Aspen Trail 2340BHS/BHSWE

[Redfour5]

We are moving up from an Aspen Trail 1700BH which we actually love. The new one (2340) adds five feet to the total length at 27 feet 4 inches from the older one but it will still fit in the driveway...

As of 2/2021, this appears to be a hot unit being relatively short but with full size bunkbeds and a "doored" front bedroom with a residential queen and a slide out dinette pantry with drawers and large storage.

I've noticed quite a few changes over the last three years. The originals were pretty basic with manual jacks and lift and 20 lb propane tanks. The new ones have power jacks and lift. They also have an electric "fireplace" whereas the older ones had one of two types (various years) of storage areas under where the TV goes. The interior has changed from the older wood type paneling to a lighter version with white "shiplap" in place of the wood. They changed the outdoor kitchen getting rid of the sink. The windows in the kitchen and the kitchen set up has changed a bit with a longer window above the sink area. Same basic layout but they have altered the storage like three times under the sink and by the door now having a small drawer only right inside the door. They did a thing with the U shaped dinette until mid year 2021 where you could turn it into a longer regular dinette or keep it a U shape. The most recent iteration has created storage under the back of the U shape and you can no longer make it a straight up dinette.

Pricing has gone up from 28K and change to like 31K and change. Dealer pricing ranges from 40Kish to like mine at 23,600. They make these in both Indiana and Oregon with the west coast ones having the WE (westcoast edition) on the stock number. They apparently only made them in Indiana until sometime in 2020 I'm pretty sure. Outside colors are more subdued than the original black and blue with swoops all over them like our 2018 1700BH has. The salesman said they have changed the front exterior with a smooth metal that is 1/10th of an inch thicker than the older ones... Carrying Capacity is like 2,000 lb's vs the 1700 at like 650 due to the dual heavier duty axles.

I had a hard line on as short as possible. At less than 27 1/5 feet, I got it. She wanted a private front bedroom. The outdoor kitchen was also on her llst but not required. She also wanted a sink in the bathroom, so her boxes were ticked off although she really wants a 40 foot fifth wheel. I told her to come up with another 40K or so and I'd think about it as a new 2500/3500 truck is always nice.

I also had to have a place to sleep when I snore so the full bed bunks is nice... The slide out means the lab doesn't have to back up to move from one end to the other... He will like that. The 1700 would be a great trailer for a young family with even a kid in their teens as it has a wide (41 inch) bottom bunk. They now make a 25 footer with full bunks no separate bedroom that's nice.

The 2340 is a nice next up with a lot more space and a good layout. It is very popular and they disappear pretty quickly this last year pricing going up about a thousand K a quarter. It's nice at 625 dry tongue weight when you consider low capacity 1500 type trucks now days. I am at 1550 on mine so I'll be fine. I am even noticing this unit being more expensive on some lots vs longer ones that are NOT bunkhouses... It think it is pretty hot and they were selling before arriving there for awhile. I think RV sales are slowing a bit here in 2021 as these are making it to the lot and sitting for a bit now days vs summer fall of last year. We will see.

We had like very few problems on the 1700. I did have to solder brake wires the second year as the factory ones are pretty cheap and I did replace the thermostat on it as the OEM was worthless... Those were easy fixes for me, no need for a dealer. I did lift the 1700 (put trailer on top of axle as the Aspen Trail single axles are too low.) They only charged me 200 for that.

OK, next adventure up. We will do short trips here in MT to sort it out and have a long one planned in Utah Colorado for early June. I slopped into some open sites at Dead Horse Canyon in Utah and Grand Canyon of the Gunnison. I know a few low travel Nat Forest campgrounds also. Having 52 gallons of fresh water will make dry camping nicer. I only had 30 gallons on the 1700 and a smaller gray tank so I had to carry a rolling tank to drain the gray tank some to get more than three days out of the 1700. But it wasn't a big deal with a pick up... And we seldom go more than three or four days so 15 gallons in the rolling tank wasn't a biggie. But these last points and the need for more space for the dog and us were the main reasons for moving up. Like they say, buy your second camper first. We spent 13 seasons in a pop up camper so getting by has always been my mantra. Now we shouldn't have to... And she will keep reminding me about those fifth wheels...

[MarylandIUEC]

I was curious what the WE meant in the model number. We have a 26bh but I saw on the website the 26bhwe and couldn't pinpoint the major differences.

[Redfour5]

Originally Posted by MarylandIUEC

I was curious what the WE meant in the model number. We have a 26bh but I saw on the website the 26bhwe and couldn't pinpoint the major differences.

I wondered the same and asked. Apparently, Making Aspen Trails in Portland at a Keystone factory in Portland is new as of maybe two years ago or less.

[UTNative]

We also just purchased a 2017 2340BHS. You are right, the layout is great! It meets our needs well. We look forward to getting out in it. Sadly, we still have feet of snow in the area and campgrounds are closed!

I look forward to hearing about your experiences with the trailer. We may learn a few things of how to enjoy ours!

