Few things are cheap in today’s world. AriZona tea is still 99 cents, a Costco hot dog and soda will only set you back $1.50, and a 10-pack of Bic Cristal pens can be had for well under two bucks – all cheap and good. The same cannot often be said about vehicles. America’s cheapest new car is the $16,290 Nissan Versa. RVs are also pretty expensive, with many units demanding six figures or more. If you look hard enough, you can still find inexpensive campers here and there. How cheap are we talking? This Coleman Lantern LT 17 is just $13,000. You get a full, real camper for less money than a Nissan Versa, but be sure to temper your expectations.
Something I find disappointing about RV shows is that many manufacturers focus hard on large and expensive RVs. You’ll walk through row after row of monster coaches that tower above your head and block your view of the rest of the show. I get it, there’s a ton of money to be made selling large coaches. As someone who loves buses, I can also appreciate those units, too. However, some dealers and manufacturers have realized that not everyone can afford the six-figure rolling palaces and have rolled out cheaper fare.
I’ve found a handful of travel trailers for well under the price of the average new car in America, but I want to highlight the absolute bottom of the barrel. The cheapest of the bunch is the Coleman Lantern LT, which costs a frighteningly cheap $13,000. Even my cheapest Smart Fortwo cost more than this thing.
Coleman
Coleman has shown up a couple of times in my budget RV articles. Back in 2022, I wrote a brief blurb about the Coleman Lantern when it was $21,000. Last year, I showed you the Coleman Rubicon 1200RK, a super compact trailer that you cannot even stand up in that had a price of $15,000. The Lantern LT is now even cheaper than the Rubicon 1200RK, and you get way more camper for the money.
Here’s a little bit of history for you to gobble up from my previous piece. Coleman is currently a brand of Dutchmen, which is a brand of mega RV conglomerate Thor Industries:
Dutchmen first opened up shop in 1988, building travel trailers and later fifth wheels. The company positioned itself as an entry-level brand and it became a part of Thor in 1991. Coleman, the company that you perhaps know best for lanterns, stoves, and coolers, makes campers under the Dutchmen umbrella. The company’s history goes back to the early 1900s when William Coffin Coleman sold gas lamps before making a lamp of his own design. Coleman expanded from lanterns into camp stoves in the 1940s, a plastic cooler in the 1950s, and all kinds of camping gear in the 1960s, including backpacks, sleeping bags, and tents.
In 1967, Coleman built its first camper, a pop-up tent trailer. By 1979, Coleman was the top seller of tent campers in America. Fleetwood RV purchased the rights to Coleman’s campers in 1989, eventually removing Coleman branding from the trailers. The name was revived in 2008, just to die again in 2011 when Coleman ended the production of pop-up campers. Today, Coleman camping products are sold by the Newell Group and Coleman-branded camping trailers are made by Thor’s Dutchmen.
The Lantern LT
While I could not find information indicating exactly when Coleman began production of the Lantern LT series, I can tell you that they’ve been in production since before the pandemic. So, they aren’t new and it would appear that as production continues, pricing is coming down on these units.
Coleman says that its Lantern line is designed to maximize your camping experience while keeping costs and weight down. Both of these Lantern LTs are 21′ 5″ long and the 17B, which has a bunkhouse, weighs 2,985 pounds. The 17R, which trades bunks for more space, weighs 3,013 pounds. Otherwise, both campers are the same and the cost-cutting involved is pretty impressive.
It starts with the exterior. You’ll immediately notice that the Lantern LT does not have a power tongue jack, nor does it have front stabilizer jacks. The trailer also doesn’t have bits like outdoor speakers, a fancy set of stairs, or an outdoor kitchen. It’s a design that harkens back to the sorts of trailers that were on sale in the 1990s. There are no slides and no frills, just a box to sleep in. The corrugated metal siding is another throwback touch.
Your next reference to the trailer’s low price comes as soon as you open the entry door. Many travel trailers have plastic arms to hold the entry door open against the wind. Here, the plastic arm is so cheap and so flimsy that a wind gust bends it, ultimately causing the arm to fall out of the door’s cup.
Inside, you might be surprised to find a fully-featured living space. You’ll find a refrigerator, a sink, a microwave, a stove, a full bathroom, a heater, and an air-conditioner. There’s also plenty of sleeping to be had onboard as well. Both floor plans come with a large bed, plus a dinette that transforms into another bed. The 17B uses up some of the available space for the addition of bunk beds.
