The Prime Time RV Crusader 265MLE is the smallest fifth wheel in the Crusader line. Sleeping three, it’s well-suited to be a couples’ camper that’s fitted with a rear kitchen. Seating includes a four-place dinette on the camp side and theater seats in a slide on the road side.
While some RVs are more price-focused, the Crusader 265 MLE is clearly designed with premium features and build quality at top of mind. Speaking with Spencer from Prime Time RV, he gave an example. The aluminum structure under the trailer is fully welded rather than spot welded, which is a common practice. This is part of what the company calls their Eternabond build. (Not to be confused, of course, with Eternabond tape — a common product used in RVs.)
Other build quality features include a PVC roof which carries a lifetime guarantee and something I really liked: a Dexter EZ Flex suspension system. This system helps minimize shocks transmitted into the trailer itself, which can reduce wear over the long haul. It also rides on Hankook Vantra trailer tires — not the usual off-brand tire. Further, there’s a tire pressure monitoring system included which I feel is an important safety detail. There’s also a four-point auto level built into this trailer and another rarity — a rear bumper.
And all that is just the exterior. Let’s go inside.
At a Glance: Crusader 265 MLE
I gave the Prime Time RV Crusader 265MLE four and half out of five stars. This RV is well thought out with several solid features that will play-out well over time. The overall feel of this RV and little details are going to continue to be appreciated. The reason it didn’t receive a higher rating is that a few small details, like the thermostat and vent fans, don’t fit into the otherwise premium feel of this rig.
Check the Specs
- Sleeping capacity: 3
- Hitch weight: 1,350 pounds
- UVW: 8,302 pounds
- CCC: 2,800 pounds.
- Exterior length: 30 feet 11 inches
- Exterior height: 12 feet 6 inches
- Exterior width: 8 feet
- Fresh/Gray/Black: 54/68/34 gallons
- Awning: 16 feet
Benefits
- Exquisite interior design and premium living features
- Superb build quality, suspension, and enclosed underbelly
Challenges
- Thermostat is the kind that many owners replace
- Small vent fans in kitchen and bathroom
Best For
- Couples looking for a small but upscale fifth wheel
- Campers who take advantage of four-season capabilities
The RV Trader Process
RV Trader asked RV shoppers what was most important to them in their RV buying process. Potential buyers — like you — helped us to identify a list of six key areas that camping and travel enthusiasts always look at when they’re searching for the perfect RV: sleeping space, bathroom, living area, four-season capabilities, and storage space.
The RV Trader team then got to work providing you with an honest and unbiased evaluations. And that’s where I come in. I’m Tony Barthel, RV expert and enthusiast. I provide an honest look at RVs from RV industry insider perspective. That way, you can learn the good, the bad, and the intriguing about any RVs I review. I inspect each RV with the buyer’s perspective at the forefront. And I always evaluate those six key areas that buyers have told us that they have in mind.
So, that said, let’s take a closer look at the 2024 Prime Time RV Crusader 265MLE.
Sleeping Space
Upstairs, the bedroom features a queen-size bed. The bed itself is offset toward the camp side, which gives the opportunity to have a larger cabinet on the road side. That also provides space to accommodate a rather deep wardrobe slide with both hanging storage and drawers. (A rare RV luxury.) Conveniently, there are both household and USB outlets on each side of the bed.
Bathroom
Through the upstairs, there is also good attention to detail. And that continues with the large bathroom, which even features a 40-inch shower. A ceramic toilet is another plus. It also has something you don’t often see in RVs: actual bathroom cabinets with doors. Many RV companies are shifting to simply using cubbies in bathroom cabinets, which seems odd in a moving vehicle. Not so — thankfully — in this bathroom.
Living Area
While I always encourage you to shop for an RV from the bottom up, paying attention to how the rig is built (see the intro), the truth is that many people start with the inside first. Those who do so are going to like what they see with the Crusader 265MLE. Prime Time RV hired an interior designer to give their interiors a new look for 2024. And this one definitely reflects the experience of someone with an eye for design. The evidence is everywhere. (Just look at these photos.)
