Something Weird Is Happening With the Ascape Campers, and It Might Be Great News

When I covered this manufacturer before, I was only privy to their traditional A-frame campers. Yet, I recently decided to stroll through their woods – for God knows what reason – and I spotted something odd, a camper class I hadn't noticed before, the Ascape. Not understanding what was happening, I started digging hard.

Come to find out, the Ascape is a class of travel trailers this crew has built in the past; most reviews are from the 2010s. But why are they back up on the manufacturer's website? It could only mean... yes, Aliner may be preparing once again to bring these babies back. Apparently, there's even footage floating around online with what seems to be a rather new video of the Grand Ascape Plus. Since these babies could once again be looming on the new year horizon, let's see what we could be in for.

While I was exploring the information I found on the manufacturer's website, one of the first impressions I got from the Ascape campers was to ask, "Which side is the front?" I literally had to look for the hitch to understand. Next is that it comes across as looking a whole lot like half of a camper, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.

For example, the two showcased floorplans have an overall length of 14 feet (4.2 meters) and are just 79 inches (200 centimeters) wide, making for rather easy towing. Heck, the largest option weighs 1,750 pounds (794 kilograms) and can carry up to 750 pounds (340 kilograms), allowing you to pull it along with nothing more than an SUV. That's one of the strong points of this camper.

Another aspect I personally enjoyed is the way Aliner developed the interior. Because each Ascape features an entry door on the rear wall, the interior is filled from wall to wall with goodies and features aimed at your comfort and off-grid living. For example, the dinette seats, table, and part of the nose area convert to a sleeping space that spans the entire width of the Ascape. What does this mean for you and me? It means not having to sleep on your side all night. It means not elbowing your spouse while dreaming. Nor will you be kicking any furnishings; there's plenty of space for resting your bones. Furthermore, these babies also include a wet bath and a galley setup, all inside.

And no, it's not the end of the magic Aliner adds to each unit. Aside from the lightweight Azdel panels, fiberglass skin, and aluminum roofing, the manufacturer goes a bit further and even equips the Plus and ST models with a Dometic fridge/freezer, Zamp solar plug, and even a 50-watt solar panel. Sure, it may not be much, but it's enough to ensure your food doesn't spoil and that your AC unit keeps you comfortable. I do recommend around 200 watts, though, and it shouldn't cost you too much to grab such a system, inverter included. An Atwood furnace is shown in the brochure, and so is a 6-gallon (23-liter) water heater and Shurflo water pump. I'm sorry, but that's a whole bunch of features crammed into a camper typically priced around $17,000 to $18,000 (€16,700 at current exchange rates).

However, this is also where I ran into some issues. I tried to track down one of these new units, and while the greater Phoenix area presents three dealerships with this camper, once you try and find out a price and what features may be included, nothing pops up; webpages are missing. Even websites like RVTrader show that 2023 units are available, but nothing on price or who may be supplying your future camper.

But this isn't necessarily bad news. If we think about it, these are all the signs of an Ascape uprising. Yes, you could very well start exploring this camper trailer as an option for your 2023 mobile habitat acquisition. Heck, if pricing remains within the boundaries already set by previous years, we're really in for a treat. Even if rates jump somewhere in the lower $20K range, we should still be happy with something like this.

I'm not saying there aren't limits to this machine; there are, one of which is the fact that it's only built to accommodate two people and maybe a pet. But with a lightweight design, you won't need to go out and buy a bigger vehicle if you already own an SUV suitable to tow this bugger along, and once you finally get to where you want to go, the memories and moments you'll create and experience are worth more than a $20K camper any day. Keep your eyes peeled for this one.