SPORT-UTILITY VEHICLES (SUVs) HAVE GOTTEN MORE and more expensive in recent years. So expensive, in fact, that a number of motorhome manufacturers have realized they can produce an entry-level Class A motorhome for about the same cost. R-Vision’s entry into this low-cost Class A market is the Trail-Lite 242, a 24-foot coach that is priced from the low- to mid-$40,000 range. The 242 is built on a Workhorse chassis with a 12,300-pound gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and is powered by a GM 5.7-liter small-block V-8 engine standard, or an optional GM 8.1-liter big block V-8. With an unloaded vehicle weight of only 8,375 pounds, the Trail-Lite should prove to have one of the most favorable power-to-weight ratios on the market when equipped with the 8.1-liter engine. R-Vision is also offering the Trail-Lite in a model 241 (same coach, different floorplan), a 27-foot model 271 with a sofa slideout, and an all-new 26-foot 262, which should be available by the time you read this. The 262 features a sofa/galley slideout and sleeps up to six.
As a side note, the mid-priced R-Vision Condor Class A (featured in September 2000 MotorHome) will be renamed Condor by Trail-Lite for 2002. The 242’s cockpit comes standard with reclining, swivel captain’s chairs, electronically controlled dash air conditioning, cruise control, a tilt steering wheel and an AM/FM cassette stereo system. Bus-style side-mount mirrors provide rearward visibility, but for those who would like an even better view, the 242 is prewired for a backup monitor. The living area features a sofa bed on the street side, across from a pair of barrel chairs. The streetside galley features a three-burner stove, a Dometic refrigerator, laminated countertops and a double-bowl acrylic sink, and it comes pre-wired for a microwave oven. The bathroom is equipped with a tub/ shower combo with a curtain and a skylight, a hand-flush toilet and a medicine cabinet. The aft bedroom has a corner-mounted double bed. A 45-amp power converter is standard, as is a 30,000-BTU furnace and a 6-gallon water heater. Options include a dash-mounted television, a microwave oven, air conditioning, AC generator and CD player. The Trail-Lite has a laminated one-piece floor, laminated side walls, a laminated 3.5-inch crowned roof and a fiberglass front cap with an integrated bumper. Capacities for the 24-footer are 40 gallons of fuel, 40 gallons of fresh water, 35 gallons of gray water, 35 gallons of black water and 20 gallons of propane. Article by: Chris Hemer R-Vision/Trail-Lite, 2666 S. Country Club Road, Warsaw, Indiana 46580
