With a budget of under-five figures, finding the perfect RV can be difficult. For your price point, they’re either too small, too expensive, or you’re nervous the age. We’ve found 9 affordable camper trailers under $10,000 we’re sure will meet all of your needs and wants.
We’ll show you the best campers for the money that aren’t teardrops or expandable pop-ups. These towables are real travel trailers with a lot of features that you’ll see in bigger versions. You’ll also see how to take advantage of buying strategies to buy RVs that would normally be out of your price range.
What Are The Cheapest RVs
Generally, teardrop and pop-up expandable campers are the least expensive RVs you’re going to find. Manufacturers are doing great things with their small spaces. A visit you an RV show, your local dealer, or visiting their websites will show you how far they’ve come.
Teardrop Campers
If you look at the Forest River Flagstaff E-Pro 12RK, it has many features you’d find on a self-contained travel trailer. This teardrop has a rooftop air conditioner, holding tanks, and a full media center that includes a television.
Teardrops are great for those that want to primarily exist outside. The interior is for sleeping or a space to get out of the rain. The kitchen area is enough to make basic meals for long weekends. If you’re looking for something that has more amenities like a bathroom and a home-like feel, this style of RV might not work for you.
Pop-Up Expandable Campers
Pop-ups, like the Aliner Somerset Utah is a soft-shell expandable that has two pull out king beds, and a slideout dinette that seats six. It has kitchen features and a wet bath that includes a cassette toilet with a hand-held shower sprayer. There is some space to move around and it sleeps up to seven people.
Pop-ups are great for short trips to campgrounds during the peak of camping season. The vinyl walls are water-resistant but don’t insulate well in cold or very hot temperatures. These campers have less storage, more setup time, and require more preventive maintenance than travel trailers.
Common Features of $10,000 Travel Trailers
At first thought, many people would think that a travel trailer at this price point would be designated to the bargain-efficient section in the back of the RV dealership. They don’t have slideouts or high-quality leather. Yet, you’ll be surprised at the quality features RV manufacturers add as standard equipment.
Travel trailers of this price point share many features with their big brothers and sister models. They also have features in common between each other. To give you some perspective, you’ll see:
Exterior Features
- Corregated aluminum exteriors
- Front pass-through storage bays
- Non-centralized shore hookups
- Single axles
- One 30 pound propane tank
- An exterior house battery
- Diamond plate rock guards up front
- Solar prewire and ports
- 30 amp electrical service
- Backup camera bracket
Interior Features
- Front queen-size beds
- Small single basin sinks
- Two-burner stoves with hood vent
- Smaller microwave
- 3-5 cubic foot refrigerators
- Bathrooms with a plumbed toilet and stall shower (no bathroom sink)
- Installed media center with Bluetooth and other input capabilities
- TV mount prewire and prepared walls
- 110 and USB power outlets
- Fold down dinettes that turn into extra sleeping space
The Best Camper Trailers Under $10,000
Forest River Wolf Pup 15RD Travel Trailer
- Dry Weight: 3,309 pounds
- Length: 19.1 feet
- Sleeps: Up to 4 people
- Best Price: $8,500
The Cherokee Wolf Pup 15RD was unique for 2020. Forest River discontinued this model in 2021 for the 16 model series. The designers made decisions that were quite different than what people would normally expect in a travel trailer.
This almost 20-foot trailer has a rear entry door that lets you store long items while you travel. You could install a roof rack, but your kayak and bikes would easily fit down the center hallway. There is a passenger-side full-length awning to enjoy the outdoor space.
On the driver’s side, there are two twin bunks. The four-seater dinette in front does fold down into a double sleeper. The kitchen space has all of the regular features like a two-burner stove, full-length refrigerator, sink, and microwave.
The bathroom space on the passenger rear is distinct from all others. It features a full-length shower stall, but not a toilet. This allows you to clean yourself off from your day’s adventures and use it as a mudroom.
The lack of a toilet is a weight and space saver. The shower takes advantage of the grey water holding tank. Not having a toilet means that the trailer saves weight by not having a black water tank.
Travel Lite RAYZR FB-M Truck Camper
- Dry Weight: 935 pounds
- Length: 6.9 feet
- Sleeps: Up to 2 people
- Price: $9,999
Travel Lite’s RAYZR has been around for years. It’s one of the most popular non-cab over truck campers on the market due to the versatility of features and its lightweight. As long as you have a quarter-ton truck with a standard (six and a half-foot long) bed minimum, your rear hitch is clear to pull your boat or ATV trailer.
