The Coleman Company has long been known as a camping supply powerhouse. Making everything from coolers and lanterns to tents and grills, Coleman’s expertise lies in everything outdoors.
While these aren’t the highest quality travel trailers on the market, Coleman travel trailers offer good quality construction at an affordable price. These travel trailers offer a surprising number of features in their class and are popular because of this combination of a low price point and convenient amenities.
First known for their pop-up campers, the Coleman name lends confidence to this brand of travel trailers found in RV parks across the country. Coleman travel trailers are consistently rated highly by customers who like the level of quality for the price and ease of use.
It might surprise you to learn that the Coleman Company does not manufacture the Coleman travel trailers you see on the market today that carry the company’s name and logo.
Below, we’ve laid out all the info you need to decide if this brand is right for you. We’ll explore just who makes these RVs and whether you can count on this brand to last you through years of outdoor excursions.
All About the Company
The familiar brand Coleman was founded in 1900 by W.C. Coleman in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. This company originally sold gasoline lanterns, and the company logo today still features the lantern as its symbol.
As time went on, Coleman’s product line expanded to include almost every aspect of camping and enjoying the great outdoors: sleeping bags, tents, cooktops, and coolers.
In 1967 the Coleman company began making pop-up tent trailers, and by 1979 their camping trailers were North America’s top-selling brand. Ten years later, however, Coleman sold its designs to Fleetwood RV who then took over manufacturing the trailers.
Fast-forward to today, and Coleman campers are now made by Dutchmen. Dutchmen began manufacturing the lines of travel trailers and fifth wheels that carry the Coleman name in 2010.
Dutchmen itself is part of Thor Industries, a market-dominating RV company that also counts Airstream, CrossRoads RV, Heartland RV, Jayco, and Keystone RV among its many subsidiaries.
Dutchmen now make four lines of RVs that carry the Coleman name: Coleman Lantern, Coleman Lantern LT, Coleman Light, and Coleman Light LX.
Top Features
Coleman campers are designed to be lightweight and packed to the gills with awesome features, proving that families and couples on the road don’t have to skimp on convenience and amenities when having an outdoor experience.
Coleman Lantern and Lantern LT
Some features of the Lantern and Lantern LT lines include the following:
- Variety of lengths, ranging from 24’11” to 37’11”
- Lots of sleeping space, generally accommodating around 8 people
- Eight bunkhouse floor plans and one quad bunkhouse
- Two models of toy haulers
- Interior heights of 82 inches
- Tall, oversized slide rooms
- Large capacity water tanks
- Black diamond plate rock guards
- LED power awnings and outdoor speakers
- Outdoor kitchen
- Interior power command center
Coleman Light and Light LX
The aluminum framed Light and Light LX models include amenities like the following:
- Lengths ranging from 18’10” to 34’9″
- Six bunkhouse models and two models with expandable pop-out tent sleeping areas
- Power stabilizer jacks
- Residential-style 60 x 80 queen bed
- Fiberglass front cap
- Fully enclosed underbelly
- Interior height of 80 inches
- Pass-thru storage areas
All Coleman Travel Trailers
One of the biggest perks to purchasing a Coleman travel trailer from Dutchmen is that Dutchmen stands behind its products, guaranteeing that your travel trailer meets the company’s expectations for quality.
Dutchmen advertise that choosing their company means that you’ll have a great warranty, top quality assurance, and dependable aftermarket support.
Coleman’s Travel Trailer Warranty
Dutchmen claim to have the industry’s best warranty and try to ensure that their customers know exactly what is (and is not) covered under the standard three-year limited structural warranty.
Except for items subject to normal wear and tear, Dutchmen’s coverage of the travel trailer for the first year is transferable to a second owner if the RV is sold during that time period.
That’s a huge bonus for customers looking at a used Coleman travel trailer because you won’t miss out on the coverage you might normally expect to get only when buying new from the manufacturer.
It’s also good news for hesitant buyers who worry about the resale value of a Coleman travel trailer if they decide that RVing isn’t for them. Letting buyers know that they can get in on the manufacturer warranty when buying used can be a great selling point later on.
It is important to note that the three-year structural warranty applies only to the purchase of a new Dutchmen RV and that the warranty transfers to a second owner in the case that the RV is sold within that first year of ownership.
Coleman’s Quality Assurance
Another great feature of buying a Coleman travel trailer from Dutchmen RV is the 100% pre-delivery inspection guarantee. This means that every travel trailer that Dutchmen manufactures is thoroughly inspected before it leaves the manufacturing facility.
