RV Review: 2022 Forest River Wildwood FSX 190RT—a kinder, gentler toy hauler

When I wrote about a toy hauler in the Jayco Jay Flight Octane 277, a number of readers commented on wanting a toy hauler but something smaller. So today we review the Forest River Wildwood FSX 190RT toy hauler. 

If there’s a pendulum that swings between a traditional toy hauler and travel trailer, the weighty thing at the bottom of the pendulum is going to point much closer to travel trailer than toy hauler with this RV. But that works for a lot of buyers. By the way, it seems that this weight is called a bob. 

How it’s made

As the price of RVs of all sorts goes up and up, I seem to get more interest in the stick-and-tin trailers. We’ve looked at more of these lately for that very reason. 

This Wildwood is available as a very traditional stick-and-tin trailer, but there is another option—a smooth fiberglass skin. In many cases the assumption is that a fiberglass skin denotes an aluminum structure underneath and, in the best of cases, Azdel substrate. 

Laminated trailers are usually comprised of a layer of fiberglass, a substrate, then either an aluminum rib or foam insulation, and then an inner layer. The way the fiberglass-sided Wildwood is built is that same outer layer of fiberglass, then luan (a man-made wood substance), then either a wood rib or insulation, and then an inner wall. 

Since this trailer is built like a stick-and-tin trailer but with a fiberglass skin, the fiberglass option is actually heavier than the typical aluminum-skinned counterpart. 

Wildwood Mini Hauler

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More than fantastic plastic

If you do go for the smooth-sided version, you get more than just a smooth skin. There are also upgraded materials on the interior, so the whole Platinum package, as it’s called, represents a few additions. But it also represents an increase in weight. So it’s worth weighing this option (pun absolutely intended) to see if you really want it. 

What’s inside the Wildwood

I’m finding that I like Wildwood products for a variety of reasons. One of those is that this model comes with a number of plastic food-grade totes. 

The way this trailer’s floor plan is arranged is with two benches along the camp side in the shadow of huge windows. Across from that is the galley, which includes a fair number of cabinets, the fridge and even an electric fireplace. 

Wildwood trailers don’t come with a TV but there is certainly a place to put one. That place is directly across from one of the two couches. Of course, those couches can fold down to be beds. But they can also be folded up against the sidewalls of these to facilitate carrying cargo. 

At the root of it all, this actually is a toy hauler. So that means big back door/ramp so you can roll in things like eBikes or bring in kayaks and other larger gear. I don’t believe you’ll be bringing a side-by-side in here, but you could easily carry a motorcycle.

Remember those totes we mentioned at a few moments ago? They fit under these two long couches. But they also can be stacked up next to the bed, which is up front—as you would expect in a travel trailer. 

Less awesome

Speaking of the bedroom, it consists of an east-west bed stuck in the corner. This can be a huge deal breaker for some buyers. But don’t worry, we’re looking at an alternative to this tomorrow that has a full walk-around queen. But that’s not this. 

In fact ,it’s a shortie queen. So those of you with crowns might have to stow them for this trip. In fact, if you’re the individual sleeping against the nose cap, you have the cabinets with the closet against your feet. That might be a deal breaker, depending on your height. I don’t mind sleeping with my feet off the edge of the bed, but that’s not true of everyone. 

Interestingly, I saw two versions of this: one that had a small propane oven and another that had a convection microwave in place of the oven. In that unit there were overhead cabinets, and I actually like this better. But I wasn’t able to get clarification on how this combination came to be. 

Boondocking in the Wildwood

There are solar options with this trailer but you’re going to find that tank sizes are the limiting factor with only 40 gallons of fresh water. Mind you, this is what I have in my own trailer and I can go three days. But there are some toy haulers that are a bit larger, like the aforementioned Jayco, where the holding tanks are huge by comparison. 

Travel access

Since this trailer doesn’t have slide rooms, you can access everything inside without a worry. This is one of the reasons I am a big fan of RVs with no slides. The other reason is the sheer number of slide room warranty claims I dealt with. 

More awesome stuff in the Wildwood

Countering the less awesome stuff is more awesome stuff. That has to start at the back with the ramp that you’d use to get your gear in. That ramp comes with cables that allow it to store vertically. There’s also a gate that can surround the ramp—so now you have a nice deck. If you have kids or pets, this can really open up the space and allow them to go in and out of the trailer without having the full roam of the world. 

Or you could do what I would do and that’s mix up a pitcher of margaritas, tune in some Jimmy Buffett and sit out on that deck in a zero-gravity recliner thinking of trips to Key West. To each their own. 

I also like that Wildwood products have something called an Accessibelly. What that means is that the underbelly is enclosed but with sections that can be individually removed should you need to effect a repair under there. 

Also, the windows on the camp side of the Wildwood are off-the-hook awesome. It’s almost as if half that camp-facing wall is covered with glass and it really opens this trailer up. 

Alternative uses

For a lot of reasons I love toy haulers, especially the more towable models, as an alternative to traditional travel trailers. But it’s not just the toys.

For example, with those two couches on the camp side that become beds, this would be a great trailer for a few buddies to take on a camping trip.

There is a portable table that comes with this rig, so that could be an office space as well. Bonus if you put in a larger TV that doubles as your computer monitor.

In summary

For a lot of reasons, a trailer like this can make a tremendous amount of sense. For families you can bring all those toys along that make the wee ones happy. There are the two couches that can be beds. That works out as long as junior doesn’t let his feet touch sissy’s head at 2 in the morning. 

There’s that deck. And the whole trailer has a spacious feel, particularly with those big windows. 

Tow-ability of the Wildwood

All that and the dry weight of this trailer means it’s well within the purview of a half-ton truck in terms of hauling. That is, so long as you’re cognizant of the cargo carrying capacity of that truck and don’t overload it. In fact, some of the newer, higher-capacity SUVs might be more than capable. Again, that’s considering what you’re loading where. 

Also, there is a smaller version of this in the Wildwood 181RT. There’s also a slightly larger version with a walk-around queen bed in the Wildwood 210RT. In fact, the company offers quite a few floor plans. So you can almost tailor the balance between size and tow-ability with the choices Wildwood offers.

I like this rig as a very good alternative to many traditional travel trailers. Now, if only someone could respond and explain where that convection microwave came from. 

I would love to read your comments and suggestions over on our new forums, where you can weigh in and start or join a discussion about all things RV. Here’s a link to my RV Reviews Forum.

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 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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