The bed section of the camper has diamond plating protecting the aluminum exterior from scratching. There is a rainbow of colors you can choose from to match the exterior to your truck. Once you find your camping spot, you can use the manual or optional electric jacks to lift it out of your truck bed.
Once you’re inside, you can enjoy the direct vent furnace or side-mount air conditioner to escape the temperature outside. If it feels a little stuffy, or your Iron Chef skills aren’t what they should be, the roof’s vent fan and windows open to create a breeze of fresh air.
Whether you’re plugged in or running off the house batteries, the 30 amp service and inverter keeps your media system running for hours as you finish out the day. You won’t have to deal with sound quality issues with the built-in speakers filling the space from their position on the ceiling.
Gulf Stream Amerilite 16BHC Travel Trailer
- Dry Weight: 2,590 pounds
- Length: 18.10 feet
- Sleeps: Up to 4 people
- Price: $9,995
Gulf Stream’s Amerilite series is one of their most popular lines. The 16BHC is an excellent entry-level travel trailer if you’re looking for a small RV with bunk beds. A Jeep Wrangler or other small SUV has the capability to pull this travel trailer.
The front dinette seats four and converts to a queen-size bed for two. The bathroom has a tub style shower and commode. The kitchen sink also acts as the bathroom sink as a space-saving technique.
Interior storage includes overhead storage along the front ceiling width and along the side galley. Next to the kitchen is a full-length closet that can act as a wardrobe or pantry. Separating the entry door and the end of the bunks is a shirt-size closet that has space above to place your TV.
Ice Castle Fish House Little Jigger Travel Trailer
- Dry Weight: 1,920 pounds
- Length: 12 feet
- Sleeps: Up to 2 people
- Price: $8,450
For the avid ice-fishers, why not combine your camping experience with your fish shanty. Ice Castle Fish House’s Little Jigger RV tows like a trailer, so you can pull it on to the ice. Once you find that perfect place, you unhitch and raise the trailer wheels to seal the bottom of the trailer against the ice.
When you walk in, you’ll find a three-seater jackknife sofa, a two-burner cooktop on a countertop, and a wall with all the connection you need to mount your TV. On the floor are four black circles that open up to create your fishing holes. To stay warm, the fiberglass batt insulation keeps the propane furnace heat inside in the coldest of temperatures.
This 30 amp RV has big house batteries if you can’t plug in, you’ll still have plenty of stored energy to watch the game, keep the lights on, or level your character up on your game console. There’s also a connection for cable or satellite to make sure you get a clear picture.
If you have too much fun, the sofa does fold down into a bed for two. The overhead cabinets have plenty of storage space for everything you need. The coach itself weighs less than 2,000 pounds, so the ice fishing authorities shouldn’t have too much of a problem.
KZ Sportsmen Classic SE 100RKSE Travel Trailer
- Dry Weight: 1,760 pounds
- Length: 13 feet
- Sleeps: Up to 3 people
- Price: $8,900
The KZ 100RKSE gives you the perfect combination of a travel trailer and a teardrop. The interior gives you sleeping space for three that’s tall enough to stand in, and an exterior kitchen space outside like a teardrop. Unlike a teardrop, you’ll have travel trailer size features and comfort.
The outside kitchen has a tall dorm-size refrigerator, single basin sink, and microwave. On the door side, is a mountable griddle that comes with the RV. This mount bracket is universal to attach your barbecue, an additional shelf, or anything else you need for your outdoor space.
The interior space has a queen size bed with overhead storage on the off-door wall. The walkway ends in a cabinet feature that holds a furnace, shirt closet, and a side-mount A/C. The door-side wall has a shelf that’s strong enough for a twin-size bunk.
Both the kitchen wall and the interior space are TV mount-ready. The media system inside has connections to both areas so you can enjoy your favorite shows and movies through whatever input source you want. For your internet streaming services, this Sportsmen Classic SE model is ready for wifi.
