Fleetwood/Coleman Evolution Series Tent Trailers

[atavuss]

Thinking about getting a Fleetwood/Coleman Evolution 2 tent trailer, it has a toilet/shower along with room for a quad, motorcycle, etc. on the front deck. Still a few new ones out there as well as used. Since Coleman/Fleetwood are no more I am very concerned about the lack of factory warranty coverage. I have read a few comments were the build quality is rather poor on the Evolution series. I have had two other older Coleman trailers that I bought new, one never had a single problem and the other had so many problems that I sold it at a loss.
Anyone want to chime in with their experiences with the Evolution series?

 

[tribeof5]

We owned an 08 E3 until this past June. Decent unit but certainly not off-road worthy. Each trip we went on, I always random nuts and bolts to tighten when we got home. It was our second pup that we had owned and I don't think it carried the same quality as our previous unit. On a long trip last year, we had a minor fender fender with it. It took 7 months to get the parts for it due to production being stopped by fleetwood/Coleman. We also dealt with some other minor isssues such as pour plumbing in the water lines as well as the gas lines. We really liked it but were happy to see it go. With 5 boys, we needed a more reliable unit. Good luck with your decision.

 

[gonejeeping15]

The bad word there is Fleetwood, they build their houses the same way, you might take your complaints to Consumer Affairs Dept., it takes a while but it worked.

 

[Rocket Ship]

I seriously looked at these, and the other "off-road" PUPs, but ultimately decided on a custom trailer. These PUPS look the part, but they aren't really meant for off-roading. They have decent frames, but the box and cabinetry is just the same old crap, chipboard and OSB. They're also very heavy, and the majority of them have a tongue weight that is only suitable for a full-size pickup. Probably fine on dirt roads, but even that, I think they'll rattle apart after not a long time.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Here is one idea/option http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=218&ad=16999508&cat=&lpid=1&search=coleman trailer

 

[Rocket Ship]

If you've got an F350. I hate to guess on the "dry" tongue weight of that.

I don't understand why they designed these trailers the way they did. 2000lb trailer with a 450lb dry tongue weight, and you're going to stick an 800lb machine on the nose. Probably end up with a 1000lb tongue weight.

That custom one might end up ok after you load a crawler on the back. But dry... not so much.

 

[BradJ]

I bought the last E1 is this area earlier this summer. It is heavier and bigger than I thought it would be, but my CRD Liberty pulls it fairly easily.
I just bought an '12 JKU that I'll try as the tv this weekend.
I think the E2 is probably too big for my tv options, but the layout is appealing.
Popups are pretty flimsy, but the platform of the Evolution series seems fairly sturdy.

 

[HenryJ]

Evolution E1

We sold our BLT Offroad trailer and purchased a 2007 Fleetwood Evolution E1
A growing boy and the need to haul another motorcycle were what pushed us this direction. We needed more of a "family" trailer.
Coming from such a capable offroad trailer to a "factory offroad PUP" I had concerns. Much of that has been resolved.
I heard stories of them rattling apart. I think that may have been older models not built with the rigid fully boxed frame, perhaps lacking shocks and reasonable sized offroad tires?
The build quality of mine is really pretty good. Could there be things that need to be improved. Sure. Foaming some voids helps the structural integrity and does not add too much weight. A little care in sealing some of the missed joints and holes. Overall I found mine to be pretty tight.
Are they nose heavy? Mine sure was. An extra battery and propane tank did not improve that. There are ways to deal with it though. I added a hitch to the rear and moved my ice cooler to the back. Filling the water heater adds 6 gallons of water and weight behind the axle. A fullsize spare out back didn't hurt either.
If you throw a quad on the front, just add a weight distributing hitch. That should work just fine.

This picture was very helpful in regaining my comfort level:
Crawler#976 Starcraft

They are not rock crawlers. I do think that they are "woods friendly" for sure though. How well it works for you will depend greatly on the terrain that you frequent. I have a high desert climate. I love the desert. Coastal trips and the mountain woods are high on my list of desirable destinations too. If the going gets too tough, that is a great place to make base camp and explore further from there.

As with any off the shelf vehicle you may need to improve upon and modify to meet your needs. I have done quite a bit of that. I think that I am just about to that "happy place". I don't think I feel the need to drag my trailer everywhere my 4x4 can go. I am content to make camp and venture out in the truck or on bikes. Thus far the change to the E1 has not slowed us down

 

[HenryJ]

We put a little over 1000 miles on it in the last four days.

Confidence built in several areas and few items to iron out for the next trip.

 

[BradJ]

I have the same E1 that I was pulling with my KJ CRD. It does "tow bigger" than I had hoped it would.
I just switched my tv to an '12 JKU and gave it a trial run this past weekend. The drivetrain seems up to the task, but I'm not sure the Wrangler likes the heavy tongue weight with propane, battery and a Yeti on the front deck. The back sags some, but not terribly. On the highway the setup seems a little loose with some noticable swaying now and then.

 

[olsen_karl]

I had an E1 for a couple of years. The frame is beefy, but the interior is built to the same level of quality as most pop-up campers.

Sold it this past summer, mostly because I hated spending the time it took to set up or break down camp with it. Easily 30 minutes at each end. Also, towing in the snow sucks.

We went to a pop-up truck camper, which sets up or breaks down in about 2 minutes total. I like it a lot more.

 

[Haggis]

We owned an E1 for about five years. For us it served as a comfy, dry, and warm base-camp as we explored the area we found ourselves in. It followed along behind us down many miles of forest roads and two tracks without any problem, though we kept in mind that this was not a rough trail trailer and was not designed to be used in such a manner. In all that time it served us well and probably had close to 6000 miles of travel under it's tires. We have just sold ours as my wife is heading back to school and we won't be able to travel for well over a year. Having the trailer sit idle for so long was not a good option so we reluctantly sold it. Here's my thoughts on these trailers...