How did Dutchmen achieve this? Start looking at everything closely. The air-conditioner is a wall unit and your heater comes from a simulated fireplace. There is no ducting for either unit; you just get heat from in front of the simulated fireplace and cold air from the small vent of the air-conditioner. Obviously, this is not a unit you will be chilling out in during a Chicago winter.
The cost-cutting continues from there. The primary bed is a thin pad that rests on a hard board. You’ll want to bring your own mattress if you want anything resembling good sleep. The sink is plastic and you get just a single basin. Also, there’s just one sink. You do get a flushing toilet and working shower, but the bathroom does not have its own sink. All washing is done in the kitchen. The cost-cutting is apparent with the stove as well, which is a tiny two-burner job.
In terms of holding tanks, you get storage for fresh water, grey water, and waste. All three tanks are 28 gallons each.
Everything in the Coleman Lantern LT is cheap, from the cabinetry to the countertop. The backrest for the dinette is thin and has light securement. If you have kids, recommend that they do not roughhouse around the dinette.
While everything in this trailer is cheap, it does appear that some care was taken to put it together. I did not find any obvious installation errors or parts broken right from the factory. It’s sad that something as simple as a light switch being properly installed is even worth noting, but Dutchmen did that. Again, everything in the interior is really inexpensive. This is basically the trailer equivalent of a Mitsubishi Mirage.
Of course, this trailer also isn’t moving the needle with construction. It’s made with wood framing, lauan plywood walls, a rubberized roof, and fiberglass insulation. You will need to tend to the roof as well as the camper’s seals to prevent leaking and it’s a battle that, as someone with experience can tell you, is one you may not win. But, at the very least, the interior does not appear as if it was built on a Friday at 4:59 PM. I was also surprised to see that the frames were powder-coated. Normally, that wouldn’t be anything to get excited about, but the bar has gotten that low.
In the pictures, you’ll find that the cover for the water heater has been removed. A lot of the campers at the 2024 Florida RV SuperShow were previously winterized, and manipulating the water heater’s valves is a part of the process. I took a peek and didn’t find anything visibly broken in there.
You get all of this for an MSRP of $13,995, but some dealerships are selling them for $13,000. A Camping World representative told me you can get that lower price at some dealers after giving them your information. I bet you could negotiate even more off of that price. As I said before, I wouldn’t expect this to be a forever trailer. You could see with your own eyes how Dutchmen saved money on this build. But I could see some years of good use, maybe longer if you’re really on top of the maintenance. And then when it gets worn out, toss it into the woods and use it as a hunting cabin or something. Honestly, it’s just nice to see some cheaper options out there.
(Images: Author)
I love it, this is really all one needs for a weekend camping trip. After seeing how the laminated fiberglass exteriors have preformed over the years I wouldn’t want a rig with fiberglass siding. I’ve seen to may cracked and delaminated ones. I remember when the fiberglass trailers first started hitting the market, they looked so smooth, sleek, and futuric. The metal clad rigs were dated and old fashioned looking overnight. Now, I wouldn’t invest in a rig without the easy to repair metal siding!
It’s interesting to read about all the different types of RV’s and the history behind them especially…it’s just really nice to read about stuff like this that is affordable even though the quality could be better- this seems decent for what you get…yes, it’s still cheap but it’s exciting to think about using it. In a good climate it could also be used to live in, in a cheap RV park or land that allows it
Since I’m quite certain this doesn’t have a heated underbelly you’re not taking this out in below-freezing temps anyway, and in a trailer this small you don’t need ducting for heat and AC to work just fine. When I have electric I heat my small trailer with a standard 1500W space heater and if you leave it running for too long it will turn the interior into a sauna, even if it’s in the low 30s outside.
Honestly, I’m kind of shocked they bothered with a fake fireplace. That’s not something I would expect to see in an entry-level RV like this.
Also happy to see that the prices on these basic, no-frills trailers have come back to somewhat normal. A couple years ago stuff like this was still going for north of $20k, which is stupid money for something built this cheap. No, this won’t still be usable in 50 years like an AirStream, but it costs a fraction as much up front.
Honestly even though this is a ‘basic’ camper, with A/C, working heater and bathroom, it’s far more luxurious than the Starcraft Galaxy 8 pop top camper my family had when I was young.
