Today’s RV review looks at the Forest River IBEX 20MDS travel trailer with the Black Canyon “Beast Mode” option. In many ways, the trailer is a very different—er—beast depending on whether this option is included, and it makes a big difference in how I’d evaluate it. That said, I’d also bet that if you have an IBEX dealer nearby, you won’t see many units equipped this way.
As regular readers will know, I urge you to shop for your RV from the road up and to look at the decisions made in the chassis of the RV before you ever even step inside. Doing this can save you a lot of time, particularly when looking at travel trailers.
The Beast Mode option swaps out the low-grade leaf spring suspension that you’ll normally find on this trailer for CURT’s fully independent coil spring suspension system. Now, the common thinking might be that this is for off-grid camping, and, yes, it will certainly help with that.
But think of how many times you’ve towed a trailer on even normal roads where cattle guards, those crater-sized potholes, railroad grade crossings, and other poor road conditions made you make a mental note to see if the cabinets inside the RV were still hanging in place when you got to wherever you were going.
On our caravan along Route 66 with several other RVers, we were all comparing how the RVs withstood some of the absolutely awful road conditions in New Mexico.
So I think this much, much better suspension system is absolutely worth the money, no matter where you plan to go. It exemplifies why I suggest shopping from the ground up.
Start at the road with the IBEX 20MDS
In addition to the better suspension in the Black Canyon Beast Mode option, there are other things to look at under this trailer, including the fact that there is one connection for all the sewer functions—nice.
But the underbelly on this is fully enclosed, and there is a duct from the furnace to heat the enclosed space. Further, there are 12-volt heating pads so you can camp in colder climates with this rig.
Something else worth noting: The spare tire on the back of this RV is the same aggressive type of tire as on the four wheels, rather than being some low-grade spare. Nice touch.
In order to accommodate the suspension travel, IBEX has chosen a Schwintek slide mechanism, which is unfortunate only in that you need to open the slide to access the bathroom in this trailer. You never, ever, ever want to partially extend a Schwintek slide. No, never.
But the Schwintek system does have the advantage of none of the components being under the floor of the slide room. If you actually maintain and operate a Schwintek system properly, they actually aren’t unreliable.
As with so many other RVs, this now comes with a tankless water heater, which means you only have the option of propane. These can be fiddly, so basically, the best course of action here is to set the water temperature to one you’re comfortable with and just use the hot tap. Don’t invite the cold tap to the party in the shower.
Inside the Forest River IBEX 20MDS
This is a relatively short trailer, but having a Murphy bed means you get a couch as well as a four-person dinette (in the slide). There’s also a dining bar incorporated into the kitchen design, so there are a number of choices to sit and have a meal.
The dinette in here features a two-pole knee-knocker table design—bummer. I’d prefer a free-standing table, but that can be facilitated easily enough with a trip to the hardware store.
Murphy bed
Okay, since I wrote that there’s a Murphy bed, let’s talk about that for those of you who are still with me. This type of bed design forces the mattress to bend to accommodate the Murphy function, so the mattress itself has to be rather thin. Bleh.
But this is a 60” x 80” mattress and, surprisingly, doesn’t interfere with the slide mechanism even if the mattress is down. So you could replace this mattress with one that actually won’t make your chiropractor’s yacht payment easier and just leave the thing down all the time.
Granted, that means that you lose the functionality of the couch, but some sacrifices may be worth making to some buyers. At least you have the choice.
I do like the cubbies behind the closet adjacent to the bed. They feature 12-volt and household power outlets.
Of course, there’s a windshield here with a Murphy bed, which is the dumbest thing in RVing. There’s a windshield when you don’t want it, at night, and then one you can’t take advantage of when the bed is up. So, again, another reason to just never fold the Murphy bed up.
I would have loved to have been in any planning meeting where someone said, “Hey, let’s have a windshield and a Murphy bed.” That’s when the person with that idea and I would go outside and have a little talk.
Kitchen in the Forest River IBEX 20MDS
I like the kitchen design in this rig, where the extension of the counter incorporates the kitchen sink but also a breakfast bar. Or margarita bar… your choice.
The sink incorporates one of those silly glass washing devices, and the faucet has both a sprayer and a shower/rain type function. There’s a three-burner propane cooktop and a convection air fryer microwave.
But what you won’t find here are any drawers whatsoever. Nope, not a one.
Well, okay. There are drawers under the couch that you’ve now buried under the Murphy bed, but that’s it.
There are cabinets here that are of decent size, and there are more under the dinette benches, again, decently large. You could find some drawer/organizer type of thingamajig that would solve your drawer desires.
One thing I’d like to see is a provision that makes it easy for an owner to add a propane oven. For those who don’t want one, the space could instead be used for a cabinet or drawer. It looks like the cabinet below the propane cooktop could accommodate an oven. But it would be even better if there were a factory-designed option that dealers could install.