Every Coleman travel trailer you step inside has been subjected to a 253-point inspection to make sure you are getting exactly what is advertised, that everything functions as it should, and that your unit measures up to their exacting standards.
Because these RVs are made on an assembly line, this step is important because it helps the manufacturer catch any line issues before the RV rolls off to the dealer and helps to prevent any large-scale recalls.
Dutchmen also care about what happens to your Coleman travel trailer once it’s off the lot and extends their quality assurance to your on-road experience.
They use the data from service claims to look for ways to improve the travel trailers coming off the assembly lines, making sure that each model year is as good (or better) than the last.
Coleman’s Service and Support
No RV is designed to provide optimum performance indefinitely. Parts do wear out and from time to time, people inevitably have problems with various aspects of any travel trailer.
Dutchmen publish service statistics on its website so that customers can easily see trends in customer service and support.
One great aspect of Dutchmen’s customer service is the maintenance of a 98% answer rate, meaning that phone calls to the company are extremely unlikely to end up in voicemail, and more than 90% of their service calls are answered within 20 seconds.
Dutchmen is also proud to have quick service in shipping parts to their dealers so that you don’t have to wait weeks for a damaged or malfunctioning part to be replaced.
Customer Opinions
While RV manufacturers and salesmen are always touting the features and positive qualities of their products, it’s important to remember that showroom-new RVs are only new for a little while and these vehicles are meant to be used.
It can be helpful to check out RV discussion forums and review websites to see what actual users of the product think because they can give you practical, real-world info on how these products stack up.
And RV owners love to talk about their RVs (if you already are one, then you know this is true!). If you see an interesting travel trailer or one you’ve been considering, don’t be afraid to ask the owner.
Those who’ve been using a travel trailer for a while can offer helpful advice and give opinions that go far deeper than just the aesthetic qualities that seem to matter so much to salesmen or factual information about weight and water capacity.
Pros and Cons of Coleman Travel Trailers
From my research into Coleman travel trailers, it seems that most of their customers are pretty happy with the product overall, but there are some important aspects of these travel trailers that you might want to keep in mind if you’re looking to buy.
Price and Quality
First, remember that price often (but not always) is a reflection of quality. Coleman travel trailers are definitely on the low end of the travel trailer price range.
Comparing a Coleman Lantern travel trailer at a 20K price point to a higher-end model like the Grand Design Reflection travel trailer (at a 50K price point) will reveal major differences in overall construction and material quality. That kind of comparison isn’t necessarily fair or helpful.
That said, when comparing apples to apples, Coleman definitely holds its own against similar models of travel trailers in its price range.
While the materials used in Coleman’s construction are fairly inexpensive, they seem to hold up relatively well as long as the travel trailer is subjected to routine maintenance and carefully inspected regularly.
Doing so is simply a habit of responsible ownership because this helps you to find and correct any small issues or potential problems before that become large or unmanageable.
Because Coleman travel trailers are marketed for a large number of features available, keep in mind that more features can also mean more potential malfunctions and problems.
If you’re like my dad, a guy who still refuses to buy a car with power windows, you might want to steer clear of this line in favor of something more stripped-down with fewer amenities and conveniences.
Durability
Going along with potential concerns over cheaper materials, it is also important to think about how you use (or plan to use) your travel trailer.
If you are looking for a travel trailer to use as a full-time or seasonal residence, durability with repeated use would be an utmost concern and may lead you to look for a higher-end (and pricier) product.
But for those who want an inexpensive travel trailer for occasional weekend use or as an easy drive-way or curbside guest house, a Coleman travel trailer may be just fine.
For a family with lots of rambunctious kids who are hard on surfaces (let’s face it, some of our sweet angels are downright destructive), it could be helpful to check areas like tables, cabinet doors, and drawers to see if they can take the kind of beating you envision them receiving during a typical camping trip.
For young couples looking for a mobile vacation home or a retired senior who wants a way to visit kids and grandkids without having to share their living space, the Coleman line can be an inexpensive investment that gives years of functionality.
Warranty Satisfaction
While Dutchmen brags about the ease of use and comprehensive coverage in its RV warranties, we all know that sometimes big companies don’t live up to their promises.
Another concern of some Coleman travel trailer owners is the hassle of getting warranty work approved and completed in a timely manner.
After all, a warranty is supposed to provide peace of mind and inspire confidence in a company that stands behind its product, and it shouldn’t simply end up as another source of frustration when something breaks or gives you problems.
