By Cheri Sicard
In the video below the team from Big Truck Big RV (voted one of our readers’ favorite RV YouTube channels) gives us a tour of a unique 2-story RV, the Grand Lodge 42VIEW.
To be sure, this is a park model, now known by its PR-enhanced moniker of “Destination Trailer.” But for those of you whose idea of RVing is setting the rig down as a stationary vacation home, this one has a lot to offer.
I have to confess that before watching this video, I never got the appeal of such RVs, but my opinion has definitely changed.
This is a beautiful and functional turnkey solution. Plop it on your lot and hook up water and power and your vacation home away from home is ready for occupancy. And it already is outfitted with all the appliances and options you would have to shop for separately if you were building a home.
Depending on the deal you get, it can also be less expensive than many tiny homes. While the MSRP is more than $100K, the deal in the video showed this trailer priced at $72,988.
At first glance the reason why this trailer is called the “View” becomes apparent. Windows, high and low, surround the rig. The manufacturers built this for people who want an easy second home solution on their vacation property. And often the appeal of those vacation properties is their spectacular views.
Rare 2-story RV
The fact that it is a 2-story RV sets the Wildwood Grand Lodge View apart. Built on a 12-inch I-beam frame with a 12-inch drop beam on both front and back, this construction is what makes that interior two-story-type feel possible.
Upon entering, you’re greeted by a stylish spiral staircase. The space underneath the stairs is utilized for storage bins, while the stairs themselves lead to an enormous sleeping loft with room for five or more.
Downstairs toward the front of the trailer, you’ll find the master bedroom with a king-sized bed and a staggering amount of wardrobe closet space. Despite all this storage, you’ll find even more under the bed.
There’s even a fireplace in the bedroom for those romantic and/or chilly evenings. Windows surround the bedroom so you can wake up and enjoy the view.
The kitchen features a HUGE island with plenty of counter space for food prep and a large dual-basin, stainless steel, restaurant-style sink. How big is the island? It has room for five barstools so people can sit around it.
More kitchen features include:
- Furrion cooktop and oven
- Residential-sized microwave
- Refrigerator freezer
- Ceiling fans
- TV on a televator
If I had any critique, the cook in me would want more than three burners in an RV this large that is not meant to travel.
The living room feels like a living room in a bricks-and-sticks house, with a huge L-shaped wrap-around sofa. A fireplace sits opposite for warmth and ambiance.
Another staircase in the back of the rig leads to another large sleeping loft area.
Under the loft area is the large main bathroom. The spa-style shower features multiple heads and a shower wand.
To be sure, this is a very large, very heavy RV. It actually weighs more than many mid-sized 5th wheels. But it is really not meant for road travel beyond delivery to its destination, so in this case that extra weight is probably a good thing.
That said, the one area our host thought needed a little improvement was in the tires and stabilization department. While he realizes these trailers won’t be moving a lot, a little extra attention here would provide much greater peace of mind while towing it to its destination.
Speaking of towing, you will need a large, heavy-duty dually truck to get this monster where it needs to go.
2-story RV 2023 Wildwood Grand Lodge 42VIEW Destination Trailer specs
- Length: 45’
- GVWR: 15,635 pounds
- Dry weight: 11,847 pounds
- Cargo carrying capacity: 3,729 pounds
- Rheem residential-style tank water heater
- Rack and pinion slides
- Two 30-lb. propane tanks
- 50-amp power
Learn more about the 2025 model of this trailer here. (Some of the specs may have changed from those listed above for the 2023 model.)
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Won’t speak to this specific model, but if we were replacing our current larger RV, I would look seriously at a ‘destination model’. We leave a RV at a park catering to long-stay guests (seasonal or FT). It serves as a 2nd seasonal home. Retired RVers are a different crowd from residents of ‘mobile home’ parks. After our seasonal park of 7 years was sold to a corporate concern, conditions went downhill and rates went uphill. Just as we could with a destination model, we and several friends, responded by pulling our rigs to another park. Harder to do with either mobile or tiny homes.
I was thinking the exact same thing Jim. Although not constructed for frequent moves like a fifth wheel, at least they provide options for relocation that’s less cumbersome than a mobile home. The loft in this particular critter brings an interesting way to provide additional interior space but it seems more like crawl space than anything truly useful.
No, this is NOT a “park model”! Park models are built to a completely different set of specs than a “destination trailer”. First, park models are 11-13′ wide, which means they are “wide loads” and must be hauled by a commercial hauler. Second, they are a maximum of 399 sq. ft., have NO slides, NO holding tanks, residential appliances, wood stud walls, residential siding and insulation, residential shingle/metal roofing, and residential AC, water heater, and furnace. Basically, park models are small mobile homes designed to be permanently located on an RV park site, that must be hooked up to city power, water, and sewer to be lived in..
This is a standard RV called a destination trailer!
Thank you, Cheri! 🙂 Well, very nice! It certainly is huge. The sleeping capacity is amazing! 🙂 It certainly is outfitted! Downside is that taking it for service would be a huge ordeal, given its size and weight. Would have to get dealer and/or manufacturer approval for exclusive (?) use of mobile techs for any/all warranty claims. I also wonder if these are built to at least the quality of a, e.g., Jim Walters prefab home. Although it likely (?) won’t be used as a full-time residence, it will be sitting in the open as much as one. Also, unoccupied buildings (this seems as much a building as RV) develop unseen problems when unoccupied. Still, an amazing “RV!” Thanks again, …
… have a great day, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