01 What makes it unique
The Freedom Express Ultra Lite 245RKS is a rear-kitchen couples’ coach — a layout that moves the galley to the back wall so the cook gets a run of counter and the front of the trailer becomes a private bedroom. A front queen bedroom with vaulted under-bed storage anchors one end; a pass-through bath sits in the middle; and a full rear kitchen with a stainless sink, a three-burner cooktop and a 10-cubic-foot 12V refrigerator runs across the back under a window. A single large slide opens the living area, and theater seating comes standard. An exterior pull-out camp kitchen extends the cooking outside. Nominal capacity is four.
At 5,980 pounds unloaded and 28 feet 5 inches, the 245RKS is a comfortable half-ton tow with about 1,520 pounds of cargo capacity. Standard equipment is full 12-volt residential: a Magic Chef 10-cubic-foot 12V refrigerator, a Magic Chef three-burner gas cooktop with a microwave, a GE 15,000-BTU ducted air conditioner with a ducted furnace, a Suburban 42,000-BTU tankless water heater and a Freedom Solar Ready 200-watt panel with a 30-amp controller. A 50-amp upgrade with a second air conditioner is optional. The grey and black tanks are 35 gallons each behind a 52-gallon fresh tank, and a 17-foot power awning shades the door side.
Construction is the Freedom Express Alumicage recipe — two-step pinch-rolled, vacuum-bonded walls with dual-sided Azdel composite under a LAMILUX 1000 fiberglass exterior, a 3/4 gel-coated fiberglass cap, a full walk-on roof with Dicor Tufflex PVC and a heated, enclosed underbelly, all over a spread-axle chassis — a clear tier above the metal-sided Catalina value line. For a couple who cooks and wants a real rear galley, a front bedroom and theater seating in an easy half-ton tow, the 245RKS is one of the line’s most practical mid-size plans.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 28' 5"
- Exterior width
- 8' 0"
- Exterior height
- 11' 3"
- Slide-outs
- 1
Weights
- Unloaded vehicle weight
- 5,980 lbs*
- GVWR (published)
- 7,500 lbs
- Cargo carrying capacity
- 1,520 lbs
- Hitch / tongue weight
- 614 lbs
Capacities
- Fresh water
- 52 gal
- Grey water
- 35 gal
- Black water
- 35 gal
- Refrigerator
- 10 cu ft 12V
Construction
- Frame
- Alumicage aluminum cage
- Walls
- Vac-bonded dual Azdel · LAMILUX 1000
- Roof
- Full walk-on · Dicor Tufflex PVC
- Floor
- 3" aluminum-framed · 5/8" ply
Running gear
- Axles
- 2 (tandem) (spread)
- Hitch
- Bumper Pull
- Suspension
- Dexter E-Z Lube axles
- Rock guard
- Front rock guard
Galley & bath
- Refrigerator
- 10 cu ft 12V (Magic Chef)
- Cooktop
- 3-burner gas + microwave
- A/C
- 15,000 BTU (ducted)
- Water heater
- 42K tankless on-demand
- Solar
- 200W + 30A controller
Sleeping & layout
- Sleeps
- 4
- Primary bed
- Front queen
- Layout
- Front bedroom, pass-through bath, rear kitchen, single slide, theater seating, outside camp kitchen
- Awnings
- 1 (17' power, LED)
Drawn to scale
Weight budget
Size, with end view
Holding tanks
Axles, wheels and nose shape are schematic; not a floorplan. Data: dataset.
Towing it
Loaded range: 10–15% of GVWR on the tongue, a rule of thumb, not a measurement of this unit. No truck ratings or hitch classes (why; NHTSA, DOT HS 809 433).
03 Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite floorplan family
Coachmen's Freedom Express Ultra Lite is the brand's value-oriented ultra-light travel trailer — a laminated-fiberglass, aluminum-caged line built to tow behind a mid-size SUV or any half-ton. The 245RKS on this page is highlighted; the other profiled plans link to their own pages. Profiled here are breadth-spanning floorplans — a compact couples' rear-bath, a mid couples' coach, a dual-entry family bunkhouse, a dual-slide bunkhouse and the triple-bunk flagship — with the rest of the roster catalogued on the line hub and profiled in demand order. (Coachmen also fields an entry-trim Freedom Express Select sub-line, summarized on the hub.)