Some customers who have reviewed Dutchmen’s service and support find that it can take a while for warranty work to be approved, sometimes a month or more, which can delay an anticipated trip.
Another problem is that warranty work must be completed by an authorized dealer which may be hard if you’re on the road when a fix needs to happen and you’re miles from the nearest dealer or if the authorized dealer you use goes out of business or relocates.
Sometimes, though, these issues are less about Dutchmen and its willingness to honor the travel trailer’s warranty and more about the individual dealership you’re having to deal with.
It’s definitely worth the time and effort to research both the product you want to purchase and the dealer who will be selling and servicing the product to make sure that it’s a place you want to work with. Look for dealerships that have a good reputation for service and support.
Customer Favorites
Overall, on most customer review sites, Coleman gets a solid 4 stars out of 5. Customers find Coleman travel trailers to be extremely livable with functional floor plans and fun features.
Some favorite aspects are the efficient indoor kitchens with workable surfaces and the flexibility of also having an outdoor kitchen (depending on the model you choose).
People also find that these travel trailers pull easily and make the traveling part of RVing so easy as they are a breeze to set up and to get road-ready.
Coleman travel trailers also have lots of storage that is easily accessible and functional. Customers largely find these travel trailers to be both sturdy and reliable when in use.
Final Thoughts
Coleman travel trailers have a long history, a solid fan base, and a good reputation. But it’s important to note, especially when buying used, that the Coleman name has been associated with several different manufacturers over the years, some more reliable than others.
Remember when you’re shopping around that in a travel trailer you generally get what you pay for. If you’re forking out a minimal amount of cash for a lower-end product, then the quality you receive will reflect that price point.
That being said, if you are in the market for a lower end, less expensive travel trailer to use on occasion for weekend getaways and the associated features and amenities are important to you, then Coleman travel trailers are a great line to explore.
While they may not be the highest quality travel trailers on the market, Coleman travel trailers are good quality travel trailers at a reasonable price with enough of the bells and whistles to make you feel like you’ve got a good deal on a fun trailer.
We have a Coleman 2305QB from 2018, we are living in France and we visit in the States 3 month a year, This means we leave permanently inside during 3 month and we travel all over the US , driving around 8000 miles each time every Year.
Th Rv is based in Oklahoma and when we are in France , it stays in a covered storage, We never had any problems, no water link no paint peeling, the RV still looks like new 5 years later.
Of course all inside is not top quality but for the price we knew it when we bought it.
We are very happy with this RV , plenty of room ans storage for two people.
Do not purchase from Camping World. They do not honor the manufacturer’s warranty or the extended warranty that you purchase. I purchased an extended warranty and a paint finish warranty for over $5k for the two and now, in less than one year after purchasing the camper the exterior paint is coming off and Camping World said that it is not covered by any of the warranties.
Just bought a 2022 Coleman let 17b. I like the down sized camper up class from pop-ups. No difficult set ups, I’m Old.
I read the manual, of that they want the brakes adjusted after 30 days and to check roof seals every 6 monthes.
Just got a Coleman Lt Model 2955RL the trailer was put together very badly, Like the personnel did not care about workmanship, The in-service was very poorly done, Paid a lot of good hard money for the camper. why????
We bought a used 2020 263BH about 6 months after the first owner bought it. We store it right where they did. We have been out in about a half dozen times in a year and a half. Hauled it a few places but not over 400 miles. We have done lots of adds and mod upgrades. The only glaring weakness to me is the quality of the Bunks. The wood is very thin and when crawling in on my hands and knees I could feel it cracking. I added plywood over the wall paneling they used for the Bunks and that helps but now the storage under is not accessible. “Temp fix that has become perminant. They claim 300 lb weight rating. I’m 250 and no way would I trust it with anyone over 175 on that top bunk. All in all it’s an ok unit. I’m 6′ and the queen bed is not great. Mattress upgrades are a must. If you are handy at all it’s still good for the price in my opinion. Most everything is bargain price quality but still way better than sleeping on the ground!
Bought a new 2021 Coleman LT 17b. Used it 4 weekends. Plumbing leaks, bumper needs to be replaced due too broken welds. Best of all, it needs a new roof due too cracks, wood rot and wet wood. Let’s go camping.
I have a couple of friends who bought campers that were produced in 2020 and they had a lot of problems. I’ve been told that during the pandemic it was hard to get anyone to work and they were more or less thrown together. If and when I purchase, it’ll be 2019 or older.
I haven’t heard of any stories personally but have often thought and believed trailers built during 2020 and 2021 were being built so fast to meet demand that corners had to be cut. I believe this of all manufacturers during that time. I personally wouldn’t buy one during that period.