That camper had 4 beds, a propane stove, fridge and a heater that never worked right.
I would like to see a lighter/more basic version of this Coleman without the AC, heater or water tank.
And at 3000lbs, it’s still to heavy for many vehicles.
I imagine it wouldn’t qualify for an RVIA sticker without some of the things you want deleted. That sticker qualifies for a tax deduction for the buyer, too.
I honestly don’t see myself owning a camper any time in my lifetime but if I did get one, I honestly don’t think I’d really need anything more than this. I don’t have a big family where I need the space and I don’t want some ultra luxury thing that’s nicer than my own house. I just want something like this that’s a place to sleep that’s more well protected than a tent and has basic cooking and bathroom facilities. I’m camping, I’d like to at least sort of pretend that I’m roughing it
“You’ll find a refrigerator, a sink, a microwave, a stove, a full bathroom, a heater, and an air-conditioner.”
With all that stuff, it’s still far more luxurious than the Starcraft Galaxy 8 my family went camping with. Our camper had the fridge, sink, stove… and a heater that never worked. No A/C and no bathroom.
At at 3000lbs, it’s still pretty heavy. I would like to see a version without A/C, heater, bathroom or water tank.
The bunkhouse version of this would be a compelling option for my family. I actually like the wall air conditioner. That’s one less leak point in the roof. And it’s a lower profile vertically/less drag.
Honestly, this thing fits the bill nicely for a family of (4). All campers are built like hell, so you might as well buy one that is cheap.
I don’t care about the quality of a camper, as honestly, the whole point of camping is to be outside. I wouldn’t want a camper where everything is broken and shitty by any means, but I don’t really want to spend much of any time in it either. Just a dry (hopefully lol) secure place for my family to sleep.
I’d still be pretty darn worried about the quality of this thing, but at 13k, it might actually be worth the gamble.
My thoughts exactly.
So this thing has a flushing toilet and the 150k Westfalia RV has you pooping into a fancy bucket? Interesting.
Ever heard people say no clutch = not a manual? I say no flush = not a toilet.
amen to that!
Right??????????????
I have a 2021 Aspen Trail 17BH (identical to the Coleman Lantern 17B in the article) that I bought brand new. Here is a link to my thread on Keystone RV forums regarding all the problems I had with this thing on delivery. All is well now after many weekends making repairs and mods, but here is the list of everything that was wrong with it if you don’t want to read through the thread:
Self-tapping screws that secure the propane tank bracket to the tongue were loose requiring 3-5 additional turns to make tightRear roof vent unable to be fully closed due to twisted ‘catch’ that holds it in secured positionInterior trim falling off around doorScreen door has gaps at top corners ~1/4″Heavy roof caulk glob at front corner of roof did not adhere to the roofScrew puncture through vinyl roofing material above door (driven too far from inside the body)Circuit board on the water heater improperly installed, dangling from wires and hanging outside its enclosureScrews too numerous to count that were driven in and missed studs, making them completely ornamentalAlthough there was a factory installed Winegard Air 360 antenna installed at the factory, the radio antenna was not connected to it and was found neatly coiled up behind the radio, hidden behind a cabinet backing panelCabinet backing panels barely attached and unsupported so that any item in the storage cubby that leaned on the backing panel would break it looseSeveral loose crimp wire splices that fell apart when touched (positive lead at water pump, green wire at trailer tongue (right turn signal/brake light wire), and overhead light at sink)Completely unsealed hole through floor behind power center where 12V wires are routedLoose screws securing all window framesEntry door prop falling off (and flimsy design that broke during a slight breeze with door propped open)Incomplete caulking of shower surroundMissed welds on frame extension leading to rear bumper (fully butt-welded all around on left side, one of 4 sides welded on the other)Flimsy front shelf that sagged severely with only a few lightweight items on itSpars under queen bed loose/flimsy with only a single screw in the center of each securing them in placeBouncy feeling inside since this model comes with only rear stabilizer jacks and the front is supported only by the tongue jackThe dinette table had no way of securing it in place for transport. Top corners of screen door have 1/2″ gap where it should seal to frameBack-up camera-ready which was heavily advertised meant they mounted a bracket for a Furrion camera and cut a hole for wiring that is completely unusable because there is a stud in the way – no pre-wiring doneNo way to latch the fridge closed during travelNot a complaint, but we tossed the queen size ‘mattress’ that came with it and put in an 8″ thick memory foam unit – super comfortable now!
