Take a tour of the new Cortes Campers 17 fiberglass trailer with Mike aka the RV Blogger. Brian, a representative from Cortes Campers, the newest manufacturer of fiberglass trailers, joins Mike on the tour.
Mike stresses that even though he is joined by Brian, this is not a paid endorsement of Cortes, but having a rep on hand was great to answer any questions or point out special features.
Unlike some other fiberglass brands that are strictly made to order, the company made the decision to be sold at dealer lots. That way the public can see the units in person and service is easier to access, although fiberglass trailers are known for being far lower maintenance than other types of RVs.
Prior to entering the RV market, Cortes made boats, and that shows in the similarities these trailers have to boats. Its distinctive looks start on the outside, which can be white, two-toned, or sea foam green, bright blue, or silver or champagne metallic. Those colors use marine-grade technology to impregnate the colors directly into the fiberglass. You can even order custom colors. Matching trailer and tow vehicle, anyone?
This tiny fiberglass trailer sleeps two and can be towed by most V-6 vehicles.
The trailer is made up of two outer and two inner fiberglass pieces, inner cabinets, seating, and even the wheel wells are all molded fiberglass much like boats would be, making it one of the most structurally sound trailers available.
Because of the double hull construction, it is well-insulated. It has an enclosed underbelly, and dual-paned windows. Heated tanks make it a true four-season RV.
While the windows fully open out, they feature both a pull-up screen and a full black-out shade.
Inside it looks and feels like a boat. On the downside, much like living quarters in boats, it seems a little cramped for my taste. Even more so than some of the other fiberglass RVs I have looked at. The positive side of this is that there is very little that can break, unlike more conventional RV interiors. You can also suction cup all kinds of hangers and storage devices directly on the walls.
All Cortes trailers are also equipped with a drain hole. You can literally just hose it out! There is no wood whatsoever in the trailer and nothing that can mold, mildew, or rot.
The large dinette/sofa area converts to a short queen-sized bed at night. There is also a small secondary one-seat dinette. I guess it could be used as a worktable. In this small of a trailer, I question if that was the best use of space, but that’s how they designed it. Although you could bring along a folding chair for the other side, use this for dining and keep the bed set up as a bed all the time, so that’s kind of nice.
The swivel table that can turn in ALL directions is a nice feature here. The large, deep stainless steel sink has a built-in removable dish drainer—what a great feature. I love the sink!
Kitchen appliances include a Furrion 3-burner gas stove and a 17-inch oven. There’s also a 12-volt 8-cubic-foot refrigerator with a large freezer, usually unheard of in RVs this small.
For a 17-foot trailer, the wet bathroom is also surprisingly large.
I especially like how strong and study the latches and drawer clips are throughout, as these are things that are constantly breaking in conventional RVs.
More features of the Cortes Campers 17 Fiberglass Trailer
- Timbren axle-less independent suspension for a clean, easy towing experience
- Suburban forced air furnace
- Suburban on-demand water heater
- 4,500 BTU Furrion air conditioner
- Smart TV
- UVW: 2,680 pounds
- GVWR: 3,500 pounds
- Cargo carrying capacity: 820 pounds
- Length: 18’1”
- 21 gallons fresh water
- 13-gallon gray water
- 16-gallon black water
- MSRP: $59,500
Learn more about Cortes Campers here.
##RVDT2117
This is a beautiful camper and appears to be well-thought out. The large refrigerator and a 3-burner stove and oven appeal to a lot of women ! Great article Cheri about Cortes and it’s cool they’re built in Cleveland, Ohio !
I can’t agree with the part about V6 towing. All V6 engines are not created equal nor are they always in vehicles that can tow at all.
cortez makes some cute trailers, but they are for small to average size people. Big or tall barely fit inside.