by Summer is finally here, which means countless Americans are hitting the road in trucks and SUVs loaded with their families and a camper in tow. If you want to hit the road with a camper this summer and don’t want to spend a lot of money to do it, there are some pretty neat options out there. If you have just $11,000, you can even buy a feature-packed, brand-new camper to make some memories in. Let’s take a look at what scraping the bottom of the new RV market will currently get you.
So many recreational vehicles are ridiculously expensive today. There are companies out there that ask you to spend half a million dollars on a camper van and do so with a totally straight face. Motor coaches aren’t any more affordable, and even travel trailers can go well into the six digit range. I’ve said in the past that an RV may be one of the largest purchases that someone could make, second to a house. Depending on your chosen RV, it’s entirely possible that a camper is the most expensive thing you’ll ever buy.
It doesn’t have to be that way. You can still create memories with your family and you can do so by spending only a fraction of the price of the cheapest new car on sale today. The camper that I’m about to show you is not luxurious, and the quality will be a huge question mark. At the very least, at just $11,000, it’ll be a bit easier to stomach if something really stupid breaks.
Back in January, I wrote about how the 2025 Keystone Coleman 13B is the cheapest bunkhouse travel trailer in America in 2025 at just $9,999. Since publishing that article, prices for the 13B have risen to $10,399. Hey, an extra $400 isn’t that bad! From what I can tell, that trailer remains the absolute cheapest bunkhouse towable that you can buy new.
But here’s the thing: The Coleman 13B is a tiny trailer. The trailer’s box is only 13 feet long, and it should be a crime to attempt to fit more than four people in there. Even then, I hope your fourth guest is a spouse because they’re going to have to share a really adorable bed with you.
If you can scrape up about another $600, you can get a lot more trailer for your money.
This is the 2025 Heartland Prowler Lynx 17RBX . Heartland was founded in 2003 and acquired the towable brand trademarks of Fleetwood RV in 2010. Later that year, Heartland RV was scooped up by mega conglomerate Thor Industries. Today, Heartland is the Thor brand that has a focus on packing current design trends and lots of features into larger trailers with low prices.
The Prowler Lynx 17RBX has a base price of just $17,408, but dealerships discount them to $12,000 with one dealer being so aggressive to charge only $11,000 for its stock, and that price includes the freight cost and inspection fees that other dealers tack onto units with low prices.
That’s crazy cheap. We’re nominally a site with an automotive lean, so naturally, I’m going to compare this to a car. The Mitsubishi Mirage has been sent off into the sunset, making the Nissan Versa the cheapest new car in America in the 2025 model year. That thing has a starting price of $17,190. This camper is a place to eat, cook, and sleep for less than the price of the cheapest new car that can drive you to work. Yes, I know that the comparison is wonky, but it’s still pretty neat to me.
One of the things that you give up in spending so little cash on a camper is advanced technology and building materials. You won’t find any fancy Azdel or a double-hulled fiberglass monocoque here. You aren’t going to find an aluminum structure or even a particularly snazzy frame either. This camper is what many would call a “stick build.” It’s pretty old-school with wood framing, a rubberized roof, and basic aluminum siding.
The frame you’re looking at there is just painted steel, and it doesn’t even have a power tongue jack. This trailer is so basic that there’s only one pass-through storage compartment, and it’s up front. There are also no slides, no frills, and very few thrills.
That said, this trailer does have some nice touches for a unit in its price bracket. The Lynx 17RBX has four stabilizer jacks, which is awesome to find in this price range. It also has propane. A lot of these super cheap campers have only two jacks and no propane. It also has a traditional rooftop air-conditioner.
Yes, this is an additional opening for water to potentially get in, but it’s an interesting feature as the calling card of so many dirt-cheap units is a tiny window air-conditioner that’s been shoved into a huge cutout in the trailer’s wall. So, the Lynx 17RBX doesn’t look as cheap as it actually is. That said, I will note that the air-conditioner pumps out just 5,000 BTU, which isn’t much, but it’s also a small trailer, so you should be okay.
It’s also interesting to see a power awning make an appearance here. It’s not the end of the world if you have to manually open the awning, but it’s a nice touch considering the price.
The real cost-cutting is apparent when you walk inside. Heartland likes making travel trailers that mimic the interior design of modern cookie-cutter homes, but that’s really hard to do at this price point. As such, you’ll notice that the Prowler 17RBX has plain white walls without any wallpaper design. The ceiling and the countertops are also aggressively plain. The only splash of color here is with the cabinetry, and that’s barely a color.
The cheapness also means that color coordination is a disaster. The two-burner stove is silver metal, but the hood is black. The sink has a somewhat fancy metal faucet, but is just plain white plastic. The dinette cushions are doing their own thing and the rest of the appliances — a refrigerator, microwave, and simulated fireplace — are black. Still, I think the inside looks pretty nice for the $11,000 you’re paying.
There’s also a functional bathroom in the rear with a cabinet, a toilet, and a small tub.
Finally, the entire front of the trailer is a queen bed for two to sleep on. I don’t need to point out that the bed there is nearly as thin as the cushions of transit bus seats. I’ve slept in beds like these before and can tell you that they’re as comfortable as a bus seat, too. But that’s not the worst thing because a bed is pretty easy to replace. Of course, the dinette and its equally thin cushions also turn into a bed.
You get all of this in a unit that measures 20′-10-3/4″ and weighs 2,992 pounds empty. Fully loaded, you’re looking at 3,902 pounds. So, this thing can be safely hauled by many crossovers and even some small trucks.
I also like how you get a 41-gallon fresh tank, a 30-gallon grey tank, and a 30-gallon waste tank. It has more than enough stores for a weekend away from shore power and a sewer!
In a way, it’s sort of impressive that you can get all of this for just $11,000. However, there is a potential catch. I’ve now written several stories about the quality of typical RVs. I go to lots of RV shows, and the Heartland units at those shows often already have surface rust on their frames despite being only a couple of months old. I’ve also written many stories about how my family’s Heartland trailer has been a huge headache. That being said, I have not seen this one in person, so I cannot really comment with authority on its quality.
Thankfully, this little guy has far fewer things to break inside of it. This trailer also seems to have some improvements over my family’s trailer. It doesn’t appear to have a refrigerator with flimsy handles like my family’s unit. There are no slides for water to leak into, no outdoor kitchen to fall apart, and paper-thin walls aren’t being used to make three distinct rooms. It’s also just $11,000 rather than $62,800, so it hurts a little less when something breaks.
My personal recommendation would be to get a used trailer from a brand known for quality, like Scamp . However, I get the appeal of buying new. A new trailer has a warranty, and you know that nobody has taken a morning dump in the toilet but you. It’s nice being the first in a camper. I get that.
Just go into this knowing that you aren’t buying a Toyota here. Don’t be surprised if something breaks on your first outing. Also, be sure to have the trailer looked over before you buy it. Take a look at it with your own eyes and have someone who knows what to look for inspect it. Be prepared to walk away if it doesn’t meet your standards.
The 2025 Heartland Prowler Lynx 17RBX is on sale now at dealerships across America. Many are selling them in the $12,000 range, but San Antonio RVs in Spring Branch, Texas, is the one with a handful for sale at $11,000. With luck, I think even one of these $11,000 jobs can be a fun way to camp this summer. No matter if you go new or used, I wish you a fun season, and maybe I’ll see you out there!
No comments:
Post a Comment