Today’s RV review is a relatively affordable yet nicely packaged travel trailer in the Coachmen Catalina Summit Series 8. The 231MKS is one of those trailers that’s kind of not too big and not too small, by my definition, but that offers a lot of usability. Further, this is a trailer that is aimed at the more affordable side of the market and it may be just the right fit for some couples for that reason.
Also, with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 6,700 pounds and a dry tongue weight of 658 pounds, it may even be suitable for that half-ton truck you’ve already got out in the driveway. Now, I always want you to know what you can carry as you actually carry about 15% of a trailer with your tow vehicle, and that’s where a lot of tow vehicles fall short. Here is a great resource for finding RV towing information.
What is the Coachmen Catalina Summit Series 8 231MKS?
Coachmen’s Catalina series trailers in general are “stick and tin” trailers. That means they’re wood-framed and metal-skinned trailers—possibly the most traditional way to build trailers. This is a less-expensive way to build towables. However, it has some disadvantages in that the corrugated exterior might need more attention to make sure that the seals around windows and other voids in the skin are working and haven’t deteriorated over time.
This is where a lot of RVers just don’t do routine inspections and maintenance and why some of these more affordable trailers just rot.
Anyhow, I’ve seen this floor plan in a number of rigs and I like it. The main living space is at the back, there’s a bathroom in the middle and a bedroom up front.
This trailer has a simple metal front nose, so no windshield in the bedroom. Yay! But this also has a black nose, so I’m wondering just how much hotter it would be in the sleeping space during summer. This looks good in the showroom, but I remember selling RVs and the ones with black exterior colors were just hotter in the summer. It was more difficult to sell these since we didn’t have the power for all of them to run the A/C units.
Main living space in the Coachmen Catalina Summit
What I like about this living space is the recliners at the very back of this rig. I guess you could call these theater seats, although a TV isn’t included with this from the factory (although it’s prepped for one). Until you add your own TV, maybe they’re more wall watchers?
But these are pretty comfortable with a large center armrest that includes a charging pad for your smartphone. Windows at the back and sides will give you a good view of the neighbors. And you can giggle and make fun of people who take multiple shots to back into a space and then unhook their trailers before they put wheel chocks down.
Yes, I do know of people whose trailers have escaped. No, it’s not a cheap repair.
There’s also a legit U-shaped dinette that you can actually get your friends around for a game of Cards Against Humanity. Or whatever. Maybe Truth or Dare. I don’t know what games you like.
Kitchen comments
Someone at Coachmen must be friends with someone at GE as you see a lot of GE appliances in here. We had a GE fridge in our RV and, frankly, I hated it. I even replaced it with another 12-volt fridge (here’s the video as to why). It might be fine for most people who aren’t geeks like I am.
This also has a three-burner cooktop, which is normal, but no oven. That would be okay except you have a normal GE microwave, not a convection microwave. I’m writing this as we’re sitting here in our trailer baking egg bites. Couldn’t do that in this trailer.
I understand that there is absolutely a market for more affordable RVs, and maybe my obsession with ovens is just my own weirdness, but at least give us the option. Although I’ve seen some of your RVs and the portable appliances you bring along, so maybe this is just me.
In fact, here’s a thought. Maybe there could be some collaboration between RV companies and oven companies. They could come up with a standard hole (there kind of is already) and RVs don’t ship with ovens but it’s easy enough for a dealership to add one (and not the 17” oven, for Pete’s sake) after the fact.
RV companies should hire me as the idea guy. But then, who would write goofy RV reviews? [The RVing world would be SOL without you to write your goofy reviews, Tony. Just sayin’.🤣 —Diane]
There is actually a decent amount of storage in this trailer, but with a big but. There are plenty of overhead cabinets all around the main living space and plenty of cabinets below the sink, but there are no drawers. I mean zero.
It’s easy enough to add totes and such, so it’s not that big of a deal. But it is weird that there are literally no drawers in this trailer whatsoever.
Further, there is space below the U-shaped dinette but, again, no way to get to this except by removing the cushions. Odd.
Boondocking and travel access in the Coachmen Catalina Summit
Let’s start with travel access because it’s really good in this trailer. Surprisingly, you can get to everything even with the slide room in. That includes the mid bath and the bedroom, which I wasn’t expecting.
This is a high-quality through-frame slide mechanism. But travel trailer companies don’t certify that their slide rooms are usable with the slide room in, so you may not want to occupy it when it’s retracted. But you can still use everything else, so this is great for mid-journey stops for lunch or potty breaks.
Since this is more of a price-focused model, solar isn’t a strong suit. You can get a single solar panel if you plan on boondocking and, naturally, you can upgrade after the fact.
Conclusions
I really like this trailer and even more so at the prices I saw around the web when I was looking for that information—somewhere at or below $25,000 (way below the list price in the chart above). That’s not bad for what you get here.
There was some study that most travel trailers only get used a few times a year. I can see the reticence to buying something that’s a more premium product when you’re barely going to use it. For that large percentage of people perhaps buying something that is a premium product doesn’t make sense or even fit into the budget.
Plus you can overcome the lack of drawers with totes and baskets. Also, the weight of this RV isn’t so much that you may not need a large truck.
As you know, I’m not a big fan of off-brand tires, which this has. Leaf springs aren’t what I’d want if I were towing a lot. But, again, if you’re just weekending it’s not that big of a deal. Plus, the cargo carrying capacity of this rig at 1,599 pounds is another plus.
Something to know that, in my opinion, almost doesn’t matter, is that the underbelly of this rig is not enclosed. That’s unusual nowadays. But, honestly, it makes it easier to see what’s going on and effect a repair, if needed, without removing a bunch of underbelly.
A question for all of you, though. The shades on the window of this are a pleated shade, which I don’t think does a good job of blocking out a lot of light. Would you rather have curtains that someone in your life can replace with whatever curtains you prefer? My adult supervisor, aka my wife, made curtains for our first camper and it really added some style to the rig. Our present rig has blackout shades, so we don’t need them. But I think a provision for curtains in RVs like this might be nifty. What say you?
All in all, not bad for the money, depending on your camping style.
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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The problem with no underbelly covering is the water, mud, and dirt that collect on the frame, suspension, and other underbody components. We can take our cars to a car wash with an underbody spray to blast all that stuff (like the mag chloride on Colorado highways) off. But you can’t do that with a trailer without crawling under it with a hose sprayer. How many owners are actually going to do that?
Thank you, Tony! 🙂 Curtains? YES, curtains! 🙂 I enjoy your interjections of humor, too! Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