| Floorplan | Nominal | Sleeps | Notable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 192RBS | 22' 5" | 3 | Front bed, rear bath, sofa slide, single-axle-class couples |
| 22MLS | 26' 10" | 4 | Front bed, U-dinette, mid-galley, standard theater seats, single slide |
| 245RKS | 28' 5" | 4 | Rear kitchen, front bed, walk-through bath, theater seating |
| 258BHS | 29' 6" | 8 | Front bed, rear double-size bunks, U-dinette slide, camp kitchen |
| 252RBS | 29' 8" | 4 | Front bed, rear bath, outside kitchen, fireplace |
| 259FKDS | 29' 11" | 4 | Front kitchen, rear KING bed, two slides, fireplace |
| 271BHE | 29' 11" | 4 | Dual-entry private bunk room + front bed, outdoor griddle |
| 274RKS | 31' 10" | 4 | Rear kitchen, front bedroom, fireplace slide, hide-a-bed, outside kitchen |
| 288BHDS | 32' 9" | 8 | Dual-entry family bunkhouse, double bunks, front bedroom, outside kitchen |
| 292BHDS | 33' 4" | 8 | Rear bunk room, U-dinette slide, island entertainment |
| 320BHDS | 36' 10" | 8 | Triple bunks, 3 slides, kitchen island, fireplace, 20' awning |
| 326BHDS | 36' 10" | 9 | Three bunks, rear bunk-room half bath, fireplace, dual awnings |
Every Freedom Express Ultra Lite uses Alumicage construction: two-step pinch-rolled and vacuum-bonded walls with dual-sided Azdel composite under a LAMILUX 1000 fiberglass exterior, a 3/4 gel-coated fiberglass cap with an automotive-glass windshield, a full walk-on roof with Dicor Tufflex PVC roofing, a 3-inch aluminum-framed floor with 5/8-inch plywood decking and a heated, enclosed underbelly — a clear construction tier above the metal-sided Catalina value line, alongside Coachmen's premium Apex Ultra-Lite. Standard equipment is full 12-volt residential: a Magic Chef 10-cubic-foot 12V double-door refrigerator, a 3-burner gas cooktop with a microwave, a Suburban 42,000-BTU tankless water heater, a GE 15,000-BTU roof air conditioner (with ducted furnace and A/C on all plans except the 192), a Freedom Solar Ready 200-watt panel with a 30-amp controller and 3,000-watt inverter prep, a central vacuum, a porcelain toilet, a power tongue jack, a power awning and backup-camera prep. A 50-amp upgrade with a second 15,000-BTU air conditioner, a hide-a-bed sofa, theater seats and power stabilizer jacks are options on select plans. Lengths, weights and equipment change with options and model year — always confirm against the unit's own weight sticker. Additional Freedom Express Ultra Lite and Select floorplans are catalogued on the line hub.
04 Notes on this floorplan
A real rear galley for cooks
The full-width rear kitchen gives a run of counter and a stainless sink under a window — more workspace than the mid-galley plans, with a front bedroom for privacy.
Theater seating standard
Theater seats come standard on the 245RKS (rather than as an option), so the single slide opens to a comfortable lounge.
A comfortable half-ton tow
At 5,980 lb UVW and 614 lb of hitch weight, the 245RKS tows behind any half-ton with a ~1,520-lb payload — confirm your truck’s rating and watch tongue load with the rear galley loaded.
Pass-through bath, not a rear bath
The bathroom sits mid-coach as a walk-through between the bedroom and kitchen — efficient, but smaller than the rear-corner baths on some plans.
05 How it compares
The lightest, shortest couples’ plan — a front bed and rear bath without the rear galley or outside kitchen, easier to tow with an SUV.
A front-kitchen couples’ coach — a king bed, two slides and a higher GVWR, with the galley moved up front instead of to the rear.
A rear-kitchen couples’ plan one construction tier down — metal-sided value build, heavier.
06 Loading it for a trip
A full 52-gallon fresh tank is about 434 lb of water (water counts as cargo: 49 CFR 571.110 S9.3.2), 29% of the 245RKS’s 1,520 lb cargo capacity, leaving 1,086 lb (272 lb per rated berth). Across 12 Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite floorplans the water share runs 15% to 29%, and this plan’s is the highest. Nearest on that share: Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 258BHS at 28%. Your own unit’s figure is on the label inside its entry door (49 CFR 571.110 S9.3.3).
