The company has entered the full-size travel trailer market with lightweight, aerodynamic units designed to be the next generation of RVs.
By Mark Quasius, F333630
May 2019
From their private-jet-inspired interiors to their sleek and stealthy exteriors, Travel Lite RV’s new Evoke family of travel trailers bears little resemblance to traditional RVs. My test unit featured the Model L floor plan, with a rear lounge, one of four available layouts in the full-size lineup. The full-size models range from 25 to 38 feet in length. The Evoke X Series, a slightly shorter line, is available in six floor plans, with lengths from 20 to 27 feet.
Construction And Exterior
Matte black is one of several exterior choices for the Travel Lite Evoke travel trailer.
Although the Evoke has the typical 96-inch-wide body, its frame rails boast a 102-inch stance to provide more stability during towing. The Lippert Equa-Flex suspension helps smooth the ride. Michelin Premier LX 255/55 R18 tires are mounted on black-powder-coated aluminum rims with a custom open-spoke design. The tires have a lifetime warranty through Travel Lite, so if a puncture ever ruins a tire, the owner simply calls Travel Lite and requests a new one. Optional electric jacks make leveling and stabilizing the RV an easy task.
The Evoke features a gel-coat fiberglass exterior with diamond-plate protection on the front. Exterior color choices include matte black, gray, and white. The LCI Slim Rack slideout mechanisms are said to provide increased durability. A rear diffuser adds a touch of class to the back of the travel trailer and also reduces drag, improves fuel economy, and helps keep the rear of the RV cleaner while it is being towed.
A 24-foot power awning, with LED lighting and an automatic wind sensor, extends the full length of the RV, covering both the front and rear doors to keep occupants dry when they enter or exit while it’s raining. All of the basement and pass-through compartments boast durable, water-resistant Infinity Luxury Woven Vinyl flooring for ease of cleaning.
The exterior kitchen of the Travel Lite Evoke comes with a cooktop, a refrigerator, and storage.
Multicolor LED accent lighting is used throughout the RV. The Evoke comes solar prep ready, making it an easy task to add solar panels later. External satellite and cable TV connections and a 120-volt-AC power receptacle also are at the ready. An exterior kitchen in the patio area comes equipped with a cooktop, a small fridge, and storage space, which assists with dining and entertaining beneath the large awning. The entry door window boasts a built-in shade.
Interior
Bright, contemporary European styling graces the interior.
Inside, the Evoke is striking, with modern, European-style overhead cabinetry; large windows that let in plenty of ambient light; and interior colors that create a bright and cheery environment. The overhead cabinets are finished with oak whitewash wood, and the curved doors are equipped with gas struts to hold them open. The Granicoat material used for the countertops is seamless, lightweight, and warp-resistant. A full-height backsplash adorns the galley area. Every cabinet drawer boasts 100-pound-capacity ball-bearing soft-close drawer glides.
In the rear, the Evoke Model L sports recliners and an end table.
The rear of the living area sports a pair of comfortable recliners that straddle an end table. The slideout holds a love seat and a booth-style dinette mounted on dual posts to allow plenty of legroom and easy access to the booth seating area.
The Evoke incorporates high-end Furrion appliances, all finished in stainless steel. The large stainless-steel farm sink comes with a tall gooseneck faucet with a removable sprayer head. The Furrion microwave hangs above the three-burner gas cooktop, and a Furrion stainless-steel range hood is included. A series of pantry drawers flank the 10-cubic-foot Everchill refrigerator, which is powered by 12-volt DC or 120-volt AC and typically will cool down from a warm state within an hour. A Dometic 8-cubic-foot propane/electric absorption refrigerator is available as an option.
An electric fireplace adds heat and ambience to the front living area and is located in a cabinet beneath the 40-inch LED TV. The cabinet also contains a Furrion DV3100 entertainment center with a DVD player. Color LED lighting accents the area beneath the fireplace, behind the TV, and around the cabinet. Occupants can change the color to suit their mood via a remote control.
The Evoke’s bright styling extends to the bath area, which includes a circular shower surround and a medicine cabinet with built-in LED lighting.
The bathroom contains a large shower surrounded by a rounded enclosure. The medicine cabinet incorporates a rectangular LED light strip that pops up within the mirror to provide excellent illumination for applying makeup, shaving, etc. To activate the light, one touches the screen and then cycles through colors, which include a night light and mood lighting. It turns off in the same manner. A toilet, a large linen closet, and an overhead vent fan complete the bath area.
The front bedroom of the Travel Lite Evoke, with a curved ceiling, includes a 76-inch-by-80-inch king-size bed flanked by nightstands.
The bedroom features a true residential-size, 76-inch-by-80-inch king bed, which makes it easy to shop for bedding. The hinged bed is equipped with gas struts that facilitate access to storage beneath it. The bedroom has plenty of open floor space and includes a wardrobe.
A pair of nightstands flank the bed. They have 120-volt and USB power receptacles, plus more LED accent lighting.
Final Impressions
Travel Lite employees build the Evoke in a dedicated plant in Syracuse, Indiana. The Evoke’s modern styling truly is a departure from the norm, yet it is tastefully designed. Designers have incorporated a plethora of LED accent lighting both inside and outside the RV, which seems to be popular with today’s buyers; however, if that’s not your style, simply leave the lights off.
A full year of planning went into the basic design of the Evoke, and it shows in the level of detail. The Evoke is very functional and stylish. Natural light bathes the interior. It offers quite a few features that help set it apart and make it an attractive RV that is bound to appeal to a wide number of RV buyers.
SPECS | 2020 TRAVEL LITE EVOKE
MANUFACTURER
Travel Lite RV, 71913 County Road 23, New Paris, IN 46553; (574) 457-3924; www.travelliterv.com
MODEL
2020 Evoke Full Body
FLOOR PLAN
Model L
TIRES
Michelin Premier LX 255/55 R18 with lifetime Travel Lite warranty
WHEELS
custom 18-inch black-powder-coated aluminum sport rims
SUSPENSION
Lippert Equa-Flex
ELECTRICAL SERVICE
50 amps
EXTERIOR LENGTH
32 feet 5 inches, overall box;
4 feet, tongue length
EXTERIOR WIDTH
96 inches, box width; 102 inches, overall
EXTERIOR HEIGHT
11 feet 1 inch, with A/C
INTERIOR HEIGHT
6 feet 9 inches
GROSS VEHICLE WEIGHT RATING
9,520 pounds
UNLOADED VEHICLE WEIGHT
7,060 pounds
HITCH WEIGHT
720 pounds
OCCUPANT AND CARGO CARRYING CAPACITY (OCCC)
2,460 pounds
INSULATION
sidewalls, roof — R-11 formaldehyde-free fiberglass batt;
floor — R-7 block foam
FRESH WATER CAPACITY
54 gallons
HOLDING TANK CAPACITIES
gray water — 40 gallons;
black water — 40 gallons
PROPANE CAPACITY
60 pounds
WATER HEATER
6 gallons, DSI, propane/electric
WATER SYSTEM
demand
HEATING SYSTEM
20,000-Btu propane furnace; electric holding tank heating pads
AIR-CONDITIONING
(1) 13,500-Btu, standard; (1) 15,000-Btu, optional;
second 13,500-Btu, optional
REFRIGERATOR
Everchill, 10 cubic feet, 12-volt/120-volt, standard; Dometic, 8 cubic feet, propane/electric absorption, optional
WARRANTY
1 year
BASE MANUFACTURER’S SUGGESTED RETAIL PRICE
$41,293