Coleman Campers: Are They Any Good?

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You’re probably familiar with the Coleman brand because of their famous lanterns and the other camping equipment they sell. But did you know there are also Coleman Campers? We’re shining a light on the quality of these campers from the well-known brand to answer the question: Are Coleman Campers any good?

Camper trailers have been sold under the Coleman Camper name for over 50 years. And at one time, they were the nation’s best-selling brand of travel trailers. But are Coleman Campers actually any good?

Let’s look at the Coleman Campers brand, the trailers they sell, and what owners have to say about them.

The 6 Coleman Campers Lines and Floor Plan Varieties

Coleman Campers has a little something for everyone between all its different lines. There’s a great variety of floorplans, and whatever you’re looking for, you can probably find it in a Coleman Camper. Let’s look at each of the different lines and the floorplans they offer. 

1. Coleman 17B Non-Slide

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With just one model and floor plan available, the “Classic” Coleman is branded as just “Coleman.” 

This is a lightweight travel trailer that weighs just over 3,000 lbs. and sleeps up to 5 with a queen bed and bunk beds. This Coleman Camper also features a full kitchen with a fridge, a dinette, and a full bathroom with a shower. 

If you’re someone who likes to stretch the RV camping season past Halloween, you’ll enjoy the Coleman. This conventionally built wood-framed, corrugated aluminum shelled, and fiberglass batt insulation camper trailer will keep you warm as the thermometer gets into the early winter season.

2. Coleman Rubicon 1608RB No Dinette

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Coleman Rubicon is the middle-end line of Coleman Campers. These are camper trailers with some extra features like a solar power package and an upgraded kitchen. 

There are four available floorplans for the Coleman Rubicon Line. Depending on the floor plan, these trailers can sleep a maximum of 4 to 6 people. Every floor plan includes a full bathroom, seating area, and a kitchenette with a 10 cu. ft. fridge that is perfect for a weekend adventure. 

The Coleman Rubicon pairs well with those looking for off-road living adventure. If you choose the Outlander Package option, the torsion axles and off-road tires will tread through some excellent trails with excellent maneuverability as you leave civilization behind.

3. Coleman Light 2715RL Couples Rear Living Room

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This is a line of lightweight camper trailers with 12 total floor plans available. These range from smaller floor plans that sleep 2-3, to extra large designs that sleep up to 10 people.

There are also large floor plans that sleep just 2-4, perfect for those couples or small families who want more space for themselves in their trailer. 

With the flat laminated fiberglass sidewalls, the Coleman Light has better aerodynamics which has a slight advantage for fuel economy, even with the tandem axle disadvantage. In other words, you can carry more with less wind resistance, but you have a bigger footprint on the road.

All Coleman Light floorplans feature a full bathroom, a dinette, and a kitchen with a 7 cu. ft. fridge. Depending on the floor plan, there are a lot of extra features available, including an oven, reclining sofas, a fireplace, and/or a TV. 

4. Coleman Light LX 2125BH Bunk Bed

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This line is similar to the Coleman Light but is designed with lower budgets in mind. It was discontinued in 2021, but there may be some floating around on RV dealer lots.

Coleman Light LX campers sleep a maximum of 4 to 6 people (depending on the floor plan). All floorplans feature a full bathroom and a kitchen with a 7 cu. ft. fridge. In most floorplans, the bed is a murphy bed to save space. 

The smaller 1605FB, 1705RB, and 1855RB come as single axles. The longer 1905BH and 2125BH bunkhouse travel trailers are double axles. Learn the pros and cons of single versus tandem axles in our features article.

5. Coleman Lantern 270TQ Toy Hauler

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Coleman Lantern is the higher-end line of Coleman Campers, with the largest variety of floorplans at 17. These floorplans sleep from 2-4 up to 4-8 people and have a ton of available extra features. 

Depending on your floor plan, Coleman Lantern campers can have fireplaces, reclining sofas, full-size kitchens, ovens, and more. Plus there are even Coleman Lantern designs that double as toy haulers. The tandem axles under the garage space give you the axle weight capacity where you need it the most.

