New-for-2024 Aliner Evolution 15 Twin Bed popup camper

Today’s honest RV review is of the new-for-2024 Aliner Evolution 15 Twin Bed popup camper The Evolution 15 is a new model for the company, which is celebrating 40 years of business this year. This new model isn’t revolutionary for the company but does incorporate some features that might really find favor with some customers. 

Aren’t these difficult to set up?

When I suggest to people that they get something like an Aliner, a lot of folks assume that they’re difficult to set up or just don’t have the accommodations of a traditional travel trailer. There is some merit to this … but not much. 

For example, setting these up is pretty easy. Since all the roof sections are counterweighted with gas-filled struts, you simply release some latches and push up. The trailer takes care of a lot of the heavy lifting. The main roof easily pops up, then you push up the two side walls. Then you open up the dormers by releasing latches from the outside and then pushing them up from the inside. 

Since all the seams in this trailer are usually covered by overlapping metal edges, they’re protected well from the elements. So, while it might seem that this could be a leaky affair, it really isn’t. 

Now, is this more work than some travel trailers? Absolutely. But there are advantages to this type of trailer, as well. 

Why pop-up trailers are cool

There are actually a lot of advantages to this type of trailer. One of those is fuel mileage. 

Since you don’t have as huge a box following you down the road, the impact on your tow vehicle’s fuel economy won’t be as significant. Often people think that weight is the reason towing a travel trailer is such a bummer on fuel mileage. But, really, above about 35-40 miles an hour it’s mostly wind resistance. That’s why most cars are shaped the way every other car is shaped. 

This lower drag also means that you don’t need quite as huge a tow vehicle. This little trailer can sleep four people. There are absolutely SUVs that could easily tow it, with a gross weight of just 3,500 pounds. 

Lastly, you could also garage it when you’re not using it—which is another big plus. 

Aliner Evolution Twin Bed 2024

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What’s inside

Once you have all the pop-ups popped up, you’ll find this is a surprisingly spacious rig. That A-frame roof mean that peak (pun absolutely intended) ceiling height is eight feet. 

Just inside the door to the right is a little dinette. But there’s a surprise hiding here—a shower. The floor of the dinette lifts up and you’ll find a shower pan here. Set up the curtains and you’re set. 

Just inside the door is a cassette toilet in a cabinet. This also has privacy curtains for it. 

But what’s slick about this latest Twin Bed model is the namesake twin beds which are at the back of the trailer. I’m surprised how many people have reached out to me recently asking about twin bed models, and so you can add this one to your list. Each of those beds is 30” x 80”. 

Aliner Evolution kitchen

The kitchen in this rig is on the road side and features a two-burner stove, small sink and a bar-size propane-electric refrigerator. 

Cabinets in these are made of SIMONA BOATBOARD^®, which is a water-resistant material. The flooring is a raised coin floor, and Azdel is used as the substrate in the wall lamination. So, these are designed to be weather-resistant for the long haul. 

It would be good to know that there is no gray tank in this RV. Instead it’s what’s called a direct dump system. You could just dump into a sewer outlet, if there’s one handy. Or just get a set of these bags to dump into and then dispose of the gray water properly. 

What I would change

I think these are clever trailers. My first trailer was a pop-up trailer, though that one was truly a pop-up with a faulty lift mechanism and canvas sides. These hard-sided hinged pop-ups are far, far simpler yet much better. 

The one thing I would change on this would be the refrigerator. There is no getting to the fridge without going through the whole roof setup process. I would prefer to see a 12-volt cooler used here on a drawer-style mechanism that could slide outside the camper and also inside. 

That way you could preload the fridge before heading out without much effort. Plus, you’d have a 12-volt cooler, and I really like these things. Don’t ask me how many of them I have. It’s silly. 

There is also no microwave in this rig—just something to know. I bought an air fryer convection microwave for our house for, like, $150—if that’s really important. 

Company history

Aliner is still an independent company that started when founder Ralph Tait began building folding trailers in his garage in Oregon. Essentially, others saw these and wanted one. So, he continued building until the family moved the operation to Pennsylvania. From there, two of the sons of the founder would build a trailer and the third would take the family wagon and go sell the trailer, with the process repeating itself. 

Today, one of the telling things about the company and the products, in my eyes, is that there is an avid fan base. There are plenty of those enthusiasts sharing photos and stories about their trailers. Some of those travelers even have been up to the frozen land of Alaska. Also, YouTuber Slim Potatohead actually lived in one of these for several years and documented his journeys. 

In summary

There are a number of things I really like about these. I believe the assumption that they’re difficult to set up means a lot of people for whom this would be a good choice actually don’t look at them. That’s unfortunate. 

While fuel prices have come down a bit, fuel is still a pricey reminder that it’s a finite resource influenced by world politics. The fact that one of these can fold down and be behind the envelope of whatever is towing them means it won’t have as large an impact on mileage as a traditional RV. 

Plus, you can store it in a garage easily.

Further, these are light enough and there are handles on the outside so you can actually push this into the garage or wherever you might need to park it. Jockeying this around is pretty easy. 

You’ll find a few things that might be a surprise, including a window-style air conditioner under one of the beds to keep things cool in here. 

The beauty of the RV industry is that there’s almost something for everybody, and I think a lot more everybodies should at least consider something like this. 

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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