We bought a Dutchman Coleman camper. Have had for three years found that it has been leaking in the wall and the floor is all rotted out. Not the best of quality that I have found. Would not buy again
We love our 2017 Coleman 262BH. We have towed it over 10k miles. No major issues. We did have a small piece of molding come loose but fixed it ourselves with no problems. The layout suits our family of 4 (2 kids under 3). I would buy another Coleman if I were in the market. The price was right for our weekend getaways and quarterly bigger trips. I love the 6′ interior slide-out height as I am a taller guy. The price point is perfect and quality has been over our expectations thus far.
We bought a 2020 Coleman 21BH. It’s beautiful inside and out, but a nightmare. Let’s start with the Fridge. It heats instead of cools…they did the warranty work and it still doesn’t work and now they are trying to say that it’s out of warranty.
The axel is 3/8 of an inch off. This means that it needs aligned or it will eat the tires. Guess what? You have to replace the axels to do that and they are once again claiming it was out of warranty although we told them 2 months after purchasing.
The kitchen faucet loosens everytime it moves. There are bad spots in the floor.
We will never purchase this product again or deal with the dealer that sold it to us, as all we get is the runaround.
This review is coming a bit late but since our 2016 Coleman Travel Trailer is still giving us major problems I will continue. This is the 5th travel trailer we have owned and while the others were good experiences this one is a nightmare.
We purchased this after retiring and were looking forward to many years of enjoyment. Our trailer is in a permanent seasonal campsite so we do not use it for travel. With the problems we have had I would be afraid it would fall apart if we tried to travel in it.
The list of problems goes on and on.
We could not figure out where the major leak was coming from so we towed it back to the dealer and found out the window over the kitchen sink was never sealed.
We had to remove the crank used to raise the antenna from the ceiling because some genius designer put it in front of the kitchen cabinet blocking the cabinet door from opening.
The electricity went out on the two glide outs and it was a major undertaking to have the glide out sections rewired.
The oxidation on the fiberglass exterior is frightful. The decals are all pealing off. We had a boat/rv detailer come out to polish the trailer and he told us the trailer had never been properly gel coated. He polished and waxed it to the tune of $900 but within a month it is bad as ever.
From so many leaks in the few years we have had the trailer the floor has weak spots in it that must be rotting out. Apparently the outside opening around the hot water heater had never been sealed and was leaking.
These are only a few of the problems we have faced and new ones crop up constantly. The upholstery on the jackknife sofa is now wearing through…. No one has ever slept on it and it has never been pulled out.
We are elderly and living on retirement. We can no longer hitch up this trailer to lug it back to the dealer every time something goes wrong. We cannot afford to invest in a new trailer so we will spend our retired years in our dream rat trap rather than enjoying a happy place to spend weekends in.
Went to take a second look at a Coleman camper today. It was the 3055BS. It had everything we were looking for. We are also glad we looked past what we wanted and looked at the quality. First time we were at the lot we were told the price was $46, we got home and looked on the web site and saw it was listed for $41. When i called them the next day and asked about the price they told us the longer they sit the more the price will come down. As we looked at the camper the second time we saw there are a bunch of quality issues with the camper. broken shelves, loose moldings on door jams, ceilings, floors, ext. nails sticking through the floors, paneling was falling off the wall, the seats were loose, locks were loose, while i was lowering the jacks the rep told me to do it just right or they will break. after pointing all this out the rep went to get the manager for us to talk to but the manager was to busy to talk to us but they could just bring us a different unit. We went home. a camper of this price should never make it to a lot to be seen by a customer. your site talks about a 253 point check apparently that doesn’t happen
Every week something goes wrong with this 2021 28bh. What a nightmare
We love our Coleman travel trailer. I think it is great. It has a big refrigerator (10 cu.ft), Propane stove / oven. Had to tighten & adjust some stuff after first couple trips (typical of any RV). But overall it is fun for camping.
Wow gang, this doesn’t represent our experience. We did have one warranty repair for the fridge. Otherwise we feel our choice to buy a solid inexpensive trailer was a good one. Fit and finish are not top quality but we realized that when we bought an inexpensive trailer.
I believe Coleman represents a good choice for value.
After seeing what my neighbor is going through with his Coleman, trying to get warranty work done like water leak and a air conditioner that eats fans, I for sure would look the other way.
