Brought Home Our New Truck Camper This Week

[Travels_with_Yo]

We had an Adventurer 80RB a couple years ago largely because it was fairly light weight and had a couch style dinette with an ever so slight recline angle to the backrest on the couch. A reclining backrest in a dinette is our primary requirement. We loved the floor plan and "feel" inside the cabin. The light colored wood and openness of the design was very comfortable. However, it had very small tanks to save weight ( 10 gal fresh, 4 gal water heater, 6 gal grey and 5 gal black). The small grey tank had been installed at such an angle that prevented complete emptying unless you raised the front of the truck. It was a bit expensive for our budget and we sold it basically as a means of downsizing and consolidating our monthly payments.

Enter Serenity, our new 2018 Travel Lite 840 SBRX. $9K less than what we paid for the Adventurer and very similar floor plan. Same couch dinette only more recline angle and better comfort. Better footrest design with storage below. This footrest area makes accessing the bunk very easy compared to the 22 inch step up to the first landing to gain bunk access in the 80RB. The more modern design elements of the 840 also make for a warm and comfortable "feeling" inside the cabin. Tanks are larger with a 25 gal fresh, 6 gal water heater, 8 gal grey and 6 gal black. The 840's bathroom is much more featured than the Adventurer with a mirrored medicine chest and countertop and sink (nothing comparable in the Adventurer). The Adventurer came with an 8.5K BTU A/C that struggled out in the west. The 840 comes with a 13.5 BTU A/C that cools better than the 80RB even on the lowest setting. The 80RB had a full queen bed whereas the 840 comes with a short queen but I'm not tall so not a problem. Very close together on weights.

Here's a little sneak peek I put together in advance of making a full walk through video (coming soon) 🙂

Travel Lite 840 SBRX .... "Serenity"

[Travels_with_Yo]

larkyblast wrote:
I don't know why TC can't figure out the seating?? They are mostly terrible for comfort. Every one I look at I want to modify that.

90 degree seat backs with super short back cushions provide very little upper back support. This is our 9th RV/Camper and of those, I built 2 of them with our own design couch. They were far and away the most comfortable of all of them. Two of them had factory couches with a small amount of recline (the Adventurer 80RB and the Travel Lite 840) and they are so much more comfortable than any of the travel trailers or truck campers we've had. I find it sad that people who review new campers rave about "new designs" when all of the conventional seating arrangements were designed about a half century ago.

[larkyblast]

I don't know why TC can't figure out the seating?? They are mostly terrible for comfort. Every one I look at I want to modify that.

[Camper_Jeff___K]

Good looking unit and good features for a couple travelers.

[Big1]

Congrats!

[Travels_with_Yo]

tuna fisher wrote:
What size is that fridge? like the dinette layout. Enjoy.

I believe it is 5 cf but not sure. I think it's the same size as we had in our Adventurer. I shouldn't have to brag about this but this is the first camper of 8 that we've bought where absolutely everything mechanical/systems wise actually worked as designed. Water heater heats to HOT very quickly, fridge gets down to 32 degrees on a 90 degree day, freezer to zero. Stereo, omni directional antenna, cooktop all work perfectly. Tank level indicator panel is accurate. Not a drop of water from anywhere in the plumbing to be found. The A/C is more powerful, yet quieter than the Adventurer's. And as I mentioned, a comfortable reclining seating area with lots of upper back support is critical for us. This one requirement ruled out 90% of the truck campers we see.

[joerg68]

Enjoy your new camper! Many happy travels (with yoly)!

[tuna_fisher]

What size is that fridge? like the dinette layout. Enjoy.

[Travels_with_Yo]

GeoBoy wrote:
Congrats. What happened to your Eureka camper?

jimh425 is correct ... we sold the Eureka to a nice couple who travel with a horse trailer and needed a small lightweight camper to spend time in as they travel to events and to have a comfortable place to stay at the events. The horse trailer tongue weight put limits on how much additional payload their truck could deal with so the Eureka was exactly what they needed.

[Lwiddis]

Seating looks very comfortable unlike many TCs. Waste tanks seem too small however but you can work on that.

[jimh406]

Sold their Eureka.

[GeoBoy]

Congrats. What happened to your Eureka camper?

[jimh406]

Congratulations, have fun.

[K_Mac]

Congrats ! Enjoy