For decades, the typical travel trailer has stuck to the same formula. Build a wooden box, plant the contents of a hotel room in it, slap some swoops in it, and ship it out. The traditional travel trailer doesn’t do much to amaze, but that seems to changing. Everyday travel trailers are now getting downright silly features and I’m here for it. One of them is the 2025 Dutchmen Aspen Trail 3200WAP. A full one-third of this thing is a porch and, honestly, I want to see even more silly ideas.
I’ve been going camping out of travel trailers for nearly the entirety of the three decades I’ve been alive. I still love it regardless if I’m sleeping in a bear-spraying apocalypse bunker on wheels or a box pretending to be a house. But for most of my life, I’ve noticed that most campers have stuck to largely the same formula. Most of the time, your camper comes with the basics of home and a little flair. Sure, you might get a leather couch here or a stone countertop there, but after a while, the wow factor sort of disappears.
That’s why I’ve long loved independent RV companies. The independents do some wild experimentation that keeps things pretty interesting. In recent years, I’ve noticed that even the big guys like Forest River and Thor Industries have also been having fun. Earlier this year, I wrote about the No Boundaries RV Suite from Forest River, a funky thing that was genuinely a pleasant surprise. Back in 2022, I also wrote about the Jayco Jay Feather Volare from Thor Industries, and it was something I’d never seen from one of the big brands before.
The 2025 Dutchmen Aspen Trail 3200WAP is a clever trailer. It’s not going to change the game when it comes to materials or construction. Instead, it intelligently takes popular features from much more expensive RVs and packages them into something that costs less than the average new car.
The Hot New Thing
The Aspen Trail 3200WAP I looked at in Indiana was a step in the right direction, even if the concept may not be your jam. What I didn’t expect was this trailer taking off in popularity. Now I’m seeing it all over RV social media and on sites that report on RVs. RV Business nominated the 3200WAP as a top debut and just a few days ago, RV News called the 3200WAP its RV of the Year for the entry-level travel trailer category.
This trailer also drew a bit of a small crowd at the RV show itself with generally positive comments. It looks like people are really into this thing, so let’s take a look for ourselves!
This trailer comes from Dutchmen, a brand launched in 1988 and acquired by Thor Industries in 1991. Dutchmen originally served as an entry-level brand and within two years of its founding, it became the second-largest manufacturer of travel trailers and fifth wheels. Today, Dutchmen says it’s a subsidiary of Keystone RV, which is a brand of Thor. Dutchmen then has its own lineup of brands ranging from the entry-level Aspen Trail Mini to the luxury Voltage. Aspen Trail positions itself as the brand with a wide variety of floorplans plus a large number of standard features.
Dutchmen says the 2025 Aspen Trail 3200WAP was designed for people who value comfort and style. But, more than that, Dutchmen says this is the first travel trailer on the market with a wraparound porch.
Let’s start with the exterior. This trailer measures 36 feet long. Weirdly, the dealers advertising these for sale say the trailers weigh 8,000 pounds when loaded. However, the manufacturing sticker on the unit at the RV show says the unloaded weight is 8,300 pounds and the loaded weight is 10,900 pounds. Unless Dutchmen found 2,000 pounds to remove between September and today, I would bet on the dealerships having misquoted the weight.
Dutchmen says the trailer uses an Alphaply TPO roof system, a metal structure for the patio, and aluminum corrugated siding. As of writing, Dutchmen has not published other specifications. However, I did go snooping around. In my opinion, the exterior quality of the trailer is better than expected. Everything on the example at the show fit together well, I found no rust, and I didn’t notice any obvious quality problems. It looked like a trailer I would be happy to take delivery of.
If you aren’t a regular reader this may sound a bit silly. However, when I looked at RVs during the peak of the pandemic I saw brand-new units with parts falling off and rusting at the dealer. This is a vast improvement, which is good!
The main entrance of this camper is intended to be the porch, so that’s where I headed next. I was happy to see lots of metal being used from top to bottom here and once again, it was clean and rust-free. The steel structure extends to the roof as well, which I like.
Once you climb up the steps you’re presented with this trailer’s first big feature. That patio is pretty much a full one-third of the trailer’s footprint! Now, I’ll be frank when I say I’m not a patio person. I’m perfectly happy just pitching a chair outside of the trailer and having more space inside. However, if this is your kind of thing I think you’ll love it. The patio gives you great views of the outside world and there’s even a three-stool bar with a giant pass-through window to the kitchen.
Is it gimmicky? Yeah, but I also think it could be pretty fun. I could see myself chilling with some friends under the canopy and enjoying some cold snacks passed through the bar window. There’s also accent lighting outside and speakers in the patio ceiling.
Again, Dutchmen gave no specifics on materials, but it looks like the floor of the deck is a type of composite and the walls aren’t real wood but appear to be printed siding.
