After listening to your suggestions on the Lantern LT 17BColeman went to work to create a extra couples-friendly journey trailer with extra residing house and storage capability. The outcome?
Enter the Lantern LT 17Rone in all Coleman’s latest light-weight journey trailers.

Right here you’ll get an insider’s take a look at all that goes on behind the scenes to create the Coleman Lanter LT 17R. However first, let’s get an summary of this Coleman camper earlier than we dive into the way it’s made.
The Coleman Lantern LT 17R
Journey Trailer Specs
Size: 21’5”
Peak: 9’9”
Dry Weight: 2,970 kilos
Sleeping Capability: As much as 3
The 17R boasts extra ground house and 2-3 occasions extra storage than the 17B. Coleman eliminated the bunks and changed them with a extra spacious lavatory that incorporates a floor-to-ceiling wardrobe closet.
A few of its greatest options embody a full-size convertible dinette, powered exterior awning, electrical fire, air con, and a fully-equipped kitchen. It’s additionally prepped for photo voltaic panels and a backup digital camera.
Study extra about this Coleman trailer or test our nationwide stock.
How the Coleman Lantern LT 17R Is Made
From body to complete, right here’s Coleman’s manufacturing course of for this towable camper:
High quality Management
Picture by Dutchmen
High quality is job one.
The whole Coleman Lantern LT 17R manufacturing course of consists of six essential stations. All through these stations, 5-6 high quality management specialists are devoted completely to making sure each RV is constructed to RVIA specs.
At every station, a top quality management maintain – QC Maintain – might be positioned on any unit that doesn’t meet Coleman’s requirements. Particular points have to be mounted earlier than the unit can transfer to the following station. And we start with the trailer body, the muse for the remainder of the unit’s construction and options.
Trailer Body
Picture by Dutchmen
This Coleman journey trailer is constructed on a single-axle trailer body with full-width outriggers that help the trailer’s physique.
When it enters the manufacturing facility, the body is flipped to put in the axle, tires, suspension, and guide stabilizing jacks. Wiring can also be run for the trailer lights, and the propane traces are put in whereas the body is inverted.
Holding Tanks, Electrical, Plumbing, Propane, and Ducting Programs
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The body is flipped again over earlier than the grey and black water holding tanks are put in. All holding tanks are rotomolded in the 17Rand it boasts the next holding tank capacities:
Grey Water: 28 gallons
Black Water: 28 gallons
Shade-coded wiring is run for the holding tank sensors and different electrical elements earlier than the body strikes into the flooring station. Shade-coded PEX piping can also be run for the RV’s plumbing programs.
Flooring
Picture by Dutchmen
On the subsequent station, specialists set up the Lantern’s no-seam flooring. It includes ⅝” OSB topped with linoleum with a Darco underlay.
Darco is a woven materials used as a moisture-resistant barrier.
The Darco underlay is the bottom-most materials you see when climbing underneath this trailer. After the Darco is put in, 2”x2” framing is ready in place and topped with a layer of ⅝” OSB decking, which is screwed into the cross members of the trailer body.
The ground is completed with linoleum, which is glued down and stapled across the edges, and in any respect factors the place base units will probably be put in. The bottom units ultimately cowl these staples so none are uncovered when development is full.
As soon as the ground is full, the trailer’s 27-gallon contemporary water holding tank is put in, and water traces are run on the subsequent station.
Base Set
Picture by Dutchmen
With the ground in place, it’s time for the inside base units to enter place. This contains the framing for the toilet, kitchen, mattress, dinette, and overhead cabinetry framing. Valances, inside lightsand inside vents are additionally put in.
Setting the inside base additionally contains the set up of the water heater, bathe basin and encompassplumbing vents, and bathroom. With the preliminary base set in place, the entrance, rear, and aspect exterior partitions are subsequent within the manufacturing course of.
These partitions are constructed from the principle line utilizing 2” x 2” framing and a sheet of paneling on the inside. They’re then put in and screwed all the way down to the ground and to one another for structural integrity.
Specialists then glue insulation between the vertical wall studs earlier than the outside is completed with 024 corrugated metallic, offering glorious climate resistance and sturdiness. When full, the partitions are put in on prime of the ground and screwed into place.
Roof Set
Picture by Dutchmen
Then it’s time to put in the Coleman trailer’s totally walkable TPO roof. The roof framing is constructed off the principle line in sections utilizing 2” x 2” framing and ⅜” OSB decking.
TPO stands for thermoplastic olefin, which is a single-ply, heat-resistant roofing membrane.
These roof sections are set on prime of the outside partitions and nailed into place. Wiring is run for the roof vent followersWinegard antenna, and different roof-mounted RV equipment, reminiscent of your air con unit and the prep for a photo voltaic panel set up.
Insulation is added between the horizontal framing studs earlier than the ⅜” OSB decking sheets are laid on prime of the framing and nailed down. Extra openings are minimize for the roof vents, septic vents, and A/C unit earlier than the perimeters are sanded, and the seams are taped.
Glue is unfold on sure areas of the roof decking earlier than the rubber membrane is stretched and pulled tight, permitting for correct growth and contraction in sure climates. A squeegee helps to take away air bubbles and guarantee full adhesion.
The seam rails are then nailed into place, and the roof-mounted equipment are put in. With all of the rails and equipment in place, the ultimate step for the roof set is the liberal utility round all equipment and alongside every roof seam.
As soon as full, Coleman’s roof set boasts an 18-year guarantee.
Pre-Ultimate
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Within the pre-final station, the trailer’s furnishings and home equipment are put in. All working home equipment, such because the microwave, fridge, and air conditioner, are bar-coded for simpler recall service and guarantee substitute.
Ending touches additionally happen on the inside cabinetry, and the doorways, framed home windows, and decals are put in. The mattressdinette desk, and cushions are additionally put in on this station.
This station can also be the place the management programs and security gear for the 17R are put in. That features the fireplace extinguisher, fireplace alarm, carbon monoxide, and LP gasoline alarm.
Outdoors, a lap sealant is utilized alongside the wall seams and round all compartment and entry doorways, home windows, and applicable equipment installations. The Lantern LT 17R’s powered exterior awning is put in at this station.
The unit’s electrical programs are examined within the pre-final station to make sure all inside and exterior lights perform correctly. Different assessments on this station embody working all working home equipment and security alarms.
Ultimate
Picture by Dutchmen
Within the closing station, the propane and plumbing programs are examined utilizing the identical assessments that Tenting World technicians conduct throughout a post-delivery inspection. This contains an LP leak-down check on the propane system and a leak check on the plumbing system.
Along with these assessments, high quality management specialists test all exterior seams, search for free or lacking screws, guarantee the bottom set covers all flooring staples, and far more. They give the impression of being over each inch of the trailer from prime to backside and handle excellent objects earlier than it leaves the manufacturing line.
Shine Bay
Picture by Dutchmen
Now it’s time to make the Coleman Lantern LT 17R shine. The inside is washed from roof to border, and the identical is finished inside. The shine bay preps every unit to make sure it arrives on the dealership tour-ready and in high-quality form for its debut journey.
Stress Testing
One unit per day goes into their rain bay, which sprays a whole lot of gallons of water from totally different angles to stress-test all exterior seams and seals. This ensures every batch of 17R trailers that come off the road is prepared for no matter nature throws at them.
If leaks are discovered, your entire batch could also be re-evaluated to make sure a manufacturing error wasn’t extra widespread on that day. Moreover, each unit is backed by a three-year structural producer guarantee.
Concerned about studying extra about Coleman RVs?
Try our article on what actual RV homeowners love about their Coleman RV.
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