ROOST43’s Maximum Impact

From the moment the public got its first glimpse of the ROOST43, it has drawn a series of “wows.” The massive new fifth wheel from Forest River’s Wildwood Heritage Glen and Salem Hemisphere and was a big hit at the Hershey RV Show in September 2024. At 530 square feet of living space, it may just be the biggest, baddest fifth wheel on the market.

“There was a lot of wowing among customers at Hershey,” says Nick Rost, Forest River regional sales representative. “When people see something they have never seen before, it creates a lot of traffic. There was even a bit of confusion as to whether it was a destination trailer or a fifth wheel, and a lot of questions about how [it pulls].”

ROOST43 is definitely a fifth wheel. Federal highway restrictions on the size of fifth wheels were lifted a few years ago. Rost says Forest River began mulling the possibility in 2023 of creating a fifth wheel that maximized the square footage and destination characteristics. The size of destination trailers are capped at 400 square feet, so Forest River wanted to take advantage of that and create something larger.

“We asked ourselves how we could do that with a fifth wheel,” he recalls. “January of [2024] is when we began to have extensive meetings about it, with our production team and all their abilities, and our engineering team and the design team. We just let them start dreaming and started putting it all together, along with our suppliers.”

John Steffensen, product and sales manager for Wildwood Heritage Glen, says his group originally thought more about destination camping as a target audience, so he is surprised how many people plan to buy ROOST43 and travel with it.

“I feel like this is going to fill both a destination purpose and the travel,” he says.

Rost believes Forest River tapped into an unmet need among RV enthusiasts, offering maximum space and ample storage areas. The prototype development was lengthy, and extensive road testing was performed.

“What we have found is that there are a lot of customers who are trading in a fifth wheel for this one. Not with plans to just park it all the time — they are scooting around with this thing,” Rost says. “It’s more versatile. It is 530 square feet, and to our knowledge, there is nothing else like it on the market in a fifth wheel.”

Selecting an appropriate name for the new model was a deliberate process.

“At first, we tossed around several names,” Rost says. “You have to be careful. We searched for words that meant a place to dwell, and the 43 is the length. We took a vote, and we thought this one had a ring to it. There are plans to build off of that ROOST model name, so when we come out with our next floorplan, that model number will be different, so we can add additional floorplans to that theme.”

Rost declines to reveal production numbers for the model that has an MSRP of $139,600 but notes there is already a lot of demand for ROOST43.

A Meticulous Design

Dealers got their first up close look at ROOST43 at the Elkhart Open House. Their reaction was decidedly positive. “They are always hungry for something new, where they can build value and generate a return on their investment,” Steffensen says. The interior roof is flat, but the exterior roof is pitched to the off-door side. Low-profile air conditioners are mounted on the pitch. The height comes in at 13 feet, 5 inches, just under the limit of 13 feet, 6 inches. The model’s interior frame allows for more height, with a loft up behind the bedroom.

“It is basically a full standup hallway, where you are stepping up to a loft,” Rost explains. “With our ceiling heights, it allows you to have a full loft over the living room. That was one of the things we focused on a lot, before we even built the first prototype, was making sure the living room doesn’t feel claustrophobic. We built the ceiling height up in the bathroom so that it doesn’t feel tight.”

Designing the ROOST was a meticulous process. Rost says every nook and cranny was studied several times, with discussions to determine the right spot to place every feature, ranging from switches to the L-shaped sofa. Forest River worked with its suppliers to develop a sofa that maximizes seating.

“Generally, with a spiral staircase in the back, you are limited on the size of the sofa, so we decided to implement a pivot hinge sofa, so when you are in transit, you just pull the hinge up and it’s on casters, so the sofa folds in,” Rost says.

An Amish-crafted coffee table is standard. Hand-hewn, Amish-made beams can be found throughout the coach. Floating shelves are featured in the bathroom with an accessible washer and dryer. A Fiberglas shower, with a teakwood fold-down seat is standard. No corners were cut regarding the model’s TV and stereo system. It comes with a 65-inch smart TV and a JBL stereo.

“Square windows really came into play on the ROOST, to give it a real impact,” Rost says. “We have larger windows with built-in shades with reflective backing throughout the coach. That is one of the things that really makes you step back, the massive windows.

“We wanted to take it above and beyond with the patio doors, so we did a triple pane with 84-inch height, so it gives you a beautiful impact as you are looking into the kitchen, and the view from the large bar top. The bar top is an island in the Salem/Wildwood style, where you can also utilize bar stools. That has really worked well right out of the gate. We wanted our dealers to build on the success they have already built with our destination segment.”

Optimistic Going Forward

Rost says the ROOST43 is the product of a lot of hard work. That was validated in August by utilizing Forest River’s influencers in the RV world, which generated more than 45 million views on social media.

“We had a pizza party for the plant production team, as they played the biggest part in this,” he says. “We wanted to let them enjoy the day, kick back and see what we all had accomplished. But the cool thing about our team is that we do a high five, and then we get back to the drawing board and see what’s next. We are going to do what we can to be innovative and give the customers what they want.”

Rost is optimistic about the fifth wheel market going forward. Declining interest rates should generate increased business.

“There are still buyers out there, and in the fourth quarter, we have seen an uptick. Our dealers are feeling that as well. I believe we are going to see an increase in the new year, and we are going to secure an additional market share due to our new products, as well as our existing floorplans. I feel really optimistic about it. The bunkhouses in particular were off, but that has had an uptick as well. If you have unique offerings that others don’t have, it’s going to put you in a better place.”

Features will be added and updated in the coming years. Rost’s team has regular meetings to envision future upgrades. Feedback will come from multiple sources, including retail customers at the early season RV shows.

“There is something to be said for consistency, but we always want to lead the pack in value. We will continue to make adjustments as needed,” he says.