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3630 Idylwyld Dr N, Saskatoon, SK. S7L 6G3 Call: (306) 374-3738 or 1-800-463-4447 Fax: (306) 955-4853 info@lardners.com

The Open Range fifth wheel received a lot of attention as soon as it arrived at the dealership and that attention seems to never end. The silver colour and clean exterior got looks where ever we went. When the people at Open Range designed this RV they either put an incredible amount of thought into what they were doing or got very lucky. Along with the usual list of expected features that you would find on a luxury fifth wheel like aluminum wheels, utility component center, large water heater, trail air suspension, big and clear exterior storage, Corian counter tops, 2 LCD TVs, cupboards everywhere, and upgraded décor, there is much more.

The Open Range is designed different everywhere with one of the major objectives being towability and weight. A big weight saving is the BAL slide system. The BAL slide system is commonly used on high end motorhomes. Unlike most slide systems there is no heavy hardware under the floor of the RV. The usual under floor system has heavy hardware, and is attached to the main frame requiring a heavier main frame. All four walls and the floor have aluminum structure.

Besides the silver exterior colour, the profile of the Open Range is different. Most trailers are squared of where the rear wall meets the roof. The Open Range is rounded to reduce wind drag. The front cap has also been tested so it provides an excellent combination of room inside the trailer and aerodynamics on the highway.

To date this has been one of the favourite RVs we have used. It was towability, ease of set up and take down, and kitchen design that were the major factors. Others that added to the list were the side aisle bath and that we didn't find anything that disappointed us in the "why did they use that cheap thing or stupid design" category.

My towing comparisons are not scientific but when you put 4000 kms on a trailer you get an idea whether it tows well or not. It tows well. We got much better fuel economy and it handled well. Because of how an Open Range is designed to give you more square feet without adding length it was also nice to have less trailer behind us when we were in tight spots.

The kitchen is located right by the door, real handy for outside cooking and dining. The storage of food, dishes, and cooking pots, pans, and utensils is within arms reach. The small slide out pantry holds an amazing amount. The garbage can is on a slide out right below your main counter. I can't say enough about how handy that was. With one of the flush fitting sink lids in place the counter space was just right.

Set up and take down was the fastest of any RV we used. It was a bunch of little things that we have tried to incorporate in trailers since to make life simpler. I really liked the utility compartment that had everything in one place. Open Range tried to keep the exterior of the RV clean, so as much as possible is behind a baggage door. The spare 20 lb LP tank is very easy to access when it is time to switch out your tanks. The 20lb tanks were originally used due to space issues created by frame design which is necessary for the towability feature. In the end I found it easier to manage than 30 lb tanks, and if you are not able to find somewhere to fill your 30 pounders, you might be able to find a place that exchanges 20 pounders. One of our trips was in Alberta on public land where we would be Boon Docking, so we took a lot of stuff and it all fit in the exterior storage compartments. To us the difference between Boon Docking and Dry Camping is that Dry Camping is in a proper campground with no provided services attached to your RV and Boon Docking is in the middle of now where and you bring everything with you.

The side aisle bath is now our favourite design. It offers privacy and room. You also have more separation of the bedroom from the rest of the trailer. The only thing is it requires more space than a walk thru style.

Quite a few RVs we use we get frustrated when they either cheap out on the hardware and fixtures to build the RV or stupid design items that could be improved with little or no cost. We found very little of this in the Open Range.

Areas of improvement were few. The rear stabilizer jacks were light. The trailer had quite a bit of movement. Open Range has since started offering electric rear stabilizer jack which greatly helps with this issue. There is also a Stabilizer jack stabilizer kit available. The entertainment center had the TV behind cabinet doors with an opening below. The design has since been changed to the TV in the opening, and cabinet doors over the storage area. On the outside there are TV hookups and a bracket for the bedroom TV. Yes this trailer comes with two TVs. Like most trailers you are not able to watch a DVD from the exterior hookups so you might want to buy a cheap DVD player for watching movies outside. As with all trailers there is a shortage of 12 volt hook ups, but not as bad as some. 12 volt receptacles are easy to install anyway.

Putting our review in one sentence. Shelley still misses that trailer and was sad to see it leave the dealership; it was here favourite until now.

Kelly Lardner
October, 2008