I think the majority of RVers wouldn’t go for the oven, But for those who want it, it would be available, and it would be an easy thing for a dealership to keep one of them in stock.
While there are no drawers, there is a huge pantry, and that may be sufficient for some travelers. I like that the shelves in the pantry don’t extend all the way to the door. So, you could also hang a broom or small vacuum or your archery equipment (hey, I don’t know you) in here in addition to utilizing the shelves.
Bathroom in the Forest River IBEX 20MDS
By virtue of a taller ceiling in this rig, you also get more headroom in the shower, which will be appreciated by many RVers. This is my favorite RV bathroom type: one that spans the width of the RV. That means you can actually be in this space and change clothes without that “ta-da” moment of surprising the rest of the people traveling with you.
Although the shocked look on their faces is pretty priceless.
There is also quite a bit of storage in the bathroom, as well as a closet on the road side wall.
Boondocking in the Forest River IBEX 20MDS
As mentioned earlier, I think this suspension might scream “boondocking,” but that’s not necessarily why I would buy this. In fact, I don’t believe I’ve ever gone to a place where a real off-road suspension was necessary. But this better suspension will treat the RV more gently as the sucky roads in this country feel more like off-roads than smooth pavement.
The Black Canyon Beast Mode package also includes a second solar panel and a 2,000-watt inverter, so those might also make the package well worth considering.
Something else interesting: The Black Canyon Beast Mode package also includes a whole-house water filtration system. I’m not always a big fan of these, mostly because they add more plumbing, and there are already some excellent external water filters available. That said, a whole-house system does filter the water coming from the holding tank, which is a definite plus. I also like that the filter is located in the front pass-through, and the plumbing setup looks solid.
As for travel access, again, no can do with the slide in. You had better remember to extend that slide all the way, no matter how bad you have to pay the rent on all that coffee you drank on the road, or you’ll be sad.
Final thoughts on the Forest River IBEX 20MDS
I like that Forest River makes this top-notch suspension available, although I wonder how many people actually choose this? It is absolutely the best travel trailer suspension system on the market, in my opinion.
One more comment: This does feature that goofy entry door with the black glass exterior. It does nothing to add additional window space but offers more weight and cost for zero benefit. Who thinks of this stuff?
Otherwise, this is a decent little trailer with a few head scratchers but a lot of positive aspects to it.
My thanks to Josh from Bish’s RV for the video and photos in this article.
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. 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 lifelong RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars.
You can also check out Tony and Peggy’s RV podcast.
MORE FOREST RIVER RV REVIEWS:
- Creative floor plan of 21-foot Ibex travel trailer is strikingly different
- 2026 Forest River Wildwood Heritage Glen 261FKRB—close to ‘perfect’?
- 2026 Forest River Campsite Ultra 25JT: Compact living that thinks big
- 2026 Forest River Vibe 2800RL—A twist on dual living slides
- The Forest River Aurora 12ROK—a gold-star outdoor kitchen
RVT1251
How would you rate/compare this suspension system to the Dexter® Torflex® Axles?
I guess if you make the same floorplan the one with the better suspension wouldn’t sell as well due to cost. If you travel very long at all you’ll quickly learn the cost will catch up to you either way. IMO
We had 2 Forest River trailers–a 22′ travel trailer and a 27′ fifth wheel (both Rockwoods)–that we put a combined 60,000+ miles on, including a 7,000-mile trip to Canada and Alaska. If you want to test an RV’s quality, take it to Alaska! Yes, we had early issues with both–radio, vent fans, microwave–but they were supplier issues repaired (quickly) under warranty. We had problems post-warranty on the Alaska trip too, including a slide issue, but we repaired them ourselves. Look at the aftermath of a hurricane on RVs at a Florida dealership, then consider the stresses on a tall fifth wheel at 65 mph, with a 25 mph headwind on a rough road. That’s a 90-mph hurricane-force wind on your RV!
Nice and reasonably priced TT.
We have a split Murphy bed mattress in our Micro Minnie. We put an egg crate foam mattress over it that folds up with the bed and bedding. We find it comfortable. And I love the couch. I don’t find the dinette comfortable for long term seating. The couch makes all the difference.
Is the price listed with the Beast Mode suspension. If correct then the TT is relatively cheap. Wouldn’t buy because of the Schwintek slide. Thursday at a RV show in NY TT’s were discounted quite a bit it the price shown was correct.
6’9″ interior height ! Great, I have friends who would appreciate that. A real suspension instead of the same one we all use. Wow
Shoot!..That’s a rig I would spend my $$$$ on. I was looking last fall and the early winter. (what winter), , Now too late , heading to the flower show in Death Valley with my Class “A.”
Really, there are many things about this rig I would love to have and at an affordable price. Rock-on Forest River!
Thank you for the time and effort you expend on these, Tony. Towables characterize the industry, so it is sensible to overwhelmingly review them. You certainly are expanding my knowledge and understanding of them. Have a great day and safe, mostly smooth, travels!