1998 Aliner Off-Road edition

[Petrolburner]

Pulled the trigger on this little pop up 2 weeks ago. We've spent 4 nights in it since then and we love it. It's tall enough to be usable the way it is, but I plan to reinforce the frame and stuff more suspension and matching tires (285/75-16) under it someday.

Pros:

Lightweight
No cloth on the exterior -- no problem to pack up in the rain
Super fast setup and take down
Good insulation
Propane furnace
3 way fridge
Full size bed is very comfortable
Gas mileage has been about 16 on the highway compared to 18 unloaded
Graphics are painted on, not vinyl, and in great shape
Big propane tank
Doesn't get hot inside as soon as the sun comes up, excellent for sleeping off a hangover :friday:

Cons:

Pulling a trailer makes turning around on a trail more difficult
Motorcycles must go in the pickup bed, fine for my trials bike but tough to ride my 530+ pound Aprilia Caponord up my trifold ramp
Can't tow a boat or car trailer when hauling the Aliner
Battery is old and doesn't hold a charge very well
Tongue is too short to jack knife the the truck and trailer so I can get my ramp on the tailgate to get bikes in and out without unhooking
Propane pilot light on the fridge isn't currently working
Spare tire was stolen before we bought it

Probably going to end up spending more time using the Tundra as the toy instead of the motos :smiley_drive:

I plan to put a hitch on the Corvette so I can tow the Aliner to the racetrack and camp in the parking lot for trackdays and autocrosses. I honestly think the Corvette will do a better job towing than the Tundra. It has a stiffer frame and adjustable suspension, 6 speed manual trans, more torque and HP, and gigantic brakes.

 

[Colorado_Outback]

Awesome setup. Especially pulling it to track days, that will be cool. I have always been intrigued by this style of camper.

 

[Petrolburner]

Awesome setup. Especially pulling it to track days, that will be cool. I have always been intrigued by this style of camper.

I've been surprised at how few of them there are on here. They aren't very plentiful on the used market and I think there is a common misconception that there isn't enough headroom, but there's plenty. You only have cause for standing in the center, near the front there are cabinets and in the rear is the bed. Ceiling height hasn't been an issue. I was strongly considering a rig like yours due to the cost, and the ability to have a slightly longer trailer that would leave a deck for the motos.

 

[Petrolburner]

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[Colorado_Outback]

Awesome. Thanks for posting the setup pics, I looked long and hard for one like this before I bought my camper but they are hard to come by used like you said. And when you do see them they usually command a pretty penny due to the used market supply/demand I think.

Yours is only one bed, correct?

 

[Petrolburner]

Yes, only one bed but it is the same size as we have at home. Paid $4500 for it by the way. Not sure if that was a fair price because there are so few used models out there but we're happy. There is another layout with a couch up front, less storage and a smaller fold down dinette. I'm glad we got this layout. The box is only 12 feet long. 15 or so overall.

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[skersfan]

These are some of the greatest little trailers ever made. I have had two of them, and absolutely loved them. Much stronger than most think. They have a box tubing main frame with some zmember cross members. The Aliners have a torsion axle. They are a knock offs of the Chalet, but it was a brother vs brother war. Almost identical. I had mine over Imogene pass many years ago. Quite warm, and instantly setup.

I am thinking about building a AFrame dedicated to off road. I actually will be meeting with Chalet towards the end of the month regarding their roof.

You have a keeper, we camped with the larger one with 4 Great Danes. That was a little close, but the things are amazing and you will love it more the more you use it. Such a great engineering idea. Hard sides make it warm and weather tight. I carried Kayaks and mountain bikes on mine by spanning the roof and attaching to the outer top frame. Your adventures will be endless. Have fun with it.

 

[Colorado_Outback]

Yes, only one bed but it is the same size as we have at home. Paid $4500 for it by the way. Not sure if that was a fair price because there are so few used models out there but we're happy. There is another layout with a couch up front, less storage and a smaller fold down dinette. I'm glad we got this layout. The box is only 12 feet long. 15 or so overall.

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Cool. That was another thing that really drove me to choose the setup I did. Being a single dad with a 4yo 2 beds was really a must for me.

I would say you did well on it. Most of the ones I was looking at were Chalet's and were much more expensive.

 

[Petrolburner]

That, and without the off-road package, they weren't hardly tall enough to get in and out of a paved driveway. So, I think we did pretty well, too.

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[Petrolburner]

On our way to set up for night numbers five and six.

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[k9lestat]

What kind of boat?


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[rockwood]

Corvette might not like the trailer on those bigger tires

 

[skersfan]

Your making me want one again. I have been planning on building one for quite awhile, getting the top light enough is the problem.

People look at them and think they are small inside, but the top window/dome give so much head room in the seating areas it is hard to believe. Some serious engineering. The first ones were made in San Jacinto, CA. My friend actually owned the building.

Rockwood has started making a like model, I would expect them to take off on the pop market with a big manufacturer using the design.

On the early ones that said off road on them, they used a second sheet of fiberglass, and then changed to aluminum diamond plate. Some had smooth aluminum, which appears your has. If not I would do some type of protection there, be it flat or diamond plate aluminum.

 

[Petrolburner]

Are you talking about the front? I could probably use some protection from the rear tires of the Tundra.

The angle of the hitch could cause a lot of undue stress on a Corvette if the trailer gets too tall.

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[skersfan]

Yes the lower behind the hitch. Gets rock pelted.