World premier - Ember RV E-Series Spark 12RK - squaredrop RV
Honest review of the Ember RV E-Series Spark 12RK squaredrop
Today’s RV review is of the new-for-2026 Ember RV E-SeriesSpark 12RK. Essentially this is a “square drop” or a teardrop-style layout in a more squared-off package. I saw this at its debut at the Overland Expo West where there were a big number of this style of rig but this one had a clear difference from those - it was far less expensive.
Ember has often broken new ground on features or components and we’ve been introduced to a number of new technologies by seeing them on an Ember first. This is sort of the opposite of that.
The idea here is to make a very affordable small trailer that isn’t overly well equipped. When I talked to Ember’s co-founder, Christopher Barth, he said the company decided to not include a number of things because people who buy these tend to have them already.
For example, there is no fridge on this trailer but you could always bring your own powered cooler. In fact the Overland Expo was lousy with them and I even have two of them myself. In its most basic form this is almost a tent on wheels, which is how we described the Rockwood Tent 190OTG, but this is available with a number of options from the factory to elevate that so you can tailor it to what you already have and what you might want.
Essentially this is a teardrop trailer, but in square form, in its most traditional sense. There’s a rather spacious compartment up front with individual bed mats and a decent amount of storage space.
The idea isn’t to make a cheap trailer, though, just a simpler one that’s in line with what someone in this market might appreciate.
Kitchen in the Ember RV Spark 12RK
Out back is an open area with a sink and a pull-out flat-top griddle.
That flat-top griddle is on a drawer so you have your sink and your griddle and BYOF, or bring your own fridge. This makes so much more sense than having a 120vac fridge in the trailer as many of these do.
Something that surprised me is that this is not a member of Ember’s Overland Series as it looks like it would be. But the Overland Series has things like the Curt Independent Suspension, Stargazer window, dual-pane windows and a number of other features that this does not have.
Instead this is part of the Spark Series which is a member of the Essential Series from Ember which is more of an entry-level collection. We even got to do the world premier of the Ember RV E-Series 22ETS a while back. Essential Series means you get the things that are essential to getting out there without a lot of fluff.
But there are still some more unexpected features in this trailer like a high-performance vent fan, torsion axle suspension and more.
Another thing that is here are fenders that you can step on. There are a lot of this style of trailer with similar looking fenders but with a sticker on them that reads “not a step.” That makes little sense as many of these have provisions for cargo or even a roof-top tent.
Sleeping in the Ember RV E-Series Spark 12RK
As you might expect in a teardrop-style trailer the front compartment is the bedroom and Ember has worked this out with two 28” X 84” mattress pads which, together, make a 56” x 84” sleeping surface. But you can also fold these up and have a seat in here and there’s a TV and stereo system too.
Boondocking or Overlanding with the Ember RV E-Series Spark 12RK
There are 400 watts of solar available which could be more than sufficient for a lot of RVers, especially if your biggest draw might be a portable 12 volt cooler or the lighting. You can opt in either a single 200-watt panel or the two 400-watt panels I saw at the Expo.
As for boondocking there is a sink on this trailer to which you can attach a flexible faucet head or a sprayer head on a coiled hose. However do know that this is a “direct dump” drain so there is no gray tank. But many of the people who choose this style of trailer will put a bucket underneath to catch the gray. There are also circumstances where you can just let the gray water flow to the ground but it’s always good to practice Leave No Trace so the choice of soaps and such is a factor.
Plenty of options on the Ember RV E-Series Spark 12RK
For those who want choices, this little camper has a big list. You can get a furnace, tankless water heater and an air conditioner. There are also roof racks and a choice of two awnings; a traditional model and what is referred to as a “bat wing” awning which covers the side and rear of the trailer.
In addition to the solar options you can also have this trailer outfitted with a 2000 watt inverter and an MPPT solar charge controller.
My thoughts on the Ember RV E-Series Spark 12RK
I did review the Flagstaff ePro 12SA a while back and I would say that these are competitors in some ways, but also quite different as well.
The price of this trailer is a strong suit without the trailer being cheap. There are a good number of construction features that make this a solid choice for those who like this type of rig. And, compared to some that I saw at the show that were $40-60,000 I think I would choose the Ember instead.
Overall I think Ember’s E-Series Spark 12RK has a lot to offer and is a really good value while hitting the market for this sort of rig.
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