Imperial Outdoors Xplore XR22

yoohoo

New member
Anyone have any recent feedback on these rigs? I'm looking to pick one up however I saw the issues the one guy had on the Facebook group with the roof bubbles and leaking with de-laminating fake wood with whatever sub optimal material they use for the cabinets. It looks like he's having a heck of a time getting it fixed. My main concern is I'm looking to buy it used and I'm wondering if the warranty would transfer? Also if I would be able to get repairs at a dealership it wasn't purchased at?
 

rainbowdash

New member
@rainbowdash Can you provide the name of the Facebook group?
Just look under groups it’s called the Xplore 22 Trailer Community. Go in there and read. It’s truly a hot dumpster fire. One owner is effectively having his roof come off. Huge quality control issues with delamination, faulty solar wiring, huge gaps in the wall/floor construction. Apparently significant problems with having the manufacturer do anything about fixing the damage. A real mess. To top it off, apparently the admin of the page is somehow tied to the dealer in Utah who makes all those ridiculous marketing videos. That same dealer is tied to the manufacturer. Long story short negative and dissenting comments are quickly silenced while dealers are allowed to vote in polls etc. People are abandoning the group in mass. Just another cheaply made trailer with hype used car marketing. I would 100% stay away. Another time bomb waiting, with dealers doing the classic pump and dump.
 
As an X22 owner, thought I'd provide some insight that may be helpful to others. We wanted the ability to venture off road and be off grid and ordered the X22. We did so knowing there were certain risks. 1. This is a relatively new concept so we not expecting a perfect layout or design which is typically refined for mass production. Imperial does not mass produce these specialty trailers and we were looking for a well built off road tank that perhaps lacked refinements of more polished models. 2. The RV industry as a whole, not to mention other industries, were suffering from supply chain issues, labor shortages and quality control due to the pandemic.

Our model is the 2022 X22 W+. Our mods include extra batteries, back up camera, extra water tank, and electric sway system. We were pleased that the RV was pretty much loaded already so the extra costs were not a big factor.

There are 3 major players. First is the manufacturer. Next is the dealer. Last are the 3rd party supplies of such things as toilet, sinks, refrigerator, gauges, alarms etc. that the manufacturer installs. for purposes of my analysis the build of the actual trailer and the installation of third party products are the manufacturers responsibility. The dealer is the middle man and the point person to assist you with the sale and after sale service and in our case the ones who provided some of the modifications. A good dealer should be able to liasse between the manufacturer and third party supplies for the customer.

Here is my feedback concerning each:

1. Imperial - The trailer came built like a tank. Wiring was clean, organized and good. The trailer has a simplicity to it and is well constructed. Going through the trailer we found a few self tapping sheet metal screws on the right wheel well that weren't tighten all the way. Roof has no bubbles, water proofing seems excellent, and I only found a quarter inch of caulking I would like to apply near the wires for the awning. There are some wire holes from the bottom that were will foam spray. The intake for the water tank is about 1/2 inch too high meaning you have a couple of gallons that the intake won't reach. In summary, the construction and installation are good.

2. Dealer - RV's of America. You may have seen their online presence and videos and we ordered directly through ROA. The before sale service I was not that impressed to be honest. I dropped in on them unexpectedly without an appointment and while they accommodated me and gave me a tour of their products, it wasn't very salesy. They were very honest about flaws of the various models and very matter of a fact and engineer like. They told me it would be 2.5 - 3.5 months until the trailer would be delivered so I expected a few months longer. However, everything they told me was exactly right. Trailer came in on schedule and our mods were done. I even called to double check it would be ready and was told, "if it is on our schedule for that date it will be done by that date." I was late picking it up and showed up around 5 pm when I expected everyone to rush and want to go home. Instead I got an incredible walk through, they were in no rush to get me out, and everyone from the tech guys, to the sales people, to the finance guy, etc. came out to meet us. I think what struck me most was at the end of the presentation, I was given a very sincere thank you and invitation for our family to become part of ROA's extended family if you will. I will get into specific issues in a bit, but suffice it to say I am very impressed with ROA's "after sale" service. These are good family oriented people and not a quick sale operation. In fact, I was told that a new person is being hired to specifically coordinate trips for their customers and you don't do that unless you are sincere in trying to build solid relationships with your customers.

