Today’s RV review is of the proposed Coachmen Catalina 18RDL, part of the company’s Destination Series. This is a smaller destination trailer that looks a lot like Forest River’s Timberwolf Mini Loft 16ML trailer that we looked at last October.
When I was at Open House in 2023 that “Mini Loft” trailer was all the buzz, but not in a good way. Other RV companies looked at it and said, “How silly is that? You gotta go over and check it out.”
While other RV companies weren’t sold on the idea, customers seemed to be. My buddy Perry, from Redwood Empire RVs, the dealership I used to work at, ordered some of these Loft trailers and when they arrive they leave. These things are hotter than the sidewalk in summer.
So it’s just natural that other companies start the cloning process. This offering from Coachmen is the first of those clones. I would be shocked if there weren’t others. Well, technically, the IBEX RV Suite RVS1 is competition and was another thing I saw at Open House that was, um, different.
What is the Coachmen Catalina 18RDL?
As part of the brand’s Destination Series trailers, this is a smaller (by length) wood-framed, aluminum-skinned trailer whose main intent is to go somewhere and just stay there forever. This is not designed to be towed much, except that first time.
The configuration of this includes a huge slab front wall with corrugated skin so that, if you do tow it once, that’ll be enough for you. Word from transporters who bring these things from the factory to the dealership, is that towing these is a miserable experience because of the big slab front wall.
But the intention isn’t to haul this around the country on your epic retirement adventure. It’s to buy it and put it somewhere like on a vacation property or in an RV park.
Starting at the back, there’s a rather large deck here with the second-story loft providing shade on that deck. A sliding door at the very back of this rig is the only way to get in (forget adding keyless entry to my knowledge).
The example shown also has sliding doors on the left and right sides forming a huge glass space. However, the intention is that these will become simply windows. The sliding doors are what was available to build this prototype.
Main living space in the Coachmen Catalina 18RDL
Once you’re inside, those huge windows really do provide glorious views to the outside. This is one-and-a-half stories tall (13’4” exterior height), and all that height is used in the living room, which gives it an enormous feel.
This is not a dissimilar idea to the idea used in the gigantic Wildwood Heritage Glen ROOST43, except this is much smaller than that.
In this space, you’ll find a hide-a-bed couch and a single recliner. Unlike the Timberwolf 16ML, there is no dining table nor those bar-height chairs. However, there is an ottoman.
But the window shade on the road side sliding glass door comes down and there’s a little high-definition projector over on the camp side of this. So your TV is going to be the shade for the sliding door, which means you have an enormous way to watch the new StressLess Camping RV podcast videos. Or whatever you watch. I don’t judge. Much.
There’s also a ceiling fan overhead that works well.
To the rear of this trailer, there’s that loft above the rear deck. This loft and rear deck are significantly longer than the one in the Timberwolf, although this is technically the same floor plan.
Climb the ladder to the loft and it’s little more than a flat deck with carpeting on it and a very, very thin slab of foam that is considered a mattress. I wonder if the people who just returned from Russian prisons had better mattresses. I don’t know.
On the front of the trailer is another, much larger loft with a similar slab of foam mattress on a carpeted surface.
But the front occupants get an electric fireplace and some closet space as well as a much larger surface area. In both lofts, a normal adult could sit up, but there’s no standing up here. Unless you’re still teething or something.
Kitchen and bathroom in the Coachmen Catalina 18RDL
In addition to that open living space, the other big deal in these trailers is the kitchen. Since this is designed to go somewhere and live there, you could do the same with the kitchen in this rig.
RV kitchens almost universally have a unique-to-RV feel to the appliances, whereas, we’re mostly all used to the kitchens in our homes. The appliances in this are much more residential. Well, heck, they are residential.
There’s a large 20-cubic-foot, 120-volt residential fridge along with a stove, oven, and microwave that are also residential-sized units.