All Coleman Lantern trailers also include the Power Plus Package, with a power awning, power stabilizer jacks, and a power tongue jack, to make setup and tear down a breeze. 

6. Coleman Lantern LT 202RD Rear Dinette & Living Room

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The final line of Coleman Campers is the Coleman Lantern LT, the lighter-weight companion to the Coleman Lantern series. 

All Coleman Lantern LT trailers weigh in under 6,000 lbs for easier towing. They have floor plans that can sleep from 2-4 and up to 4-8 people. Except for the 18BH and the 18FQ, the series comes with dual axles that aid in a slightly better resale value.

The Coleman Lantern LT series features many of the same extra features as the parent Lantern series, except there are no floor plans with a fireplace. And because they’re designed to be lightweight, there are no toy hauler designs. 

About the Coleman Campers Brand

The Coleman brand was first created in 1901 when William Coffin “W.C.” Coleman began selling gas lamps. Over time, Coleman expanded their products to include a wide variety of camping equipment such as camp stoves, sleeping bags, etc. Finally, in the 1960s, they decided to expand their products to camper trailers.

Coleman manufactured their first campers, a line of pop-up tent trailers, in 1967. By 1979, Coleman Campers had become the nation’s top-selling brand of camper trailers. 

In the ’80s, Coleman sold a license to Fleetwood RV to continue to produce pop-up campers under the Coleman brand. When Fleetwood declared bankruptcy in 2009, one of the assets it divested was the Coleman license and the manufacturing plant that produced the campers.

Who Owns Coleman Campers?

In 2010, shortly after Fleetwood RV’s bankruptcy, Coleman Campers sold its license to Dutchmen, who remains the current producer of the Colemen Lantern Series travel trailers. 

Alongside the Coleman Campers brand, Dutchmen sells nine brands of camper trailers like Aspen Trail and Yukon. Dutchmen itself is a part of Thor Industries, one of the largest RV manufacturers, owning other major RV brands like Airstream and Jayco. 

Are Coleman Campers High Quality?

Coleman Campers primarily targets the entry-level and value sector of the camper trailer market. So quality-wise, you won’t find construction materials you’d find in luxury level or full-timer targeted RVs.

However, that doesn’t mean Coleman Campers are bad; they’re a great choice in their price range and for their target audience with some solid advantages. 

Coleman Campers offers a variety of lightweight trailers that are crossover and SUV-friendly. Between their towability and the low price, Coleman Campers is a good choice for those who only use their RVs for weekend trips or vacations. 

Also, you’ll find a wide variety of floorplans among the Coleman Campers available. There are a total of 44 floorplans between all six lines. That includes RV family-friendly layouts that can sleep up to 10, travel trailer toy haulers, and comfortable couple’s campers. 

Coleman Campers Building Materials and Quality

Coleman Campers feature fairly typical construction for camping trailers. Their lower-end trailers typically have a laminated construction, while the Coleman Lantern line uses conventional wood frame construction. 

Due to being a more budget-focused brand, Coleman Campers uses less expensive materials like Luan instead of Azdel when constructing their sidewalls, ceilings, and floors. Luan is a good material and has its benefits.

It’s a wood material, holds screws, and is flexible. This attribute allows for one-piece shaping which reduces seams.

Entry-level RVs are built well enough, but manufacturers assume owners will eventually upgrade or eventually leave the RV lifestyle. But, this is a worthy trade-off if you’re looking for a lower-priced camper.  

Customer Service and Support for Coleman Camper Owners

Like all Dutchmen RVs, Coleman Campers are given a 253-point inspection before delivery. This helps ensure customers receive a high-quality camper trailer that’s ready to hit the road. 

If a problem does come up, Dutchmen boast great support for customers. 90% of calls are answered in 20 seconds or less; 90% of parts orders ship in 3 days or less. So if you have an issue, Dutchmen can help you get back on the road ASAP. 

Besides their phone line, Dutchmen’s website also has a variety of resources for Coleman Camper owners. On their website, you can:

• Check for recalls
• Locate a service center
• Inquire about parts
• Transfer ownership of your RV

And if you don’t want to make a phone call, you can also contact them via email through a form on their site. 

