Like something of a squarer Dutch answer to the ageless Airstream, Lume emerged in 2018 with a very stylish aluminum-shelled trailer of its own. Its riveted, rounded-corner Traveler box trailer featured the unique distinction of working as a convertible, using a retractable fabric roof panel to open its cabin to the sky above. With its latest trailer launch, Lume doesn't so much invite the outdoors in as it invites the indoors out, equipping the new Ranger with a complete slide-out kitchen that frees up some extra floor space for a proper WC.
The debut Lume Traveler ultimately branched out into an entire family of trailers that all have a penchant for switching names. The original Traveler (LT360) is now the 519-cm (204-in) Adventure trailer, while the larger LT540 is now the 694-cm (273-in) Expedition flagship. The 694-cm LT540 Nordic is simply the Nordic and adds a more winter-friendly layout that replaces the tailgate galley with an interior kitchen.
Now that we're all reacquainted with Lume's preexisting trailers and their name changes, it's time to meet the newest member of the family. The Ranger debuted at this year's Düsseldorf Caravan Salon to add a whole new persona to the Lume fllet. It maintains the company's signature boxy, riveted-aluminum style and shares its compact dimensions with the Adventure, but it's the first Lume to include a pop-up roof and slide-out kitchen.
We initially struggled to understand why Lume put an optional pop-up roof on a trailer that stands the same height with the roof down as its original Adventure camper. The main advantages of a pop-top like this one are to create more headroom inside a vehicle that rides low and to add space for a second bed. Well, there's not even a vague allusion to a second bed option, and the Ranger has the exact same 219-cm (86-in) exterior ride height as the Adventure. So what good is a pop-top?
The slide-out kitchen is the bigger clue to Lume's thought process behind the design. By swapping the side-slider in to replace the tailgate galley that features in the Adventure, Lume is able to stretch out the interior floor down the full length of the trailer. It uses that extra cabin space to install a toilet room between the rear longitudinal bed and the two-seat front dinette, a feature the Adventure has lacked since its debut as the Traveler.
The slide-out kitchen stores away under the bed so as not to take up any of the liberated floor space. Still, adding a bathroom in the smallest Lume trailer could feel claustrophobic to some buyers, so the pop-up roof then serves to open up the space above, increasing overall interior volume and adding extra ventilation to what might otherwise feel cramped and stuffy.
The pop-top doesn't, however, solve the Ranger's main problem, which is that the bathroom cell juts out and takes up what appears to be more than a third of the only free floor space, which sits between the foot of the bed and the dinette. The front wall of the bathroom also appears to trap anyone sitting in the dining seat next to it, requiring removing the table to get in and out. That seat then looks quite claustrophobic and uncomfortable to sit in.
We like the use of the slide-out kitchen to push the floor plan back into the space previously occupied by the tailgate galley, but we think a convertible dining area/bed would be more effective with this overall layout. Then, Lume could push the bathroom off the foot of the bed and into the front corner and perhaps add a wardrobe or storage console in the opposite front corner next to the entry. And there would be a little space in between, a clear aisle to the door.
A fully or partially convertible bed/dinette might not be as comfortable or immediately inviting as the fixed 200 x 160-cm (79 x 55-in) bed, but it seems like a worthwhile sacrifice to gain a more comfortable daytime living space.
But that's just a personal preference spoken from across the world while looking at photos and renderings. Perhaps it's not as easy as it looks to shuffle things around, or perhaps the local Dutch market much prefers a fixed bed in its luxury campers – though at least one premium Dutch camping "yacht on wheels" shows it need not be a dealbreaker.
That said, fitting a toilet room inside one's smallest, most affordable floor plan is a win in itself, particularly for buyers looking to stray from organized campgrounds with central bathrooms. The Ranger layout also cuts 50 kg (110 lb) of weight as compared to the Adventure, tipping the scales to a minimum of 1,150 kg (2,535 lb) while sharing the same 1,500-kg (3,300-lb) gross vehicle weight rating, meaning that extra 50 kg goes straight to payload capability.
Lume hasn't cut out the warmth or luxury it's known for in order to achieve those weight savings, either. The Ranger's walls are trimmed in soft, warm wool felt, and the floating headboard is adorned with contrast leather. The roll-down blinds are also made from matching wool felt, while the floor benefits from boat deck-style teak planks.
Just like the tailgate galleys of existing Lume trailers, the slide-out galley has an all-stainless-steel worktop with integrated PITT gas burners and a rectangular sink. A 30-L Dometic fridge drawer slides out from below the countertop and is flanked by two empty drawers.
The Ranger isn't cheap as far as trailers go, but its price is surprisingly low as far as Lume trailers go. The new trailer undercuts the price of the Adventure, Lume's former base model, by a full €20,000 with a starting price of €49,950 (approx. US$56,900). The slide-out kitchen is standard, but the pop-up roof is optional. Other options include air conditioning, an awning and a Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speaker.
The Ranger comes standard with a 100-Ah lithium battery and a Victron electrical hardware package that includes a 500-W charger/inverter. Solar charging is optional.
Source: Lume
