When searching for a lightweight trailer that can be towed by the family’s daily truck or SUV, it’s often a necessity for potential buyers to make some sacrifices. Smaller trailers come with smaller footprints, so owners-to-be have to take a hard look at what they’re willing to do without. After spending time in the Tango Ultra-Lite 20UL, it became apparent that while some wide-open interior space to spread out may not be feasible, overall comfort and all the amenities of home need not be omitted.
Pacific Coachworks has designed the Tango Ultra-Lite for couples or small families who prefer to have the option to accommodate an overnight guest or two, and though the quarters would be a bit cramped, the trailer offers comfortable sleeping arrangements for up to five people (give or take one or two, depending on whether little ones are involved). The sleeping areas consist of the RV queen bed in the master, in addition to the 68-by-42-inch jackknife sofa in the living room. The sofa is located in the large streetside slide, which, at more than 7 feet in length, really helps to open up the interior.
There is no permanent dinette table in the 20UL; rather, the freestanding table is set up and removed as needed. This may seem like a bit of a hassle, but given the trailer’s abbreviated floorplan, owners will definitely appreciate the ability to fold the table and store it in the front pass-through storage area when mealtime is over.
The galley is fairly standard, but the window above the sink lets in valuable light for cooking and cleaning.
When in sofa mode, the jackknife is surprisingly comfortable and offers a great area for conversation or to view the TV (not included on our test model) with AM/FM/DVD player ($283) located on the entertainment center pillar. Each side of the sofa offers an upholstered end table, complete with cup holder. There is also open storage space for odds and ends.
The galley area is as expected on a trailer this size, and includes a dual-basin sink, optional microwave ($181) and three-burner cooktop and oven ($181) for your mealtime duties. The lack of a sink cover means that counter space comes up rather short. One solution would be to bring the table back in, but that severely cuts into walking space in the interior. As we said, there are some sacrifices to be made.
While our test unit didn’t include the optional TV in its built-in entertainment center, the living area felt spacious with the table stowed and the streetside slideout extended.
Where sacrifices definitely need not be made is in the bathroom. The lav runs the entire width of the trailer’s rear end, meaning there is more than enough space for grooming, showering and for heeding the call. Even with the door closed, we never felt cramped. The shower included the optional skylight bath ($123) meaning head room was adequate, but we definitely would have preferred a proper shower enclosure rather than the shower curtain. A linen closet keeps the unused towels in the bathroom, and the towel ring seems small – but is definitely appreciated – and adds a residential touch.
The master bedroom is sectioned off from the rest of the trailer with curtains on both sides of the entertainment pillar, which serves as the primary wall. This type of setup usually means, at 6 feet 2 inches, I have trouble fitting on the bed without curling up, but the Tango offers enough room so that my feet don’t even reach the wall. Nightstands with drawers flank both sides of the bed, and a large cabinet above easily swallowed our duffels, diapers and other necessities. One thing that was missing was a cabinet for hanging clothes, but this trailer is about weekend fun rather than stuffed shirts that need pressing. It also would be nice for the TV to be on a swivel so owners have the option to turn it around to face the master bed.
We found the lighting throughout the trailer to be a bit dim, though the manufacturer has compensated for this with four large windows that let tons of ambient lighting in during the daylight hours.
The Tango Ultra-Lite 20UL features one full slideout, expanding the living room.
The test trailer included Beaufloor flooring, a standard upgrade that not only adds to the stain and water protection, but also looks pretty nice. The flooring paired quite nicely with the Spice earth-tone color scheme and attractive cabinetry.
The Tango Ultra-Lite 20UL is likely towable by the truck or SUV you already own, features all the comforts of home and has a bathroom befitting a trailer twice its size. True, there are some sacrifices to be made in a smaller trailer such as this, but the practical floorplan’s flexibility and nifty use of space make it a solid trailer for a growing family.
To find this and other travel trailers for sale, head over to the online RV Buyer’s Guide for comparisons and options near you.
Quick Information
The Tango Ultra-Lite 20UL floorplan.
Ext. length 24’ 1”Ext. width 8’ 4”Ext. height 10’ 8” (w/A/C)Int. height 6’ 6”Freshwater cap 50 galBlack-/gray-water cap 30 gal./30 gal.LP-gas cap 10 gal.uvw 4,420 lb.Hitch weight, dry 480 lb.Gvwr 7,000 lb.Msrp, as tested $24,876Barber RV (866) 797-8420, www.barberrv.comPacific Coachworks (951) 686-7294, www.pacificcoachworks.com
