscribe button on the sidebar. If you have any questions or comments go ahead and leave them below and we will try our best to get back to you! Thanks for reading/watching!
Also be sure to check out Deanna’s food blog, The Harvest Skillet, when you get the chance! A lot of awesome and healthy recipes to use there!
Adventure On!
