2018 Palomino SolAire 240BHS Review
The 2018 Palomino SolAire ultra lite travel trailers are designed to be both durable and lightweight, so that you can focus on enjoying your family adventures.
The SolAire 240BHS is one of 16 floor plans available. The fully welded aluminum superstructure keeps it sturdy, as well as light and easy to tow. It has a gross vehicle weight rating of 6710 lbs, a cargo carrying capacity of 1500 lbs, and a hitch weight of 566 lbs. The fresh water tank has a capacity of 50 gallons and both the gray water and black water tanks can each carry 38 gallons.
It measures 27’ 10” in length, 11’ 1” high, and 96” wide. A gel-coated fiberglass front cap with diamond plating on the lower portion protects against chips from debris that gets kicked up while driving. The Dexter TORFLEX Torsion axles have independent suspension, and rubber cushioning, which means there’s no metal-to-metal contact. The power tongue jack moves with the touch of a button for easy hook-up. Front pass-through LED-lit storage compartment has slam latch doors and magnetic catches to hold them open.
COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2018 Venture SportTrek Touring Edition 336VRK
Your outside living space is covered with a power awning with built-in LED lights. It’s easy to adjust the awning angle so that rain water can easily slide off. The outdoor kitchen has a pull-out countertop and sink, a fridge, and a barbecue that mounts onto a bumper bracket that folds out. It’s all powder-coated to withstand the elements. Add music to the space by connecting your device via Bluetooth to the outdoor speakers. There’s also television hook-up should you want to have outdoor movie nights. Other outdoor features include an outside shower, black tank flush, and pre-wiring for a backup camera.
Heading inside, the floor is covered in wood-look laminate with residential style carpeting in the bedroom and under the dining table. A barreled ceiling lends the trailer a roomier feel than a conventional flat ceiling.
The bedroom is at the front of the trailer and can be closed off with sliding doors for privacy. Each side of the walk-around queen bed has a mirrored wardrobe cabinet, and there’s also a full bank of overhead cabinets, as well as a shelf. A convenient laundry chute in the floor opens directly into the pass-through storage underneath so you don’t need to take up valuable space with a hamper in the bedroom. Windows on each side of the room allow for a nice cross breeze, and there’s also a skylight/roof vent for a bit more air circulation.
The entertainment cabinet acts as a room divider between the bedroom and the main living space. Your television can swivel around so that it can be viewed from either side. The Furrion HDMI DVD/Bluetooth/HDMI stereo is housed in the cabinet above the television.
COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2018 Dutchmen Aerolite 294RKSS
In the kitchen area, the solid surface countertop and highrise pull-down faucet add a residential feel. A skylight above allows in lots of natural light to make the area nice and bright, with a shade to pull across to keep out the early morning sun. A window lets you look out over your campsite as you prepare your meals. A three-burner stove with oven has flush-mounted glass cover so that you have more counter/prep space. There’s a microwave just above the vented range hood and light. The eight-cubic-foot refrigerator/freezer runs on both propane and electricity so you can plug in at your campsite and save your propane. Across from the fridge, there’s a full-height pantry with shelves.
Opposite the kitchen, the trailer’s slide-out has a roomy U-shaped dinette that’s surrounded by big windows. There is storage underneath the benches all the way around and, at night, the dinette easily converts into a bed for two.
COMPARISON: Read our review of the 2018 Lance 1985
At the back of the trailer, there’s a set of double bunk beds. Each bed has its own window, light, and power outlet. Half of the bottom bunk folds up to reveal storage space underneath.
The trailer’s bathroom is right beside the bunks for easy midnight trips by the little ones. It has a porcelain foot-flush toilet, shower surround with skylight and handheld shower head, vanity with under sink storage, and a mirrored medicine cabinet. There’s also a roof vent to deal with the moisture.
Keeping you comfortable as the weather changes, the air conditioning is ducted through the ceiling and the furnace is ducted through the floor.
The Palomino SolAire 240BHS starts at about $26,000. Visit http://www.palominorv.com/.
