Western wilderness Rainer 10'

Western Reationgs Velindes an old favorite name in a brings back an old favorite name in a well-packaged, solidly built camper

The Western Wilderness truck camper name goes back many years in the RV industry. The brand originated in 1971 and enjoys a terrific reputation among camper users. Following a several-year absence from the market, Western Recreational Vehicles Incorporated brought back the brand name in 1995, as a 1996 model-year camper, to satisfy customer demand for the time-honored and field-proven product.

The Yakima, Washington-based company offers two lines of campers as part of its product line: Western Wilderness and Alpenlite. The Alpenlite-a very recognizable name in fifth-wheel circles-has an aluminum frame and is the higher priced of the two. The re-introduced Western Wilderness is designed for those enthusiasts on slightly tighter budgets, although the camper is definitely on the higher end of the spectrum like its Alpenlite counterpart.

To find out just how the next generation of Western Wilderness campers fare in a highly competitive market, we flogged a test copy through the wilds of the Pacific Northwest. The test subject, the 10-foot Rainier features a curbside rear-corner dinette opposing a streetside-enclosed wet bath, a streetside galley amidship opposite the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets, and the usual cabover main bed. The bed has a fore-and-aft oriented queen size bed, flanked by cabinets and cosets, in this model camper.

The base-model Rainier lists at $13,741 (suggested retail price); an armload of options boosted the ticket to $19,263, which is about $3,000 less than the price of a comparably-equipped Alpenlite camper. The test camper's option list included an Onan 2.5-kw LP-gas AC generator ($2,905), four Atwood electric cornermounted jacks ($691), an 11,000-BTU roof air-conditioner ($613) and a microwave oven ($227). While the camper seems expensive, it has a lot of company among other high-line campers fully set up for maximum comfort, convenience and flexibility.

TRUCK SELECTION

Given all the equipment packed into this camper, it's no secret weight is a major factor. The 10-foot Western Wilderness weighs 3,660 pounds wet but empty, so hauling this camper requires a hefty dual-rear-wheel truck with at least a gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr) of 10,000 pounds.

It's interesting to note that the manufacturer lists the 10-footer as weighing 2,768 pounds "dry" in the brochure, and the unit's gvwr sticker lists it at 3,112 pounds, wet. Unfortunately, the sticker's wet figure doesn't take into account optional equipment, so in real world conditions-after taking the camper and truck to a public certified scale-matching a truck will require careful homework. Western RV had the camper temporarily mounted on a Dodge Ram 2500 truck, which meant we were some 1,040 pounds beyond the gvwr, not counting any cargo. A heavier truck is definitely in order for permanent use.

LIVAIBILITY

Our test journey took us from the dry prairies of eastern Washington to the lush greenery on the eastern slope of Oregon's Cascade range. We set up at Camp Sherman, a few miles west of Sisters, Oregon, just off Highway 126. We were surrounded by healthy, rust-barked ponderosa pines and the heady aroma of sage was thick in the breeze as the Metolius River which flanked camp on the west side, provided our organic music serenade. The camper served as our base of operations as we wandered the region's seldom-maintained trails in Mr. Ed, a restored Korean War-vintage Jeep.

Camp Sherman's sites have no hookups, so we were dependent on the camper's self-containment features. A streetside compartment is sized to fit two group-24 batteries, which when so equipped, can help extend one's stay when dry camped. We only stayed for a couple of days, so adequate power from the single battery in our rig wasn't a problem.

There's an optional Heart Freedom 10 inverter and solar panel package ($1,770) available that adds another level of convenience to the camper Dual batteries are standard when the inverter package is ordered, and that's a good idea, due to the inverter's typically high current draw when operating a high-amp appliance or electrical accessory.

While the camper certainly offers a great amount of amenities for such a small package, its size, though, restricts the amount of exterior storage, which is no surprise to camper users. If the AC generator compartment is unoccupied, it can hold additional gear; the access doors to the in-bed areas flanking the wheelwells provide a good area to store a number of items. This area is not fully weatherproof so items stored there should be durably unaffected by moisture and dust. We kept our lawn chairs in the truck's extended-cab storage area, and used the in-truck-bed storage for leveling blocks and the like.

