Encore RV ROG

[VoodooBlue]

I picked up the 12RK a few months ago. Like has been said above, it checked a lot of the boxes. I added a 270 awning and a rooftop tent. I have a 100W solar panel that I use with it and a 200AH lithium battery.

So far I have really like it. Happy to answer any questions. I would love to add the ladder and lights that they just released with the survival series.

This is a great idea.

I added a 3” lift to my trailer for added ground clearance.

How did you do that? I'll have to look into that. Mine is out of alignment with my tow vehicle and I think this would help a lot.

 

[MOHNKERN]

Their new survival series can be equipped with 3 lithium batteries and 200 watts Solar.

The battery compartment in the front is optimized for 2 AGM's and I do believe it is prewired for external solar, I think its up near the propane grill connection but I would have to check again. I would imagine that using the AC when the Roof top tent is up there would be a no go, but I believe I heard or read that the tent does clear the AC. Yeah there are 3 of them in stock at the one dealer I stopped at. I am giving it some serious consideration for sure.

The list on it will all options is like 28K they are listed "on sale" at the dealer for 23...so I figure If I decide to get it 20K is doable even in this market, the RV lots are flooded again and sales are abundant on all but the most in demand, low production models.

series

 

[MOHNKERN]

Any idea how much the survival series 12RK is gonna be? I know the company is new and figuring it out, but they really have trouble putting their products on their website, I have read about all the attachments for the roof rack that you can buy but have not seen a single one listed for sale.

The only thing that has given me pause about picking up this trailer is the lack of any reviews other than dealers and from the company. Searching forums, you tube etc only yields a few reviews or comments. I am sure there will be more soon. Not having new products on the website but actually having them produced and on dealer lots is kinda a red flag to me that the company could possibly not be well organized or in it for the long haul. Or maybe their web people just suck and need to be replaced.

The Survival series only has 2 things that I would be interested in, the ladder and the step bumpers, it would be interesting to know if those could be spec'd separately on the regular 12RK...I would not want to pay a premium for an axe shovel etc but if the price is right I might consider it.

I do like the no wood construction.

FYI there is an Encore owners group on Facebook

 

[jaxyaks]

FYI there is an Encore owners group on Facebook

10-4...I am pending approval for that group

 

[KCcarguy]

Just bought one of these. HUGE mistake. It’s been one problem after another since we brought it home. Only 3 nights camping before issues started popping up and it’s been one trip after another to the shop ever since.

Don’t let the marketing fool you…this is no different than all the other garbage coming out of Indiana. I highly encourage anyone considering an RV to research the problems in the industry and particularly QC issues;

Shoddy work. Unhappy buyers. A near-death experience. When the RV lifestyle goes wrong

'There goes our fifth wheel, toy hauler, everything in it... I think I'm gonna throw up,' said Jenny Doman, whose RV burned a day after she bought it.

www.indystar.com

I can’t get my money back, but I’m hoping I can help other enthusiasts avoid this pitfall. I would encourage anyone out there looking for an adventure trailer to shop companies who manufacture outside the Elkhart, IN area.

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

Just bought one of these. HUGE mistake. It’s been one problem after another since we brought it home. Only 3 nights camping before issues started popping up and it’s been one trip after another to the shop ever since.

Don’t let the marketing fool you…this is no different than all the other garbage coming out of Indiana. I highly encourage anyone considering an RV to research the problems in the industry and particularly QC issues;

Shoddy work. Unhappy buyers. A near-death experience. When the RV lifestyle goes wrong

'There goes our fifth wheel, toy hauler, everything in it... I think I'm gonna throw up,' said Jenny Doman, whose RV burned a day after she bought it.

www.indystar.com

I can’t get my money back, but I’m hoping I can help other enthusiasts avoid this pitfall. I would encourage anyone out there looking for an adventure trailer to shop companies who manufacture outside the Elkhart, IN area.

Man that's a bummer sorry to hear this.
the "One"company in the Elkhart area that bucks the norm is Kingdom Camping. Just saying.

 

[KCcarguy]

Man that's a bummer sorry to hear this.
the "One"company in the Elkhart area that bucks the norm is Kingdom Camping. Just saying.

Good to know. Those are nice-looking trailers!

More than anything I want people to be aware of the problems going on with RV manufacturing in that area. Before buying, I researched this model specifically (getting good reviews, of coarse) and never ran across articles exposing the problems with manufacturing in that area. Hoping to help others to be more informed before investing in a trailer. Just wanting others to consider not just the design of a trailer, but who built it.

 

[cseaman]

I stumbled upon this thread while searching for something else and figured I'd drop some feedback. I purchased a ROG 12RK SS in July 2023..third trailer we have bought since 2021. You kinda figure out what you want, don't want, need, and don't need when you use trailers a lot, and we settled on this thing after spending some time looking at other similar trailers and seeing a bunch at Overland Expo NW in 2022.

