2024 Ember RV Touring Edition 26MRB – What did they do to the bedroom?

Today’s RV review is of the 2024 Ember RV Touring Edition 26MRB. I chose to write about this RV after looking at the Jayco Jay Feather 25MRB travel trailer last week. That was the first time I’ve seen an RV that I strongly recommended RV buyers to avoid it.

After looking at the Jayco I looked at this floor plan, which is super-common. We had looked at the Keystone Cougar 26RBS in the past, which is a direct competitor. I also recently looked at the Flagstaff Super Lite 26RBWS, which is another variant of this same floor plan. Today’s model might be the most expensive version of this floor plan that I’m aware of, but I say it’s worth every penny.

Penny-wise and pound-foolish

When you look at any RV, my suggestion is to look around outside before you ever go inside. They all look pretty on the inside, but the way they’re built is going to make the biggest difference over time. 

Ember RV does these Touring Editions very differently. They use torsion axle suspensions and these ride on Goodyear Endurance tires with built-in tire pressure monitoring systems. That’s not different than the Flagstaff. 

But the corners of these trailers are sealed with EternaBond tape at the factory (something many RV restorers may be familiar with). Then those corners are covered with custom-made extruded aluminum rails. Something you don’t find on these? 

A product called insert molding. This cheap plastic product is designed to cover the screws on the corners so water doesn’t get in. But putting the corners together as Ember has done means that water shouldn’t get in in the first place, so you’re not replacing this stupid insert molding every 2–3 years. 

So, just a quick walk-around may not make it obvious to most people, but that aspect of this trailer alone is going to save you time and money down the road. It will also save the potential for leaks and the headache of replacing insert molding.

Something else you’ll never see is the floor structure of this trailer—unless you go on a factory tour. The floor material in these trailers is a proprietary laminate that includes a layer that Ember says creates greater screw retention than even plywood. 

Ember RV also has one of the most extensive uses of Azdel in the industry—not just in the wall and floor lamination but also on interior walls. That means less susceptibility to water damage.

This trailer is potentially one of the best-thought-through builds I’ve seen in a travel trailer for a lot of reasons—and we’re not done yet. 

Ember Touring Edition 26MRB - 2024

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Safety first

I had bemoaned the fact that the Jayco got rid of the JaySMART™ lighting on the example we looked at, but it found its way to this trailer—so that’s good. 

Another thing this trailer has, which no other travel trailer has to my knowledge, is a blind spot detector like most cars have. There are a radar sensors on the corners of this trailer that sense if something is in the next lane. These turn on an indicator on the front of the trailer that you’d see in the mirror. 

So you get the better blinker/turn signal feature plus the blind spot detection. 

What’s inside

As with others who share this floor plan, this one isn’t revolutionary, per se, but it’s a good floor plan—which is why everybody builds it. 

But the first thing you’ll probably notice is that the ceiling in here is seven feet tall. That’s about half-a-foot taller than most travel trailers—it really opens up the space. 

By virtue of having a taller ceiling, that translates into a taller slide box which, again, means a more spacious feel. Ember has lined the entire top of the slide box with overhead cabinets—since they could. 

As with others that we’ve looked at, you have a few choices of where to plant your posterior. You can choose between theater seats or a hide-a-bed. There is also the choice of a table and chairs or traditional booth dinette. I have advocated the table and chairs, but I’m starting to favor the booth dinettes only because there’s storage in them thar seats. Ember includes totes that can go into the spaces beneath the seats of the dinette which I like. 

The theater seats or hide-a-bed sit directly opposite both an electric fireplace and a 12-volt TV. Ember has the good sense not to mount the TV all the way at the top of the cabinet, again owing to the fact that the ceiling is taller. 

Another unusual feature in here is that the lighting is dimmable. Ember is still using the puck-style lights, so you can also enable/disable individual fixtures. 

Kitchen in the Ember RV 26MRB

The kitchen in this rig is, like most of the others, decent. You get the prerequisite three-burner propane stove but, again, Ember is using the 22” oven instead of the worthless 17” oven—so you will actually be able to bake. I know—I actually use the 22” oven in my own RV. 