As the cool mountain air settles into the campground and the campfire dies out, it's good to have a safe haven close by as a retreat. The camper welcomed us with its warm incandescent glow from within, and before long a cup of tea was burbling on the stove, a block of good Gouda was sliced on the table and a gripping tale of intrigue unfolded from the pages of a friendly book. We settled back into the dinette/lounge area, legs sprawled on the cushions and the overhead light illuminating our adventuresome pages.

Although the days were warm during our test trip, it was good to have the 25,000-BTU furnace as the 6,000-footelevation nights grew colder. For serious winter camping, there's also a storm window option ($368), and all Western Wilderness camper freshwater tanks are insulated and heated to avoid freeze-up. Heated holding tank areas (by directing heated air flow from the furnace) are available for $82, which is a good investment to enhance cold-climate usability.

Our nourishing meal efforts were well served by the Rainier's fully-outfitted kitchen facilities. Storage cabinets abound close-by, and the dual-bowl sink and stove arrangement works well in conjunction with the L-shaped counterspace opposite, across.the aisle. There's more than enough kitchen-goods storage space close by.

Bathing in a truck camper's compact wet bath can be a challenge for a tall, non-compact user. Given the alternatives, it beat a brisk outdoor shower with the camper's optional external-access faucets and shower head ($85), and it was a darn sight better than a sitz bath in front of the sink. Even sitting in its very small room, the camper's shower provided a decent way to rinse off the day's grime and provide that refreshing overall clean sensation. Some campers in this size range include a dry bath with a small curtain-surrounded shower enclosure, but the Rainier's wet bath arrangement worked just great for us, and is a reasonable tradeoff in view of the compact size and mobility of this unit.

A bathroom-cabinet furnace register kept the bathing process from becoming a chilling proposition. A short curtain keeps water from splashing out around the door, but it isn't drawn entirely around the bather so wrestling with a sticky, wet curtain isn't necessary with this rig. The toilet-paper roll is stored in a small compartment below the sink that seems to keep it dry during shower use.

Most truck campers get high marks for sleeping comfort and we really like the fore-and-aft bed alignment. It isn't necessary to climb over the other occupant to exit the bed for late-night wanderings, and since the bed is narrower than the camper, there's room on the sides for shirt closets and other storage cabinets. We slept well on the innerspring-type mattress.

When we off-loaded the camper, we found the Atwood electric jacks are well worth their price. Since the job requires pushing buttons instead of working cranks, it's a lot easier for the average person to handle. Not counting the time to unfasten the Happijac camper tie-downs, use of the electric jacks means unloading or loading the camper requires just a few minutes when done by one person.

CONSTRUCTION

Wood framing throughout, with 2 x 2inch material in the roof and floor and 1 x 2-inch lumber in the side walls, is the basis of the camper's construction. The roof uses EPDM rubber over a 1/8-inch lauan backer, applied to polystyrene insulation that's cut to produce a tapered roof for effective water runoff. Vinyl-clad decorative lauan covers the ceiling, and the whole assembly is vacuum-laminated for strength.

Corrugated Fiberglass vacuum-bonded to a lauan backer covers the exterior walls, which are insulated with spun fiberglass and sheathed inside with decorative lauan. The floor starts with inch Weyerhaeuser oriented-strand board over the wood frame and polystyrene insulation, which is then covered below with vinyl-faced sheathing for weather resistance. The floor and lower wall (pickup-box area) components are also vacuum-laminated.

We were very impressed with the camper's fit and finish. It has a good solid feel about it, joints fit tightly and moving parts such as drawers and cabinet doors open, shut, latch and stay that way when they should. It's a well-built product that looks as if it can stand up to long-term use.

As usual, our time in the Western Wilderness Rainier 10-footer went entirely too fast. Its complete features provide comfortable living accommodations that today's camper users have come to expect, and its well-built structure helps ensure a buyer will receive a long service life for the investment. It's a camper that does a good job of living up to its wellknown name's reputation.

Western Recreational Vehicles Incorporated, PO. Box 9547, Yakima, Washington 98909; (509) 457-4113.

Copyright T L Enterprises, Inc. Apr 1997
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