There’s a new wave of excitement in Strathroy, Ontario, home of Glendale RV, one of Canada’s legendary RV manufacturers. The new Titanium Pearl series of fifth wheels, introduced in early 2008, has expanded to include a unique toy hauler. Flexibility was the key objective in this ingenious design - Glendale wanted to offer a floor plan which would be ideal for families or for the couple who want extra storage, and occasionally provide room for guests without giving up living space. The 31-36RBSS can accommodate your bikes, motorcycle, ATV and all the related gear, pets, a small office or a playroom.
Now this isn’t a unique concept within the RV industry, but in the case of the Titanium Pearl, it certainly has been handled in a distinctive manner. Where some “toy haulers” are more like a garage on wheels that just happens to have a bunk bed and a cook-top, the Titanium Pearl is a quality RV that has a rear “garage” accessed from the side of the trailer, separated from your living area by a sliding glass patio door, complete with drapery. The benefit of the side entrance is you can have an 8 foot garage while adding only 5 feet to the length of the trailer. The full kitchen, large bedroom with a large ensuite bathroom, and comfortable dining area are as attractive as any deluxe RV on the road today, and the interior floor plan has obviously been designed by an experienced RV enthusiast – everything you need is placed in the most appropriate location, with none of the finer points overlooked… it is exactly what you would expect from a manufacturer with 58 years in the industry.
The unique patented front cap design of the Titanium was introduced seven years ago, and remains a clever and very popular approach to fifth wheel living. The concept of extending the front of the trailer over the hitch pin takes advantage of the unused area between the front of a conventional fifth wheel, and the rear of the pickup cab. By cleverly sculpting the fiberglass component, Glendale has achieved a dual functionality with this approach to trailer construction – not only does the Titanium give you effectively five feet more interior space than conventional fifth wheels of the same overall length, the engineers have capitalized on the aerodynamic characteristics of the front cap to streamline the trailer, accomplishing the highly desirable goals of enhanced fuel efficiency and superior handling.
On The Road
We took advantage of an invitation from Eric Ashbury, of Morry’s Trailer Sales in Walkerton, Ontario, to check out the new Titanium Pearl at River Place Park – his beautiful campground in Ayton, Ontario, just a few minutes north of Mount Forest. This region is one of Ontario’s many scenic masterpieces, with rolling hills, lush green woodlands, and a babbling brook that is teeming with fish, amid the peaceful quiet that appeals to so many RV travelers.
The route we followed from Walkerton to Ayton took us along some very scenic winding roads, over hill and dale, with the occasional rough pavement to test the mettle of rig and driver – an ideal opportunity to gauge the road manners of the trailer and tow vehicle combination. We had the opportunity to tow the Titanium twice for this road test – starting out with a GMC Sierra 2500 HD, and switching to a Ford F450 Lariat Super Duty, just to see if the increased towing capacity would make a difference. All things considered, unless you need a duallie for another task, the three-quarter ton pickup towed like a dream – more than enough power for the hills, and neither the twisting roads nor the substantial cross-winds bothered the rig – it tracked smooth and steady – a pleasure to drive. No doubt about it, this rig is made for the long haul, with standard Nev-R-Lube axles, aluminum rims, Goodyear Marathon tires, and rubberized Equa-Flex suspension. The spare tire and rim are standard equipment. Our test vehicle was equipped with the optional Mor-Ryde pin box, which helps absorb some of the bumps, cushioning the towing experience to add comfort for your tow vehicle passengers, and reducing wear and tear on the trailer and the truck.
In The Campground
Once you arrive at your campsite, it only takes a few minutes to stabilize the trailer, detach the tow vehicle, hook-up to the park’s electric, water, and sewer systems, and start enjoying your leisure time. The Titanium makes this process a breeze, with electric front “landing gear” and rear electric stabilizer jacks – just check your bubble levels and you’ll be ready to go in no time flat. All of your hook-ups are contained neatly in the external cargo compartments, placed exactly where you would expect them to be – matching the configuration of the majority of campsites.
One of the key selling features of the Titanium 3136RBSS (rear bunk, super storage) is the rear garage area, which at 55 x 94 inches is large enough to accommodate a wide range of recreational equipment – whether your goal is to transport a motorcycle, an ATV, or enough bikes and scooters for the whole family, this side storage compartment should do the trick. Just lower the ramp, load your gear and you are ready to hit the road. This portion of the floor plan also makes a great room if you are traveling with a few pets.
