01 What Coachmen Freedom Express Ultra Lite is
Freedom Express Ultra Lite is Coachmen's value-oriented ultra-light travel-trailer family — a laminated-fiberglass, aluminum-caged line engineered to tow behind a mid-size SUV or any half-ton while delivering laminate construction a clear tier above the metal-sided value bracket. It is the volume-priced companion to Coachmen's premium Apex Ultra-Lite and sits above the brand's own metal-sided Catalina in build quality, competing with the lightweight laminate trailers from Grand Design, Keystone and Jayco.
The Ultra Lite series is built around Alumicage construction: two-step pinch-rolled and vacuum-bonded walls with dual-sided Azdel composite (interior and exterior) 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 and a 3-inch aluminum-framed floor with plywood decking. The Azdel composite walls resist water intrusion and add thermal and sound insulation. Standard equipment is a genuinely full 12-volt residential package: a Magic Chef 10-cubic-foot 12V double-door refrigerator, a 3-burner gas cooktop with a microwave, a GE 15,000-BTU ducted air conditioner, a Suburban 42,000-BTU tankless water heater, a Freedom Solar Ready 200-watt panel with a 30-amp controller, 3,000-watt inverter prep, a central vacuum, a porcelain toilet and a power tongue jack.
Layouts run from a sub-23-foot couples' coach through mid-size family bunkhouses to a 37-foot triple-slide flagship. The profiled plans here span that breadth: the lightest 192RBS couples' plan, the rear-kitchen 245RKS, the 258BHS double-bunk family coach, the popular 252RBS couples' coach, the king-bed 259FKDS front-kitchen plan, the dual-entry 271BHE bunkhouse, the wrap-around-galley 274RKS rear-kitchen coach, the dual-entry 288BHDS double-bunk bunkhouse, the big-payload 292BHDS bunkhouse, the trio-bunk 320BHDS flagship and the nine-berth 326BHDS bunkhouse. Beyond the laminate Ultra Lite, Coachmen also fields an entry-trim Freedom Express Select sub-line, summarized in the line notes. The full 2026 Ultra Lite roster spans about 22 to 37 feet, and every plan publishes a real shipping weight — a fully buildable line.
02 Floorplans profiled in depth
Twelve representative Freedom Express Ultra Lite floorplans — spanning the line from the lightest sub-23-foot couples' coach to the nine-berth 37-foot family bunkhouse — are profiled in full with factory-verified specifications. They cover the entry couples' plan, the compact 22MLS single-slide couples' coach, a rear-kitchen and a front-kitchen couples' coach, a popular mid-size couples' coach, the wrap-around-galley 274RKS, and five family bunkhouses (the 258BHS, the dual-entry 288BHDS, the 292BHDS, the trio-bunk 320BHDS flagship and the 326BHDS). The rest of the current roster is catalogued below and profiled in demand order as the catalog expands.
| Floorplan | UVW | Length | Sleeps | Layout | Selling* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 192RBS | 4,538 lbs | 22' 5" | 3 | Front bed, rear bath, sofa slide — the lightest plan | ~$29,000 |
| 22MLS | 5,602 lbs | 26' 10" | 4 | Front bed, U-dinette, standard theater seats, single slide — big payload | ~$30,000 |
| 245RKS | 5,980 lbs | 28' 5" | 4 | Rear kitchen, front bed, walk-through bath, theater seating | ~$33,000 |
| 258BHS | 6,108 lbs | 29' 6" | 8 | Front bed, rear double-size bunks, U-dinette slide, camp kitchen | ~$34,000 |
| 252RBS | 6,016 lbs | 29' 8" | 4 | Front bed, rear bath, outside kitchen, optional fireplace | ~$34,000 |
| 259FKDS | 6,790 lbs | 29' 11" | 4 | Front kitchen, rear KING bed, two slides, fireplace, big payload | ~$37,000 |
| 271BHE | 6,952 lbs | 29' 11" | 4 | Dual-entry private bunk room + front bed, outdoor griddle | ~$35,000 |
| 274RKS | 6,866 lbs | 31' 10" | 4 | Rear kitchen, front bedroom, fireplace slide, hide-a-bed, outside kitchen | ~$37,000 |
| 288BHDS | 6,730 lbs | 32' 9" | 8 | Dual-entry family bunkhouse, double bunks, front bedroom, outside kitchen | ~$37,000 |
| 292BHDS | 6,772 lbs | 33' 4" | 8 | Rear bunk room, U-dinette slide, island entertainment | ~$36,000 |
| 320BHDS | 7,734 lbs | 36' 10" | 8 | Trio bunks, 3 slides, kitchen island, fireplace, 20' awning | ~$41,000 |
| 326BHDS | 8,396 lbs | 36' 10" | 9 | Three bunks, rear bunk-room half bath, fireplace, dual awnings | ~$39,000 |
Unloaded vehicle weights (UVW), GVWR, cargo-carrying capacities, hitch weights, lengths and tanks for profiled plans are verified against the Coachmen factory floorplan records; GVWR is published directly by the manufacturer (no derivation). UVW is a factory estimate based on standard build, and option packages affect final weights. The selling price is a representative dealer-typical figure and is flagged (*) — Forest River publishes no single fixed MSRP, dealer MSRP placards run much higher (commonly the high-$40,000s to low-$50,000s), and selling prices on these ultra-lights commonly run from the high-$20,000s to the low-$40,000s. Always confirm against the unit's own weight sticker.
