Filming the condition of the product before the 3rd party shipper picks it up, very smart. Thank you for sharing it with the rest of us so that we can see this neat trailer!
I've not seen any wide gaps on mine, I'll look next time its set up. The seals are good enough for most conditions. If it's really cold or you're in a sandstorm, it might become more of an issue. And, if you're not parked on level ground, the frame can flex enough that it might cause a gap. But when you're setting up you can tell this and compensate. The ease of setting it up or taking it down in a minute is great.
I saw the gap too,and was concerned. It was easy to see light coming in through it, which meant rain, bugs and possibly even mice. I absolutely love the Aliners and I’m guessing weather stripping could make a difference to seal things a little better. I do wish they would come up with a better AC solution too,
At 2:54 you can see straight through a hole at the apex at the top right of the picture. A hole through which warm air will escape in the winter and hot air enter along with the bugs in summer and rain will enter anytime. Certainly NOT a good fit of wall and roof panels.
The gap may be from how it was set up. On level ground, the roof panels and the sides fit together well. the design is such that one piece overlaps the other, and has good rain seal. I've never had a leak. In minus 20 degree weather the small amount of air leakage might be a bigger deal.
I had similar thing in the 1970s but it had cooker fridge and a washroom ,but had 3rd panel on roof so walls went up vertical ,they don't seem to have come far in 50 years .
Even I noticed, when you put up the driver's side panel and latched it, there is outside light coming in from a substantial gap at the top on the right-hand side. So obvious, you would at least think it was noticed (if, this was ever inspected at manufacturer) Run, don't walk away from buying this.
The Pop-Up A-Frame design camper is extremely user friendly and has the advantage of being easy to tow. It is very hard to decide between this design and a small conventional travel trailer with a restroom and shower. These have the advantage when towing for sure. All depends on what your needs are.
@@beerhammer1881 I know what you mean. That's why I own a Canned Ham style unit. I need a R/R at least once during the night. Having a shower unit is great too if you are camping more than 1 or 2 days.
I can get by without a shower for a couple of days, and I use a cassette toilet stored in the cabinet next to the door. I have the bunk layout. Put a nice narrow single mattress up front and you can leave the dinette up all the time. Noice this one doesn't have a built-in heater. Mine doesn't either. I get better storage under the sink, and when I need more than a buddy heater in the morning I have an external diesel heater. It will keep you toasty all night down into the teens. With a loaded weight of about 1500 -1700 lbs I can pull it up mountains behind my Jeep Wrangler. I give the Aliner an A+
I have noticed the same problem with the new one that I saw with a used one . the sides don't seal well. I could see light in the far side on this one.
The top lid is flexible it just needs to be tapped and that light opening will close tighter. There are rubber gaskets along every seam so I don’t think it would leaks as easily as you might think. This looks like it is a used model do you see any water damage? I don’t.
This is the last thing builders want to see, so I don't think that concern will arise. Because it takes many trials to produce the finished product, so I don't worry, just need to understand how to operate correctly is the key. The light you see may be caused by the lack of rigorous operation during the display, but I didn't see it
Wonderful clever little campers. But agree with others that A-Liner needs to improve their gasket seals. These campers are notorious for cold weather drafts. And possibly rain leaks too, esp if it's windy. But otherwise, love the design & towing ease of these things :)
I have a Rockwood A-122S pop-up A-frame, and have mostly solved the draft problem. I use foam pipe insulation "noodles" and insert them in the gaps where the walls and ceiling meet. I still get "drafts" near the bubble windows because they don't have a great U-factor, though I have thought about cutting out foam insulation inserts for them. However, I've been "camping" in my backyard in 0°F conditions and the drafts haven't really been a problem. Nor have I had any real condensation issues. Overall, I'm pretty impressed with its performance in cold weather. The only real downside I've experienced is that you're not going to be opening and closing the camper when the exterior starts collecting ice and snow. So once you set it up (or close it up) for the winter, you really need to leave it that way. But in the winter I just leave it parked in my yard so that's not a problem - I have no plans, ain't going nowhere. Oh, and you really need to try to clear off the snow as often as you can if you're heating it, so that it doesn't melt on the skin of the camper and slowly start encasing everything in ice. Those ceilings lose a lot of heat. I have both a snow rake with a rubber edge and a long brush, it doesn't take long or much effort to keep it cleared off.
@@NorthernKitty Yes, have seen the pool noodle trick :) It seems to work very well. They really are great 3 season campers if you don't mind a little chilly weather. But snowy icy winters? Bbbbrrrr... Not for me, lol. I did follow Slim Potatohead's winter adventures in his A-liner & he did very well though. So it can be nicely done. Guess you could place a removable tarp over the roof to help prevent icing 🤔 but any heat escaping from within the camper, through cracks & gaps, would probably counter that & create ice buildup anyway. Regardless, still love these little campers. Maybe one day I will own & enjoy one, like you :)
@@droolbunnyxo9565 Yeah, I considered placing a tarp over the roof for the winter, but was concerned about winds causing rub marks all over the exterior. Especially rubbing against the acrylic bubble windows and leaving scratches. This is my first winter with it, though, so I thought I'd first see what the challenges are in stock condition. Maybe I can come up with a compromise, like shrink-wrapping just the roof sections. (Can always put protection over the windows first.) But I'm wondering how that might hold up with repeated opening/closing and traveling down the highway. Edit: And that might not be an improvement, either, if the snow/ice sticks to the shrink wrap too much. I have two concerns about the snow/ice for closing it up. First, the extra weight may cause problems (undue wear on the springs, too much weight on the bungee cords, etc). Second, if there is still snow/ice stuck to it when you close it, when it melts off the underneath roof section the water might damage the interior or even refreeze so you can't open it again.