I bought a New 2019 Light LX Coleman, 29’. Before even leaving the lot, had to have an electric Jack replaced. Very LOUD! As for the inside, had a sliding door to bath from bedroom. Didn’t have any stops at either end. CW fixed where door come off slides and broke wood trim, but on the other ‘Stop’ , didn’t add one there. We ended up doing repair for the stop. We Reattached trim around doors. Tried realigning some cabinet door hinges, but wood is just to soft to hold. You have to ‘raise’ the door to close. A lot of the trim work is just tapped in. Not solid. We put those in more securely. Some drawers are off center, meaning they have to be adjusted to make the close. I don’t believe any of the 253 steps were followed. Now, after a year, the sewn in awning lights are coming off and not working. Per CW, not covered by Warranty. We’re still working on that, since they ARE sewn in, not added later. Thought Coleman’s brand would be good. Didn’t do enough homework.
Thanks! We are in the process of negotiating on a newer used Coleman now. Your statement made us change our minds.
I bought a brand new 2019 Coleman Coleman Light 25ft travel trailer and I’m so irritated with the quality. I owned a 26ft Dutchmen before this and loved it. The Coleman has been to the shop 3 times in 2 years and still not fixed. Front latches broke so I can’t get into the front storage compartment (the plastic is wore out already), hitch coupler jams every time I tow requiring a hammer disengage it to detach. The awning leaks down the side of the camper, the front LED decorative lights are cracked and peeling! And it’s garage through the winter! And their extended warranties are a joke and don’t cover 90%. Never again with I buy this brand!
bought an apex 26ft have had nothing but trouble lots of leaks everywhere. also found a hose under stove that goes nowhere but does leak had to cap it off also found out there is no insulation on this trailer I had ice on inside of Windows even with heat on but the main thing I don’t like is the elec plug is under water connector and water does drip on it
We have a problem need to talk to someone about our camper. It’s a 2020 only used 4 times in 2020 and now we have a problem
Mike, I agree with you. The Coleman Lantern name once stood for quality. I had a one burner fuel stove that did me well in the Army along with the two burner fuel camp stove. Those were the days and I still have these units 28 yrs later. A pair of tents as well. So when my wife and I decided this past May to buy a camper I naturally went to the Coleman brand. We bought an all new 244BH unit. We had looked at used units as well but decided to go new so as to avoid “used” camper issues. What we bought was a nightmare. The so called 253 step inspection of quality, all things work was a joke. Our first trip out we discovered the main fridge did not work. Using tech support it was deemed needing replaced by the dealer. This took all of June with our unit sitting at the dealer. 4th of July the all new water heater quit working. And while waiting on dealer support for that my wife decided to make the bunk beds for the grand kids. She was on the top bunk and it collapsed nearly injuring her. The dealer also fixed this problem. We finally asked to see the history of the unit. We were dismayed by the number of issues the camper required to be fixed after arrival from the manufacturer. Had we have been made aware we would not have bought it. Roof not installed properly, entertainment center not properly secured to floor, etc. We were told this is common as they build them so fast. I contacted Keystone several times only to get BS replies. Thanking me for my input but to deal with the dealer. The known issues are fixed but we missed out on a lot of camping dealing with this crap. I’m an old car salesman and I would say this unit was built on a Friday by people who didn’t give a damn. I’m stuck with it as I offered Coleman/ Keystone to just buy it back from me and they refused. So to tell someone they build quality? No. I will buy no more products with the Coleman name on them. And being in sales, I’ve told my story and shown pics many times over. I let people know to make sure of avoiding the Keystone brands at all costs. I bought a shit product, missing the grill and no attachment table for the rear bumper mounted grill table and was told to like it, this one did not come with it. I’ve put it on social media as well as a broadcast. AVOID Keystone and Coleman. They make and sell junk!!!!!!
Thanks for you input because thanks to you I may not buy the camper I was looking! Thanks.
Thanks for the review, I was looking at one tomorrow and will pass now
You are falsely blaming Coleman, which in the case of RVs is literally just a sticker. Dutchmen builds the trailers and has an agreement to use the Coleman name… But you cannot blame Dutchmen or Keystone for the fridge or water heater as those are third party appliances with their own separate warranties and manufacturing quality control. The issues that were handled prior to you buying it and the bunkbed collapsing are the fault of Dutchmen…
This is equivalent to blaming the builder of your house when your TV dies.
the builder, Dutchman, supplied faulty appliances that they-the manufacturer- purchased and sold as their product. Dutchman/Coleman carries the weight of poor quality components. just like Dana builds transmissions for Ford Trucks. Ford is responsible for what they sell
these issues fall on Dutchman.