RV REVIEW REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY HOWARD J ELMER
PALOMINO REAL-LITE MINI 186 This mini has many standard features The Real-Lite Mini from Palomino is what I call a couple’s trailer—that’s just my label. However, it can also be viewed as an escape vehicle for folks new to RVing who want to get into something smaller that they can tow with the vehicle they already own. Frankly that definition springs from all the new models that have come to dealer lots the past two years in response to Covid and the jump in sales it has caused. At 21-feet long and just around 4,000 pounds, it fits that bill to a T. This single slide-out trailer also employs a space- saving trick—its 60”x 80” bed folds when not in use to reveal a cushioned loveseat. A nice sized dinette is housed in the slide-out; one which also folds down for another sleep space. (30”x 70”). This layout (including a large bathroom) will scratch that get-out-of-town itch. Palomino has a long history, one built on responding to customer needs with units they want to buy. It started in 1968 when Mr. Vern Landey, a tent trailer distributor, felt he could design and produce better quality units for his customers. He designed units that were lightweight and offered convenient floorplans.
The first Palomino pop-up tent trailers were built in a small building in Savage, Minnesota. The company expanded in the following years— in part because of its attention to RVing trends. Then in 1998 it expanded to a new 75,000 sq. ft. production facility. This allowed for Palomino to begin production of their new ultra light- weight line of travel trailers. In 2002, they were purchased by Forest River, Inc. This allowed for rapid growth and the introduction of two new towable lines of travel trailers and fifth-wheels, Puma by Palomino and Sabre by Palomino. Two new 100,000 square foot facilities were built in Goshen, Indiana, to house the production lines for these two new products. The stand-out feature on the Mini is the large front automotive style window; it lights up the interior, which along with the slide-out makes the unit feel larger overall. Among the many standard features found in the Real-Lite Mini are maple hand-glazed cabinets, LED interior lighting, ball bearing drawer guides, a porcelain toilet, power awning with LED light, and 13.5K Btu air conditioner. This unit from Palomino is on the higher end of the price scale for a unit of this size—so it’s important to see what you are getting standard.
RV REVIEW
COAST TO COAST MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022 | 36
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