3. Third party suppliers. We have had a few issues with the trailer. Specifically, our propane sensor and bathroom fan have failed and are being replaced. Our battery monitor wasn't working correctly but after unplugging the unit it fired up and has worked fine. Our refrigerator originally would not cool. Turns out their was a loose connection that we snugged up and it works great. The water level gauge is not accurate and reads 1/3 when it is empty. ROA has a specific tech line and i have received outstanding support. ROA will approach the manufacturer, deal with the third party suppliers for you and try to resolve any problems that might arise. In summary, there are some quality control issues with some of the third party suppliers as mentioned above and I believe it is important to distinguish this from the manufacturer and the dealer.

Next post I'll provide my thoughts on the performance of the trailer.
 
Performance review of the X22. I use a 2016 Ram 1500 with a 5.7l hemi for longer trips and while my gas mileage is around 10 mpg, the truck pulls the trailer fine. I also use a 2002 Ford F-150 with a 5.4l engine for closer to home and more adventurous off road use. The Ford is not adequately powered for pulling the X22 up steep mountain passes where we live, but was fine in 4WD Low offroad.

For its maiden trip we had scoped out a backcountry road with mud pits, narrow and windy roads, and some rock crawling features. For an experienced off roader this is not a big deal, but it is enough to keep owners of newer vehicles (i.e. the masses) out! First obstacle was a mud pit. The front of the trailer hit ground as did the bike rack on the of the trailer. Lost some traction with the truck and backed up and with a little more gas powered through. No issues in the steeper rocky sections. Trailer was just small enough to get throught the windy sections. The rock feature we were most worried about was a breeze. We made it to the summit of the mountain with ease though my wife was nervous throughout.

Offroad the trailer handled and performed considerably better than I expected. ROA has a video on the importance of the tires but they left out a few things. Keep in mind that in the backcountry your truck and trailer won't always be able to take the same path which means tight turns place your tires against trees, sharp rocks, etc. These tires not only have six ply treads with a 3 ply sidewall, but side tread. This not only helps give some tracking when negotiating deep ruts, but gives extra rubber to protect against those obstacles you are going to hit on your sidewall. Further when rock crawling or trying to inch your way down a technical drop your trailer brakes are now part of the equation. Having the offroad tires with added traction helps with this process. Of course the hydraulic lift is a crazy benefit.

Concentrating hard on the obstacles I negated to worry about trees and branches. My brand new X22 now has scratches in the fiberglass and across the composite windows. However, these are not permanent and can be buffed out and in the case of the windows can be removed by carefully applying a heat gun. Maybe ROA can post a video on removing scratches from the windows as they have already done one for fiberglass.

The double axles although not of independent suspension provide a stable and quiet ride. Another benefit that you don't need to use the stabilizers. So far, we have not even needed to unhitch the trailer from the truck.

Just did a trip with another buddy and his trailer. We got to the campsite late at night and we simply went into the trailer and went to sleep while he had a lot of prepping to do with levelling and stabilization.

Moving inside I was worried the bed was going to be a bit small. I am 6 foot, slender, but have broad shoulders. My wife is 5' 8" and slender and we had plenty of space. The mattress could use a topper for side sleeping but we have slept great overall. The oven and stove are fantastic. We used the trailer in 80 degree temps down to the 20's now and the climate control works great. Surprisingly the bathroom is roomy enough for us. Again we are slender, but we have no spacing issues with the toilet or shower. Brushing teeth and shaving are not an issue.

It takes around 8 seconds for the on demand hot water heater to deliver hot water to your tap. We use a plastic bottle to catch the running cold water so we can reuse it rather than letting it go to waste down the gray tank. The toilet is a cool invention though you don't want to be wasting flushes urinating as each flush is costly. You can go in the shower where the drain leads to the gray tank and simply rise the shower floor or you can go in a container and throw it outside when convenient. We haven't disposed of our latest filter and it has been about 3 weeks and we do not smell anything. Really like not having black water and this toilet has worked great.

