Small spaces and high places have always been kid favorites. Who among us hasn’t played in a tree house or explored an empty cardboard box in their lifetime?
Undoubtedly, it is this very same penchant for adventure that has led all of us to RVing as adults. But have we forgotten what it’s like to be a kid in a campground? It seems like some manufacturers have, anyway, with motorhomes and trailers focused more on adult entertaining than a child’s natural desire to hole up in cozy confines.
But Adventure Manufacturing remembers what it’s like to be a kid, and its Timberlodge 31 SkyKing travel trailer is proof. “In the late ’70s and early ’80s, nearly all manufacturers produced an elevated roof-line unit with bunks for the kids and they were called ‘sky’ models,” explains Mark Gerber, company president. “We made the roof line more dramatic and put living space underneath.”
Indeed, from the outside, the SkyKing resembles an SURV with its raised rear roofline. However, it’s this taller roof that provides two kids breathing room when sleeping or playing. Inside, underneath the rear loft, is the bath area with toilet, tub and lav in one room. This makes it easy for the kids to make a late-night pit stop without disturbing mom and dad, who will no doubt sleep comfortably in their own king bed at the front of the extra-large streetside slideout. Wardrobes at the very front of the unit, along with a chest of drawers and a vanity/overhead cabinet at the foot of the bed, provide more than enough storage space.
The living area was designed for the comfort and enjoyment of all, as that same large streetside slideout also accommodates a sofa and a family-size U-shaped dinette. Placed across from the slideout at a logical angle for viewing is the entertainment center, which is part and parcel to the standard AM/FM/CD/DVD surround-sound package. The roomy galley features a Dometic microwave oven, Magic Chef three-burner range with oven, 6-cubic-foot double-door Dometic refrigerator, a double-bowl sink and radiused countertops with plenty of prep space.
Another thing that families will likely appreciate is that the SkyKing is easy to order; it comes one way, with no options except for color. Standards include 13,500-BTU ducted air conditioning, china-bowl foot-flush toilet, a 6-gallon gas/electric DSI water heater, four scissor jacks, A&E awning, tinted windows, TV antenna with power booster and cable TV hook-up.
The SkyKing is one of four models in the Sky lineup, three with slides and one without. If you’ve been looking for a trailer that recaptures the days of your youth, the 31 SkyKing might be just what you, and your kids, have been looking for.
Timberlodge RV Company, Adventure Manufacturing, (765)
475-9500, www.adventuremfg.com