That’s a lot of problems!
It was also a nice bulleted list, but somehow the formatting didn’t keep
I just came from the Westfalia article, which seemed generally favorable but whew! that price tag. Then I read this article and it seems like the takeaway is ‘cheap camper made cheaply but well’, which seems both fair and reasonable. Now, my untrained eye and uninformed brain get together and start cyphering out the following calculus:
Westfalia = $160k
Ranger Raptor + (8) Lantern LT = $164K
O_O
The Lantern LT starts looking like it is essentially a consumable, like razor blades. And that’s OK.
Looking at that comparison I see that taking the second option I end up with lower up-front cost (Raptor $60k + Lantern $13k = $73k vs $160k), get a more versitile and fun vehicle (Raptor), and a new camper every few years rather than one slowly degrading over the same time period. It seems like a no-brainer to me.
I fully accept there’s things I don’t know here or aren’t taking into account. What things? Or is my calculation correct?
The packaging adds a lot of material and engineering when you’re shrinking to fit in a Class B like the Westfalia. Trailers like the Coleman are very easy to build and design. There’s factory videos for most of these manufacturers. The equipment offered is also a huge difference. For example, the Coleman has a basic water heater and no real furnace whereas the Westfalia has a Truma Combi (a high efficiency water heater/furnace combo). Then there’s also the markup that comes with the intended buyer. The Coleman units are aimed at people on a budget, so they’re running low margin/high volume. The Westfalia buyer is more accepting of paying a premium for the vanlife hashtag.
My question wasn’t really so much about MSRP (whose basis I generally understand) but rather about where the smart money is for me as a consumer.
“the basis of which I generally understand”? English hard is.
These are just straight-up housing on the west coast. Parked on the street in places like Salem, Oregon, hooked up to the house of a friend or family member. It’s unfortunate that we’ve made it so hard to build regular housing.
A functional working bare bones camper that doesn’t fall apart immediately is very good. If it meets that last criteria, which is gonna be a crapshoot. If what is there actually works for several seasons then these are going to be great buys. Simplicity often = durability.
My identical camper bought new a few years ago fell apart immediately.
This is good! Literally everything on this trailer can be fixed by a somewhat handy person with only a few exotic tools. When the air conditioner breaks it’s $250 to DIY a new one. Those window units don’t put up with bouncing and rough roads too well.
Ditch those probably old bias-ply tires for name brand radials. At that size they’ll be Chinese but the quality control from a name brand will be better. Radials also run cooler and ride better on road. May even pick up 1 mpg, which is significant when the MPG is in high single digits to low teens.
I would seriously look into one of these if they made it a toy hauler version. It’s amazing how cheap these are when you strip out the nonsense. I don’t need built in speakers, I have a $30 Bluetooth speaker that works great. Don’t need some low res wall-hung Chinese TV, it’s camping. I can bring a propane stove, don’t need one on the outside that is gonna leak and need the regulator replaced every 6 months.
But which would be more comfortable to sleep in if you had to choose? The Coleman mattress, or a reclined Versa driver seat?
looking at Mercedes showing the mattress, I’m voting for the Versa
Just like the Versa, this will be worth 2500 bucks in 3 years.
This isn’t a bad thing, considering the climate in this country and affordable housing. Denver is in a constant battle with trying to figure out solutions for both homeless and immigrants.
You think this tin box will be suitable for 4 seasons living? Lol.
It is kind of amazing that they can deliver that at $13,000 in this day and age, with a full bathroom and kitchen. I would add a few grand to that to pay for putting up a steel carport at home to park it under, since I doubt it would hold up well to sitting parked uncovered, but that’s also good advice for most campers.
Also is it just me, or would Mercedes be great in short Bob Mayer-style video reviews of new campers?
I can see it now-
“We rate the interior workmanship as excellent overall, the only flaws noticed were a lightswitch that had not been wired in and the dinette that wasn’t secured. In addition, a leaking bedroom window wet the mattress”
Oh my gosh you genius. Ok, I need a camera person, stat!
Yes, yes you do!
I would want more than just a carport to store it in. An garage or pole barn sounds better, and only bring it out to use it.
“I would add a few grand to that to pay for putting up a steel carport at home to park it under, since I doubt it would hold up well to sitting parked uncovered, but that’s also good advice for most campers.”