Moving inside through the sliding entry door, you first walk into the full kitchen, which connects directly to the patio. The kitchen has a refrigerator of decent size plus all of the other appliances you’d expect. I was impressed in this area. This trailer is pretty affordable, yet Dutchmen was pretty generous with the farmhouse-style sink, the plastic countertop, and the refrigerator. The materials in the kitchen were also pretty nice for the price. You’re not going to be blown away, but everything felt sturdy and I got a general feeling that some care was taken in putting it together.
The front of the trailer has the primary bedroom, which has the trailer’s forward entry door. In the middle sits the bathroom. The bathroom was another unexpectedly nice place. Usually, cheap trailers skimp out on showers, which is bad if you’re a bigger person like me. This shower wasn’t huge, but I fit in it without feeling like was going to get into a brawl with a shower curtain. That’s all I ask for in RV showers! The toilet also has its own little door so someone could presumably use the toilet in privacy while someone else washes their hands. There’s also an onboard laundry machine.
Finally, we land in the living room, and here’s where the trailer’s next trick feature kicks in. By day, this area serves as a home theater, a place to eat, or a place to work.
By night, the TV on the wall folds up while the electric fireplace folds down, revealing a hidden Murphy bed. Dutchmen says it has patents pending on both the split-folding wall and the wraparound porch. If the sales of this trailer end up as strong as the early response is thus far I could see other brands trying to copy this stuff. Oh and before you ask, power to the electric fireplace is interrupted the moment you pull the wall so there shouldn’t be a fire hazard.
Something I was also pleased by was the general quality of the unit. It wasn’t the best thing ever, but it was a notable and visible improvement over trailers from just two years ago. I didn’t find any sloppy amateur mistakes, missing fasteners, or parts that were already wearing out while the trailer was on display. I cannot tell you how long this trailer will last, but at the very least, this trailer presented itself exactly as you’d expect a brand-new trailer to. So, good work to the people who constructed this trailer. Still, as always, I recommend inspecting a unit before putting down your well-earned money. It also doesn’t hurt to wait for reviews to come out before making that purchase.
Not Perfect, But I Like Where This Is Going
All of this being said, there was one part about the 2025 Aspen Trail 3200WAP that I didn’t like, and it’s the space eaten up by the deck. At first, this doesn’t seem like a problem. There looks to be plenty of space in there, right? Well, you might have noticed that there isn’t a dinette or real table to be found. The expectation is that you’ll eat either outside on the patio or from the recliners of the living room.
Eating outside would suck during inclement weather or cold temperatures and the living room’s solution for eating and working is a coffee table with an adjustable surface. I guess it gets the job done, but it’s not ideal.
Still, I could see why RV News called the Aspen Trail 3200WAP the entry-level RV of the Year. It seems like the features of the trailer do punch above the camper’s price point. The porch also isn’t the most revolutionary thing out there — destination trailers have had porches for a while — but it does break the boring mold that traditional travel trailers have been sticking to for seemingly forever.
If you’re interested in getting one of your own, Dutchmen says the 2025 Aspen Trail 3200WAP should cost around $37,000 depending on the selling dealership. These trailers aren’t in production yet and there isn’t even a webpage for it yet. Dutchmen also hasn’t revealed any further specs than I’ve noted here.
That stuff aside, I think the trailer is overall a pretty fun idea. Again, porches aren’t really my thing. Fancy Mercedes is just fine with a camping chair next to a fire. However, I am excited to see the big RV manufacturers trying new things and trying to have some fun. I think your RV should be something that makes you think “this is cool” and I think this trailer does that if it’s your sort of thing. Dutchmen says to stay tuned because these should go on sale soon.
(Images: Author, unless otherwise noted.)
I really dig what appears to be an induction cooktop. I’m an induction convert. Basically no waste heat generated heating the cookware, and while the cooktop can get hot, it gets nowhere near as hot as a regular electric cooktop or a gas cooktop.
The only real downside is induction compatible cookware, but even that isn’t that bad. Anything cast iron works great, and finding induction compatible stainless steel isn’t that hard, basically if a magnet will stick to the bottom of the cookware its induction compatible.
I do like Murphy beds, and enjoy porches except for mosquitoes. Good to hear the quality seems decent, and I was surprised at the MSRP given some things we’ve seen here.
Maybe some in the industry are taking constructive criticism to heart
I’m not an engineer, but it seems like the porch area would be an ideal application for a slide-out or fold down feature instead of being permanent wide open feature on the backside.
Pretty sure they have ones that fold down when you set up camp to be your “deck”. Guess they don’t have a roof though.
The WAP describes what happens to your dinner during inclement weather- wet appetizers/plates
I like it, especially for the price. I RV at racetracks a lot and this would be a fun place to hang out on the porch so people could drop by and have a beer.
I cannot get past the mind-numbingly joyless and cheap greige plastic & vinyl interior.
And the idea of carrying around a fixed porch while the interior space suffers so much that you need a heavy slide on the other side to make up the difference in lost floorspace – That’s remarkably stupid.
I’m with the others – Make the trailer smaller, and do a flip-down porch with a sliding glass door behind it when it’s in road-going condition.