There’s also okay counter space, but there’s also a counter extension. Someone at Ember figured out how to make that counter extension actually flip-up to be flush with the rest of the countertop. To me, it’s this kind of attention to little details that really shine in these units. 

Think outside the bed

If you’re looking on Ember’s website or at a dealership, you might note that this model comes in two flavors: the Ember RV Touring Edition 26RB and the 26MRB. What does that “M” stand for? 

Murphy. 

Hold on, hold on. Don’t lose me here. You don’t have to go with the “M” model, but I would suggest you do … and here’s why. 

If you choose the floor plan with the Murphy bed the principal difference is, in fact, that Murphy bed. But what that translates into is an additional usable room in this camper. 

When the bed is down, of course, you have a proper queen-sized bed with the typical hanging storage on either side, plus little cubbies behind that storage with household and USB power. 

But when you put the bed up, you get a couch in its own room that sports little tables on either side. If you want a spot to get away from whoever else is camping with you, either to just sit and watch TV or get some work done or whatever, this would be a great place for that. You have your own entry door from the outside, as well. 

This is truly a unique space and renders this room usable in the day and for sleeping. Yeah, unfortunately, this is a bendy bed and that’s a bummer. But there are companies that make decent mattresses that would accommodate the bendy factor. 

And there’s no rule that you have to put the bed up and down every day, but you could do so when you want to use the additional seating in here, or just use the floor space as somewhere to walk around. 

I also like that this has Ember’s Stargazer window above the bed. It can be opened for air flow but also has a shade with a radiant foil barrier on the back as well as a bug screen. To me, this is head-and-shoulders above a windshield. Coincidentally, if you stand on the couch with the window open you’ll be about head and shoulders outside. 

Boondocking and travel access

You might be surprised by this, but I’m happy this doesn’t come with solar or lithium from the factory. I know that some of you just camp in RV parks, so paying for solar doesn’t always make sense.

However, if you would like more advanced solar and lithium options, they’re available.

As it is, this also comes with the ShowerMiser system, which redirects water back into the fresh water system as you’re waiting in the shower for the hot water. That actually saves a fair amount of water from being wasted.

You can also opt in the Truma AquaGo tankless water heater, if you so choose. This is the gold standard of tankless RV water heaters.

As for travel access, this is the same as the others in this series except that you could get to the bedroom through the front door. The bathroom and kitchen are available through the back door, and I’m good with that.

Conclusions

If you look at this trailer, it’s designed and built to be what you ultimately would want. Maybe not this floor plan, but the components of the build are the things that will play out over time as being quality components that will serve you well. 

Some of the other things I like is that this features dual-pane polycarbonate windows. These incorporate shades and screens, so you don’t have to have the screens blocking the light if you don’t want them, but they’re there if you open the windows. And the windows open almost 90°, too. 

Of the three trailers in this series, this is the most pricey—and that’s for good reason. The way the floors and wall seams are made is unique in the industry. Ember RV tends to make decisions in these that favor the better choices—which I also see in the Flagstaff that we looked at the other day. 

The Jayco, to me, has become an example of what the accounting department at that company could get away with. Which is unfortunate and ironic because the granddaughter of the founders of Jayco is the founder of Ember RV. 

The company is young and passionate about how they do things, which is unusual in the RV space. They actually are responsive on social media and answer questions rather than ghosting the inquiries. Again, highly unusual but very refreshing. 

This trailer is not cheap. This trailer is not light. Some of the more qualitative features may not be apparent if you’re comparing side-by-side at an RV dealership where your salesperson doesn’t understand what you’re looking at. But it’s well-designed and well-built and absolutely worth seeking out if this floor plan is what you’re interested in. 

My thanks to Josh from Bish’s RV for use of the photos and video in this article.

More about these RV reviews

These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.

Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. He also works closely with a number of RV manufacturers to get an inside look at how things are done and is a brand ambassador for Rockwood Mini Lite with his wife, Peggy.

You can also check out his RV podcast with his wife, Peggy. 

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