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Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser Review – A Stunning Retro Camper

Published on February 2nd, 2020 by Ray & Tammy Roman
This post was updated on June 29th, 2022

In this Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser review post we are going to take a look at one of the nicest retro-style campers Tammy and I have seen. This past weekend we were at the OKC Boat Show. The show has both boats and RVs. It’s here that we came across the Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser. Let’s get started with our review.

The Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser

Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser Review

When we saw the Vintage Cruiser Tammy and I immediately fell in love with this camper. What caught our eye was the exterior colors and shape design. Though we like the Winnebago Minne Drop which also has a similar shape, on this one the curves are not so drastic. This is especially true of the rear down-slope on the Gulfstream. To us, it just looks a little nicer and the style of a retro camper made us smile just a bit.

Let’s begin our review with the construction and exterior of the Vintage Cruiser.

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Exterior Construction

The Vintage Cruiser uses a lightweight chassis built on a tubular six-sided aluminum frame. Six-sided means welded aluminum on the floor, roof, sidewalls, and front and rear walls. Some manufacturers still use wood to build their frames to keep costs down as aluminum is more expensive, but is also lighter, stronger, and more durable.

The roof of Vintage Cruiser is a one-piece fiberglass roof that extends to the front and the rear wall. The walls of this retro-camper are laminated fiberglass with an exterior layer of Azdel. If you don’t know what Azdel is you can learn more about it in this article I wrote about the benefits of Azdel for travel trailers.

Exterior Features

The Cruiser has several excellent exterior features and some exterior options you may want to consider. Here is a partial list:

  • Easy-lube axles
  • In-floor spare tire storage (under the bed)
  • Electric awning with LED lights (this is a required option)
  • Outdoor speakers (this is a required option)
  • Wide White-Wall radial tires (Option)
  • Power Tongue Jack which replaces the manual jack (option)

As you walk around the exterior you’ll find LED pass-through storage, hitch light, LED running lights, solar-ready and backup camera prep, 30-amp power, and a 30-foot cord with storage. One feature you will find not usually found on other campers is a TV mount on the exterior that accepts the TV mount unit you have inside. So you can easily un-mount your inside TV and hang it outside.

I also need to mention one additional exterior option. You can get the Vintage Cruiser with its exterior color in Crimson Red and Teal and Cream. The Teal and Cream was the color scheme that started it all.

But they also have The Estate Wagon also referred to as ” The Woodie” which a cream color with distinctive wood-grained graphics. Personally not my style but for some, it just might be what you are looking for.

Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser  Teal and Cream

Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser Floorplans

The Vintage Cruiser is available in 12 floorplans. Our favorite floorplan is the Cruiser 19ERD. It checks several of the boxes on or wishlist such as dry bath, queen-size bed, and it is lightweight. Below is a table with specifications on all the other plans available.

Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser 19ERD

Interior Construction

Let’s continue with our Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser review. In preparing for this Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser I reviewed just about everything Gulfstream has available on their site. They are very good at including Mattaport 3D walkthroughs of the interior of their campers and providing downloadable brochures.

The interior of the Vintage Cruiser is what initially attracted Tammy and me to this camper. Here is an interior photo of the 19ERD.

Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser red interior

We immediately fell in love with the red and white color scheme and the wood cabinetry This camper exudes vintage. It kinda made us feel as though we were at a Johnny Rockets having lunch. But I digress, let’s continue our Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser review.

Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser blue interior
Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser yellow interior

Unlike some small campers such as pop up campers this retro camper has a dry bath. A dry bath has always been one of our most important criteria in selecting a travel trailer so we were excited this one has it.

Another interior feature we liked that is on our criteria checklist is a queen bed. Two of the floor plans have regular-sized queen beds measuring 60″ x 80″, and several other plans have what is known as a short-queen measuring 60″ x 74″.

The floor is made of high-performance vinyl and the walls and ceiling are easy-care vinyl. It just means they are fairly easy to clean and maintain. The cabinets are fine-grained wood and they look beautiful.

Heating and Cooling

The Cruiser is equipped with a 20,000 BTU furnace, on the 17RWD the furnace is 16,000 BTU. There is a 6-gallon DSI water heater. What does not come standard is an A/C unit. To me, this should be standard on any travel trailer this size. It is not on this one so you have to buy it as an option. What’s available is a 13,500 BTU non-ducted A/C. Non-ducted usually means it is roof-mounted and it vents into the interior of your RV.

Electric and Power

When it comes to electric and power standard features the Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser has lots of them. Here is just a few of the many that are available:

  • Satellite & Cable-Ready Prep
  • Multiple USB Charging Ports inside & out
  • Monitor Panel
  • Non-Directional TV Antenna w/Booster
  • Solar-Ready & Back-Up Camera Prep
  • 30 Amp 30’ Power Cord w/Storage
  • 35 Amp Converter/Charger w/LED lights
  • Back-Up Camper Ready

In the Kitchen

In the kitchen area, you will find a two-burner cooktop with a cover and a stainless steel microwave. You get a color-coordinated 6 cubic-feet doubted door refrigerator. The countertops are cream-colored with self-edging. The dinette is vintage-styled and above the dinette is a vintage double trumpet dinette light.

Bathroom, Windows, and Doors

The bathroom has your standard foot-flush toilet and a high-velocity bath vent. The medicine cabinet is wood and has your standard mirror. For the shower, you have a radius or curved shower curtain and if you like you can get either a glass shower door or a soft-touch shower door as an option. The glass and soft-touch shower doors are only available on some models.

All the windows are black radius tinted which nice to have as it cuts down on summer heat. The front door is friction-hinged so it doesn’t slam when you close it. The pass-through storage doors have magnetic catches which are a nice detail feature.

Popular options on the Vintage Cruiser

Personally, I’m not a fan of travel trailers that have a lot of options. I think it should be built with premium features right from the start and we’ll decide if it’s worth the price. That is my only gripe with the Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser. There are options that we have to buy the should just be on a travel trailer. For example, the A/C unit is an option, sink covers, interior and exterior TV mounting bracket.

Here is a partial list of the available option.

  • Wood Estate Wagon Interior Decor and Exterior Graphics
  • Knotty Pine Paneling throughout
  • Estate Wagon Custom Comforter and Pillow Shams
  • 3-Burner Range w/Oven
  • Interior & Exterior TV Mounting Brackets
  • Power Tongue Jack in place of Manual Jack
  • 13,500 BTU Air Conditioner (non-ducted)
  • Blue Tooth Home Theater-Stereo w/Speakers
  • Premium Foam Mattress

Here is what I like and don’t like about the Vintage Cruiser:

Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser Video

You can learn all about the Vintage Cruiser and all Gulfstream RVs on the Gulfstream website.

Summary of the Gulfstream Vintage Cruiser Review

Ok, folks, we’re not gonna lie. We “REALLY” like the Vintage Cruiser for many reasons. We love the look of the exterior and interior design. We like all the modern amenities. It seems Gulfstream has thought about just everything you need in a comfortable and stylish camper. I’m not a fan of having something as important as an A/C to be an option, but I can learn to live with that. It’ll just have to be an option I purchase.

Overall we think this Cruiser is an excellent retro-styled Rv which checks-off a lot of what is on our list of purchase requirements.