A Prairie (Motor)Home Companion: Leisure Travel Vans Raises the Bar Again
The Manitoba-based RV manufacturer takes luxury coaches to the next level.
Image Caption: Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
Winkler, Manitoba seems like an unlikely place to find one of the RV industry’s premier motorhome manufacturers. After all, the town has just 13,000 residents and feels like a remote oasis, surrounded on all sides by Canadian prairie. But that’s exactly where you’ll find the headquarters of Triple E RV, the parent company of Leisure Travel Vans, which builds some of our favorite rigs currently on the road. The brand’s coaches meld precision crafting, exceptional comfort and sumptuous luxury all in one fine package.
Triple E launched back in 1965, after co-founder P. W. Enns joined a volunteer project in Elkhart, Indiana, which even then was the epicenter of the RV industry. While there, Enns soaked up everything he could learn about manufacturing RVs, both towable and motorized. When he returned home to Manitoba, he partnered with his two sons-in-law—Peter Elias and Phil Ens—to start a business. Soon after, the company’s first travel trailer, a 13-foot model dubbed the Compact, rolled off the assembly line.
Photo Credit: Leisure Travel Vans
In the years that followed, Triple E made a wide range of recreational vehicles, including a variety of travel trailers, fifth-wheels, even Class A motorhomes. These days, the business, still family-owned, is content to focus on Class B and C rigs, manufacturing its Unity and Wonder models under the Leisure Travel Vans banner. Both offer an array of thoughtful floor plans with options for just about every kind of RV buyer.
The latest addition to the Leisure Travel Vans lineup is the Unity TBX, a coach that rides the industry trend toward adventure-ready vehicles, while maintaining the sophisticated and refined cabin that LTV is known for. All-terrain tires allow the rig to confidently venture off pavement, where its vacuum-bonded construction and four-season insulation make it a great base camp for a wide variety of adventures. And for those who would like a little more capability, an all-wheel-drive variant, dubbed the TB4X, provides even more stability and traction when travelers leave the tarmac behind.
The TBX is outfitted with a host of features designed to enhance the camping experience. For instance, it comes with a cavernous pass-through cargo bay—a first for any LTV vehicle—with room to accommodate all of your important gear. It also ships with a 270 amp-hour house battery (expandable up to 540Ah) and a 440-watt solar panel to support off-grid excursions. A 4kW LP auto-start generator, along with 40-gallon fresh and 35-gallon gray tanks, unlock adventures even further afield.
Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
Inside, the TBX is equally impressive, with custom wood cabinetry, beautiful and functional accent lighting and upscale fabrics, countertops and furnishings. The floor plan includes twin beds in the primary sleeping space at the rear, as well as a versatile lounge that pivots to open up the living room before converting into a second bed as needed. A pullout pantry, stainless steel sink, two-burner induction cooktop, microwave and 12V refrigerator bring efficiency and convenience to the galley kitchen. The rig also has a dry bath with a toilet, sink and shower, which gets its hot water courtesy of a Truma tankless water heater.
Built on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis, the TBX offers a comfortable and polished driving experience. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto provide onboard navigation, while driver-assist features, like adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist, make the 25-foot rig surprisingly easy to maneuver. An array of cameras, along with a digital rearview mirror, further enhance driver confidence, even when pulling into a busy parking lot or tight campsite.
Like other great RVs, the TBX is more than the sum of its considerable parts. With its unique blend of rugged capability and quiet luxury, the coach somehow manages to be warm and inviting, not to mention fun and exciting, all at the same time. The rig’s impressive interior feels more like a high-end apartment rather than an RV.
Photo Credit: Leisure Travel Vans
Perhaps best of all, the TBX—and every other LTV model for that matter—continues to exhibit the core principles on which Triple E RVs was founded more than 60 years ago. High-level craftsmanship, industry-leading design and a commitment to establishing lasting relationships with customers were key to the company’s early success, and remain crucial to it today. That’s the secret sauce behind every Leisure Travel Vans rig, allowing the company to stand out in a very crowded field of Class B and C manufacturers. It’s also enough to put unassuming Winkler, Manitoba, on the map as the hometown for one of the most influential brands in the RV industry.
The Leisure Travel Vans Unity TBX has a starting MSRP of $274,250. Find out more at leisurevans.com.
This article originally appeared in Wildsam magazine. For more Wildsam content, sign up for our newsletter.
Kraig Becker is a writer in the RV, outdoors, and adventure travel space. Over the course of his career he has contributed to such outlets as Popular Mechanics, Outside Online, Business Insider, TripSavvy, Digital Trends, GearJunkie, The Adventure Blog, and countless others. An avid runner and cyclist, he enjoys camping, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and just about any other outdoor activity. His travels have taken him to seven continents and on many amazing adventures.