The good:
*Set/up tear down/ is just a matter of minutes.
*Plenty of room for gear.
*Nice place to retreat if the weather is nasty or the bugs are bad as the family has room to hang out, play games or cook together. Unlike a RTT.
*Get to meet alot of people as it draws looky loos like moths to a flame.
*Tows very well and tracks nicely.
*Comfortable sleeping areas.
*Great base-camp to explore out from. This was the main use for us. Set-up for a couple of days, explore the area while radiating out from it then move on the the next area. The extra clearance makes it easy to haul down two tracks and dirt forest roads.

The bad:
*Typical RV quality. Not bad but not stellar building techniques or materials. We never had any failures with all we have put it through the last 5 years but we are mindful of it's limits.
*While it is well suited to gravel roads and two tracks it is definitely not a trailer you want to drag down a rock strewn or pot-mocked trail. It's wide and has a big turning radius.
*You'll get to meet people asking about it while your trying to do something else.
*We seldom used the front rack as the trailer itself would hold all the gear we needed for extended trips with ease. Since we have a truck firewood and stuff like that would end up in the bed. Without the front rack the trailer would have been a bit more nimbler and would have been more balanced tongue weight wise.
*When storing the trailer when not in use you'll want to remove the lifting mechanism cover. This is because mice and such will build nests in there when the trailer sits idle. Those nests will wrap around the lift screw and strip out the needle bearings on the lift follow plate. While not a real problem it is a bit of a hassle to remember to do.
*Even the E1 is a long trailer and it is very hard to turn by hand if you find yourself on a road or trail that you cannot travel further along. One must be mindful of where your heading and how your getting turned around if you have to.

So basically comes down to that these trailers make great family base-camps and can handle moderate trails with ease. If your looking for a hardcore, full on boon-docking trailer you probably won't be happy with these. On the other hand your wife and kids will love one. :elkgrin:

Behind the truck…

In use…

 

[HenryJ]

... It does "tow bigger" than I had hoped it would.
I just switched my tv to an '12 JKU and gave it a trial run this past weekend. The drivetrain seems up to the task, but I'm not sure the Wrangler likes the heavy tongue weight with propane, battery and a Yeti on the front deck. The back sags some, but not terribly. On the highway the setup seems a little loose with some noticable swaying now and then.

Mine was pretty tongue heavy too. I have taken measures to better balance the load. Moving that big cooler from the front deck was the first thing that HAD to be done.

I built a twin receiver hitch platform for the cooler. Easier to access and moves all that weight back where I need it.
Filling the water heater gives you another six gallons of water and some weight behind the axle. That helps too.
I added a fullsize spare tire. That was not a huge add to the back, but every bit helps.

I am pleased with the Avalanche as a tow rig. Mileage was acceptable and performance good. I can maintain the speed I desire and not work too hard for it. Other than pulling a hill, you really don't know it is back there.

...a comfy, dry, and warm base-camp as we explored the area we found ourselves in...we kept in mind that this was not a rough trail trailer ...
*Set/up tear down/ is just a matter of minutes.
*Plenty of room for gear.
*Nice place to retreat if the weather is nasty or the bugs are bad as the family has room to hang out, play games or cook together. Unlike a RTT.
*Tows very well and tracks nicely.
*Comfortable sleeping areas.
*Great base-camp to explore out from...

:victory: I completely agree! Exactly where this trailer shines. I must be a little scarry. No gawkers around my trailer. I did have five Westfailia (one was Syncro) and a Eurovan keeping everyone busy though. A little freaky how all those VW found that campsite. I only invited my dads rig
I was sure glad to have the E1 during the rain storms with the wife and son enduring a stomach flu (puking). It was nice to have them comfortable , warm , and in bed to recoup.

I have heard some complaints about shoddy build quality before. Maybe I just got lucky, or the later models were better? Maybe my standards are not up to par? I find the quality really pretty good. Sure there have been a few things to improve upon, but they have been minor.

My latest quest is for a larger water tank. The E3 comes with a 35 gallon tank. My E1 has 20 gallons. I hope to acquire a 35 gallon tank and install it. Another 15 gallons will be very comfortable for the three of us. That leaves room for luxurious showers

 

[Haggis]

I must be a little scarry. No gawkers around my trailer.

:elkgrin: I think we had so many gawkers 'cause of the "Look at me!" yellow on our trailer. :Wow1:

 

[HenryJ]

My latest quest is for a larger water tank. The E3 comes with a 35 gallon tank. My E1 has 20 gallons. I hope to acquire a 35 gallon tank and install it. Another 15 gallons will be very comfortable for the three of us. That leaves room for luxurious showers

Task complete.
The first step was removal...

Once out I measured the depth of the channel between which it is mounted. Those extend down 3.25" I reused the lower channel as stiff support for the bottom of the tank and fabricated new one piece straps to cradle them.

The stock tank was held up by four 1/4" bolts. My new straps use all of the existing holes on the crossmember to attach the straps with eight 5/16" bolts.

I found the fill hose to be a bit short and mine had a leak in it a couple inches up from the end. Adding a schedule 40 elbow and short piece of braided hose I was able to reattach it. The water pump line required elimination of the 90 degree fitting and cutting a couple inches off. The vent line was just right as is.
A heat gun helped with both removal and installation.
Once all back together it was filled and tested leak free. Drained and parked , ready for spring weather.