It was about this time last year when Aliner introduced the diminutive Ascape travel trailer. The 13 foot, 1350lbs Ascape initially came with a fridge, microwave, stove, and sink, with a TV and sound bar, awning, air conditioning, and potty as a packaged option.
Aliner has increased the floorplans for 2018 for the Ascape to give you four different layouts, ranging from a spartan interior with no appliances to one with a wet bath and kitchen.
The Ascape MT is the spartan layout. It’s geared for maybe those who tent camp that want to get off the ground and into a little bit better shelter. You won’t get a microwave, stove, sink, or toilet with the MT. But you will get lights, a Fantastic Fan, and a solar port. And you’ll get decent sleeping quarters and a very lightweight trailer at just 1170 lbs.
(courtesy http://mountcomfortrv.com)
The Ascape Camp is a nice upgrade from the MT. The Camp offers excellent cabinet storage on the right as you enter, and on the left if a standard 2-burner stove, sink, and a 1.9 cubic foot refrigerator, with additional overhead cabinets and storage below the counter as well. This is a very good floor plan if you want storage, a kitchen, and excellent counter prep space. Other standards on the Camp include an outside shower, a 16K BTU Atwood furnace, a 6 gallon Suburban water heater, and a 9200 BTU Coleman Mach 8 rooftop air conditioner. While heavier than the MT, the Ascape Camp is still considerably lightweight at 1495 lbs.
The Ascape ST is a floor plan that Aliner needed to introduce to stay competitive with other brands of similar size. I got several notes after my review of the Ascape last summer from readers lamenting the fact there was no shower in the first Ascape floor plan that hit the market in 2017. And it was my opinion for the Ascape to survive against a similarly priced T@B that had a wet bath, they needed to add one too, and that they did with the Ascape ST. Not only does it offer a fair sized wet bath on the right as you come in, but it also has the same kitchen features as the Ascape Camp with the sink, 2-burner stove, and 1.9 cubic foot refrigerator. However, with the addition of the wet bath on the right, you lose a lot of storage and all that prep space the Camp features. But it doesn’t take much creativity to utilize the table for prep space, or on a good day, take it outside. The standards on the ST mirror those of the Camp model with an outside shower, a 16K BTU Atwood furnace, a 6 gallon Suburban water heater, and a 9200 BTU Coleman Mach 8 rooftop air conditioner. With the shower, you gain a 13 gallon gray water tank. There is not a black water tank for the toilet as the ST utilizes a cassette toilet. The weight on the ST is just a tad heavier than the Camp, checking in at 1575 lbs.
The last floor plan, the Ascape Plus, is the original floor plan that hit the market in 2017. It also offers the greatest number of features as standard, including a larger sink, 2-burner stove, range hood, microwave, 5′ awning, 23″ flat screen TV with sound bar, Thetford cassette toilet, front mounted solar panel, outside shower, dual 20lbs propane tanks, Suburban 6 gallon water heater, 16K BTU Atwood furnace, and a 3.0 cubic foot 3-way refrigerator. Again, all those are standard features. The only thing not offered in the Ascape Plus is the interior shower. Having the most number of goodies, the Plus is the heaviest of the four floor plans, but it still comes in at a manageable 1630 lbs.
So as we can see, the folks at Aliner have been busy this past year developing new floor plans for the Ascape. And what they’ve come up with should really satisfy a lot of different camping needs amongst the small trailerists looking for something less than 2,000 lbs that you can stand in. Due to the drop floor in the Ascape, all four models have a maximum 6’4″ interior height, are a total 13′ in length from hitch to tail, are just 6’1″ wide, and 8’4″ tall including the roof top air conditioner (7’5″ on the MT model without A/C). With the dinette in the bed configuration, it produces a roomy 77″ x 64″ sleeping area. All floor plans sit on a 2500 lbs Dexter axle, which equates to cargo capacities ranging from 870 lbs to 1330 lbs, and hitch weights from 170 lbs to 229 lbs. You also have four different exterior graphic colors to choose from in red, black, green, and blue.
To learn more about the Aliner Ascape, visit the Aliner website at http://aliner.com/campers/
Question: Is there storage available under the benches?
I have an Ascape Plus, so that’s what I know. I haven’t actually looked at those other models, so can’t comment.
It really isn’t that bad for storage, if you get creative. The front part has storage under the cushions, and if you have the roof top A/C, there’s storage under one of the benches (mine has the A/C in the bench, so no storage there). The other bench has the fresh water tank and water heater, so not much room there.
And if you’re creative, you can find lots of places to store items. There is a space between the cabinet front and the cassette toilet that I find works great for storing cleaning supplies (like general purpose sprays, roll of small trash bags, Chloride wipes, etc.). I found a set of plate-bowls (plates with high sides that double as a bowl) so I don’t need to have both. I have a magnetic paper towel holder that I use on the side of the range hood. And I have a tea kettle that is made of silicone tea kettle that collapses.
Nice layouts, fun vid. Not much storage, but it’s cute as a button. Think I’ll stick with my Jayco 14 footer but the Aliner folks offer a fun alternative in the small camper world. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I bought an Ascape last year, and one of the main reasons I picked it is that I don’t need to get a new tow vehicle. I have a 4 cylinder Jeep Patriot with a tow capacity of 2000 lbs. There’s not a lot of trailers that I can tow, but this one tows just fine. And that’s really one of the main markets I think they are targeting – Those that have smaller vehicles that want a camper.
I have a question about the ‘cassette toilet”. I’ve seen these before, and maintaining them seems no worse (and easier) than a full black tank system.
BUT: I’m really concerned about the smell. Living in such a close space, ANY toilet/chemical smell would be just awful, I think. Has anyone lived with one of these portable toilets on your small trailer? What has been your experience with smells? Thanks.
We have had experience with them for long periods, up to 5 months in pop-up campers. (9 Rvs of different types total, so a variety of experience) It is easy to make sure the inside is clean, much easier than with a black tank. They generally only hold 5 gallons, we filled them up fairly quickly with 3 people, so emptied them quite often. One doesn’t have to use chemicals, we didn’t. Many people just use Dawn dish soap and water, google for different choices. The chemicals seem to make odors worse over time, or so I believe.
Nice review of Aliner’s Ascape floor plans. Looks like a solid option for those wanting a small lightweight trailer. My preference would be the Ascape ST.
Thx!
I have the Plus (cassette toilet, no shower), and would like a shower, but there are many features I have that the ST doesn’t I would have to give up. I have a larger fridge, microwave oven, deep sink with pull out faucet that becomes a sprayer, and a 24 inch TV with sound bar I would have to give up if I traded it in for an ST. And all I would get from it is the wet bath. And the shower in the wet bath is really only good if you are hooked up to city water and sewage. The fresh water tank is only 11 gallons, and the grey water is 13. Not very much if you’re taking showers.
The escape looks like a perfect fit for my Subaru. Too bad I can’t find a dealer in the western states who stocks this trailer.