The Barclay travel home—Unique, luxury living way off the grid

Today’s RV review is of a 5-year-old fifth wheel. Sort of. It’s the Barclay RV, a custom-built, very unusual RV that has a lot of groundbreaking features and design aspects. And the one you get may not look much like the one in this review. What am I going on about? 

Who is Barclay RV

Barclay RV is the creation of Julia and Robert Barclay. Before they built this initial unit, neither of them had been RVing. They had no experience building an RV. But they built this initial unit and have since traveled to many of the Lower 48 states. The unit they showed at the RV show in Florida recently was that very unit and, according to the couple, had about 50,000 miles on it. 

There are a lot of things that really make this unit unique, but the couple has gotten so many requests from people that they’ve decided to start selling them to you. Or maybe one of your friends. 

This is a very substantial fifth wheel with tremendous solar and battery reserves and built with very premium residential fixtures and materials. 

Well, actually, the materials inside this rig reminded me of a lot of yachts I’ve been in (as a stowaway, of course). The woods on the counter and the look of the cabinetry and fixtures really are more like what you’d find in a high-end yacht than you would in many RVs. 

What’s inside

The first thing that will catch your eye is an enormous deck on the side of this RV. This large flat area almost looks as much like a stage as it does a patio. It does fold under the trailer, so there’s that. 

There is a 13’ opening onto the deck that comes via folding triple-pane glass doors. You can fold these doors to the side and get this very large opening. Of course, there’s a bug screen that slides across this space. 

Once inside, you might first be surprised at the caliber of appliances such as a Viking four-burner stove top. There’s also a steam oven here. I’m not sure what a steam oven even is. But I’ve heard of a steam engine and I like those—but then, I like trains. 

The refrigerator is a Sub-Zero model under the counter, so you don’t have a tall appliance here. This is a rather deep unit but it’s also only counter-height. There are also two freezer drawers below that steam oven, so there is good freezer space here. Lastly, there is a residential-style dishwasher. 

Cabinets and drawers abound and, since this is an RV actually used by real people, there’s even space for spices and trash. Not in the same cabinet, mind you. They also have a cabinet dedicated to coffee making and another that has a KitchenAid mixer and a blender. 

The kitchen overlooks that big patio and opening. This would be a great rig for entertaining because of how this is all configured. 

Barclay travel home

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That bathroom, though

The bathroom in this was clearly designed by Europeans, as you’ll find a residential washer and dryer in here. That’s how my house is—it was designed by a German. Above the washer and dryer is a very large sink—I haven’t seen this before but it works. 

There’s a substantial shower and it’s been tiled with mother of pearl which, according to the Barclays, is lighter than traditional tile. Okay. There’s also a closet with a composting toilet—so I guess this wouldn’t be a water closet, since there’s no water. 

Second story

There is a bedroom above the bathroom accessible by stairs in the main living space. The bedroom is not a full standing height. It features a queen-sized bed. 

On the opposite end above the king pin is a seating area that can reportedly accommodate up to eight hind ends. The table here folds open and has a leaf. This really makes me think of a yacht in how it’s built and finished. 

Surprises

The upstairs lounge has steps that lead up to a roof-top deck—which I really, really like. I don’t know why more RVs don’t have rooftop decks, but they don’t. This one does. 

Another surprise is the TV. Normally it sits facing the main living space, which might seem odd but it’s not. Directly below the TV is a pull-out table top that can be used as a standing desk, making the TV the computer monitor for this setup. 

But, push a button, and that TV rises up so you can see it from the bedroom. It also can rise higher and turn itself around so you can see it from the lounge. 

If the need arises, that standing desk can pivot 90 degrees and raise up, too. Now you have a bar and, lo and behold, there are drawers below the bar with custom-formed holders for the wine glasses. There’s also a wine fridge here. 

Another thing that might be a surprise is the woodburning stove with a little oven atop. This would keep you nice and toasty in winter, for sure. Also, considering that the bedroom and that loft are on upper levels, they would be particularly warm. Remember that whole business about heat rising? 

More power to you 

The details in this rig are impressive but so is the power system. There are six 300-watt solar panels on either side of the roof. Those panels feed 21kWh of lithium batteries arranged in a package that you might expect to find in an electric car. The whole affair runs on a 48-volt system, and the appliances and such are fed by a 5,000-watt inverter. 

Essentially, this is like a proper house but with wheels. And more solar and battery reserves than most homes. In fact, there’s a 220-amp power panel here, so it’s as much power as many homes—more than my own, in fact. 

All of this is kept comfy with a mini split HVAC system. Oh, and don’t forget that wee fireplace. 

“From March to October we don’t need to hook up,” claimed Robert Barclay in an interview. I wouldn’t doubt that. 

“This is a home built for hurricanes and earthquakes,” said Julia. The build of this is pretty substantial, as has been proven over the time they’ve been living in it. 

And you would expect that kind of build in something that weighs about 25,000 pounds, as seen here. 

This rig measures 34 feet long, 8 1/2 feet wide and 13 1/2 feet tall. While it was initially designed to be pulled by a diesel dually pickup, the couple found a Volvo semi-tractor instead, such as this one. 

Barclay RV has plans for three models… or more

At the present time, their company, Barclay RV, has plans for three different models but is willing to work with you on your own ideas and designs. I was really impressed with the build quality and thoughtfulness of this design. It has also held up well to years of actual use—which is more than most RVs can do. 

Plus, there’s an interesting use case here. You could use it as a traveling home and it would do well in that scenario. But you can also just get one and plop it on a property and use it like that. This is a similar plan to what Living Vehicle is up to, but I liked the feel of this better than what they’re doing. 

So what is your take on this? Are the Barclays on to something, as I think they are? Seems like they’re one of a few with this idea but they certainly seem to have done it well. 

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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 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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