01 What makes it unique
The Freedom Express Ultra Lite 271BHE is the line\’s compact family bunkhouse \— a dual-entry coach that stays under 30 feet yet carries a private rear bunk room. The rear bunkhouse offers bunks with a flexible sofa underneath behind its own access; a rear corner bath sits beside it; a front queen bedroom with dual wardrobes gives the adults privacy; and the living area centers on a theater seat with a bar-top, flip-up galley counter and a 12V refrigerator. An outdoor griddle lets you cook outside. Two entry doors ease the in-and-out flow for a family. Nominal capacity is four (some dealers list five).
At 6,952 pounds unloaded and 29 feet 11 inches, the 271BHE is a half-ton tow with a generous ~2,048 pounds of cargo capacity \— healthy payload for a family bunkhouse and roomier than the shorter couples\’ plans. Standard equipment is full 12-volt residential: a Magic Chef 10-cubic-foot 12V refrigerator, a 3-burner gas cooktop with a microwave, a GE 15,000-BTU ducted air conditioner with a ducted furnace, a 42,000-BTU tankless water heater, a 200-watt solar package and a large 70-gallon grey tank that stretches the time between dumps. A 50-amp upgrade with a second air conditioner is optional, and theater seats come standard.
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 \— a clear tier above the metal-sided Catalina value line. For a family that wants a private bunk room, dual entry and laminate construction in a half-ton-towable package under 30 feet, the 271BHE is the compact family pick in the line.
02 Full specifications
Dimensions
- Exterior length
- 29' 11"
- Exterior width
- 8' 0"
- Exterior height
- 11' 1"
- Slide-outs
- 2
Weights
- Unloaded vehicle weight
- 6,952 lbs*
- GVWR (published)
- 9,000 lbs
- Cargo carrying capacity
- 2,048 lbs
- Hitch / tongue weight
- 808 lbs
Capacities
- Fresh water
- 52 gal
- Grey water
- 70 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
- Dual entry; front bedroom, private rear bunk room with sofa, rear corner bath, mid-galley, outdoor griddle
- Awnings
- 1 (power, LED)
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 271BHE 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 What owners & reviewers report
Private rear bunk room with dual entry
A closed-off rear bunk room with bunks plus a sofa underneath, plus a second entry door \— a genuine family layout in a sub-30-foot coach.
Generous payload for a family bunkhouse
At a 9,000-lb GVWR over a 6,952-lb unloaded weight, the ~2,048-lb cargo capacity leaves real room for gear and full water \— roomier than the shorter couples\’ plans.
Large 70-gallon grey tank
One of the bigger grey tanks in the line, useful for longer dry-camping stretches between dumps.
Sleeps four to five depending on source
The factory and RVingPlanet list sleeps four; Kunes lists five with the dinette/sofa berth \— plan for four adults plus kids in the bunks.
Selling price runs well below the placard
Dealer MSRP placards run into the high-$40,000s while selling prices commonly land near $35,000; the figure shown is dealer-typical selling and is flagged.
05 How it compares
A mid-size couples\’ coach \— a front bedroom and rear bath instead of a bunk room, lighter with a lower GVWR.
A larger dual-slide bunkhouse \— a rear bunk room and a U-dinette slide, sleeping eight with more length.
A dual-entry double-bunk family plan one construction tier down \— metal-sided value build at a lower price.