I have been following the RV Miles podcast almost since its inception tracking the course of Abby, Jason and their three boys as they travel the U.S. creating content and sharing tips about the RV lifestyle. So it was with great pleasure that I got to tour their rig recently when our paths crossed in Vegas.
Their most recent RV is a 2022 Forest River Sabre 37FLL fifth wheel. That means the couple has had a converted school bus, a travel trailer and now a fifth wheel. If there were ever people who could tell you which is better and why, Jason and Abby could.
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Sabre 37FLL
A lot of RVs are basically one long hallway – so whether you’re in the bedroom, the living room or kitchen, you’re really in the same emotional space. This fifth wheel didn’t feel like that at all. The main living area features two facing couches and then theater seats facing a huge TV – all upstairs above the pin box.
We sat in the kitchen area, which features a four-place dinette but also a breakfast bar. There are a lot of glass door cabinets here, and a place for a coffee maker or blender. Of course, putting a blender on there would change the mood from that breakfast bar to a proper bar.
From there, the Epperson boys have it made – with the youngest getting a loft bedroom above the bathroom. While we adults were chatting, he was waving from the loft. The loft, to me, is the perfect “fort” for a young lad.
The older boys get a bedroom in the back. It’s really large with a good amount of storage and space.
The master bedroom
Meanwhile, in a drop-frame area is the master bedroom which features a king-sized bed and wardrobe slide. There’s also space here for a stacking washer-dryer. But all these spaces are configured such that the occupants of the space really feel like it’s their very own.
Forest River’s Sabre division sort of thinks like the company’s Cherokee division. They just include more stuff as standard and then sell a lot of RVs so they can offer more for one’s money.
You also get a backup camera included as part of the Lippert OneControl system. The system lets you control most of the features around the RV with either a touch screen or an app. However, longtime readers will know I still prefer buttons and switches rather than going through nested menus.
Value features in the Sabre 37FLL
Looking at the Sabre brand, there were a number of things that really stood out to me. These started with a ten-gallon quick-recover water heater (most mid-priced and below RVs have six-gallon units).
For 2022 there are a few more things they’ve added to the standard equipment list, including a large 12-volt DC compressor-based fridge. I got to see the Everchill fridge, which has a very large refrigerator compartment. But I was most surprised by the freezer compartment, which has a main drawer and a second pull-out drawer.
There are some other things I also like about this rig, including the zebra shades. These are banded black and opaque shades that let you choose how much light to block or just open them completely and let the sun shine in.
No floor vents in the Sabre 37FLL
I also really like that Sabre has no floor vents. Over and over, fifth wheel manufacturers tell me they have to have floor vents because the basement is heated to keep the tanks from freezing. Well, this fifth wheel features a heated and enclosed underbelly and no floor vents.
On the subject of staying warm, the walls on this rig are 2” thick. I will note, however, that the baggage doors are not.
The Sabre 37FLL also features a Lippert Edge awning. The advantage of this is that the awning’s lights are at the outer edge of the awning instead of along the body of the trailer. That means you can use the extend/retract feature of the awning to raise and lower the lights when it’s extended, a nice feature. I also like that Lippert awnings have the unique characteristic of having an access port. That means if there’s a power or wiring failure, you can still retract the awning manually with an electric drill and Allen bit driver.
What’s not to like
A few things struck me that I didn’t like about the floor plan.
First of all, Sabre wires this for solar – which is good – but then includes just a 50-watt “Juice Pack” solar system. Keystone has absolutely bested them here with the inclusion of at least 200 watts of solar and up to 1200 watts, depending on the model and size thereof. 50 watts doesn’t cut it.
Bottom line, just add more panels or don’t go boondocking.
I liked the light coming in from up high on the walls and thought this is a great feature when you want it. But I can also see it making this unit more difficult to cool as there are no curtains. I remember the nuns in middle school wielding those long rods with a hook on the end of them to open those up-high windows, but also opening and closing the blinds with those hooks. Oh, and threatening us “heathens” with those, as well.
That could work here, too. A big stick to have some sort of blind or curtain to open and close.
Lastly, the loft above the bathroom does limit the head room in the shower a bit.
In summary
Until I saw how it was used, it didn’t occur to me how really workable this floor plan is for a traveling family. Multiple people can literally have their own private spaces if they want, but there are also nice spots to spend time as a family.
The few minor negatives are easy to overcome. This seems like a usable size – not ridiculously huge, but not super tiny.
I can see why Jason, Abby and their three boys made the decision to live full-time in this rig and keep logging those RV Miles.
https://youtu.be/MNmJDatKOTQ
Tony comes to RVTravel having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. You can find his writing here and at StressLessCamping where he also has a podcast about the RV life with his wife.
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.
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Vocês vendem para o Brasil?
Probably not. 😉 –Diane
We bought this model. dual a/c, washer/dryer.. how much total wattage does this pull if EVERYTHING is turned on?
Sounds like you would have to take a 30 year Mortgage out to buy
It’s way more affordable than most other fifth wheels its size.