Starcraft's 2024 GSL Fifth-Wheels Are Big Enough for Extended Families to Frolic for Days

Ladies and gents and lovers of the greater outdoors, it's not every day that we run across a travel trailer that has it all, and I really mean all! That seems to be precisely the case with the 2024 GSL fifth wheel from Starcraft. So, for the next few minutes or so, we'll be kicking back and getting to know all it has to offer.

This story begins back in 1903 when the name Starcraft was first spotted on the American goods scene as a farming equipment manufacturer. Fast forward a few years and marine equipment would join the manufacturing lines. But it wasn't until 1964 that campers would start carrying the Starcraft name. Sixty years from that first camper, and we have ourselves a 2024 GSL.

Now, to make things a bit easier to understand, let's pick one of the three available floorplans. In this case, let's go with the 354MBH, the largest and most fitting of the bunch. It's also the one layout that can accommodate up to those eight guests I mentioned. Not to worry, though; if you have a smaller family, the 364BHS can accommodate seven guests, and for a more intimate experience, the 264RLS is suitable for four.

One of the main attractive features of this class is the fact that they're ready with a number of slideouts, all aimed at maximizing the available interior space. On average, each layout is fit with three such features, but the 354 has four. Oh, and be sure to take note of the fact that these are gooseneck-style machines, so your existing vehicle may need to undergo some changes.

For the remainder of this article, I want you to pretend that you're out in the middle of some trailer park or on the edge of a mountain lake, and your GSL is sitting there in all its glory, expanded, and waiting for you and your loved ones.

Well, as we linger around the GSL's exterior, not only will we find countless storage bays tattered all over the unit, ready for things like batteries, water, and even outdoor goods, but my favorite part of the lineup is its inclination toward outdoor living.

Picture this: you've unloaded all your campsite essentials, the kids are running around the lot, and with a smile and a nod to the significant other, you each disperse toward opposite ends of the unit. Your mate will be heading inside to grab that marinated chicken and veggies you brought along while you fire up the outdoor griddle and start filling the air with that smell of carmelized sugars we all love. No need to head inside for a cold drive as there's space for a mini fridge here, too, not to mention access to a faucet and running water from a 75-gallon (284 l) tank.

Once dinner's ready, there are two ways you can go about things: either stay outside and make good use of the picnic table you brought along, or if the insects are particularly annoying, head inside and take your seats as a family at any of the two dinettes available. Enjoy the sights and sounds of mouths full of food, laughing over Brian eating that funky berry at lunch.

As the evening simmers down, some of the younger family members are sure to start falling out of the picture and into their designated sleeping areas - the 354 has a trifold sofa, one modular dinette, a flip-up bunk, and a queen mattress in the bedroom - while the rest of the gang continues their indoor duties, like cleaning that island kitchen of any mess and even taking a shower.

Since night fishing is your thing, you talk it over with the gang, grab your gear from the pass-through storage outside, and head down to the lake nearby. If you've ever been fishing at night, there's just something magical about it. Sure, the bites aren't as frequent as during feeding hours, but seeing the moon reflected on a glassy lake surface, surrounded by mountains and stars, is something else entirely; the fish can wait.

Now, all that is just a bit of imagery to give you an idea of the limits, or lack thereof, of a GSL, but in reality, this thing is packed with the systems we need and want for a full park-ready or even boondocking life. You already know about the freshwater capacity, but not about the 60 lbs of gas you can bring along, the solar package(s) you can opt for, and even a generator. As the saying goes, "For everything else, there's Mastercard."

Speaking of credit cards, this lineup of mobile habitats starts off at no less than $84,518 (€78,700 at current exchange rates), but by the time you're done making it yours, you'll have added a few thousand dollars more to that number. But we can clearly see what it is we're buying for ourselves and our family.