Overall, I am very happy with Encore. The owner and key staff are very involved in the FB owner's groups. The trailer has not had any significant issues and tows extremely well, even behind my current '24 Wrangler 392 on 37s. I have contacted the company two times, once via phone for minor tech support and once via email for a warranty issue. Both times, I got immediate and accurate resolutions. I can say, without a doubt, this was not the same experience you'd get with many other Indiana-based trailer builders and I know that having owned two ************ Forest River variants before this.

I am not a IG overlandy guy and will never try and do any serious off-roading with this trailer. While it is well-built, it's not an aussie-built $50k+ trailer intended for that. I do, however, trust this trailer and really, really enjoy using it. Camped 10-12x from Jul-Dec 2023 and have a 35 night adventure planned to the PNW from Arkansas in late spring.

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

Can any owners post pictures of thier chassis. I am helping a person decide on a lower cost off road ish trailer and I cannot find any pictures of a Rog chassis

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

So when I am helping folks decide on rigs I lurk here in EP and in various FB groups to get feed back. I get shade and called a troll at times.

So in the Encore Rog FB group a lady mentions she has narrowed her rig choice to a Rog or a Boreas XT. One of the coolaid drinking owners mentioned he thought the Rog was a better built rig. I couldn't help myself and in a nice way I explained how there was no comparison but that they are in a different price point. I know all trailers have issues but check out actually was sold to a lady through some cheese ball encore dealer. Obviously built by a meth head on a Friday evening and an easy fix. But how does this make it out of the factory and the dealer to a customer?

So I got booted out of the group. Then I started searching and not one negative comment ever posted in this group. Moral of the story take FB groups with a grain of salt. EP all the way
We are free here to speak or minds!

 

[KCcarguy]

I know all trailers have issues but check out actually was sold to a lady through some cheese ball encore dealer. Obviously built by a meth head on a Friday evening and an easy fix. But how does this make it out of the factory and the dealer to a customer?

Spot on…one of the MANY issues I’ve had with our trailer is the door not closing or latching. On our 3rd trip to address this issue (among others) the tech informed me that in the mainstream RV industry, the customer is expected to be the QC; finding flaws and bringing the trailer in for repairs under warranty. Talk about a crap business model!

So, if you want to deal with that stuff, go ahead and buy this trailer. However, if you want a trailer you can really in the backcountry, look elsewhere.

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

KC sorry to hear this about your trailer. Seems like lots of folks are happy with thiers on that FB group. These trailers do sell for considerably less then other US built off roaders but off road trailers just can't be built on the cheap. Or be sold by cheeseball RV dealers who don't know sheet about off grid use.

I have not seen one of these in person but I am still laughing at the guy on FB who said they were built better then a Boreas.

 

[KCcarguy]

I dunno....maybe I just have a lemon. But, I suspect that FB group is very closely monitored for negative posts. I will tell you, now that I have gotten to know this trailer a little more, there are build-quality issues that are inexcusable. For example, the kitchen slide-out was catching on a trim strip, and I had to use washers to raise it a bit. When I removed the slide I was surprised to see that rather than mounting the slide-out with bolts through the (aluminum) frame, the builder used 8-10 self-tapping machine screws drilled in at completely random intervals. Of course, 1/4 of them were stripped out and just rattling around in there doing nothing . Another ongoing issue has been one of the side doors. It's had trouble latching from day 1, and has also leaked. On my second trip in to have it worked on, the tech pointed out to me that the entire assembly was mounted crooked; about 3/4" tilt to one side. The overall impression I get with this trailer is that it's a good concept with poor execution and quality-control.

I paid $23k for mine new....A lot of money for a square-drop trailer; considering you can find new teardrops for $12-13k all day long. And many new ~20ft travel trailers sell for less. So, while I don't expect it to be at the level or a Boreas, I do expect it to at least function. To Encore's credit, all repairs have been covered under warranty. But, transporting the trailer to and from the shop, as well as nagging the shop manager to get the repairs done correctly has been a huge ordeal. Between having repairs done, and doing some myself, I have literally spent more time trying to get the trailer to just function properly than I have camping.

 

[Obsessed2findARuggedHybid]

Yes one thing for sure is that FB group is monitored very carefully by what I assume are the owners or employees of encore. I said one negative comment and was booted and can't even search for the group. What a joke. If anyone is lurking on that group trying to get a feel for quality don't bother

 

[cseaman]

I just towed mine over 7000 miles from Arkansas to Olympic NP and back and outside of it ending up totaled from a hit and run by a semi truck in Moab, the trailer functioned phenomenally. We did not have any part failures minus one of the door lock cylinders breaking. I'm buying another one in August.

Also, as far as the FB group is concerned, I can say that as a matter of fact, if you are contributing to that group as an owner, you can say whatever you want about these trailers. Encore does no censoring of problems or complaints about the trailers. Given how polarized the "obsessed2find" guy above is on talking about his 'experience' in the FB group, I'm guessing he wasn't posting anything relevant and obviously has no owner feedback that could assist anyone with solving anything on an Encore product.

KCcarguy - I would strongly suggest reaching out to Encore directly. The owner just helped us a ton by personally speaking with our insurance company to assist in the repair estimate of our trailer.