RV review: Ember 191MSL has groundbreaking feature
Today’s RV review is of the Ember RV 191MSL, a sneak peek at what’s about to show-up at an Ember dealer near you. Now this isn’t a totally new RV and we’ve looked at the foundation upon which this model was built in the Ember 190MDB, a relatively traditional bunkhouse floor plan built with the typical things that set Ember’s RVs apart.
But the changes that make this unique have created one of the most game changing floor plans I have seen in any RV, period.
Often I have written about how you can use a bunk model for more than just a bunk house, citing hobbies and using the space where the bunks are as something other than just sleeping space. But I also know of some campers who have simply removed one or two of the bunks.
The problem with making material changes to an RV is that you can affect it’s value and usually not in an upwardly direction.
It’s more difficult to do if there’s an outside kitchen as there is in the 191MDB. Unless you’re starting from scratch.
What Ember has done is, effectively, taken the entire bunk room and outdoor kitchen out altogether. Then they installed six E-Track rails vertically gives the owner a lot of options.
The trailer as I’ve seen it comes with two platforms that can be placed into this vertical railing and then two bunk pads so you still could have all the functionality of a bunk house if that’s what you need.
But then you could take those platforms out or simply place them up at the highest position and now you’ve got a large open space. Ember stated that the second-highest position on the click track is placed just so that you can place the two platforms along with their respective pads up there and have a large open space.
Getting to this space can be done through two large doors, one on the camp side where the kitchen used to be and one at the rear. The large side camp side door also has a screen that can be locked into place with hook and loop fasteners (Velcro) so you could leave it open without bugs coming in.
One of the examples of using this space was shown by Ember co-founder Christopher Barth, whom I interviewed on this podcast episode, who showed a hammock hung in the E-Track. I’ve also seen photos with a kayak in this spot or bicycles as well.
Probably the biggest deal about this is the flexibility of the space but that you can make these changes without actually materially affecting the RV whatsoever. So if you need a bunk model this weekend but then want to bring a couple of eBikes next weekend, that’s no problem. Or bring those eBikes and have the bunks up against the ceiling.
At night move the bunks down to where they can be used for sleeping and you’re set. You’ve lost no functionality but gained a lot.
Another example I saw was one of the platforms put into a position where it can be used as a desk. Now you can have a space for the youngsters to sleep and then move the bunk platform a bit and now there’s a space for them to get their homework done. Or for you to write RV reviews.
I can not understate how much I think this is absolutely game changing. There are literally zero down sides to this kind of implementation and tons and tons of upsides.
The rest of the trailer follows what is in place from the host 191MDB so all of those things are still in place including the fact that you can either have a dinette or a couch in the slide room.
If you choose the couch Ember has done another smart thing, placing some vertical storage behind the couch. As mentioned with the review of another Ember product, the 171MBH, there are mounts on the front of both the couches for a table. This also has the same Murphy bed system as that trailer so you can read my details on that in the previous review.
Another nice thing is that the base model of this includes 190 watts of solar on the roof and a 1,000 inverter that is tied to all the plugs. If you choose the optional Max Solar package you get three of those 190 watt panels for a total of 570 watts of solar along with two 100 amp-hour lithium batteries and you can opt in a third and even a fourth battery.
Ember RV
If you’re new to these reviews then let’s introduce you to Ember RV, a company started by a RV industry veterans including Ashley Bontrager whose grandparents founded Jayco. Bontrager partnered with a few others to found the company and create something different and they certainly have.
Ember’s products cater to the adventurous who might take their RVs far off the beaten path. Starting at the bottom these single-axle offerings all feature a really advanced Curt independent coil spring suspension with dual shock absorbers. Wheels are Goodyear truck tires on 16” tires.
There’s also an innovative wheel chock built right into the system that can be locked making it more difficult to steal these trailers.
Further, all the trailers thus far have included a Stargazer window above the bed. This is so, so much better than a windshield because it’s above the bed with a built-in shade but also a screen as you can open the window for air flow. I really like this. And it’s a double-glazed Lexan window so less likely to shatter than glass.
That window is mounted to a roof that’s made of the same laminated panels as are used in the walls. They feature Azdel substrates on the inside and out and a fiberglass outer layer so that means no rubber on the roof.
All the joints between wall seams on the outside are covered in an Eternabond tape which is the stickiest permanent thing I’ve ever messed with (I’m rebuilding a vintage trailer and using this stuff) and then a section of the aluminum exoskeleton is placed on top of that.
Recently the company used Truma’s climate chamber to certify that Ember RVs are able to withstand use between 0°-100°F. So they’re ready to camp in the cold, ready to camp in the heat. While some RVs claim to be capable of this, Ember has certified that theirs can through actual testing.
The company says these are “generational” trailers meaning they’re meant to last for a very long time and, seeing how they’re made, I don’t doubt that at all.
Another keynote build feature is the flooring, which is the same Transcore structural composite flooring as used in an Airstream but with a key difference - it’s twice as thick on an Ember.
In summary
I can not express how much I feel this is a game changing change to a relatively common floor plan. If you don’t see this change finding its way into every brand of RV in the next year, I would be shocked and I think Ember is going to have a monster hit on their hands with this.
I didn’t prepare a chart for this since it’s so similar structurally to the 191MDB but I’m curious what you think about this kind of feature? Personally I will state that the next time I’m in the RV market I would only consider a floor plan with this kind of flexibility. It’s literally a change that makes more sense than almost anything I’ve seen in a very long time.
What’s your take and do you feel the same as I do?
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