Reports from Real Coleman Camper Owners

What do real Coleman Camper owners have to say about their camper trailers? 

One of the most common things Coleman Campers mention is the size of camper you can get without spending too much money. As one review from RV Insider puts it:

“Lots of travel trailer for the price.”

Jill reviewing the 2017 Coleman Lantern LT, RV Insider

In fact, owners agree that Coleman Campers provide a great bang for your buck overall. You can get features like air conditioning and heating, an oven, power tongue, stabilizer jacks, and more, without breaking the bank.

Customers also speak positively about how lightweight Coleman Campers are. The low weight makes them easy to tow, especially for smaller vehicles. 

Do Coleman Campers Have Any Common Issues?

Coleman Campers do have a number of common issues, although they’re by and large cosmetic issues and easily fixed if you have the know-how.

Many of the common problems stem from the cheaper materials and build quality that Coleman Campers uses to keep the price down. These include issues such as trim pulling away, bubbling linoleum, and wallpaper peeling. These can be unsightly, but ultimately aren’t major, and they’re typically easy fixes.

However, there are some more serious issues that Coleman Campers report less commonly. In particular, there are several reports of leaks in the RV, particularly on the roof. This can be prevented by regularly inspecting and maintaining the seals on your RV’s roof, which should be done on a yearly basis. 

Pros and Cons of Coleman Campers

Let’s take a look at all the pros and cons of Coleman Campers. 

Pros

• Coleman Campers are affordable and provide a great bang for your buck, with lots of different available features and floor plans to suit you and your family’s needs
• This RV brand features a variety of lightweight campers, perfect for those with vehicles like SUVs
• Coleman Campers receive a 253-point inspection before delivery and are backed by a 3-year warranty
• Dutchmen, the owner of Coleman Campers, boasts high-quality customer service, with calls answered quickly and parts shipped promptly

Cons

• Coleman Campers use mid-grade materials and construction to keep costs down, leading to travel trailers that are a bit less durable
• There are some reports of Coleman Campers owners having trouble getting warranty repairs done in a timely manner

Do Coleman Campers Come With a Good Warranty?

Like all Dutchmen RVs, Coleman Campers feature an industry-leading 3-year warranty. 

Per Dutchmen, this warranty covers “all the items you expect to be covered” for the first year, excluding normal wear and tear. For the second and third years, the warranty continues to cover the “major structural items you have on board.”

Even better, if you happen to sell your Coleman Camper in the first year, the warranty can be transferred to the new owner. 

Wrapping Up: Are Coleman Campers Any Good? 

The bottom line: Coleman Campers aren’t top-of-the-line trailers, but they’re a good choice for those on a budget. 

The Coleman Camper name still means quality. Even though the Fleetwood licensed pop-up campers have been out of production for years, people still seek them out. In fact, you can still find parts for them online. RV restorers create businesses by fixing them up.

The Dutchmen licensed Coleman Lantern series is a quality entry-level travel trailer brand that’s highly affordable but needs to be treated as such. Most of their repair concerns are cosmetic, but a good RV maintenance routine will minimize these issues.

However, this is far from unique to Coleman Campers. As with anything, camper trailers have to balance quality and price, and most options in this price range can experience similar issues. And indeed, one of the greatest advantages of Coleman Campers is the prices and providing great features for this RV market sector. 

Coleman Campers are a great choice for those on a budget. Even if you don’t have much to spend, you can still get a solid camper trailer with lots of features. With so many floorplan options, it’s easy to find an option that’s right for you. 

This also makes Coleman Campers a good choice of starter trailer. If you don’t want to commit to a more expensive trailer, but still want to give one a try, they’re a great option. The low price also makes them attractive if you want a trailer but don’t expect to use it often.

Besides this, Coleman Campers’ various lightweight options are great for those who want a trailer but don’t have a pickup. These trailers are light enough to be pulled by an SUV or another lighter-duty vehicle. 

If you’re looking for a luxury experience, Coleman Campers might not be for you. But if you’re on a budget, only plan to use your trailer part-time, and/or only have a light-duty vehicle for towing, Coleman Campers are an excellent choice. 

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