Today’s RV review is sort of a preview of something that hasn’t quite made the final cut yet—the Coachmen Catalina 283EPIC (Forest River). It can’t go unnoticed by various divisions of Forest River that another unique trailer, the Timberwolf 16ML, is selling like hot cakes.
In fact, the dealership I used to work for can’t get them fast enough nor keep them in stock.
What you could say about today’s prototype is that it’s a hybrid between a destination trailer and a more traditional travel trailer. To me, something like this makes a tremendous amount of sense.
Destination versus travel trailers
I suppose you can use any trailer as either a travel trailer or a destination trailer. But typical destination trailers tend to be quite large and are more meant to go somewhere and stay there. Travel trailers are designed to do just that—travel.
Another thing about destination trailers is that they are big, big. So loading one up on the bumper of your F-150 is probably a very, very bad idea.
To be honest, I don’t have any specifications for this trailer whatsoever. But trailers that seem similar in the Catalina line are about 6,500 pounds dry and about 10,000 pounds GVW, more or less. That’s certainly 3/4-ton territory in my book (you have to know your cargo carrying capability and tongue weight, among other things). But moving a more traditional destination trailer is easily one-ton truck territory.
Taking the towability of a traditional travel trailer but incorporating some of the more homey features of a destination trailer makes sense.
For example, where I was selling trailers there was a huge housing shortage and also a shortage of teachers and emergency workers. The local community was good at recruiting these professionals but the housing shortage made it difficult to keep them.
We sold a lot of traditional travel trailers to these people, and that’s likely why those Timberwolf trailers are doing so well.
What’s inside the Coachmen Catalina 383EPIC
At the front of this trailer is exactly what you’d expect to find in a travel trailer—an RV queen bed flanked by hanging storage. Nothing unusual here at all.
The middle of the trailer is where you’ll find the bathroom with a shower and plastic toilet on the camp side and sink on the road side.
Based on the construction alone, wood framing with an aluminum skin, this is in the more affordable range of campers, so the plastic toilet isn’t a surprise. But I am seeing fewer and fewer of these, although maybe I’m looking at fancier and fancier RVs.
The main living space is where this really stands out. The kitchen is there on the camp side with a good amount of counter space. Like most travel trailers, you have a three-burner stove with a worthless 17” oven, and then a microwave in the cabinetry above that.
The counter here makes a turn and raises up, and the higher portion incorporates a breakfast bar.
Over on the road side, there’s a slide room where you’ll find the GE 12-volt fridge (see why I dumped my GE fridge and went with something better). You’ll also find a large U-shaped dinette here with a pole-mount table. Or you can make it into a bed.
Where the magic happens in the Coachmen Catalina 383EPIC
The magic in this trailer is in the back, where the entire back wall is a sliding glass door. On both the road and camp side there are also large sliding glass doors—but with a trick. Neither the door on the road side nor the door on the camp side can be opened.
Yes. They are sliding glass doors but they are sealed shut with silicon simply because Coachmen couldn’t find windows this big—so sliding glass doors it is.
That means the whole back of the trailer is surrounded by glass—which really opens up the space.
A couch that has some theater seat function is also back here, and two other things: a projector and screen. The screen is a pull-down screen over on the camp side and the projector is mounted above the road-side window.
Since there is so much glass here, there is also a direct dump air conditioner back here to supplement the centrally-ducted A/C in the main living area.
Lastly, there is also a back deck on this. Not a deck like a toy hauler, but a deck that’s permanent, like in the Timberwolf. I wrote to ask if this could be used to transport things like eBikes or that sort of thing. I haven’t heard back yet.
Conclusions
If you have a seasonal site or a piece of land but don’t want to pay someone to move something as huge as a destination trailer, I could see this thing making a tremendous amount of sense.
One thing that was odd, to me, was that this has a five-point auto level. The reason I think that’s strange is that I can see this landing on a site and just staying there for a season. With that infrequent of a journey, I would prefer the simplicity of leveling blocks like these Beech Lane levelers.
But I like simpler and cheaper wherever possible. That means less breaky—and I’ve heard that achy breaky song.
Also, this has off-brand tires and a low-grade suspension. That would be fine for a seasonal rig, but not what I’d prefer if you were doing a lot of traveling. You decide—and that’s if Coachmen decides to move ahead with this.
Considering the markets that I understand, I sure hope they do.
Also, yes. Long-time readers should be aware that seeing the projector in this is going to reignite my nutty love of a projector over a TV in RVs. Apologies in advance.
Thanks to Big Truck Big RV (one of the nominees for RVtravel.com’s 2024 RV Video Awards) for the above video and images.
*****
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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Wow. Lots of glass. And lots of solar gain. Better check out the sun’s path and have lots of shade along that path.
Thank you, Tony! 🙂 Very interesting RV. I wonder if it will go into production as is? Thanks again and safe travels! 🙂
I prefer the toy hauler load-ramp/deck because it provides more usable, more flexible interior space. That way I can carry the E-bikes and kayaks in a secure space with tie-downs, then lower the “deck” when I get to that beautiful Rocky Mountain streamside campsite! Interestingly, the dinette can easily seat four or more and be made into a bed, but there are only two seats to view that unique projection TV screen on “movie night”. So this trailer has a lot of features that look great on the dealer’s lot and may convince some RV newbies that this would be the perfect camper. Then, IMHO, they would seldom use many of those unique features even when sitting on a FHU seasonal RV site.
I like this TT, would have to see one in person. Would want a full size oven. Toilet looks like it might be tight for some people. Wonder how the large glass windows would hold up with the suspension on this TT. Would be nice if Outdoors Rv would make a model like this.