Viking wins one with the clipper

By Brent Peterson
Special to Beginners Guide to RVing

Personal needs are provided for with a shower cassette unit or built-in potti.

The need to get away is only getting stronger. And as ever, a spontaneous trip is among the best kind.

Folding camping trailers or pop-ups depending on your regionality, have long delivered the perfect way to head out of Dodge. Small sizes allow them to rest easy in the garage, ready for a hitch-up when it’s time to hit the road. No expensive off-site storage required. Basic designs and simplified mechanism curb repairs and overblown maintenance, money you can now lavish on your vacation plans. In an age of lightweight towables, they’re still the lightest of the light. Waifish designs mean the family V6 has a fighting chance to tow it, and even modestly sized units can usually sleep six. All this usually for less than a year’s tuition – at a state school.

Whenever a new camper line is unveiled, it’s big news. Although a few more manufacturers are in the fold-down game than years past, it’s still a small group, many of whom date back to the RV industry’s infancy. One of the oldest names belongs to that of Viking Recreational Vehicles, builders of the year 2000 breakout, the Clipper.

The old adage of getting what you pay for may have come across its first caveat in the Clipper Classic’s 1290 ST floor plan. For less than $9,000, there’s enough room for you, your spouse, children, and the in-laws come sleep time. Even my conservative estimates put the bedding capacity at seven, but eight is probably doable – depending on your willingness to snuggle. Even the family hound won’t go bed-less. And you thought you needed that Class A to fit you and your crew?

Two large sleeping areas (54"x80" and 72"x80") bookend the interior, each capable of supporting a minimum of 1,000 pounds. It’s hard to imagine a couple of campers pushing this number, unless there’s your fellow bunkmates happen to be a pair of sumo wrestlers. Still, I like the Clipper’s chances here. Movable lights/fan slide up and down a track over each bed, creating two important functions in one.

Each room features tinted windows and heavy curtains for privacy. Otherwise, unzip the screens to enjoy those cool summer breezes. It’s like tenting without the obligatory stiff neck and soggy sleeping bag.

Secondary bedding comes in the form of the conversion dinette and bench seats, folding down for an extra twosome come nighttime. The sofa also slides down for another comfy spot.

At nearly 24 feet long when fully deployed, the Clipper ranks among the largest tent trailers around. And once inside, it seems even bigger than that. The interior height is a respectable 6’5". A manual slide-out certainly helps things as well, expanding the dinette room valuable inches outward. Or maybe it’s the light, eye-pleasing choice of colors, the openness created by the number of installed windows, or the living space’s non-cluttered layout — or a combination of the three. Whatever it is, the perils of traveling with a family shouldn’t be overplayed here.

The galley offers the basics for light meals and snacks. Our unit featured a three-burner range that could be attached both inside and out depending on your mood of the group gourmet and the complexity of the dish. A flip-up table (just as transportable as the range itself) serves as landing pad for burgers or just a spot for plates and utensils. A small sink, complete with cover for extra countertop, and a three-way refrigerator (an optional upgrade over the standard icebox) round up the area’s features, small by RV standards but complimentary to the less-is-more fold-down community. The usable space in the galley is about average for a fold-down this size. However, the Clipper overachieves in terms of usable countertops throughout the interior, perfect for drinks, books, or a map of the area hiking trails.

If you’re going to build a towable for a large family, you had better figure out a way to carve out plenty of storage space. The Clipper does a fine job, cleverly implementing drawers and compartments in new found ways. Viking makes use of the usual wasted space underneath the sofa by including a slide-out compartment. Its proximity to the galley makes it an ideal spot for cooking supplies and various sundries. Another one sits ready for provisions adjacent to the entryway. I particularly liked the pair of drawers tucked within the bench seating. Look closely, other hidden compartments can be found in innovative places. A 23-cubic-foot, pass-thru storage compartments offers the largest and most convenience space for stowage. And the best part? The space is accessible from both the inside and out, starboard or port sides. You won’t miss those rainy jaunts outside just to fetch the cribbage board.

Whether or not you demand your pop-up be a year-round camping machine is up to you. However, challenge those dropping temperatures with the Clipper’s 15,000-BTU furnace, the same size model found in RVs of considerably larger size. An optional air conditioner wards off the stale heat of August – or just about any time you’re camped in the humid climes of my beloved Midwest. An 11’ Carefree of Colorado awning is a nice option to keep rain off the base camp or when shade is elusive.

Those who want the complete self-containment experience, meaning a toilet and shower, get both in the Classic, in varying degrees. An inconspicuous built-in porta potti is affixed with a cover when not in use. The six-gallon water heater adds a touch of civility to the exterior shower, great for remedying muddy hands (and paws), doing dishes, or catching a quick scrub-down when camped in remote locations.

A GVWR of less than 3,000 pounds avails the Clipper to all sorts of tow vehicle combinations. In a society where trucks outnumber cars, most families shouldn’t struggle to find something to haul it off the dealer’s lot. The other pleasant surprise comes in the in-transit size (just over 16’) and height (approximately four feet). All this living space won’t come at a high price tag of difficult maneuvering and obstructed visibility as you make your way to your camping destination.

Read about other Pop Up Trailers

You’ve got to like any towable that tows small and plumps up by approximately 50 percent upon arrival. The Classic harbors lots of room for a sub 25’ model, and sleeping, the most underrated and often-overlooked component of RV travel, isn’t overlooked. This fold-down dares families to outgrow it, while delivering a lot of possibilities for its modest price tag.

Coachmen Clipper Classic
Model: #1290 ST
Length: 16’2" (in transit); 23’10" (deployed)
Interior height: 6’6"(deployed)
Exterior height: 4’2" (in transit)
Exterior width: 85"
Gross vehicle weight rating: 2,995 lbs.
Hitch weight: 220 lbs.
Axle(s) weight: 2,330 lbs.
Unloaded vehicle weight: 2,550 lbs.
Storage tanks (gallons):
Fresh water: 16
LP gas (lbs.): 20
Water heater: 6

Standard features: Laminated beds, inside/outside three-burner range, 20-amp converter w/ charger, patio light, built-in cassette potti, power roof vent, air conditioner ready, E-Z Lube torsion axle, spare tire, electric breaks, outside shower
MSRP: $8,500

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