One of the really neat features of the rear storage area in this trailer is that the designers have built in flexibility by allowing the consumer to take out the removable storage room ceiling, giving more storage options in the garage or you can keep the ceiling in and use the loft for either more interior storage or as a large double bunk bed – a real favourite with the kids, who like to relax in this private area and watch the optional large screen 32” LCD TV that is built into the entertainment centre. With a bunk in the loft, another above the TV, and a sofa bed in the slide-out section, it’s like a “kids only” zone… a very nice balance to the master bedroom at the front of the vehicle, where Mom and Dad can relax in the spacious luxury of a fully equipped RV suite. Your ensuite washroom features a Sealand Traveler Lite foot pedal flush china toilet, a compact but fully equipped Neo angle shower, and a great closet for linens, including two large drawers to put all you toiletries. This area is designed to accommodate an optional combo washer dryer unit, which is great if your toys involve off road mud riding!
There is a generous under-bed storage area, easily accessed from the foot of the bed, and a spacious wardrobe in the bedroom slide-out section. The Glendale RV designers must ride dirt bikes, because there is also an exterior rinse shower, and from the non-skid surface on the ramp to the floor of the garage area, and the vinyl floor covering throughout the main floor area of the trailer, everything is made to facilitate easy clean-ups.
To take full advantage of the cab-over design of the Titanium front cap, the residential quality 60” x 80” queen bed is placed at the very front of the floor plan, where the aerodynamic slant of the roof affects only the interior capacity of the overhead storage cabinets – for all-season comfort, there is R24 pink insulation in the cab over. If you are a basketball player, you might have to scrunch down a bit, but for the average RV’er, the headroom in the bedroom is quite sufficient, and the headroom throughout the remainder of the vehicle is 8’4”. Place an optional 19”LCD HD TV in the bedroom, and you can watch whatever you like, while the kids watch their programs in the rear of the trailer.
With a vehicle designed for the active lifestyle, you would expect the facilities to be up-sized to match your needs. The Titanium Pearl features the Atwood 10 gallon gas/electric DSI water heater, with a 63 gallon fresh water supply, 49 gallon gray and 49gallon black water tanks. Tanks are enclosed insulated and heated, and there is a very convenient black water tank flush system, as well as a garden-style non-freeze drain on the fresh water tank. Everything you would ask for to enjoy off-season camping in the colder months. The 40,000 BTU two-stage furnace and standard 15,000 BTU roof air conditioner provide cozy comfort. The optional Thermopane windows are always a good idea, for both cold and warm weather camping,
With 50 amp service, and the Progressive Dynamics 9200A series converter/charger, your electrical demands will be well met, and if you need a generator, your dealer can order your trailer pre-wired (LP & electric lines, switch, harness, box and wiring), or roughed-in (LP/electrical lines only).
In The Galley
With a very clever L-shaped galley counter, and a full complement of appliances including an 8 cu.-ft. refrigerator, 3- burner range, and 30” microwave, your food preparation tasks will be a pure delight. If you are into gourmet cooking, order the optional 30” convection microwave, and you will be able to bake up a storm in short order. While your family and friends relax at the free-standing dinette, and the kids watch TV from the sofa bed, Dad can whip up a campground feast… when it’s time to tidy up, the solid surface countertop with deep molded sinks wipe down in a jiffy, and he can get back to perfecting the art of relaxing.
Built to Last!
You don’t get to the pinnacle of the Canadian RV industry, and stay there for 58 years without building products that last, and this Titanium Pearl carries all of the quality and expertise of a top-of-the-line Glendale RV product. The chassis features “I” beam steel tube frame construction, sidewalls are vacuum bonded with smooth high gloss fiberglass siding over a 1.5 inch lightweight aluminum perimeter frame, with 1.5 inches of R9 rated rigid foam insulation. The roof is built around a 4.5 inch tapered metal truss frame, with thick fiberglass batt R14 insulation and a seamless rubber roof membrane bonded to 3/8 inch decking. Floor construction uses 5/8 inch deck flooring screwed and glued to 2x4 main floor frame joists on 16 inch centres. You will be warm and dry thanks to the R12 fibreglass batt insulation and R7 Flexfoil reflective insulation used in the floor sandwich. There is a Darco polyethylene moisture resistant barrier between the chassis and the floor, and a layer of seam guard under the vinyl floor covering. The bumper is made of a high impact ABS so no more worries of that cracked rear fiberglass back.
Interior cabinetry incorporates Easy-Glide metal roller systems on all drawers, and the beech wood cabinet doors have raised panel and arch detail for style and structural strength.
Your flush-floor slide-out sections utilize a direct drive 12V motor system with low maintenance rack and gear components, and there is a manual system override in case you experience a power failure – we tried the manual system, and it was relatively easy to crank the slides out or in… this should not be a concern for any RV’er.
Glendale backs their Titanium trailers with an excellent warranty – your dealer can describe the many advantages this offers over the conventional RV industry coverage.
All in all, it was a pleasure to road test one of the flagships of the Canadian RV industry… it really makes you proud to drive what your neighbours build.
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