Friday, October 25, 2024

Household Tenting with the Coleman Rubicon 1400BH 

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Minimalist tenting isn’t only for {couples} in van campers. Smaller journey trailers are value a second search for households with youngsters, too. They make packing simpler, towing extra environment friendly, and mean you can spend extra time collectively in shared actions. Inevitably, you get extra inventive with the house at hand, and whereas that comes with its personal set of challenges, the rewards are quite a few.

For filmmaker and first-time RVer Adam Jones, his spouse Shea, and their three youngsters, sharing a 16’ Coleman Rubicon 1400BH on a weekend tenting journey to go to Rutledge Falls, Tennessee, grew to become a perfect introduction to RV tenting.

As first-timers, the convenience of use outweighed the small measurement, and the 1400BH carried out as designed — a modest RV with sensible sleeping choices. Right here we discover the Jones’ expertise and take a look at what RV tenting is de facto like for households making a small journey trailer work. We’ll additionally take a look at a number of 2023 and 2024 RVs that provide an analogous enchantment. 

Do you may have expertise proudly owning a small and huge towable RV? We’d love to listen to your ideas about what you most popular and disliked about every within the feedback beneath.

How the Jones Household Began RVing

Picture by Tenting World

Adam and Shea Jones hit the highway for Rutledge Falls with the children within the backseat and the Rubicon 1400BH in tow. They’d been tent tenting earlier than, however RVing was a primary. The enchantment of the RV and the inspiration behind the journey? A lowkey journey with the household. Plus, they’d been inspired to strive RVing. 

“The trouble of getting a resort and discovering issues to do in a brand new metropolis with such younger youngsters generally will be so overwhelming we don’t benefit from the time as a household,” mentioned Adam. Tent tenting appeals to these like Adam and Shea, preferring the flexibleness of the outside. Including an RV to that equation can complicate issues. 

Adam and Shea had reservations about RVing basically: It could be cumbersome and particularly tough with youngsters. However the measurement of the 1400BH alleviated a few of that. 

“The scale made this very approachable for us,” Adam mentioned. “There was sufficient room within the cabin for us all to sleep[,] but additionally the performance of the kitchen made feeding three youngsters very simple. As newcomers[,] we had no thought what to actually count on[,] however with the ability to concentrate on household time and never logistics made it a tremendous asset.” 

Adam’s first impression of the 1400BH was its compact measurement and the way simple it was to haul. 

The primary advantages of a small journey trailer like the 1400BH are simpler towing and setup. These will be towed by quite a lot of smaller tow automobiles, together with SUVs, mid-size vans, and crossovers. There’s a smaller studying curve to drive and full duties like backing right into a campsite. And setup is easier with guide leveling parts and a smaller trailer. 

The Coleman Rubicon 1400BH 

Specs

  • Size: 15’11”
  • Weight: 1,908 kilos
  • Cargo Capability: 1,100 kilos
  • Sleeping Capability: As much as 3

The Coleman Rubicon 1400BH is a 16’ single-axle light-weight journey trailer, coming in unloaded at simply over 1,900 kilos and able to sleeping three adults. Versatility is the 1400BH’s most beneficial high quality. Towing is straightforward, setup is straightforward, and the inside’s modular design permits for a lot extra sleeping and eating variations than you’d guess when taking a look at it from the skin.

Study extra concerning the Coleman Rubicon 1400BH small camper.

The Versatility of the 1400BH’s Inside

Picture by Tenting World

Inside, dual-facing bench seats accompany a detachable dinette desk, so 4 company can sit, eat, or get pleasure from video games comfortably. With a fast adjustment, the inside converts into a flexible sleeping house, full with two bunks for the children and a queen-sized mattress that matches two adults (and doubtlessly one other child). 

Admittedly the favourite function of the Jones’ youngsters, an electrical hearth, is positioned both on the head or foot of the queen-size mattress, relying in your orientation. The unit additionally options two facet doorways, which makes it simpler to get out and in, particularly at night time or when a number of company are sitting on the bench seats. These doorways additionally add airflow when using the display screen doorways.

At seven toes tall, the 1400BH suits in most garages, an added perk, understanding you received’t need to pay for winter storage. And with all-terrain tires, the 1400BH is ready as much as attain campsites a bigger, bulkier RV would wrestle to achieve safely.  

What The Jones Household Cherished Concerning the 1400BH

Picture by Tenting World

For his or her first outing, the Jones household determined to boondock. “We felt most snug not having all the principles and laws we assumed can be related to a campground. Going off the crushed path is the place we felt most snug,” Adam mentioned. 

For that independence, the 1400BH was good, and so they made use of the all-terrain tires to achieve their off-grid campsite not removed from Rutledge Falls. They shortly arrange camp (even with the children working round) and ready a scrumptious camp meal utilizing the 1400BH’s outside griddle and rear kitchen. 

“The good factor concerning the 1400BH was the way it gave us the conveniences we wanted for the journey. Loads of water within the tank, a griddle, the kitchen, and a fridge. We had a small generator that was so easy to make use of and powered every thing simply,” Adam mentioned. 