The fridge and freezer are huge and adequately cool everything. Storage is a plus in this trailer and there is plenty of it. Cabinets are made from plywood and thin veneer and are not of the quality you would find at home. However, they are light weight and are not made of inferior chip board. Floor appears to be one piece vinyl though the appearance is of luxury vinyl planking. Cleans easy and appears to be water proof.

We went 4 days and 3 nights off grid and the solar charging easily kept everything charged; however, this is when the refrigerator was not cooling. I am now testing it further. We are two days of running it with lights, climate control (furnace not AC) and refrigeration and it has been stormy with little sun. We are at 70% so depending on use and not wanting to run batteries below 20% it looks like you can get 4 to 5 days out of a fully charged battery. Add good solar and that will extend it. We are also getting a small Honda generator which will fully charge everything in about 3 hours we are told.

Though we are only in the process of breaking it in I must say that we really like this trailer so far. The interior layout works for us but more importantly the actual build and offroad capability are proving to be as advertised. Next up is a cold weather hunting trip where we are expecting a foot of snow. Another good test for the X22.

Hope these postings help and if anyone has any questions I'd be happy to share what I can.
 

MOT26

New member
Are there any DC/USB outlets next to the bed? I can't seem to find any pics or see that location in any of the videos.
 
Yes, there is a small bed stand under the TV and on the cabinet wall facing the rear of the trailer there are 2 USB and 2 power outlets. Additionally there are two power outlets under the upper cabinets. You may be able to see where the TV plugs into and that is where these two other outlets are located.
 

MOT26

New member
Thanks. I'm seriously considering getting an X22. I need to price one with the added 30 Gal water tank along with 6 lithium batteries and a 3000 Watt converter/charger.
 

rockinrobin

New member
Performance review of the X22. I use a 2016 Ram 1500 with a 5.7l hemi for longer trips and while my gas mileage is around 10 mpg, the truck pulls the trailer fine. I also use a 2002 Ford F-150 with a 5.4l engine for closer to home and more adventurous off road use. The Ford is not adequately powered for pulling the X22 up steep mountain passes where we live, but was fine in 4WD Low offroad.

For its maiden trip we had scoped out a backcountry road with mud pits, narrow and windy roads, and some rock crawling features. For an experienced off roader this is not a big deal, but it is enough to keep owners of newer vehicles (i.e. the masses) out! First obstacle was a mud pit. The front of the trailer hit ground as did the bike rack on the of the trailer. Lost some traction with the truck and backed up and with a little more gas powered through. No issues in the steeper rocky sections. Trailer was just small enough to get throught the windy sections. The rock feature we were most worried about was a breeze. We made it to the summit of the mountain with ease though my wife was nervous throughout.

Offroad the trailer handled and performed considerably better than I expected. ROA has a video on the importance of the tires but they left out a few things. Keep in mind that in the backcountry your truck and trailer won't always be able to take the same path which means tight turns place your tires against trees, sharp rocks, etc. These tires not only have six ply treads with a 3 ply sidewall, but side tread. This not only helps give some tracking when negotiating deep ruts, but gives extra rubber to protect against those obstacles you are going to hit on your sidewall. Further when rock crawling or trying to inch your way down a technical drop your trailer brakes are now part of the equation. Having the offroad tires with added traction helps with this process. Of course the hydraulic lift is a crazy benefit.

Concentrating hard on the obstacles I negated to worry about trees and branches. My brand new X22 now has scratches in the fiberglass and across the composite windows. However, these are not permanent and can be buffed out and in the case of the windows can be removed by carefully applying a heat gun. Maybe ROA can post a video on removing scratches from the windows as they have already done one for fiberglass.

The double axles although not of independent suspension provide a stable and quiet ride. Another benefit that you don't need to use the stabilizers. So far, we have not even needed to unhitch the trailer from the truck.

Just did a trip with another buddy and his trailer. We got to the campsite late at night and we simply went into the trailer and went to sleep while he had a lot of prepping to do with levelling and stabilization.