And for the love of all things unholy – Can we get some actual colors, fabrics and Rooms-To-Go reject furniture in there?
When you are cleaning up mud and spills, vinyl is your friend. On the other hand, greige is always joy-free.
I grew up in a time when vinyl was colorful and fun – and came with interesting and cool names like “Naugahyde”, “Congoleum” and “Solarian” (Which was in my parents house)
If you’re out camping, isn’t EVERYTHING not your camper basically your porch?
I had the same thought! But i guess if you have a big ass truck to tow a big camper but don’t need/want that much square interior footage why not have a deck as well i suppose. Also if you are only stopping for one night and don’t want to set up / break down all your exterior awning, tables ect and just want to park, run the generators sleep seems like a great setup.
I’m going to have to disagree with others that the porch is wasted interior space. When I’m camping (or “camping” in this case) the goal is typically to be outside at all times unless sleeping or when the weather is awful. This camper gives you a nice, and even elevated porch area to look out at wherever you’ve taken it. At a campground… maybe not such a feature, but if you’re on a nice piece of property I can see the appeal.
Now, this thing is still absolutely a monster and I would never own something that could tow it, but for some of the older couples that already tow huge campers around and don’t need to sleep a bunch of people, I think it makes sense. And if it is actually well built for 37k, it’s actually a pretty reasonable value.
I actually saw it the other way. Why, when I’m out actually in nature, do I care about deck? The entire outdoors is my patio out there and I can’t start a fire on the trailer deck. But if I’m in some campground, with noticeably limited exterior space to my avail, then perhaps I would be more interested in a built in deck?
Really, I am NOT the target demographic. No version of parking on a paved or graded surface is camping. Towing a building is not camping. So yeah, RVs in general don’t really resonate with me.
I wonder if Cardi B will do a promotional tour for it.
Maybe in the rain? Showcase the Wet-Ass-Porch?
“I would bet on the dealerships having misquoted the weight.”
That’s a pilot way of saying RV dealerships, like car dealerships, don’t actually know about their product. Or it is wanton misinformation to show the dry weight to entice people into believing their 1/2 ton trucks can pull them.
Another note, with the Murphy down, does it block the bathroom?
There’s a small corridor to get to the bathroom around the bed.
I love porches when they don’t take up otherwise enclosable space. This seems like a waste.
There are other ways to do this. Like a toy hauler where you can just leave the entire back open and prop the ramp up so it is flat. Then at least you can enclose the space later for something more useful.
2022 Toy Haulers | RV Lifestyle Magazine
That was my first thought. Why waste indoor space for a porch that could otherwise be created with a roll out awning?
I think the porch that is the subject of this post is more “feels cool” then is useful.
The first thought in my cynical brain was that this was just a way for them to sell you less actual product for the same or more money.
Maybe, I think it’s more of a show-piece. People pay for things that look cool.
That’s how I’d do a porch. But again, I’m not really a porch person so even the ramp idea is not for me. People seemed to really love this wraparound porch concept though, so apparently there’s appeal somewhere.
I get the appeal, it looks cool.
I have a thing for toy haulers so that’s always my point of reference. Maybe it’s their utility I like. And I don’t even own a quad or SxS.
Another thing is that this porch is exposed. So going down the road, all the grime, rubber bits, dirt, dust, etc will just get on everything. With flip down type they should at least keep that minimized.
the one you linked is WAY bigger of an RV tho. that one is a 5th wheel. this is a class 3/4 hitch.
“A full one-third of this thing is a porch and, honestly, I want to see more of this.”
That’s a lot of space that IMO is better used for things like a roomier bathroom or a shower.
If porches are your thing why not have floors hinged on the side to drop down when needed and fold up for transport with awnings for cover?
I was about to comment this. Just have a pinned/bolted frame that can be pinned to the body while traveling, and set into place when parked, take up zero interior space and add some real value to your customer for once.
Second thing I wanted to point out, that is unrelated to the porch. Until these companies build a trailer worth a damn, no gimmick will ever convince me to purchase one. While Mercedes did note that some of the exterior looked pretty good, all the interior materials are obviously the cheapest thing they could get from the Home Depot. On a budget model like this, I think that’s okay, for anything north of 50k, I would expect better, and the industry has a need for it, but since it would be less profitable, we are unlikely to see it happen.
If you watch a tiny house show or two, you’ll see all sorts of fold-down porches and similar solutions. It is baffling that these companies aren’t taking some of the lessons from those (since, of course, they are pretty much just campers set up for better long-term living).
Weight is the only big issue, but there are solutions to that, but I think the real issue for these builders is just that it might cut into profit margins
I can’t imagine a drop down porch floor and fold out awning would cut appreciably into profits.
Anything with moving parts that also needs to lock into place (and stay in place while on the move) is going to add costs. And taking up extra space on lots (unless they want to show it off with the porch folded, which won’t look nearly as impressive and almost assuredly worse than this one) isn’t exactly a benefit for sales. They will charge more, of course, but probably not enough to pad the profits.