The greatest small journey trailers for households embody well-designed options that account for the lack of utility you’d have with the facilities inside bigger RVs. The outside rear of the 1400BH, for instance, includes a kitchen with a high-rise kitchen faucet provided by a 21-gallon recent water tank, a 3.3-cubic-foot fridge, rooftop photo voltaic prep, and a strut-supported pop-up cowl that gives shelter from the weather whereas cooking. 

This made the primary RV journey for the Jones surprisingly handy, given they have been sometimes adjusted for tent tenting

“Now feeling snug and understanding what is feasible with an RV, we might keep even longer and benefit from the surroundings,” Adam mentioned. For them, the trade-off for house was value it to achieve the comfort and ease of a smaller journey trailer. 

Different Small Journey Trailers With Related Advantages

Discover different choices much like the Coleman Rubicon 1400BH beneath. 

Forest River No Boundaries 10 Sequence (NB10.6/NB10.7)

Picture by Forest River

Specs

  • Size: 13’10” to fifteen’”’ 
  • Dry Weight: Underneath 2,300 kilos
  • Sleeping Capability: 2-4

The 10 Sequence from No Boundaries options trailers beneath 2500 kilos, and we’re wanting on the NB10.6 and the NB10.7, each of which embody twin side-entry doorways and a model of a centralized couch/mattress combo. The ten.6 boasts a toy-hauler-like rear ramp door and the notable traits of the ten.7 floorplan are its the electrical hearth and wardrobe storage. 

The ten Sequence models from No Boundaries embody essentially the most floor clearance of their class and have all-terrain tires, able to go anyplace. 

Store the No Boundaries 10 Sequence models at Tenting World.

Forest River Rockwood Geo Professional G14D/G15RD

Picture by Rockwood

Specs

  • Size: 12’-18”’ 
  • Dry Weight: 1900 to 3500 kilos
  • Sleeping Capability: 2-4

Your complete Rockwood Geo Professional lineup is nice for households on the lookout for a smaller camper, however the choices within the 2000-3000 pound vary are particularly excellent, together with the newly launched G14D and G15RD. Each function moist baths – a major added bonus – and the G14D comes with twin facet doorways, permitting simpler entry and airflow. 

A notable similarity amongst small RVs for households with youngsters are benches, that are included within the Rockwood Geo Professional G14D and G15RD. These simply modify to function sleeping areas as soon as the daytime actions are executed. 

Store all Rockwood Geo Professional fashions at Tenting World. 

Winnebago Hike 100

Picture by Winnebago

Specs

  • Size: 15’11”
  • Dry Weight: 1,908 kilos
  • Sleeping Capability: 2-4

The 2024 Winnebago Hike 100 floorplans, 5 in complete, have been amongst people who stood out to us on the Hershey RV Present this 12 months. These compact trailers supply such options as rear entry, moist baths, and photo voltaic panels. It may possibly sleep as much as 4 adults, relying on the floorplan — a formidable cumulative feat for a trailer weighing lower than 2,000 kilos. 

Nonetheless towable by smaller automobiles, the Hike 100 additionally doubles as transportation for the gear on your favourite outside actions, with choices for bike and kayak racks. This features a totally walkable roof for accessing any overhead gear, too. 

Single-axle trailers with premium suspension upgrades and Goodyear Wrangler 16” tires, these are greater than able to going off the crushed path to achieve excellent locations. 

Store the Winnebago Hike 100 models out there at Tenting World. 

Grand Design Think about AIM 15BH

Picture by Grand Design

Specs

  • Size: 19’11”
  • Dry Weight: 3,560 kilos
  • Sleeping Capability: 4

This light-weight bunkhouse journey trailer is a good choice for households trying to transfer in the direction of the extra conventional measurement journey trailer whereas sustaining some minimalism. Making necessary use of vertical house with the big bunk to release house, the Think about AIM 15BH additionally features a moist tub and indoor kitchenette. The convertible sales space dinette additionally permits further sleeping house. 

The outside of the 15BH options an outside griddle, a 14’ awning, two baggage doorways, and a sprig port for outside cleanup. Plus, get pleasure from an on-demand water heater, 20 BTU furnace, and 13,500 BTU A/C. 

Discover Grand Design Think about campers close to you.

Coachmen Clipper 12.0 TD Professional

Picture by Coachmen

Specs

  • Size: 17’5”
  • Dry Weight: 2,225 kilos
  • Sleeping Capability:

We finish our record with a teardrop trailer, partially to argue that these also can function succesful RVs for households with youngsters. The figuring out issue is the format and maximizing house for sleeping places, which the Clipper 12.0 TD Professional does with the gaucho seating that pulls out into an additional mattress. In combo with the usual queen mattress, it comfortably sleeps three. 

The Clipper 12.0 additionally amazingly features a nook moist tub, fridge, and microwave, making this an all-in-one bundle for these on the lookout for compact dwelling with out sacrificing too many facilities. 

Discover our stock of Coachmen Clipper journey trailers.


The Jones household and the Rubicon 1400BH are proof {that a} smaller journey trailer can suffice for a household with youngsters. And there are lots of nice choices out there for individuals who may want to go small whereas nonetheless retaining some key facilities, like bogs. 

Discover extra small campers to seek out these that may suit your wants. 

Tell us about your experiences with small campers within the feedback beneath!


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