[Wayfaring Gent]

My wife and I just purchased a 2017 2750BHS! We are excited to join the community. We are moving into it in April.

This year, we will be parked at a local RV park working on some upgrades and remodeling. Next year, we are going to hit the road. This has been a life-long dream of mine. Being a landscape photographer, I couldn't be happier.

We moved from CO to MI around two years ago for work. We are going to explore this side of the nation for a few months before heading back west.

[UTNative]

That sounds great! We will be part-timers for the time being but that does sound appealing. It’s a great layout, isn’t it?

Actually we have yet to spend a night in it as it is winterized and we are still having nights below zero. Just cleaning, prepping and a few projects. It’s a bit frustrating. We are anxious to get out and enjoy the rig.

I am not a professional in any way but landscape photography is a hobby I’ve enjoyed for years. The 2340bhs sounds like a great way of working on your craft! The trailer is a place my wife can hangout while I wait for just the right light in the morning or evening.

[Redfour5]

The one thing that bugs me is that the storage area under the sink has a huge amount of space but is badly designed for access. If you look at videos of previous years, they have tried numerous approaches including drawers on the end of the sink area and a door on the door side and two drawers on the door side. They all seem better than what they have in the 2021's.

I'm building ONE drawer for the sink end and maybe a flip down door under the one drawer by the door. Gotta be careful as there is no support structures. I am building it.

[Redfour5]

Originally Posted by UTNative

We also just purchased a 2017 2340BHS. You are right, the layout is great! It meets our needs well. We look forward to getting out in it. Sadly, we still have feet of snow in the area and campgrounds are closed!

I look forward to hearing about your experiences with the trailer. We may learn a few things of how to enjoy ours!

One thing I noticed is how many times they have altered the storage under the sink. At present, you only have a door under the sink and a small drawer right next to the door that is handy but limited. I see older ones with two drawers on the end of the sink structure and some with a door on the outside door side of the sink area? Which do you have? I am putting a door in on the outside door side and it really opens up that area. I also built a removable second layer of storage for under the sink area. That helps a lot also.

What does yours have?

[ElliottsWest]

The coach seems top heavy and I tow at 60 or else it gets squirrely (2005 diesel F250). Also, front bulkhead is deflecting a lot—I’m afraid it’s going to cause a structural problem (see video).

Towed it about 2000 miles in last 2 weeks to Yellowstone area and back. Living space is excellent! Way better than prior camper (230 fb Thor wanderer)https://youtu.be/JqCbyEnZNr4

[ElliottsWest]

Just got back from Yellowstone with ours. Only issue we noticed is the front caves in a lot while we’re towing—is that a normal condition?

[ElliottsWest]

Our impressions of the 2340 BH and tips/tricks after our “big trip”

1. To start, trailer brakes seemed kind of weak, had to have the gain all the way up to hold it at a stop. After driving for a while, noticed that axle grease was seeping out of the wheel hub—overpacked bearings. After I cleaned that up, trailer brakes working fine at a 7.5 setting. So if you’re having braking issues out the gate suspect grease on the drums.

2. Front bulkhead deflection while towing, which seems to be a normal condition with this camper. We shall monitor it and if it develops problems report back.

3. The outside kitchen grill—we used this extensively as in Yellowstone we were not about to break out the camp chef to grill steaks etc. I use a lodge cast iron griddle to cook breakfast and dinner, which fits the burners perfectly—HOWEVER, once you get the burners set I recommend taking the knobs off the posts (they lift straight up) because otherwise they will likely melt.

4. We replaced the camper mattress with a full queen regular mattress. Better sleep and you can cram it in there.

5. We’re having this looked into, but seemed to have a problem with the AC freezing up when using auto and ducted settings. Issue was less pronounced when we set the fan to high, and seemingly disappeared when we opened the galley dump and bypassed the ducting.

Other than those minor issues everything is going great! We love the camper and layout, and even with the 4 kids we didn’t feel cramped or crowded in the camper.

[UTNative]

Originally Posted by Redfour5

One thing I noticed is how many times they have altered the storage under the sink. At present, you only have a door under the sink and a small drawer right next to the door that is handy but limited. I see older ones with two drawers on the end of the sink structure and some with a door on the outside door side of the sink area? Which do you have? I am putting a door in on the outside door side and it really opens up that area. I also built a removable second layer of storage for under the sink area. That helps a lot also.

What does yours have?

MUCH delayed, sorry about that. We have a cabinet door right next to the entry to the trailer. It gives us access to that lost space under the sink. There is even a full length shelf in there. We have one drawer facing the dining table. If still interested, I can post a photo of our setup.

[Redfour5]

Originally Posted by UTNative

MUCH delayed, sorry about that. We have a cabinet door right next to the entry to the trailer. It gives us access to that lost space under the sink. There is even a full length shelf in there. We have one drawer facing the dining table. If still interested, I can post a photo of our setup.

I did my own door. Worked great. Why they changed, I don't know.