@@droolbunnyxo9565 By the way, thought I'd mention... we had that recent snowstorm here with 70mph wind gusts, nearly 3 feet of snow and wind chill below zero. I slept out in the camper in the storm and it was COZY warm. The wind didn't phase it and really I only had to deal with snow removal before it iced over too much. To me, this is easily a 4-season camper aside from the opening/closing problem. If I can figure out a solution for that, I'd have no qualms toting this around in the winter. 😊
@@NorthernKitty Oh yes, now that you mention this, have to agree with you about a tarp freezing with ice & scratching the camper surfaces. That could happen, for sure. So, yes, nevermind that idea!! 🤪
So for 20,000 you get a camper with light leaks in the roof area that will leak water in a heavy or light rain? Quality doesn't seem to be on par with what you have to pay for such a small camper.
When he was doing the outside tour I was wondering why there was no propane tank on it and then when he went inside I saw. There’s no cooktop or oven. Guess it’s bring your own cooking source!
Somebody needs to tell Aliner that triangles are the least efficient shape for interior space. And I know they make a "rectangle" version... but at $25k, there are much better options. Why not just goes with a pop-up and have 2 queen beds and MUCH more interior space!
How do you mean? I have an A-frame camper (Rockwood A122-S) and it feels considerably more spacious than similar 12 foot traditional campers due to the high ceiling in the center region and completely open interior (no walls). Since there's a bed at one end and dinette at the other, you don't need the ceiling height at the ends. For those who are skeptical, they make models with dormers which I find to be completely unnecessary, adding weight, cost and complexity of one more thing that could require repairs for only an "aesthetic" gain. The practicality is quite minimal to me. Even lacking dormers in my model, you can comfortably sit 4 people 6-foot tall at the dinette without slouching. Similarly, you don't feel cramped in the bed even if you're sleeping closest to the wall. Personally, I saw the interior space as a HUGE selling point. It feels like an enormous cave inside. The only thing my camper lacks is above-counter cabinet space, and other storage is limited to under the bed and dinette, but you don't really miss it for two reasons: first, the Rockwood models have a gigantic front storage trunk that I couldn't fill completely with gear if I tried. And, second, there are solutions for hanging things from the ceiling. I have 4 "shelf" units I hang up along the far wall over the bed and main counter (look up "3-shelf hanging closet organizer" on Amazon) that give me more than enough "cabinet space" for cookware, food, etc, paper towels, etc and that don't intrude at all in the living space. While that's something they should include with the models, it's easy to find aftermarket solutions. One thing I can tell you from living in a region with HEAVY snowfall is that these roofs are a blessing when it comes to keeping them clear of snow as compared to a traditional camper. A small tug with a long broom and the snow slides right down the sides. I can clear it completely of 2 feet of snow in 15 minutes, with very little worry of damaging the roof. I previously had a traditional camper that took me hours to clear, as I had to work carefully to shovel it off without damaging any vents and other fixtures. Also, I had to climb up on a ladder, and I'm sure my added weight to the already enormous weight of the snow (about 40 lbs per foot) wasn't that great on the rafters. Not to mention these roofs last forever compared to the cheap roofing used on most campers, requiring only routine light caulking around windows and edges. Yeah, I honestly don't see ANY downsides to them aside from those occasions where adverse weather prevents you from opening or closing them. Sometimes you have to wait until conditions are good to avoid damage. Edit: It just occurred to me... are you trying to compare these to cloth-side pop-ups? If so, that's an entirely different class of camper. The reason someone buys a hard-side pop-up is because they want the durability, protection, weather-resistance, etc of a traditional camper but with the towing and storage conveniences of a pop-up. Personally, I'd NEVER consider a cloth-side pop-up. I've had too many friends experience various horrors with them and that's too much money for something that's nearly as disposable as a tent. I mean, for that matter, if I REALLY need more space than my A122-S and I don't mind cloth walls I can just pitch my 6-person camping tent or 10-foot patio tent next to it... both of which are stored in the front trunk. (And there's STILL a ton of storage space left over in the trunk!)
imagine your job is to put the folding table inside the camper in a secure position but you have to disguise your job by taking time to showcase the camper to the new owner. Just don't forget the step is still pulled out...
I don’t really “get” this trailer. The lack of bathroom tells me it’s for the boondocking / overland crowd. But it doesn’t have the entry / exit angle that group would want. Bottom line is, I don’t see how this beats a small teardrop. Especially one with an outside kitchen which (to me) is the pinnacle of cool.