07 Where this floorplan sits
Closest sibling: the Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 252RBS, nearest on the published figures. It differs on 5 of the 9 fields both publish (this plan first): length 28 ft 5 in vs 29 ft 8 in; dry weight 5,980 lb vs 6,016 lb; GVWR 7,500 lb vs 7,600 lb; cargo capacity 1,520 lb vs 1,584 lb; dry hitch weight 614 lb vs 710 lb. They match on sleeps, fresh tank, grey tank and black tank.
| Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite plans | This plan | Position, low to high | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| GVWR (lb) | 7,500 | 2 of 12 | 6,094–10,500 |
| Dry weight (lb) | 5,980 | 3 of 12 | 4,538–8,396 |
| Cargo capacity (lb) | 1,520 | 2 of 12 | 1,492–2,766 |
| Dry hitch weight (lb) | 614 | 2 of 12 | 494–1,156 |
| Length | 28 ft 5 in | 3 of 12 | 22 ft 5 in–36 ft 10 in |
| Fresh tank (gal) | 52 | 8–12 of 12 | 50–52 |
| Grey tank (gal) | 35 | 1–7 of 12 | 35–70 |
| Black tank (gal) | 35 | 1–11 of 12 | 35–70 |
| Sleeps | 4 | 2–7 of 12 | 3–9 |
Either side of it by GVWR: Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 192RBS is 1,406 lb lighter (6,094 lb GVWR); Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 22MLS is 100 lb heavier (7,600 lb GVWR).
| Nearest Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite siblings | Length | Sleeps | Dry (lb) | GVWR (lb) | CCC (lb) | Hitch (lb) | Fresh (gal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 245RKS | 28 ft 5 in | 4 | 5,980 | 7,500 | 1,520 | 614 | 52 |
| Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 252RBS | 29 ft 8 in | 4 | 6,016 | 7,600 | 1,584 | 710 | 52 |
| Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 22MLS | 26 ft 10 in | 4 | 5,602 | 7,600 | 1,998 | 738 | 52 |
| Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 258BHS | 29 ft 6 in | 8 | 6,108 | 7,600 | 1,492 | 758 | 50 |
| Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 192RBS | 22 ft 5 in | 3 | 4,538 | 6,094 | 1,556 | 494 | 50 |
| Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite 259FKDS | 29 ft 11 in | 4 | 6,790 | 9,000 | 2,210 | 752 | 52 |
All 12 Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite floorplans: Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite line hub.
| Other lines, nearest by GVWR | GVWR (lb) | Dry (lb) | Sleeps | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 245RKS | 7,500 | 5,980 | 4 | 28 ft 5 in |
| Hideout 212RKS | 7,500 | 5,360 | 3 | 25 ft 6 in |
| Jay Feather 22BH | 7,500 | 5,565 | 7 | 28 ft 10 in |
| Jay Flight 236TH | 7,500 | 5,060 | 4 | 28 ft 4 in |
| Jay Flight SLX 24RBS | 7,500 | 5,505 | — | 28 ft 8 in |
| North Trail 250CK | 7,500 | 5,925 | 4 | 30 ft 1 in |
| Seismic 161 | 7,500 | 4,700 | — | 20 ft 8 in |
Against the 245RKS: the Hideout 212RKS is 3 ft shorter and sleeps 1 fewer; the Jay Feather 22BH sleeps 3 more.
08 Common questions about the 245RKS
How much does the 245RKS weigh?
5,980 lb dry; 7,500 lb GVWR, the most it may weigh loaded.
How much can the 245RKS carry?
1,520 lb, 20% of its GVWR (median across 958 travel trailers here: 23%). A full fresh tank uses 434 lb of it.
What is the tongue weight of the 245RKS?
614 lb dry, 10% of the dry weight (median across 1,156 travel trailers here: 12%).
What size tow vehicle does the 245RKS need?
A tow rating of at least 7,500 lb, plus payload for the loaded tongue weight, passengers and cargo.
How many people does the 245RKS sleep?
It is rated to sleep 4. 5 of the 12 Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite floorplans that publish a count sleep more.
What are the tank capacities on the 245RKS?
Fresh 52, grey 35, black 35 gallons. Off hookups, fresh water runs out first.
How long is the 245RKS?
28' 5" overall, tongue or pin box included.
From the figures above.
09 What this page publishes, and what it does not
16 of the 18 fields this catalogue tracks are published for the 245RKS. Not published: interior height, tire specification.
Values marked with an asterisk are arithmetic on published figures or come from a single source; the flag travels into the downloadable spec sheet.
Sourcing rules: methodology.
10 Manuals & documents
Sources: forestriverinc.com, coachmenrv.com (linked below); the full source note is at the foot of the page.
11 NHTSA safety record
NHTSA holds 13 recall campaigns and 45 owner complaints against the Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite line. They are counted separately: a recall is a confirmed defect with a remedy, a complaint one owner’s unverified account.
What to look at on a used one. Across the 45 complaints filed on this line the most-reported components are structure (24%), suspension (24%) and tires (18%).
Recall coverage here is not complete, and complaints are owners’ unverified reports (how this record is built). Check a specific VIN at NHTSA before you buy. Full tables are on the Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite line page.