The theater seats on the road side of this trailer face a large TV with a sound bar. although the TV is mounted pretty high up. Fortunately, you won’t need to crank the volume of that sound bar up to drown out the air conditioner noise. The Crusader 265MLE features a whisper-ducted A/C system. The Crusader line also all feature two A/C units in a racetrack type ducting system. So, you’re not going to have to look at the bottom of the A/C units themselves, but just the ducts. This quiets these systems down appreciably.
Kitchen
The back wall of this rig has the kitchen counter across the width of the unit with a three-burner propane stove. It also features a large, usable oven. There are plenty of cabinets and drawers in here so storage shouldn’t be an issue. Even so, there is additional storage under the dinette.
There’s also a walk-in pantry with enough space that it has a shelf with a power outlet. Naturally, this could be used for a coffee maker or blender. (Or, even better, a Margaritaville frozen concoction maker.) There’s also hanging storage and additional shelves here, too. For all those storing brooms or vacuums in their RV, this rig actually has a spot for those, as well as hanging space for coats and such. Another nice feature is the larger 16-cubic-foot, 12-volt fridge, very similar in size to the unit in many people’s homes.
Four-Season Capabilities
For those who camp in shoulder seasons, it’s good to know that the Prime Time RV Crusader 265 MLE features a fully enclosed underbelly, heat ducted from the 35,000 Btu furnace into the space. Further, the holding tanks all have 12-volt heating pads on them.
Another smart feature is that the gate valves for the holding tanks are enclosed in the underbelly. While some RVs have heated underbellies, the gate valves can freeze in colder weather. But these on the Crusader 265MLE are enclosed in the heated space. That’s smart. I would worry much less about camping in this trailer during the shoulder seasons due to the freeze protection built into it.
The exterior of this trailer is all fully laminated on five sides. That goes for the sidewalls, the back wall, and the sidewalls of the slide room. Those walls are all two inches thick for better insulation. The roof is a wooden-trussed structure with insulation. The roof of the slide boxes is fully walkable, and the PVC roof membrane is used up there as well.
A Few Little Exterior Extras
On the opposite end of the weather spectrum, there is a 190-watt solar panel on the roof with an MPPT charge controller capable of handling up to 30 amps of input. Essentially that means that, should you want to upgrade your solar system with additional panels, this charge controller can handle that up to about 480 watts.
Storage Space
Fifth wheels generally have good storage at the front. But —you may be picking up on a theme here — the Crusader 265MLE goes a bit further. One of the more interesting places you’ll find a place for your stuff outside is on a road-side compartment, which is rather large.
As you enter the cabin there’s a neat smaller cabinet right opposite the doorway. (Could be a great place for a key rack, for example.) There’s also space under the steps for shoes.
On the main floor, there’s that large pantry that sports two storage cabinets and a shelf with an adjacent power outlet. There’s a lot of space in cabinets and drawers around the kitchen and under the dinette as well. While bathroom storage seems to be disappearing in a lot of RVs, it’s plentiful here with stacked cabinets as well as a bit of storage under the sink. The main bedroom has a wardrobe slide with two big drawers and plenty of hanging storage plus there’s a lot of space over the bed as well as cabinets on either side.
Closing Notes on the Crusader 265MLE
A Few Minor Things I Would Change
Overall, I think the Crusader 265MLE does a good job. Among the few minor things that I would change would be the vent fans. The vent fans in both the kitchen skylight and bathroom skylight are so small that they really do little more than make noise. Another is the thermostat, which is a unit that I had to frequently replace back the days when I handled warranties at an RV dealership.
The Crusader 265MLE also has two connections for the sewer system with one for the galley (kitchen) tank and another for the main holding tank. Not a big deal, but a bit of a nuisance.
A Well-Balanced Couples Camper
As a couples’ camper, the Crusader 265MLE has a good balance of interior space and usability. All without being a very large fifth wheel. So, if Prime Time RV is not yet on your shopping list, by this point, they should be. The features built into this unit certainly got my attention.
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