Interestingly, there’s also a combo washer-dryer unit here as standard equipment. There’s even a countertop dishwasher included. In addition, counter space and cabinet space are pretty great for the size of this trailer.
The kitchen is a couple of steps down, as it’s in a drop frame section of the floor plan, as is the bathroom, just beyond the kitchen.
The bathroom in this is okay, with decent space to do what you need to. Unfortunately, RV plumbing code dictates that the shower floor be raised to accommodate the P trap in the plumbing. That means that headroom in the shower is not all that great. If you’re over six feet tall, you’re not going to be happy here.
Conclusions about the Coachmen Catalina 18RDL
While the Wildwood Heritage Glen ROOST43 would be something that I could live in full-time with no issues, that’s less true of this trailer. But that’s only because of the shower. Well, and having to crawl on my hands and knees to get to the closets in the upstairs bedroom.
But this would make a great vacation rental on the right property, so long as your local ordinances permit that.
Imagine some lake-side retreat or something where you go when the stress of your daily routine needs a break.
I could also see that being a very affordable way to create a vacation rental property—where you plop this sucker on a property and then list it on VRBO or that kind of thing. I bet you could easily make back whatever the monthly payments on this were and pay it off with that sort of plan.
Good solution to housing shortage
One of the reasons my buddy Perry is selling these like hotcakes is that there is a significant housing shortage in the area where his dealership is located. This is a logical and affordable solution, although I would imagine many of the units sold are going to RV parks. But combining the monthly space rental and whatever your payment is on this is still much, much cheaper than renting an apartment, if you can find one, in the over-hot housing market even in Northern California.
In fact, with retail markets shrinking and the housing market being super hot, I could also see a case to rezone a lot of strip malls, tear them down, and put RV parking in their place. Units like this would really solve a lot of the housing issues we have.
But that’s in my own fantasy world. Really, owners of strip malls and other less relevant properties aren’t going to be tearing them down to make smaller RV parks, and people are still going to wish for more housing.
Units like this could be a great solution and they’re certainly different. If you were just starting out, could you live in something like this? Perhaps then transition to the larger fifth wheel or other destination trailer?
Compares to Timberwolf Mini Loft 16ML that we looked at last October.
A more towable variant of this design is the Coachmen Catalina EPIC283.
Thanks to Josh from Bish’s RV for the photos and video used 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. 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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Only bedrooms in cramped upper crawl spaces. As a parent of several boys I was concerned about them having to get down from a top bunk. And yes, one did fall out. Now the whole family has to climp steep ladders. Try climbing down in the middle of the night when you’re half asleep. AND it’s a Coachmen Catalina. Our 2024 Catalina Destination is put together very poorly. One of our cheap GE AC units doesn’t work. There’s no one nearby to replace it so we’d have to tow the destination trailer over 100 miles to the nearest authorized repair dealership. The cheap Alpha roof is bubbling up. And leaks from the ceiling are wetting the kitchen cabinets. NOPE. Not worth it at any low-ball price.
One loft is at the top of a “proper stairway”, while the other is a ladder climb. Just imagine a routine nightly trip to the lav, and having to negotiate a ladder. I don’t even want to walk down a staircase, let alone a ladder. A lot of silly stuff in this trailer.
Thank you, Tony! This reminds me of a “dollhouse” I rented one school year. The bedroom was a loft above the large living room. There was a knee-wall-height railing to prevent on falling into the living room. The full bathroom was on the opposite end of the house and on the first floor. Amazing the things one can endure when young!?! Now, our house is all one level and the bathroom about two steps from the bedroom. Cute RV, but those loft bedrooms are not particularly functional.
I would think this to be really cool if I was still 14.
Too much glass! Why do you need floor to ceiling windows covered up with a sofa? Where do you put a TV for those times at the lake it is raining or you want to sit and watch a movie at night away from the mosquitoes? I like the ideas for young families but wouldn’t work for people that have mobility issues or are claustrophobic and don’t want the ceiling that close to their face when they are sleeping.