Today we’re looking at the Salem Hemisphere Hyper-Lyte 25RBHL, which is identical to the Wildwood Heritage Glen Hyper-Lyte 24RBHL. Why the two brands? Let’s say a dealership is happily selling Wildwoods and is guaranteed a certain territory but there is more opportunity in the area due to distance. Bam – Salem. Different agreement, same product. More sales.
Forest River isn’t the only company who does this. It benefitted the dealership I worked at which was something like 90 miles away from a Rockwood retailer. That meant we couldn’t have Rockwood trailers, but we could have the identical Flagstaff models.
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The challenges of mobility
I wanted to start in the bathroom of this rig because I know of people who use assistive devices to get around. There are some who use canes or braces and others who use chairs or walkers. But the common thing in all of their circumstances is that they tend to require more space.
Often RVs just don’t accommodate this well. To be honest, the idea of any RV is to pack as much space into the shell as possible to give the vacationers the most value and features for their getaway.
So it was with great joy that I saw the bathroom and bathroom door of this rig. The first thing that came to mind is those folks I know who have trouble getting around and may have to make special arrangements when RVing, or just not go RVing at all. That’s just sad.
Biggie bathroom in the Salem/Wildwood Hyper-Lyte
So this bathroom not only provides an unusually large amount of space to change clothes and just get around with the door closed, but that sliding door is also much larger than you might expect.
The toilet, too, offers a huge amount of room. I could see folks who might have to use an assistive device to get around being able to set that to the side while accomplishing what they came here to do.
The shower, too, is larger than you might expect, measuring 30” X 36”. That’s pretty generous. I would say that the bathroom on this is something much larger than is typical in a travel trailer in every respect. Even the storage in here is substantial, with numerous drawers and a closet. Nice.
Storage wars
While the bathroom is unusually large, the living space is also no slouch. There’s a big closet or pantry just to the left of the entry door here. That’s a nice touch, so storage is a big deal overall. Another thing I thought was funny is the company calls their larger front pass-through storage “Texas-sized storage.” Okay. It is pretty generous.
What’s inside the Hemisphere
The living space is also good in this rig, with a super slide on the road side. The kitchen makes an “L” shape. But the way this was done, the drawers are in the main space of the kitchen so that, when the slide room is in, you can access those drawers.
Typically I see the drawers on the end of the peninsula so that there’s no way to access them when the slide is closed. Details.
Another thing I like is the USB power ports inside the arm rests of the theater seating. This is how it’s set up in my pickup. It means you can stow the wires in that arm rest but then dangle them out to charge while reading articles on RV Travel!
More details in the Hemisphere
There are a few more things to take note of here, including the fact that this uses what is called a “spread axle.” From what some RV towing folks told me at the dealership, the axles being farther apart from one another translates into a more stable towing situation. Bonus.
There’s also an outdoor kitchen that features a flat-top griddle and a small refrigerator. But this fridge is unusual in that it occupies a space that might otherwise not serve any purpose inside the rig.
Boondocking and travel access
You could argue that 49 gallons of fresh water and 62 gallons of gray capacity might serve two people for probably five days, even with daily showers, if they were judicious with their water use.
But you don’t get any solar on this camper as standard equipment. However, I didn’t get solar on my own trailer, either, and get by just fine with a single AGM battery and an 80-watt solar panel. If I want to feel really fancy, I bring along the Jackery 1500 and its four solar panels and all is well in the world.
You can get to almost everything in this rig with the slide room closed, with the exception of the front bedroom. The slide completely blocks that off. I’ve seen other floor plans that have a separate bedroom door. But I’d give that up for this bathroom any day.
In summary
That bathroom absolutely is the key selling feature of this rig, but the rest of the trailer isn’t anything to ignore. This would absolutely be a great camper overall even if you’re a gymnast and didn’t need extra space in the bathroom, quite frankly.
If I had one big complaint about this rig it’s the camp-side window coverage—which is almost nonexistent, unfortunately.
Also, there are two gray tanks that add up to the 62-gallon stated capacity. But that means the kitchen tank has a separate dump point from the shower gray and black dump point. I know a lot of RV companies have said that they have to do it this way. But I can show you an almost equal number of campers who have gone in and modified their tanks so it all comes out of one place. It’s simple plumbing.
Some of you may also not like the camp queen bed, which measures 60 X 74. This doesn’t bother me at all, but it is worth knowing.
Good couple’s camper
I would say if you’re looking for a good couple’s camper that’s relatively light but really does have a large interior, this might be worth considering whether you’re near a Wildwood or Salem dealer.
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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Why are the company’s no longer putting windows in doors?
I like this floor plan. Too bad there wasn’t a picture of the inside of the pantry/closet so we could see how that is set up. But, there is the usual cheezy fan in the loo and NO fan anywhere else.
There us an “Upgraded Options Package – Mandatory”. Huh? So why not just include all this in the general list of stuff on this trailer? I didn’t see any mention, or pictures, of a spare tire, And, is that picture of the underneath showing the propane pipe beneath the flooring? I still say I like this floor plan though. Great for a couple who never intend for there to be more than two people sleeping in it.
The UVW doesn’t include options so weight of mandatory option package isn’t included neither is their VIP package. Only way to determine actual UVW is to look at stickers on the trailer.
The photo of the bottom was the most interesting one. Torsion axles are still rare on a “starter” travel trailer, instead of “Model A” leaf springs. And the spread axles are another feature generally found on more expensive trailers. But you can also see that the floor insulation, I assume, has leaked out near the wheel. That makes me wonder how sloppy that insulation looks under the rest of the trailer and how much QC really goes into these Forest River “twins”.
Speaking of FR twins, we had that dealer situation here in Denver when we bought our first travel trailer. The Rockwood dealer was older, well-established, and had a big showroom and 4 service bays. The later Flagstaff dealer was on the opposite side of town in an old gas station. It was owned by a couple who ran sales, finance, and service themselves. They are still in business, the Rockwood dealer isn’t!
If only it was 800 lbs lighter