Good luck if there is a PUD. That is why everyone from private equity to well-off dentists is building and bidding up the price of public storage units.
The rich are renting their appreciating land to people to store their depreciating stuff on.
What the hell is a pud?
HOA
To each their own, but you’d have to give me a free house to live in one of those places, and maybe not even then
“And it got 12 MPG on the highway using regular unleaded and using the air conditioner full blast”
I rented one of these single-axle 21ft trailers, a Keystone 177, very similar to this one. It was the perfect size for us, 2 adults 2 small kids.
But even though it’s very light, the single axle felt a bit unstable and if a single wheel bearing goes, trip’s over. Maybe I’m just being paranoid, not sure what the chances are of that happening.
Unfortunately, the tandem axle 25ft trailers are much more expensive, and I haven’t really seen a 21ft with tandem axles.
Greasing bearings on a single axle is an easy if messy DIY. Yank off wheel, yank off axle seal, remove old grease, pack the bearing, replace, drive in new seal, repeat for the outer bearing, replace wheel, set preload with the axle nut and then repeat on the other side. Do that every few years with a good wheel bearing grease and a bearing failure won’t ruin the trip. Doing the bearings is a great time to check the brakes and adjust them. Those electric drum brakes don’t have a lot going on so service is easy.
Lance puts twin axles on their 18-20′ class trailers but they are expensive.
I’ve rented a similar Cochmen Clipper 17 BH which lists around $20k but typically sells for much less. It was serviceable enough but bouncy when towing. The bigger two axle I’ve also rented was more pleasant to tow despite the extra ton of weight.
Winnebago and Coachmen both make smaller dual-axel trailers around that size. I have a Winnebago 26′ one that is a perfect size for 2 or 2 + 2 (on the sofa and dinette).
I like the appearance of aluminium siding more than the newer aluminium composite panels or whatever – it reminds me of what caravans used to look like. But holy ol fucko, that simulated fireplace is literal hot garbage! The plastic sink? I reckon that’s inexcusable at any price!
It took me a minute to figure out the simulated fireplace location. So is it basically a built in space heater then?
That plastic sink is standard RV fare. They’re nigh well indestructible. That fireplace is definitely cheaper and takes up less space than a propane forced air furnace. And for the occasional chilly summer night it’s fine. This isn’t meant for anything approaching freezing.
Also, it has electric, you can plug in an oil filled portable radiator if you want
Think about it though, you’re camping. A sink that does basic washing is all you need.
And you certainly don’t need two!
And who would go camping if the temps were gonna get cold enough to need heat anyway?
“And who would go camping if the temps were gonna get cold enough to need heat anyway?”
Lots of people do.
I am not one of them though.
Thanks Mercedes. This is the type of more affordable offerings I asked for in the previous article about you going to the RV show. Much appreciated!
I’ll still take the Versa (of which I’ve become oddly enamored for its unintentional throwback feel…it’s like a car from the ’90s, in the best of ways, not the least of which is its reasonable size), but this seems pretty cool for someone just getting into RV life, not sure they’re going to stick with it, and doesn’t want to roll the dice on a used one…
Huh, it doesn’t even appear on the Dutchmen/Coleman website (where the cheapest camper is $33k). Cheap campers are still disposable, so you may as well get the cheapest one.
https://rv.campingworld.com/rvdetails/new-travel-trailer-rvs/coleman-rear-bath-10k-2272451
Agreed. The average RV gets used 4 times a year and might be sold in 5. Why invest a huge amount of money for 20 weekends?
The RV my family had was used once or twice a year… and we had it for 12 years.
But back in those days, most cars could tow a 3000lb trailer. These days it’s not just the cost of a trailer like this, but it often involves extra spend on getting a truck or larger CUV.
As a result of doing that calculation, for myself I’ve decided just to buy a large tent… and just stay in hotels/motels for other trips.
Where’s the green shag carpet? What, vinyl wood flooring? That costs too much 🙂
That’s basically the camper I grew up with, except ours didn’t have AC. Not so much fun when you’re in Mexico during the summer LOL
This looks like an ideal “cheap and cheerful” trailer. If the basic durability is good, I could see an owner upgrading parts as their budget allows.
Thank you. A cheap honest RV with some decent space and good size tanks. I don’t need to dominate the RV camp, boondock in Moab, or get on the cover of #vanlife.