As an owner of a 2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW (same as A213HW), and a 2014 A122 prior to that, I'm going to suggest you are making assumptions that may or may not be valid for your use case.
Starting off with towing mechanics:
- almost all owners of A213s who have actual tongue weights ready to camp have been in the 400+ lb range. I had to make changes to how I stored stuff to get my tongue weight to register less than 500lbs on the scale. I would make sure that your EV can handle that kind of tongue weight.
- if the height of the high wall camper is above the top of your tow vehicle, aerodynamics takes a real hit when towing. When I went from the A122 to the 8" higher A213HW, my towing mpg with a minivan went from 17-19 mpg to 13-15mpg, even though the trailer weight only differed by about 200lbs. The lower camper folded roof was below the roof line of the minivan, the high wall wasn't. With my tow vehicle now an SUV instead of a minivan, mileage while towing actually went up (14-17, depending on speed and wind), even though non-towing mileage with the SUV is less.
Longevity of the Forest River A-frames improves significantly if they are garage stored. UV and the elements take a toll on the seals of the various folding panels. Garage storage helps a lot, any form of protection from the elements helps some. Replacing seals and recaulking is not difficult but it will need doing over time. More often if the unit is exposed to the elements 24 x 365.
The body and box integrity depends mainly on how badly it gets beat up while being towed. If the camper stays on mostly smooth roads, the screws and staples don't get too stressed. If you go off road or down a lot of very rough roads, you will be refastening and sometimes reinforcing the body and box.
I have not seen the newest models, but I understand the electric lift motors and the combo LP/electric fridges are gone. No loss on the electric lift motor - they would fail within a couple of years, or even a few months. The gas struts last a lot longer and are much cheaper to replace.
The change to the 12V-only fridge affects how you camp. You need a good battery bank, and a way to recharge batteries regularly, that was not needed for the old fridge running on propane. OTOH, the old fridge needed to run overnight before it would be cool enough to store food. How are you going to supply the power to keep the fridge cool while towing? While camping?
Just some considerations. Carefully review how you will use your A-frame (or any camper) to make sure it's the right fit for you. We love our A-frames, and use our current A213 as a hotel room on wheels when traveling, as well as for camping.
Used A-frame prices are shockingly high, so we ended up buying new in both cases. Used was only $2K less than new. Price compare with Robert's RV in Denver - they publish their discount no-haggle prices. Good guide to what you should be paying.
Fred W
2019 Flagstaff T21TBHW A-frame
2022 Hyundai Palisade
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