StressLess Camping

View Original

Full RV review: A-Liner Evolution pop-up trailer

Tony Barthel

Today’s RV review is actually sort of a sneak preview of the A-Liner Evolution trailer. This is actually information I’ve gleaned from a few sources and may change if you go to buy one. Essentially this appears to be an adaptation of an existing A-Liner but with some significant changes, depending on your perspective.

But first, what is an A-Liner?

More than you might think

When I suggest to people that they get something like an A-Liner a lot of folks assume that they’re difficult to set up or just don’t have the accommodations of a traditional travel trailer. There is some merit to this but not much.

For example, setting these up is pretty easy. If you get the A-Liner “Family” model, for example, there are dormers on both sides which really open up the space.

So the set-up involves opening those dormers and flipping them up from inside. Two choices exist for the dormers, canvas-sided or hard-sided. It’s good to know that if you’re headed to places where there may be bear some campgrounds won’t let you stay there if you have canvas walls in your RV.

Further, I think it’s a bit easier to set-up the dormers where they’re solid walls as you just unclip them and then push them up from the inside. The walls push and latch into place and it’s a really, really easy process.

The roof itself also is really easy to push up as it’s counterbalanced with gas struts. A-Liner even has a pole integrated into the roof so that those who might be more vertically challenged can still easily raise and lower the roof. Once the A-frame is in place the walls simply push up from inside and you’re set.

It honestly took me about as long to write this description as it would take to set up the trailer - it truly is an easy process.

Since all the seams in this trailer are usually covered by overlapping metal edges they’re protected well from the elements so while it might seem that this could be a leaky affair, it really isn’t.

Since the roof is A-shaped the ceiling height at the center is pretty great.

The “Family” model also has seating for seven people although that would be pretty tight. There is sleeping for four but the bed along the front is a 32” X 80” bed so it’s pretty small. There’s another bed along the road-side wall which is 44” X 72” so you get more width but less height. Finally the back of the trailer has a sofa which is your dining space during the day but becomes a 60” X 80” bed at night.

While A-Liner makes a number of models one of the things I liked about this “Family” model was the kitchen, most of which is outside. We’ve looked at a few trailers that have similar kitchens in a drawer including the new Opus OP15, the Opus OP2 and even the fancy inTech Terra Oasis.

In the case of this trailer; however, the sink is still inside the trailer itself and the refrigerator and stove top are outside. I know there are going to be some of you who really dislike this configuration and I can’t fault you for that, it is a bit odd. Yes, it maximizes the interior space which is good in this model but you also have to be fully dressed if you’re going to make coffee in the morning and, frankly, that’s not how I usually camp.

Talk about scaring the bear away!

This model does feature a swivel cassette toilet in a cabinet and that cabinet, when you hang the shower curtains, also happens to be the shower for the rig. There’s a water heater aboard but you do only have 11 gallons to draw from if you’re off the grid.

See this content in the original post

A-Liner

In an article on line President and CEO Brett Randall was quoted as saying, “The Evolution is Aliner’s most ambitious and adventurous camper yet. Everything from the specificity in the engineering, to the thoughtfulness in the design, to the sustainability of the materials used is the next step not only for our brand, but for the entire industry. We have listened to the market and are excited to introduce the features and capabilities included in the Evolution’s design.”

Features new to the Evolution include:

  • Stow-away 32×32-inch shower. The shower lifts from the floor, delivering a full-size, stand-up shower area while providing obstruction-free access to the Evolution’s floorplan when stowed.

  • Rear sofa folds out to queen-size bed; front dinette benches convert to second queen mattress or dual 22×60-inch bunks.

  • Interior appliances include sink, stove, refrigerator and cabinet-concealed swivel cassette toilet.

  • One 13×16-inch and two large 13×36-inch bag doors for storage.

  • A high-strength, durable aluminum tube framework throughout the interior.

  • Riveted Simona Boatboard High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) cabinetry and furniture panels. Used in marine applications, Boatboard provides durability, performance and protection compared with traditional residential-style wood cabinetry.

  • Commercial grade, raised coin 100% polyvinyl flooring covering the cabin footprint, providing waterproof protection, traction and slip resistance.

Company history

A-Liner is still an independent company that started when founder Ralph Tait started building folding trailers in his garage in Oregon. Essentially others saw these and wanted one so he continued building until the family moved the operation to Pennsylvania. From there two of the sons of the founder would build a trailer and the third would take the family wagon and go sell it with the process repeating itself.

Today one of the telling things about the company and the products, in my eyes, is that there is an avid fan base with plenty of those enthusiasts sharing photos and stories about their trailers. Some of those travelers even have been up the the frozen land of Alaska and a YouTuber, Slim Potatohead, actually lived in one of these for several years and documented his journeys.

In summary

There are a number of things I really like about these and I believe the assumption that they’re difficult to set up means a lot of people for whom this would be a good choice actually don’t look at them. That’s unfortunate.

While fuel prices have come down a bit, fuel is still a pricey reminder that it’s a finite resource influenced by world politics. The fact that one of these can fold down and be behind the envelope of whatever is towing them means it won’t have as large an impact on mileage as a traditional RV.

Plus you can store it in a garage easily.

Further, these are light enough and there are handles on the outside so you can actually push this into the garage or wherever you might need to park it. Jockeying this around is pretty easy.

You’ll find a few things that might be a surprise including a window-style air conditioner under the rear couch to keep things cool here.

The beauty of the RV industry is that there’s almost something for everybody and I think a lot more everybodies should at least consider something like this.

See this content in the original post

More RV reviews

We have more RV reviews that you can see including specific categories for your reference.

RV Shopping Tips

If you’re shopping for an RV we have some great resources for you.

Visit an RV show

Want to check out RVs for yourself in person? We have a complete list of RV shows across the US.