2020 Coachmen Viking Saga 16SFB Travel Trailer
- Dry Weight: 2,783 pounds
- Length: 18.6 feet
- Sleeps: Up to 4 people
- Price: $9,999
Within the first year, RVs can depreciate up to 20%. As a buyer, you can take advantage of this situation. Now that the 2021 models are on every dealer’s lot, there are still plenty of 2020 models taking up space they need to clear out. The price difference between a 2021 and a 2020 of the exact same coach can determine if the perfect RV is in your price range.
The difference between the 2020 and the 2021 Coachmen Viking Saga 16SFB is aesthetic. Like car companies, RV manufacturers will change the interior design and add small features between model years if they’re not ready to release a major lineup change. If you can live without these little tweaks, you’re getting the same RV.
This Saga has a permanent front queen-size bed that has full volume storage underneath it. In fact, the front passthrough exterior storage bays access the same space, so you can get to your stored equipment from the outside or inside. There’s additional storage around the front and sides of the ceiling space.
Coachmen makes sure that this small travel trailer has the best standard features. A power awning with LED lights, backup camera bracket, outdoor shower, 7 cubic foot refrigerator, and many other features. The roof-mounted air conditioner has enough BTUs to cool off a unit twice its size.
2019 Shasta Travel Trailer Oasis 18FQ ($12,700/$8,330)
- Dry Weight: 3,186 pounds
- Length: 18 feet
- Sleeps: Up to 4 people
- Price: $8,330
The Shasta Oasis 18FQ takes advantage of the previous year’s buying strategy. In 2020, Shasta changed its entire lineup, putting the Oasis series to bed. Yet there are still brand new Oasis RVs on dealer lots with incredible deals out there.
The original price of the Oasis 18FQ was $12,700. It’s now down to $8,330. This $4,370 difference makes this new 18 foot towable one of the best campers for the money. Even though it’s never had an owner or left the dealer’s lot, RV depreciation is working for you.
The new model that compares to this unit is four feet long and has a price of around $12,300. The floorplans are similar to a master bed up front, side dinette, and rear all-in-one bathroom. Each one has pantry storage with a standard kitchen setup for trailers of this size.
If your answer to “how much are pull behind campers?” is 4 feet, then the Oasis 18FQ is in your price range. This RV will require more of a mid-size SUV or pickup truck, so look for something that can tow at least 5,000 pounds or more to be safe.
2019 Palomino Puma XLE LITE 12RBC
- Dry Weight: 2,756 pounds
- Length: 16.3 feet
- Sleeps: Up to 2 people
- Price: $9,377
Another discontinued model is the 2019 Palomino Puma XLE Lite 12RBC. When it first debuted, it’s price tag was almost $15,000. Now it’s almost $6,000 less. As a never owned model, it still comes with the Palomino extra features.
Even though it’s two model years old, it still comes with Palomino’s factory warranty. The manufacturer also offers a one year complimentary technical and roadside assistance program for buyers of new products (this one too).
Keeping this RV maintained is very low key. Cleaning the vinyl floors, full bathroom, and one-piece kitchen countertops take a few premoisened wipes. The roof-mounted A/C and furnace can reach your desired interior temperature in a few minutes with their high BTU rating.
2018 Coleman Lantern 17FQ/Bunk Travel Trailer
- Dry Weight: 3,205 pounds
- Length: 21 feet
- Sleeps: Up to 7 people
- Price: $10,000
Finding a good used travel trailer is another buying strategy that can pay off for you. To explain, we’ll use this 2018 Coleman Lantern 17FQ as an example. This particular travel trailer has a sales price of $10,000.
We know that Coleman is one of the best entry-level brands in the travel trailer RV market. The model is still built, and a new one has an average price of $20,000. Through research, we can see that the 2020 and 2019 models step down reasonably in both the new and used markets.
- Compatible with multiple providers
- Easily switch providers at power inserter
- Permanent and temporary mount options.Elevation Range: 18-65°
- Fully automatic satellite acquisition.Azimuth: 0 – 416°
- Ultra-small and compact (16" diameter x 13" height)
This particular coach, according to the advertisement, has had one owner for about a year and a half. Our estimation so far is that this price is not unreasonable. It’s a quality RV and the pictures show its in good shape.
Our next step would be to take our checklist to the dealership for a thorough walkthrough. Our goal would be to check out the structure, wiring, plumbing, and everything else on the list. If the RV meets our needs, wants, and expectations, we wouldn’t be afraid to negotiate on the price.
Product data was last updated on 2024-04-25 at 09:23.
