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RV review: 2024 Rockwood Luxury Ranch 393RL fifth wheel - world premier

Tony Barthel

Today’s RV review is of the new-for-2024 Rockwood Luxury Ranch 393RL fifth wheel. This is what is called a full profile fifth wheel and is new to the Rockwood line. If you’ve been shopping for what is called a “full profile” fifth wheel you may not have heard of the Rockwood Luxury Ranch and it’s a new name from a storied brand.

Author’s note

In the week since I researched this article and then published it, Forest River backed off on the idea of making these Rockwood and Flagstaff offerings and reverted back to their being Columbus offerings. So this is back to being a Columbus River Ranch 393RL.

Yes. I think it’s wacky as well. But…

What is the Rockwood Luxury Ranch 393RL fifth wheel

What you have here is both traditional and very different. The floor plan in this fifth wheel is probably the most common floor plan in fifth wheels. In fact, I’ve advocated that if you are considering a fifth wheel start by comparing this floor plan to the others out there.

Doing that will give you an idea of the nuances and build quality of one fifth wheel versus another. If this floor plan doesn’t suit you you can then move on to other variants that might better fit your travels but you’ll have an understanding of how the builder does things.

What we see here is something very different for a fifth wheel. Instead of there being an upper and lower deck this is one long deck. So, for those who don’t want to constantly be walking up and down steps this might be a great consideration. This is something that motorhomes have as an advantage over fifth wheels and, for those with mobility issues, this can be a significant advantage.

The way they’ve accomplished this is to effectively raise the rear portion of the deck but then provide tremendous storage under the raised floor. Again, this is much like a motorhome.

At the back in this storage area, which measure 480 square feet, is a long slide-out drawer-type arrangement. You could easily store your kayaks in here and still have space for all sorts of gear along the sides. Accessing that gear is easy as there are three baggage doors on each side which feature slam latches and thick walls.

Being from the west coast I’m not used to having basements but it really is a nice feature and even more so in an RV where there’s never too much storage.

To get up into the body of this there are more steps that lead up to the raised floor; however, once you’re in there are no more steps. Since this is a pretty tall stairwell up to the main floor there is a cage-like structure around the steps so you don’t go tumbling down them inadvertently. The entry door is also wider than most at 30 inches.

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Unique features

Not only is the build of this fifth wheel unique but there are also features that stand out to me as well.

For example, the couch at the back of the main living area is a split couch. Naturally it can be turned into a bed but you can leave one half down as a couch and make the other half into a bed.

On either side of this couch are rather deep cubbies so you have storage and there are power outlets on either side as well.

I really like the island kitchen because the sink has multiple inserts for straining as well as for draining dishes. These inserts slide in the sink so you can customize it for how you wish to use it. There’s also a drain rack that fits atop the sink as well as a butcher block cutting board.

It’s funny - a little thing like this can truly make a big difference in usability over time.

Being a high-end fifth wheel you do have the option of a residential refrigerator but I am a big fan of the 12 volt fridges and that’s available as well. The reason I like these is that they’re specifically “hardened” for life on the road and you don’t need to run an inverter to operate them if you’re not connected to shore power.

More living space

Unlike most fifth wheels the bathroom and bedroom in this are on the same deck as the main living space. Rockwood took advantage of the length of this trailer as well as the lack of steps to an upper deck and made the bathroom absolutely huge.

It’s a really nice space with a shower you can stretch out in. That shower also-has a fold-down teak seat.

I like the way they configured the counter top which has a curvy front so it extends where the sink is but then dips back to make the entry door larger. You could sit here and stare at yourself in the mirror if that’s something you would want to do.

The bedroom, too, has a very spacious feel. Part of how this is accomplished is a slide room on the road side that encompasses the hallway between the bedroom and bathroom and incorporates a very large wardrobe.

Of course this has a king-sized bed and I like the little places alongside the bed for your noisy toys.

There is more closet space in the nose of this rig as well as space and plumbing for a washer-dryer which you can have factory-installed if you choose.

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How they’re made

While this is inherited from the Palomino Columbus River Ranch family, there are build features that long-time Rockwood owners will recognize. For example, the company frames in the water station and several other places in welded aluminum.

The walls construction is built in-house and features Azdel substrate inside and out. Those walls are two inches thick for better insulation.

Rockwood has been known for their suspensions but this one is standout for a different reason. Something this heavy requires a beefier suspension and the one in here is the Lippert Slipper Roller Suspension. It also includes anti-lock trailer braking which I think is a big safety feature. Of course there are H-rated tires on 17” wheels and a tire pressure monitoring system standard.

The basement flooring on these is a unique one inch thick honeycomb structure which is a man-made material that isn’t susceptible to water damage which is a plus. The decking that you actually walk on is a 3/4 inch plywood which is supported by steel risers and a welded aluminum floor structure.

Boondocking and travel access

You can get to the fridge and bathroom with the slides in but forget about the bedroom or any of the rest of the main living space.

Like most fifth wheels this one has substantial holding tanks for fresh and gray water and they’ve actually figured out how to have a single sewer connection point. Yippee!

A 260 watt solar panel is standard with a second one optional. There is a standard 1800 watt inverter with six of the receptacles being wired into this.

You can also opt in an inverter generator as well which would run the three air conditioning systems in this RV just fine. Two of those AC units incorporate heat pump technology.

Final thoughts

Know that if you don’t have a Rockwood dealer close by but do have a Flagstaff dealer, the exact same unit is the Flagstaff Elite Estate 393RL.

It may also be a bit of a challenge to find these initially as Rockwood, Flagstaff and Palomino make the transition from selling these under the Palomino flag to doing so as Rockwood or Flagstaff units.

There are a number of little things I like that, again, make a difference over time. For example, I’m seeing fewer RV companies boxing in the windows on the inside of RVs as it’s just cheaper to omit this. But the side boxes on windows plus darkening shades really makes a difference to those of us who like a dark place at night. This has those.

There are also things like a trash can cabinet with two trash cans which would really be nifty if more campgrounds offered a provision to recycle. There is also a spice cabinet.

Of course this is a really, really big trailer measuring over 45 feet in length and with a maximum weight of nine tons. You’re going to need one heck of a tow vehicle to move this around as well as a large camp site to place it.

I could see something like this for people living full time where they don’t move it often. In fact, there were traveling medical professionals that I sold RVs to who didn’t even own a big truck - they just called a transporter when they wanted to change locations.

But if you’re looking at something like a Jayco Pinnacle, Keystone Montana, Grand Design Solitude or one of the new brands like Brinkley or Alliance this would be a really logical alternative with some first-rate features and proven build quality.

One of the things that really caught my attention when I went to the Forest River Owner’s Group (FROG) rally and the team at Rockwood-Flagstaff were introduced, the person who received the loudest round of applause was the head of the warranty department. Essentially this shows that people are happy with how the company supports their camping addiction.

That kind of customer support really says a lot about a company. Now it just has a bigger range of RVs and bigger RVs to offer.

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