It started as an idea to do a van conversion when I retired but ended up a quest for a small travel trailer. We searched long and hard for just the right travel trailer. With the Covid pandemic causing poor availability of small towables, it was quite a challenge in mid to late 2020.
We looked at different tear-drops like the T@b 400 Boondock, Little Guy Mini & Max; small trailers like the Intech Sol, R-Pod, Jay Feather, Airstream Bambi, Basecamp & Nest. We looked hard at Airstreams cause we love their aluminum, iconic silhouette. The Basecamp 20 was a strong contender but really hard to get since it was brand new and in high demand. We looked hard at the T@b 400 Boondock but saw one driving, loaded with gear on the back slope – not enough storage internally apparently. Plus any travel trailer with combined grey & black tank were dropped off the list.
So when the opportunity to buy a Geo Pro G19RD in San Diego presented itself, we pulled the trigger Oct 28 2020. The GeoPro G19RD was the very first travel trailer we walked through in June 2020 at GiantRV Temecula. But we were not ready to buy just yet since we had just started shopping. Turns out it was the one with our favorite floor-plan and price-point so we were fortunate to find another one in October at a similar price.
One 12v battery typically comes with the trailer so we upgraded to two 6v 200mA batteries for a few hundred more. Buying these through the dealer cost a little more but it included installation.
The Geo Pro G19RD floor-plan has a reverse layout of an Airstream Bambi with a front bed and rear dinette with ‘wrap-around’ windows. The G19RD dinette windows are not panoramic like an Airstream but open on three sides, so similar. Other pluses: the G19RD has a dry bath, 3 separate tanks, 190w solar, heated tanks, 3″ off-road lift & tires, TPMS – so many ‘extras’ were standard, making it “the one” for us.
Note: Specs have changed on later 2021.5-2022 G19RD. A thicker floor adds ~100lbs to the overall trailer dry weight & ~20lbs to the hitch weight. Rockwood weighs each trailer as they come off the assembly line and ours has a dry weight sticker of 3151lbs. The newer G19RDs also list a slightly smaller 31gal fresh water tank; but same exterior length of 20’2″ & 13′ awning size. So the take-away is, there can be slight variations in the specs depending on what month your trailer is assembled due to part availability (especially during Covid).
There isn’t a slide to worry about but this also means the center passage between from bed & rear dinette is narrow. It is not a problem unless someone is standing by the stove. The small dry bath is across from the kitchen but adequate for our size. Considering we were thinking of a van conversion, we have a lot more room & storage.
With a serious backlog on RV orders in 2021-2022, Forest River is focusing on their most popular models since the availability of appliances & parts is problematic. Geo Pro models with bunks and/or slides are their best sellers so the G19RD is discontinued. We are really happy with ours and feel fortunate we found one before they become unavailable new.