By Tony Barthel
If you’re looking at a couples’ camper what criteria are you considering? Maybe a very usable kitchen, a place to sit and relax, and a separate bedroom in case each person has a very different sleep pattern. Those have been the criteria that I have used as we embark on a journey of potentially finding a new trailer.
When I came across the CrossRoads Zinger ZR259FL I had to take a long, hard look at this platform as it checked so many of my own boxes.
The first thing you might realize is that there is no dinette, no booth, nor anything else that looks like it came out of a 1950s diner. Oh, baby. What there is, though, is a bar with two stools. That bar overlooks the jackknife couch at the very front of this trailer, which is facing a space for a very large television.
The bar is almost the same height as the kitchen counter so someone who loves to cook, such as myself, can use the bar as an extension of the prep space in the trailer if there isn’t someone sitting at that bar. This is almost like having a home kitchen on the road with as much counter space as there is.
The trailer comes with a composite countertop and the sink has a cover molded of the same material so you really could have a tremendous amount of counter space if you needed it.
When I saw this trailer the first thing I thought of doing is buying the largest computer monitor I could find and mounting it in the front TV space. Zinger says a 50-inch TV will fit up there – but can you imagine sitting on the couch writing these articles on a 50-inch computer monitor?
Behind the kitchen is the bathroom, which does take the full width of the trailer and sort of bisects the trailer. On the driver side is the shower, on the camp side is the toilet and sink. There’s enough leg room on that toilet, especially if you choose to sit there with the bathroom sliding door open, for a pro basketball player to take care of their business.
On both the front and back of the bathroom are sliding doors so you can close off both the front and back of the trailer while using the bathroom. And, for the sake of privacy, we hope you do.
But the nifty thing is, if someone’s using the front of the trailer, such as the cook, and another person is getting ready they need only to close the door facing the front of the trailer and they’ll still have access to the bedroom and plenty of space to get ready.
Back in the bedroom is a walk-around queen bed. If a bedroom TV is important to you there is a provision for that; however, they put it on the same side as the sliding door for the bathroom, which extends over and covers it. You’d have to move that TV to the side wall instead of a wall directly facing the bed. I think the designer must have been asleep when they drew this up.
Or you could just not watch TV in bed and not install a TV…
Since that bed is in the back, there are windows all around including above the headboard. This would be nice at those times of the year when the weather is ideal for having lots of windows open.
The closets don’t have to contend with a sloping nose since they’re at the back of the trailer against a vertical wall, so they’re pretty deep. And, speaking of storage, there are closets along the front of the trailer, cabinets above the kitchen counter and even a medicine cabinet. This is one of the few trailers where, if you watch a video of someone doing a walk-through and they claim that there’s “plenty of storage,” they actually won’t be exaggerating.
Going outside, the pass-through storage is at the back of the trailer under the queen-size bed so there’s no getting to the hitching pieces near the front of the coach. Not a big deal, but still a thing.
Also, the black tank flush is on the camp side of the trailer. Yes, you can drag the hose under the trailer but it’s not ideal. And as long as I’m picking nits, there is a floor vent for the heater right where one of the two occupants of the breakfast bar would have their foot. The last complaint, I promise, but this coach uses those really cheap plastic catches for the baggage door that last about one camping trip. Okay, one more. Cheap bathroom fan.
This trailer comes so close to checking all my personal boxes that it made my list as a contender to replace the trailer I have today. I realize that slide rooms are common and add a lot of space, but this one doesn’t have one and that’s a big plus for me. I also like the whole kitchen and living space as being very open but also having different spots that could be used for different purposes.
The few zingers that make me question the trailer (see what I did there?) aren’t enough to take the trailer out of consideration at all. It’s nice to see such a unique floor plan and one that’s very usable in a relatively towable package. Plus, with my personal propensity for puns, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to have a Zinger in the campground.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. 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.
Well I have had my zinger 3 months and it’s already leaking in 3 places and the place who sold it to me wants me to pay 150 for a service call. BS
Why are manufacturers using doors without a window? I like a window in the door.
I’ve noticed this more with “stick and tin” or wood-framed trailers than with laminated models but I completely agree. Honestly I didn’t even catch this!
Not having a slide is ok, but having a 74″ queen bed is a deal killer for someone 74″ tall, ie. me! I will never again buy any RV with an “RV-length” bed because my feet hang over the end when I sleep on a pillow. That problem could have been rectified by adding only 6″ to the trailer length, which would also make the pass-through storage area 6″ wider–never a bad idea in an RV.
When will RV manufacturers wake up to the fact that everyone, men and women, are taller now than they were in the RV “Dark Ages” of the 1940’s and 50’s?
What is a “relatively towable package”? Is this a new RV term? Please expand….
Something that can reasonably be towed by a half-ton pickup – I should have been more clear in this but that was what I meant by this.
Well I’ve learned my new thing for today and it’s only 7:15, I was never aware that a travel trailer had a “drivers side”. I knew they had left and right sides, and front and rear ends. I guess the question I should ask is there a “passenger” side. I don’t know all the state laws but I know most states prohibit passengers from riding in a travel trailer so I’m guessing there may also be a law preventing a driver. Lol
I have been using driver and camp side as references only because the right side is the left side if you’re looking at the trailer from the front. So I think this makes it relatable and we all (in the US at least) understand which side I’m referencing.
However if you see someone driving a travel trailer they probably will have a look of panic because there’s no steering wheel and, even more importantly, no brake pedal.
I have always used street and curb side.
Perfectly designed to sit on the couch and stare at the TV. Hmmm . . . sounds like my living room.
No place to play cards with your neighbors and no room for unexpected sleepovers…29’ I expected more. My little 20’ can house all the above.