By Tony Barthel
In finding RVs to share with you I came upon the Outdoors RV Timber Ridge 26KVS from the company’s Mountain Series of travel trailers. There are a lot of promise on their website but, from people who know, the company really delivers.
I’m not sure what the Oregon mountains are like, but if you judge them based on Outdoors RV’s website, they’re a rough place to be. Fortunately, that company makes RVs that are capable of tackling that territory and with a sense of style, no less.
These trailers are built for bad weather (or great weather if you own a ski resort) with 2” laminated walls, fully heated and enclosed underbellies with a 35,000BTU furnace providing the warmth, a 12-volt heating pad for the fresh water tank to keep the water liquid when towing through a blizzard, a ten-gallon water heater, and all the windows are thermal pane, standard.
Even the barbecue/LP connect is designed for higher altitudes being a high-pressure fitting, though the company includes a hose to adapt to most barbecues and other items.
The Mountain Series really does deliver in the wheel and suspension department with heavy-duty KYB off-road shocks with the MORryde CRE 3,000 suspension system along with a MORryde heavy-duty shackle. If none of this makes sense, that’s okay. Just know that this is a pretty heavy-duty suspension and not at all typical of what you’d find in the average travel trailer. All this rides on E-rated Goodyear Endurance tires that are 15” standard, but you can upgrade to larger 16” wheels and tires if you want.
One of the things that really surprised me was that the outdoor shower is behind a 1” thick baggage door with a slam latch. I honestly never really thought about the fact that those thin plastic doors on every other outdoor shower I’ve seen have no thermal properties at all, so if you’re camping in the cold that shower could very easily freeze and become a weak point in the plumbing. Clearly Outdoors RV is a step ahead here. In fact, all the baggage doors are 1” thick with slam latches and magnet catches.
But all these numbers and capability might make you think this trailer is more like a Jeep Wrangler. Nope. I absolutely was so impressed when I first laid eyes on the interior – it’s just beautiful.
Walking in the back door the first thing you notice is that the kitchen is right at the back of the trailer in front of a huge picture window. There are no overhead cabinets in the kitchen itself – it’s just a long, flat, usable countertop made of LG composite counters facing that giant window with a window on the right, as you face the kitchen, and the door window to your left on the camp side.
Facing the back of the trailer, the range is right in the middle and is flush with those LG composite counters. To the left is a prep space and a circular hole that drops down to a garbage can. There’s outdoor access to this garbage can via a 1” thick baggage door with a slam latch so you can cut up your veggies or whatever and just scoop them into the trash.
On the right of the counter is a big stainless steel sink with a removable drain rack in the bottom. There is a split cover for the sink made of the same laminate and the whole back can be one large countertop with the stove closed and the covers on the sink.
The range in the middle is your typical RV three-burner range but with a real, usable oven. Someone needs to show this to the people making bunkhouse trailers for families as this is the oven they should put in those. To round out the kitchen, the refrigerator is in a slide room on the driver side of the trailer and the fridge has been specced to operate down to 0°F.
I guess if you’re camping in weather colder than that you just put your food outside and hope the bears are hibernating.
At the center of the coach are two chairs that recline and rock and another giant picture window on the camp side. Opposite that, there’s a dinette with an oversized table and, again, another large window.
Surrounding that window and those chairs are a ton of cabinets and closets. So while the kitchen does not have overhead cabinets, and that’s a great thing for that window and the view, they absolutely made up for it with cabinets here.
The bathroom in the trailer bisects the unit with a small sink in a large counter on the camp side with a window and a shower on the other side. The porcelain toilet sits in the middle and there is enough legroom even for a lumberjack, which sort of defines this whole trailer’s interior.
In fact, even the ceiling is lumberjack-sized with a center ceiling height of 6’11”. And I’m not talking about Monty Python’s “The Lumberjack Song” – I’m referring to the real ones.
Those real lumberjacks might also appreciate that the bed is a real queen-sized bed with drawers under it on either side as well as the typical closet arrangement on either side.
