Coachmen Apex Ultra-Lite Reviews on RV Insider (7)
Avg. Rating

We bought this unit brand new this year. Overall quality is outstanding. The Aluminum frame with Azdel vacuum bonded walls will not delaminate and are stronger and have better insulation value. Whomever said the wood framing on their Apex has been compromised due to staples backing out doesn't know what they're talking about... no wood or staples in these walls. There were some issues with wood trim coming loose because the factory pin nailer shot the pins all the way through the trim piece. I simply glued the trim back on with wood glue and it will stay on forever. Great floor plan, great towability, quality construction. Love this camper!

We purchased our Apex 289TBSS in 2017 after attending 6 RV shows and working with four local dealers. Our primary objectives in deciding on a floor plan were 1) light weight for towing, 2) key functionality requirements, 3) exterior amenities, 4) interior comfort and 5) ample storage. Having experience towing heavy items and large, boxy items we knew that towing a heavy, large, and boxy item would not be ideal regardless of the towing capacity of our personal truck (an F-150 with rated towing capacity of 10,500). Many people think that just because the truck is "rated" to tow something, it safely can. This unit was just the fit. At 32', it only weighed 5900 lbs dry so towing was a breeze with our Andersen weight distribution and sway control hitch system. (We have ridden with friends towing 9000 lb, 35'campers and you often "pucker up" as a tractor-trailer or strong breeze comes along) We have two girls, so we knew we needed to provide them with some privacy, especially when they had friends camping with us. The rear bunk room with pocket door was just the trick. We also like the "L" shaped bunks which provided a nice jack-knife sofa below so all the kids could sit and watch movies in their space in the event of a rain storm. The only way to do this with a quad, opposing-wall bunk room was with a slide which added too much weight. The master offers pocket door access to each side of the bed which is great for my wife and I as we don't have to turn-sideways and squeeze around 8" of space at the end of the bed to get to the other side as was with many other models with only one entrance to the master bedroom. The outside has a huge awning with blue LED lights that doesn't attract bugs (all outdoor lights are blue). Also, the exterior kitchen was a requirement because, as we predicted, we do most of our cooking (and living) outside. The outdoor fridge is very handy as well! The counter space in the outdoor kitchen is used to store many things, but mostly our outdoor roll-up foot rugs and cleaning supplies. We also enjoy the outdoor cable hookup as we love to watch college football camping in the Fall! One very nice feature that many people (including us) overlooked was the rack-and-pinion slide. This is a very nice upgrade over a cable-slide and doesn't require the annual adjustment that most cable-slides require. The interior is really where this unit shines for us. You have to remember, we held ourselves to a strict standard of 6000 lbs dry weight with a bunkroom so finding a great deal of interior comfort features was going to be difficult. But, this unit has exceeded our expectations. Although counter space is limited, the sink cover comes in handy to provide a few extra ft2 of working space. The 15k BTU AC unit works brilliantly as does the unit's furnace. We have never been hot nor cold in the summer nor winter and we camp in the extremes (un-shaded places at the beach in the summer, and shady places in the mountains in the winter). The fridge is plenty large for a week's trip and the microwave and cooktop/oven have both come in handy on many occasions. The bathroom is tight, but tidy and I have no problem showering or "sitting" (I am 6'4" so this was an issue in most units). The upgraded tri-fold sofa is very comfortable and the dinette was thankfully slightly larger than most in these size units. Storage abounds in this unit for it's size and weight. We have never run out of space and we carry around 1400 lbs of "stuff" based upon our scale check. The pass through storage is huge and we are able to keep all of our outdoor items and more in there. Overall, we could not be happier with our decision to purchase the Apex 289TBSS. Looking back, we definitely made the right decision in the unit we purchased. Our kids love the camper and would go every weekend if we would let them!

Too many manufactures quality defects. Manufactures warranty for ONE YEAR ? Actually here in canada , weather only permits us to use our RV 5 months of summer weather. So only some manufactures defects were covered by warranty for those 5 months of use. I will be replacing this rv with another brand that offers 3 year warranty .

Manufacturers warranty of 1 year is insufficient based on the quality of the build of the apex coachman trailers. The manufacturer knows it's only responsible for 1 year on its trailers so look out afterwards as most repairs You'll require will be out of your pocket , not out of the share holders hudge profits. Look at trailers that offer up to 3 year warranties.

We "ordered" our new unit after 8mnths looking & comparing, & We "TRUSTED" Coachman's good name. Over 120 problems & we're still seeking their high standards in camping pleasure. We'll have to let you know if they replace or refund. We feel the wood is compromised beyond reasonable repair. The staples do not hold, & it might possibly be ALL due to a flimsy frame. They have been very concerned. Sometimes a refund is the only answer.

Over all review for this brand/model quality was excellent with being built well from what I've experienced. But I give credit to my dealership from where I purchased. From the knowledgeable friendly staff, that took the time to help us choose & answer questions and not push us into buying something we didn't need or want helped us make our decision. We've been camping very frequently in our TT for all of the summer in 2016 with this make & model#. I'd say to anyone who might ask me about my camper to try Forest River's COACHMEN APEX 250RLS Ultra Light out. BUT find a very well knowledgeable dealership before purchasing. This dealership really goes over , inspecting the campers well before they are put out on the lot before there sold. So many times I've read reviews on people how they don't do there homework on a dealership/camper shopping but going on brand name alone can not cut it with me. All I'm saying is make sure you're dealership takes care of you & is by far the key ingredient who does what they say & does what's best for the purchaser!!! That will keep'em coming back in future sales, building a trusting relationship for generations to come. COUNTRY ROADS RV CENTER LEXINGTON,N.C.

Overall the quality of the RV was great, but there were some really cheap minor quality issues that were weird to me. Example: High quality privacy glass on windows, window operating system work well, then the little knob that operates it strips out because its cheap plastic. Example cargo doors work well but the clip to hold them open is cheesy plastic that rapidly deteriorates in sunlight. Example: Plastic roof vent covers rotted after 15 months, bought some after market covers and after 2 1/2 years still in service. These items mentioned were not expensive to repair, but after market prices were cheaper than using parts from dealer and were of much better quality. What is up with that?