Dynamax Isata 5 Explorer Edition review - hero.jpg
Review of the 2026 Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition
Today’s RV review is of the 2026 Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition. This is a big, beefy Super C motorhome and one that literally stopped me in my tracks when I was at Forest River’s Dealer Expo. Regular readers will know that I have seen a lot of RVs and some of them more typical than others but the desert themed paint job on this RV and the military-spec tires and just beefy look to this spoke to me.
And then I spoke to Brian Clemens from Dynamax about this and I was really impressed to learn that he’s an RVer himself and even used to work at a company that rented RVs. It was these kinds experiences that this RV was created.
Do know that now the Xplorer Edition that was considered when I met with Brian is now available on these units the option is there and I can’t imagine not taking it if you’re looking for something like this.
Start at the road with the Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition
The base Dynamax Isata 5 is already a capable beast based on the Ram 5500-Series chassis which incorporates a 6.7L Cummins turbodiesel engine and has all-wheel-drive. This is also quite a capable chassis for towing as well which is one of the reasons people choose a Super C to begin with.
To the base model the Xplorer package adds a whole different suspension system provided by Liquid Springs. This suspension allows you to raise and lower the vehicle based on the conditions of the road you’re on, or the one you left behind. But they’ve done something brilliant with this set-up.
Instead of hydraulic leveling jacks on each corner of this rig Dynamx used the adjustability feature in the suspension to provide the leveling function. That means that there’s not those hydraulic rams at each corner to lift the RV up so you have just less stuff which also means a bit less weight. Using the adjustability of the suspension in this RV is absolutely brilliant in my mind.
The tires on this are military-spec tires which Clemens says do very well off-road. The normal Isata uses traditional street tires with duals at the rear - this has four of these military spec tires. These tires are maxed out at 68 miles per hour and, to me, that’s fine but I know that will be a bummer for some owners.
The storage compartments in this RV are made of a gray rotomolded plastic and Clemens indicated that this is a “virgin” plastic (rather than having recycled content) so they’re gray instead of black. The advantage of that is that they just seem brighter inside.
The rear compartment is insulated which is there to protect cargo you might want to keep there but there’s also a 12 volt heater on the road side compartment. This little heater is meant to heat all the water and sewer connections which are within the road-side compartment. This does pass over the frame so the heat comes into the camp-side compartment and that is a great place for things like ski boots and such. The heat also keeps the holding tanks from freezing even if you don’t use the propane furnace aboard this RV, for example if you have full hook-ups.
There are heat pump AC units on the roof so you can heat the entire RV electrically and, with that little electric heater, you’ll still be protecting the plumbing and tanks in this rig.
Speaking of plumbing I was very pleased to see that most of the major plumbing fixtures have auxiliary shut-off valves so an issue with the plumbing won’t mean coming in off the road.
A few other build quality features, this utilizes Lippert’s Slim Rack 2 slide mechanism which is reportedly a better system - I don’t have the real-world experience to prove this but it is a simpler system and Lippert has upped the thickness of the wiring going to it.
I also like that the front and rear bumpers on this are a heavy-gauge powder-coated steel. A full rear cap is nice until you scrape it on something - having a bumper at the bottom is better in the real world.
What’s inside the Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition
Stepping into the Dynamax something of note is the material on the power steps - it’s a marine-grade material rather than typical anti-slip tape. This was something the Dynamax team saw individual owners doing and so they thought to just do this surface from the factory - it’s much easier on bare feet and dog paws, for example, but still has an anti-slip function.
Inside the upper bunk is large enough that Clemens says his teenage son can sit up in the space.
On the road side there are two slides with the main living space having a theater seat and traditional dinette in the slide. These seats have all sorts of heat and massage functions plus there are little tables that slot into the cup holders and the seats do face the 12 volt TV.
You can also choose a jackknife sofa instead of the theater seats.
Kitchen in the Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition
Your kitchen feature a three-burner propane cook top and a convection and air fryer microwave. There’s also a sink, of course, and a flip-up counter extension. There’s also a panel in the counter top that lifts up to reveal a trash can that can be emptied from outside the RV - nice touch.
The fridge is a 12 volt model, naturally. There’s also decent pantry and drawer storage here and all the drawers and cabinet doors feature a soft close feature and magnetic catches.
Bathroom in the Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition
The bathroom on the camp side in the back of the Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition features a 36” x 36” shower and a porcelain foot flush toilet. I found the space in here to be sufficient to accomplish the tasks you came in here for.
Bedroom in the Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition
This RV features a queen-sized bed in a slide which means it has to be a bed that can fold to accommodate the slide room. There is a wall of cabinets and drawers at the back of the rig so storage in here is good.
Boondocking and travel access in the Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition
I’m not a fan of most tankless or on-demand water heaters in RVs just because they require full water pressure to operate and don’t do well with the stop/start/stop that comes with something like washing one’s hands or dishes. But the Truma AquaGo comfort plus is an exception. It circulates the hot water to prevent freezing and provide almost instant hot water as one demands it. It also is well suited to the stop/start/stop demands I just wrote about.
So these Truma units are good for those who like to boondock unlike almost all other tankless units. But they’re pricier which is why you don’t see a lot of RV companies using them.
As for off-grid camping there are 1,000 watts of solar on the roof of the Xplorer Edition models along with 400 amp hours of lithium batteries. The system is also set-up so that additional batteries can be added quite easily.
If the sun isn’t shining in Philadelphia, or wherever you’re camping, there’s an 8kW on-board diesel generator as well.
Something that Clemens pointed out was that all the outlets in the RV are inverted so you can run the whole thing on just battery if you choose to, but the TV and fridge are 12 volt so you don’t need the inverter on to operate those. That little 12 volt heater in the wet bay, too, can run on battery power.
Also, those heated holding tanks are pretty substantial with 78 gallons of fresh water so you can stay out there a while.
I also like that the prototype that we saw featured dual-pane acrylic windows which incorporate both bug screens and shades into the frames but also swing out almost 90° for air flow. These really do reduce heat loss and help with keeping outside sounds out.
Final thoughts on the Dynamax Isata 5 Xplorer Edition
There were just so many examples of thoughtful details in this RV but the most obvious thing, to me, is that it was designed by people who understood the RV lifestyle and what we do out here rather than a desk jockey with a CAD program.
Among all the details in this RV the fact that they use the suspension to level the rig just makes such incredible sense. It’s lighter, tighter and uses something already there rather than hydraulic rams which can get caught on things off road.
In our RV Report Card this is one of the most highly-rated RVs we’ve covered and absolutely the most highly-rated Super C we’ve seen. Quite honestly, if I were thinking of a motorized RV this would probably be at the top of my list and the fact that the graphics on the outside are actually something I like, well that’s just icing on the cake.
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