RV review: 2025 Ember RV Touring Edition 28MSL—problem solver

Today’s RV review is of the Ember RV Touring Edition 28MSL. This is another new floor plan from Ember in their Touring Edition line. I got a really good explanation of the various offerings from Ember RV from David Blea, Regional Sales Manager at Ember and a very passionate guy. 

David explained to us (I went there with a number of fellow creators/writers/RV geeks) about how people tend to camp. There are some people who basically only get a few weekends a year, if that, to get to take their RVs camping. These people are probably the ones in a survey from KOA who don’t travel more than 100 miles to get away and likely stay in local campgrounds with hookups. 

For these people, there is the E-Series from Ember, which is the Essential Series. These have basic leaf spring suspensions but still sport Goodyear radials and have other features that work well if you’re camping less frequently. That also means you don’t want to spend as much money on an RV simply because you’re not going to use it frequently. 

Items important for folks who RV a lot

Then there are folks like me who do get good use out of an RV. I tend to put 15,000–20,000 miles a year on an RV. So, the caliber of suspension, tires, chassis, and other running gear aspects are important. 

I think it’s pretty obvious in my reviews that I feel like these are critical aspects of an RV. But I’ve also learned that not everybody is going to spend the money on premium features, so I try to explain where a company has cut costs that could change the value and usability of the RV. 

For example, a 17” oven and tiny vent fans stink no matter how infrequently you use the camper. I would like to see companies just offer a good oven as an option with the understanding that not everybody uses an oven in their RVs. The vent fans are a no-second-choice thing to me. Terrible products are still terrible products. 

Lastly, there’s the individual who truly does want to get away from it all. For those people, the Overland Series is the enabler here, allowing you to go places that are barely on a map. 

Start at the road

The Ember RV Touring Edition trailers feature the aforementioned Goodyear Endurance tires with internal tire pressure monitors. These trailers ride on a torsion axle suspension, which is my personal favorite for a number of reasons. 

Something you don’t see in the build of this trailer is the infamous insert moldings that are so common in trailer builds. Insert molding is that plastic strip that’s used to cover the screws that hold the edges of a trailer together. 

Instead, Ember uses a lot of Eternabond tape and other methods so that they don’t have to use insert molding. 

The wall structure of these does use the man-made substrate. Many of you may already be familiar with Azdel, but the patent ran out so others are allowed to make copies of this stuff now. The bottom line is that this waterproof material lessens the chances of experiencing damage due to water intrusion. 

Speaking of human-made materials, this trailer also has a laminated floor that is also impervious to water damage. 

Lane change feature in Ember RV Touring Edition

Something Ember does on these that I really like is a lane change feature. This has sensors at the front and sides that detect if a vehicle is in the adjacent lane, which triggers an amber lamp on the front of the trailer letting you know someone’s there. 

In addition to this, there are also lights adjacent to the upper marker lights that flash with the turn signals. So you know someone’s there and they are aware of your intentions. Smart.  

Ember RV TE 28MSL - 2025

1 of 17

More smart stuff

When I was selling RVs I would get a lot of people who would buy bunkhouse RVs so their children or grandchildren could come along and, if they did, it might have been one time. So I would get people who would come back a year or two later looking for something else. 

This trailer conquers that with the flexible cargo area. Using standard E-Track mounts, which Ember calls EmberTrack™, you can install or remove single or double bunks in just a moment. 

You can also move these to where you want. There are platforms that allow each bunk to be a single or double bunk with each position capable of holding 300 pounds. 

This means you can remove the bunks altogether or raise one up and now it’s an overhead shelf. There is also an almost endless supply of things that take advantage of this kind of track system. So you could have more storage, a hammock, or mounts to carry bikes and such. 

You could also move one of the bunks to a height where you could use this as a desk. 

The freestanding vertical mounts that make up this system are also completely removable so you have a bit more open space. 