03 The rest of the Freedom Express Ultra Lite range
Below is the remaining Freedom Express Ultra Lite floorplan in the current 2026 build, profiled in demand order as the catalog grows. It publishes a real factory shipping weight, so it is buildable; the table lists its length, unloaded weight and configuration. What remains is the rear-living 324RLDS flagship.
| Floorplan | Length | UVW | Configuration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 324RLDS | 37' 1" | 8,704 lbs | Rear living, theater seats + hide-a-bed, fireplace, kitchen island, dual awnings, 3 slides |
A reference list of the additional Freedom Express Ultra Lite floorplans in the current 2026 roster; lengths and unloaded weights are the factory-published values and configurations summarize the layout. These plans are profiled in full in demand order as the catalog grows. The entry-trim Freedom Express Select sub-line is summarized in the line notes below.
04 Line notes & data flags
Construction: laminated Azdel fiberglass — a tier above the value bracket
Freedom Express Ultra Lite uses Alumicage construction: two-step pinch-rolled and vacuum-bonded walls with dual-sided Azdel composite (interior and exterior) 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. This is a clear construction step above the metal-sided stick-and-tin of Coachmen's own Catalina value line, alongside the premium Apex Ultra-Lite, and is the reason Freedom Express sits in the laminate ultra-light bracket. Construction figures on the model pages follow the factory feature lists.
GVWR is published directly — no derivation
Coachmen publishes GVWR directly on every Freedom Express Ultra Lite floorplan page alongside UVW, CCC and hitch weight. The published GVWR equals UVW plus CCC on every profiled plan (for example, 320BHDS: 7,734 + 2,766 = 10,500), so the figures are internally consistent and shown without an asterisk. Unloaded vehicle weight is a factory estimate based on standard build, and option packages affect the final number.
The 192RBS is the one plan without spread axle or ducted heat/AC
Across the Ultra Lite line, the spread-axle design and the ducted furnace-and-A/C are standard — except on the lightest 192RBS, where the features list marks both as not applicable. The 192's 15,000-BTU air conditioner and furnace are standard but not ducted, so the bathroom can run cool. This is the trade for the lightest, shortest, most SUV-friendly body in the line.
Slide counts and sleeps vary between the factory record and dealer copy
A few plans show differences between the Coachmen factory record and dealer marketing copy. The 292BHDS factory spec block and floorplan summary both state one slideout, while some dealer copy says dual slides — the factory single-slide figure is used here. Sleeps counts also vary: the 271BHE and 252RBS read four on the factory and RVingPlanet records but five on some dealer listings (counting the dinette or sofa berth), and the 192RBS reads three on the factory record but four on some dealer copy. The model pages use the factory figure and note the variance.
Two plans carry a data caveat — honest sourcing
The 258BHS model page shows its exterior height and awning length as the line-typical figure and flags both: the current Coachmen factory floorplan record publishes this plan's weights, tanks, sleeps and layout but not those two dimensions. And the rear-living 324RLDS is left catalogued rather than profiled: its current 2026 weights are published on the factory roster, but the only factory detail page that exposes its tanks, height and awning is a prior-model-year record, so it is deferred until a current-year detail page is available rather than profiled from stale data. No specification is fabricated — missing fields are flagged or the plan is deferred.
Rich standard equipment for an ultra-light
Freedom Express Ultra Lite ships with a notably full 12-volt residential package: 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, backup-camera prep, a Winegard AIR 360+ antenna and blackout roller shades. 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.
Other Freedom Express family: the Select sub-line
Beyond the laminate Ultra Lite, Coachmen fields an entry-trim Freedom Express Select sub-line (plans such as the 18SE) at lower price points and lighter weights for the smallest tow vehicles. The Select trim is summarized here and profiled in demand order as the catalog grows.
Watch payload on the family plans — though it runs healthy here
Cargo-carrying capacity is generally healthy across the Freedom Express Ultra Lite line: the family bunkhouses carry generous payloads (the 320BHDS at ~2,766 pounds and the 292BHDS at ~2,728 pounds, the most usable in the line), and even the lightest 192RBS carries ~1,556 pounds. Still, the bigger plans are half-ton-plus tows — a family that loads heavy should weigh the rig and confirm payload against the truck's door-jamb rating, not just the tow rating.
Selling price runs well below the placard — flagged
Forest River publishes no single fixed MSRP. Dealer MSRP placards on Freedom Express Ultra Lite plans run high — commonly the high-$40,000s to the low-$50,000s — while selling prices run far lower, often the high-$20,000s to the low-$40,000s. The model pages show a representative dealer-typical selling figure with an asterisk; the value story is the gap between placard and street price.