Lastly, there are three available high-performance fans for the ceiling: one in the kitchen, one in the bathroom and a third in the bedroom. The bedroom one has a wireless remote which can select between intake and exhaust as well as the various fan speeds.
The interior of this trailer would be just what you’d expect in a mountain lodge: rich woods and warm colors. But it’s not your typical RV brown and is very tastefully done – I really like it.
If off-grid camping is your thing, this trailer delivers there, too. The standard battery rack can hold two batteries, which is typical, but you can get a second rack to hold two more. There is wiring for up to three 170-watt solar panels on the roof with two being available from the factory as well as another port for a portable solar panel. Lastly, this trailer has an 80-gallon fresh water holding tank.
The only things I didn’t like were the floor vents for that 35,000 BTU heater and the fact that there are two gray water dump valves. Those valves are behind kayak-style doors and are solidly attached to the gate valves themselves in the heated underbelly. I wish they could have plumbed the two gray tanks together into one valve.
I’ve seen this done in the aftermarket plenty of times and it’s such an unnecessary annoyance.
Otherwise, this is a trailer whose ruggedness and ability to traverse trails is almost in juxtaposition to the interior, which is really nice. There are a lot of features Outdoors RV has included that legitimately make this a cold-weather camper; however, this would also be one of those RVs you’d want to take where the views are incredible. And, with that suspension and chassis, you could absolutely do so.
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.
We ordered a 26KVS and expect to take delivery in late spring 2022. We were considering a 25RDS but my GF really likes the rear kitchen layout with the windows. And, as another commenter noted, a beefier suspension package can certainly be beneficial on paved roadways. And tying Monty Python’s Lumberjack Song into an RV review… nicely done!
I’m a very satisfied ORV owner (I have a 2018 Blackstone 325RKS with the MorRyde suspension upgrade, extra solar panels & 4 batteries) and I appreciate the really positive review. More people should be aware of this fine line of trailers.
It would be really great if all the RV Manufacturers would take to heart that some folks will use their TT’s and Motorhomes year round if they had them equipped for cold weather use like ORV. The description of interior would be such a welcome relief to the age old shiny stuff, and lack of ceiling fans and useful ovens.
I really like this model and wish I knew about it before I bought my Jayco 29rks. I like 50 amp service, but to get it you have to get one with two slides. I also like an electric fireplace. Don’t remember if they offer it in this model. To bad they closed their Virgina Plant. Next time I buy a travel trailer, It’ll be from this company
I have an ORV Timber Ridge that is about 30′ long. I got seven kids, and it sleeps all of them. I have taken it on rutted mountain roads you wouldn’t believe. Only issue is its pretty tall, so sometimes have to cut tree limbs to avoid scraping it up. Its rugged, well insulated, and well built. Only issue I have had is the shower floor is not well supported. It needs more wood support underneath that area.
ORV is an impressive company. If you want to get a feel for its attention to detail, I suggest you watch one of its website videos. The sales manager is very qualified. This doesn’t mean that ORV has no shortcomings. Its presence east of the Mississippi is scant ever since it closed its Virginia assembly plant. If you want a well outfitted unit from the Oregon factory, you need to buy a Titanium or Backwoods model which are very expensive. Always double check for 50 amp service which might not be available to warm weather campers needing a second a/c unit. All models have nice, big freshwater tanks (most have larger LP tanks available too) conducive to boondocking. Most models have digital thermostats. ORV does have a thorough pre-delivery inspection which helps reliability issues. I’ve always been curious about ORV, but I live on the east coast, and the closest dealership is 200 miles away. The next closest is in Arkansas.
Nice. But all that talk of “ruggedness” providing an “ability to traverse trails” is pretty hilarious when said about an outfit that’s 31′ long.
There are definitely logging trails in the Oregon wilderness and here in Northern California where the logging trucks go that have horrible surfaces but that I wouldn’t feel nervous about pulling this trailer over.
But even if you’re only on the highway there is no down side to having a really rugged suspension. Having driven on Interstate 5 in California I’m always impressed that I still even have a travel trailer after traversing that “paved” highway.