Moving inside I was worried the bed was going to be a bit small. I am 6 foot, slender, but have broad shoulders. My wife is 5' 8" and slender and we had plenty of space. The mattress could use a topper for side sleeping but we have slept great overall. The oven and stove are fantastic. We used the trailer in 80 degree temps down to the 20's now and the climate control works great. Surprisingly the bathroom is roomy enough for us. Again we are slender, but we have no spacing issues with the toilet or shower. Brushing teeth and shaving are not an issue.

It takes around 8 seconds for the on demand hot water heater to deliver hot water to your tap. We use a plastic bottle to catch the running cold water so we can reuse it rather than letting it go to waste down the gray tank. The toilet is a cool invention though you don't want to be wasting flushes urinating as each flush is costly. You can go in the shower where the drain leads to the gray tank and simply rise the shower floor or you can go in a container and throw it outside when convenient. We haven't disposed of our latest filter and it has been about 3 weeks and we do not smell anything. Really like not having black water and this toilet has worked great.

The fridge and freezer are huge and adequately cool everything. Storage is a plus in this trailer and there is plenty of it. Cabinets are made from plywood and thin veneer and are not of the quality you would find at home. However, they are light weight and are not made of inferior chip board. Floor appears to be one piece vinyl though the appearance is of luxury vinyl planking. Cleans easy and appears to be water proof.

We went 4 days and 3 nights off grid and the solar charging easily kept everything charged; however, this is when the refrigerator was not cooling. I am now testing it further. We are two days of running it with lights, climate control (furnace not AC) and refrigeration and it has been stormy with little sun. We are at 70% so depending on use and not wanting to run batteries below 20% it looks like you can get 4 to 5 days out of a fully charged battery. Add good solar and that will extend it. We are also getting a small Honda generator which will fully charge everything in about 3 hours we are told.

Though we are only in the process of breaking it in I must say that we really like this trailer so far. The interior layout works for us but more importantly the actual build and offroad capability are proving to be as advertised. Next up is a cold weather hunting trip where we are expecting a foot of snow. Another good test for the X22.

Hope these postings help and if anyone has any questions I'd be happy to share what I can.
A fantastic and reassuring review. I ordered an X22 Monday. I am uncertain still if I should add the extra batteries. Where did the extra 30 gal water tank get installed? Do you know where the other one is?
 
Congrats on ordering. i think you will be pleased. I'm heading out now in the fresh snow for a hunting trip so it will another good test. As far as water tanks, I had ROA install the auxillary one. The fill is just to the right of the door and it is on the underside center. About a foot or so to the rear is where the standard tank is located which is positioned to keep the weight center and over the wheels. The fill for the standard tank is on the trailers left side.

Here's my latest on the batteries. I now a have a few more days of testing and with my two 250 amp batteries and have been testing the longevity with furnace and refrigerator on during this past week. Very little sun and what I have found is that even with little sun it seems to maintain your current level through the day. At night I see a drop of about 12.5% and based on current usage and little sun, my math shows 6.4 days before hitting 20%. However, I have not been opening and closing the fridge and actually living in it. I'll have more to report after this week, but I think you are safe calling it a 5 day range with not much solar. Hope this helps!
 

rockinrobin

New member
I have Dual 100ah Lithium Batteries that come with standard package, not the upgrade to two 250 amp you have. What did the upgrade cost? I was quoted almost $6000US for 2 more batteries and an inverter! I have added a 2000W inverter only to my Wilderness Package Max (M). I am going to carry two extra 30 gal tanks in the truck until I understand our needs better.
What type of generator did you get and where do you keep it? I am thinking of remodeling the exterior box to fit one.
I appreciate your feedback a great deal, as I cannot wait for delivery in late November. I can still change my order.
Toms Camperland in Mesa, AZ is where I got the best price, by quite a bit.
 
I cant believe i have internet but i am in the X22 right now in snow and 15 degree weather. The extra water tank was just under 2k but i dont think the extra batteries and inverter were near the 6k mark. Ill have to double check when i get home.

I ordered a small 1000watt Honda generator which arrives tomorrow. The hondas are supposed to fix in the metal boxes on the back and thats where ill store it when camping. Since you run everything through your battery bank i was told it was best just to charge the batteries as opposed to running appliances off it. You can get a way woth a much smaller generator this way. Ill probably travel with it in the bed of the pick up.
 

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