Great for Quick Weekend Get a way or short term camping!!!

Let me preface this review by sharing that we also own a Coachmen Spirit Super Lite 2936BH travel trailer. We found that at times the Spirit was a little much to just hook up and go off for a weekend quickie trip. The Spirit is the fourth TT that we have owned. Before we bought Spirit and it's pre...decessors we had shopped for Pop Ups, A-Frames, Hybrids and other styles. Recently while visiting our long time RV dealer we came upon the Viking/Clipper 12.0 TD XL. Both units are made by Coachmen and sold as Clipper 12.0 TD XL or Viking 12.0 TD XL. Both come in an off road version which has rugged 16 inch wheels and slightly more ground clearance, otherwise all the other features are the same. We lucked out and were able to get the off road edition. These little units sell fast. There is a smaller version the 9.0 TD which we feel is better suited for a single person and they sell fast as well. We picked our Viking up on Saturday and immediately went to a nice campground in the mountains of Tennessee to give it a quick work out. It is a dream to maneuver in a tight campground and tows like it is not even behind our Armada. In less than ten minutes we had popped the top, stabilized the camper and hooked up all the utilities. It was hot outdoors 92 degrees, so we cranked up the 5,000 BTU AC and let it do it's work which it did very well. The unit is cozy, plenty of headroom for a 6' person in the higher part of the camper. There is a bench type seating area which is perfect for two people. This bench also slides out an additional six inches which allows it to be used as a single bunk. They call it a "Gaucho". The one thing we were most amazed about was the amount of tucked away storage places. The pass thru storage is perfect for the Add-A-Room (more on that in a minute), Leveling tools, and extras one may want on an outing. We did not use the two burner cook stove, but other than for heating water for coffee or soups, I would do heavier cooking outdoors to prevent the inside of the camper from being filled with the smoke and smell of cooked meals. Outdoor cooking can be accomplished on the nice gas grill that also comes with Viking. It can be free standing or attached to the outside wall in a preinstalled rail and connected to the LP tank via a quick connect system. The really neat accessory is the Add-A-Room which is a customized screen room made to attach to the entryway of the Viking. The only complaint we had about the whole Viking system was that there were no instructions for the set up of the Add-A-Room. While we appeared very knowledgeable and proficient with setting up Viking, when it came to connecting and raising the Add-A-Room we were a great source of entertainment for all of our very close neighbors. After about thirty minutes of frustration we finally figured it out and it was up. Now that it is done we are confident that it will be attached and up in five minutes or less in the future. The little 10x10 (I think) room was perfect for a couple to sit and enjoy the blue lighting and soft music from the rear mounted speakers. We slept great, the queen sized bed was comfortable as was the Gaucho. The AC kept us comfortable and provided white noise that virtually neutralized all the sounds of our surrounding neighbors. Take down and departure was less than fifteen minutes. Viking proved to be exactly what we needed. We still have Spirit for those longer stays with more creature comforts but love the spontaneity Viking allows. The 12.0 family is perfect for a couple that likes to hike and go out into the wilderness and "Camp above Ground". the 9.0 family is smaller, Ad-A-Room is an option and comes with or with out AC and micro fridge but is great for the hunter or explorer. Our viking also came with a large storage rack on the roof which is designed to hold two kayaks or anything you may want to put there. This is also an option for the 9.0 but only carries one Kayak. Oh, one last item -Bathroom amenities - Our Viking has a six gallon electric/gas hot water heater which services the indoor small kitchenette sink and the outdoor shower. Yes, outdoor shower. We purchased a shower/potty tent for that purpose. And...speaking of potty tent, we purchased an additional one of those to locate a distance away from Viking and to put our portable potty (also provided with Viking). What would camping be if you didn't Rough It?

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