Bedroom in the Ember RV Touring Edition

At the other end of the trailer is the bedroom, which features a Murphy bed. But wait—those of you who don’t like Murphy beds should know there’s no reason why you have to ever flip it up. However, if you do, that reveals a couch in a bedroom. This trailer can be configured to sleep up to ten people and, quite frankly, I would want to get away from that many people. So, you could fold up the Murphy bed and have a sitting room/den. 

This room features a dual-pane, polycarbonate window over the bed/couch that Ember dubs the Stargazer. It incorporates a shade that features a reflective backing and also a screen. So, you could leave this window open at night or block off the light altogether. I’ve been a fan of this thing since I first saw an Ember RV. 

David described a perfect use for this bedroom couch, where he and a friend could sit in there and watch football on a Saturday while the rest of the family were doing more family-related activities. This could also be a place to get away and do some work, if you implement the included Lagun-style couch-side tables. 

What’s inside the Ember RV Touring Edition 28MSL

Otherwise, this is a pretty typical mid-sized trailer with a folding couch and dinette in a slide on the road side. That slide mechanism is a BAL Exact-Slide^®, which means you can occupy the slide even when it’s retracted. 

Over on the kitchen side, there are a good number of cabinets and drawers. Ember uses the larger oven, high-performance vent fans, and all the things I generally kvetch about missing in so many other brands of RV. 

There’s also a pantry at the entrance with adjustable shelves, so this could be a closet if you prefer or just a lot of storage. 

Boondocking and travel access in the Ember RV Touring Edition 28MSL

With two entry doors, the entire RV is accessible even with the slide in. You also don’t necessarily have to leave the Murphy bed down if you don’t want to, but you can and still get around it. 

Ember’s solar offerings have changed for 2025, starting with a package that includes 400 watts of solar, a 30-amp charge controller and a 2,000-watt inverter. This is one where you BYOB—bring your own batteries. 

But there’s a super duper package that Ember calls Max Solar that’s comprised of 1,200 watts of solar, dual charge controllers and a 3,000-watt inverter along with a 270 amp-hour lithium battery. For those who want to go and stay off the grid, this might be a worthwhile investment. It beats the system in my own trailer that I often brag about, at least in the amount of solar. 

Something worth noting

There is an increasing number of YouTube creators who are doing more and more videos that purport to have industry knowledge and be out there for the good of humanity… or whatever. Recently, one of these people focused on Ember’s Touring Edition.

That video showed cracked frame pieces but not on an Ember, on a different brand. In fact, this Ember uses a BAL frame, and that frame in the video was a Lippert frame.

I work hard to develop relationships with the various RV builders and I do ask them the hard questions about how things are made and the challenges that I see. For example, I have been critical of some makers’ plumbing and, for 2025, they’ve completely redone the fittings. I take no credit for their change, but I like that they recognize the issues and effect these changes.

Also, I am no fan of ducting in the floor of RVs. I very specifically spent three days at an RV manufacturer recently where they had completely re-engineered the ducting on every RV they make to move the ducting off the floor.

You’ll see those stories coming up soon.

That video didn’t mention Ember’s flooring, their build process, or so many other aspects of how these trailers are built. Ember very specifically stated to me that they have complete confidence in the chassis engineering by BAL.

Of course, you can take my own words with a grain of salt, as well. But know that I try to get the complete story which is not intended to be clickbait.

Conclusions about the Ember RV Touring Edition 28MSL

This floor plan solves a problem that I think is very common in the RV industry. A lot of people buy something with the intention of perhaps going camping with younger people who may not want to go after one trip. 

The normal course of action is to ultimately trade in that RV and buy something that fits one’s lifestyle and camping style better. But something like this can accommodate multiple styles of camping. 

Going away with just your buddies? No problem. Going away with children or grandchildren? No problem. Want to have an office on the road? How about two offices? I’m a big fan of multitasking tools, and this is one of the better examples of that in the RV space. 

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. 

##RVDT2456