RV review: 2025 Forest River No Boundaries (NoBo) 20.1 - lookin' good
Today’s RV review is of the 2025 Forest River No Boundaries, or NoBo, 20.1. No Boundaries, or NoBo, and Ibex, are divisions of Forest River that are pretty closely aligned but were brought out to address the greater interest in smaller, adventure-oriented trailers.
While the overall RV market is definitely soft, one of the bright spots is in these types of smaller trailers. With the promise of being ready for adventure and also being smaller and more affordable, trailers like these are something that has the interest of some RV buyers and the RV industry as a whole.
You could say this was all started by the company Black Series which imported really rugged trailers from China that were inspired by the Australian Outback. From there companies like Rockwood/Flagstaff came out with more mainstream offerings in the GeoPro/ePro which sold like hotcakes. But both these brands are premium brands so it made sense for Forest River to come out with something a bit more affordable.
From the ground up with the NoBo 20.1
First thing to know is that there are really two variants of this model - the C-Series and the Beast Mode version. They are very different when you look underneath.
The C-Series features a traditional leaf spring suspension and rides on Westlake tires that have an aggressive off-road look to them.
The Beast Mode models use the Curt fully independent suspension system which will be called the Touring Edition suspension on fifth wheels but is the same suspension that debuted on Ember RV’s Overland series. What I’ve been told is that this suspension also requires a significantly rigid chassis.
This plays out in the weights of these - the basic C-Series NoBo 20.1 has a dry weight of 4,983 pounds whereas the Beast Mode models come in at 5,493 pounds.
The underbellies on these NoBo models is both enclosed and heated with air ducted from the furnace. They also incorporate 12 volt tank heaters so I would imagine this trailer would do well even camping where overnight temperatures get below freezing.
I like that there is only one connection point for the sewer system. The slide room uses a Schwintek mechanism.
Lastly the wall build on these continues to use an Azdel substrate.
Highlights of the NoBo 20.1
While the model and floor plan are carry over items from 2024, this trailer looks completely different this year both inside and out.
On this layout there’s a Murphy bed at the front of the trailer which folds up to reveal a couch. The Murphy bed mechanism utilizes a folding mattress so you’ll want to be diligent if you’re shopping for a replacement.
Something to know, this does have space for a proper 60” x 80” queen-sized mattress and you can leave the bed down full time so, if you’d rather not have a Murphy bed and just have a walk-around queen instead, that’s your prerogative. The slide room in this trailer does not interfere with the bed’s being down.
However doing that would eliminate the couch at the front of the the trailer which is a useful thing if you’re planning on seating more than two people. Also, if you don’t put the Murphy bed up you’ll never see the map of north America. You can buy stickers to cover this map so you can tell which states and provinces you’ve visited in your trailer.
The front of this space has an almost empty feel to it with no cabinets over the bed which is a bit unusual. There are still hanging cabinets on either side of the bed as well as a cabinet below and the side cabinets have space behind them for things like tablets, phones and CPAP machines. There are also both household and USB power outlets on either side of the bed.
I mentioned the slide room and that’s where you’ll find theater seats which incorporate drop-in tables that go into the cup holders. I had thought Jayco had the corner on the market of these but apparently not.
Doing my best work on my own flat-top griddle on my RV.
Some buyers might be quite surprised by the interior of this trailer as some of the cabinets, such as the ones by the bed, are painted white whereas the kitchen is green. This carries over from the RVSuite line. I really like it but I also know I don’t always reflect the mainstream in terms of taste.
Since we’re looking at the kitchen, this has a really nice long counter which is not dissimilar to the Rockwood Mini Lite 2517s that we debuted. That long counter features a good number of cabinets and drawers overhead and beneath the counter top. There is a three-burner propane cook top and then a convection microwave.
What I really like in the kitchen is the multi-function sink which features drop-in pieces for drying, washing veggies and more. Further it incorporates a glass washer and pull-out faucet to boot along with a cutting board inside.
NoBo also includes a portable flat-top griddle with this trailer which can slot into a rail on the outside of the rig. There’s also a table that fits there as well and this is where I do my best bacon cooking - outside of the RV - on our own trailer that also has this griddle.
Another nifty piece is the built-in vacuum which has a kick on dust pan and includes hoses and tools to reach the whole camper. Nice.
The bathroom in this RV is certainly good enough, given the size. I like that there’s a shower curtain on a radius track rather than a glass shower door. There’s also a relatively decent amount of counter space in here.
Boondocking and travel access
The way this trailer is designed you can fully access the kitchen and bathroom with the slide in. Most towables very specifically recommend not occupying the slide room when it’s in so that’s where you’ll make the case for putting the Murphy bed up to access that couch if you want a seat while the slide is in.
Part of the appeal of these trailers is off-grid capability but this one is pretty mainstream in its capabilities. Features you’ll find in the GeoPro/ePro, for example, like the Shower Miser water saving system aren’t here though you could always get one of the Geyser System shower water saving devices.
There is a single 200 watt solar panel included but if you go with the Beast Mode, that doubles the amount of solar and includes a 2,000 watt inverter as well.
My thoughts on the Forest River NoBo 20.1
While I don’t usually like to comment about the exterior styling of any RV, I will say I absolutely love the new exterior and interior of this trailer. The exterior is so very tasteful without one swoosh or swirl to be found.
Like in a classy automobile, the paint colors match the surface of the trailer and it just looks fantastic, to me. I feel the same way about the interior of this trailer.
I also really like the direction some manufacturers are taking by eliminating built-in speakers and going with a portable Bluetooth speaker instead.
One of the things I noticed was that the kitchen counter doesn’t extend all the way to the door and the space between the counter and the door would be the ideal spot to do something like hang a vacuum like our own Ryobi One+ Stick Vac.
There’s a lot to like in this trailer and I’m really curious what your take on the appearance is with this. I do wish this had better tires and suspension as standard but at least there’s a path to better with the Beast Mode option.
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