This past December Jeremy made the decision to not renew his contract with Ember as their brand ambassador. This was a tough decision for him, but he is confident it was the right decision. He wanted to give more of his time and attention to The RV Atlas podcast, the RV Atlas website, and to the books that he coauthors with Stephanie. Saying goodbye to Ember was bittersweet, but both Jeremy and Stephanie were excited to go RV shopping again–and shop widely across all of the brands in the industry for the first time in a long time.
To listen to Jeremy and Stephanie discuss their life and work updates, and to take a deep dive into their post pandemic RV shopping adventures, click on the media player above or subscribe to The RV Atlas wherever you get your shows. In the first episode of the new season of The RV Atlas they share the shortlist of RV’s that went under serious consideration. The list of their top five picks can be found below.
Option 1: Jayco Redhawk 31F or Greyhawk 31F Class C
Once the dust settled and Jeremy and Stephanie started talking about shopping for a new RV, Stephanie suggested that they should consider purchasing a motorhome. Jeremy has wanted a motorhome for his entire life–going back to his childhood–and maybe this was the moment to fulfill that lifelong dream. After doing some initial research–Jeremy and Stephanie decided to consider purchasing a lightly used Jayco Redhawk or Jayco Greyhawk 31F. But they soon discovered that there were not many bargain priced used units around. So they started to consider purchasing a new one at their dealer, White Horse RV Center in Southern New Jersey. The 31F floorpan is perfect for their family, but the price of a new Class C was definitely something to consider.
Jayco Redhawk/Greyhawk Major Pro: Perfect Family Floorplan.
Jayco Redhawk/Greyhawk Major Con: Very Expensive.
Option 2: Rockwood Roo 233S Hybrid Travel Trailer
Jeremy and Stephanie also started to consider some very different options while they were motorhome shopping. Just in case they did not want to spend that motorhome money. Stephanie suggested that they consider purchasing a Rockwood Roo 233S because they have both always loved Rockwood Roos. The 233S is also a terrific floorpan for families that need a lot of sleeping space. A Rockwood Roo would also cost about 60-70K less than a motorhome, Definitely something to think about! Jeremy and Stephanie and the boys also moved into a Rockwood Roo for four nights several years ago when they were writing cover stories for Trailer Life Magazine. The loved the Rockwood Roo 235S that they tested and gave it a rave review. You can read that review right here.
The major con of buying a Rockwood Roo is that their dealer (that they both love so much) does not sell them. Leaving their dealer after 10 years of working with them would be a tough loss to say the least. But they really, really do love those Roos!
Rockwood Roo 233S Major Pro: Excellent Family Floorplan (and a budget-friendly price)
Rockwood Roo 233S Major Con: Rockwood is not carried by Jeremy and Stephanie’s dealer White Horse RV.
Option 3: Grand Design Momentum 23G or 25G Toy Hauler
Since they were being very open minded about their RV options, Jeremy and Stephanie decided to visit White Horse RV Center and check out their complete inventory of RV’s. The Grand Design Momentum Travel Trailer Toy Haulers immediately caught their eyes. They both loved their Jayco Octane Toy Hauler (that they owned about four years ago)–and all of the kids miss it very much. Toy Haulers solve all of their gear hauling problems and make it easy to bring along bikes, surfboards, kayaks, whatever! Of course, Jeremy did not always love towing the toy hauler because of its extra height, width, and weight–but he did get used to it over time.
They both found the Grand Design Momentum Toy Haulers to be really, really nice–and they have options that are under 30ft long–which is quite appealing to Jeremy from a towing perspective. They both loved the fit and finish of the Grand Design toy haulers–and the quality seemed good. The tongue weight on both the 23G and 25G are quite heavy though–because both of those floorpans have bedroom slide outs up front. Jeremy does not think that tongue heavy RV’s tow as nicely as RVs that are lighter at the tongue–so this was a consideration. Jeremy and Stephanie’s F-250 could technically handle the job though.
Grand Design Momentum 23G and 25G Major Pro: Hauls ALL OF THE GEAR EASILY!
Grand Design Momentum 23G and 25G Major Con: Very Heavy Tongue Weight
Option 4: Grand Design Imagine 2800BH Travel Trailer
After taking a close look at the Grand Design Momentum Toy Haulers, Jeremy and Stephanie decided to check out the Grand Design Imagine lineup. They ended up liking the 2800Bh the best out of all of the Imagine floorplans. This model packs in a lot of comfort and convenience in a 32 ft. package. After downsizing into the much smaller 22 foot Ember last year–they were looking for a rig that was about 10 feet longer. Having a private bedroom again with a closable door was also at the top of their “wants” list. The fit and finish on the Imagine was impressive and the unit certainly had a comfortable feel and plenty of space and storage. However, the Imagine did not have a rear cargo door, or a receiver for a bike rack on the back of the coach. So hauling some of the family gear would be tricky in this unit.
Grand Design Imagine 2800BH Major Pro: Impressive Fit and Finish
Grand Design Imagine 2800BH Major Con: Limited Options for Hauling Bikes and Gear
Option 5: Winnebago Minnie 2801BHS Travel Trailer
White Horse RV Center is also a Winnebago Dealer–so Jeremy and Stephanie decided to check out some of the Winnebago Travel Trailers as well. The Minnie 2801BHS has a similar floorplan to the Grand Design Imagine 2800BHS–so they also took that one under serious consideration. This floorpan does have some features that the 2800BH does not have–like a walk-in wardrobe/pantry and a sink in the outdoor kitchen. The 2801BH also has a rear cargo door, and a receiver on the back for a bike rack. This are all awesome features that put the Winnebago under serious consideration. However, Jeremy and Stephanie did like the general fit and finish and the interior better on the Grand Design. The Grand Design Imagine 2800BH also does have a drop frame chassis up front–so the front cargo bin is much larger than the one on the Winnebago.
Winnebago Minnie 2801BHS Major Pro: Better Storage and Gear Hauling Options
Winnebago Minnie 2801BHS Major Con: Much Smaller Front Cargo Bin than the Grand Design
So which of these RV’s did Jeremy and Stephanie end up buying? Tune into the next episode of The RV Atlas and check back right here on thervatlas.com for a complete review of their new rig!
