General Coach Canada has eliminated hundreds of pounds from their high-end luxury truck camper line by changing to a new cutting-edge cabinetry material. How is this possible? It’s all about the XPS-core.
Two years ago, the truck camper world was rocked when General Coach Canada announced the return of Citation truck campers. Under the name Citation Explore, the revived camper brand was reinvented from the ground up, drawing on decades of General Coach Canada’s experience building high-end luxury travel trailers, production trailers for the film industry, and manufactured homes. The result was a whole new camper line featuring a level of quality, finish, and features never before seen on a “Citation” camper.
What didn’t change was the build approach. The new Citation Explore campers were aluminum-framed and vacuum-bonded—just like the Citation line from fifteen years prior. From there, General Coach Canada took everything multiple steps further, including premium appliances, bright composite walls inside and out, and a distinctly modern interior that gave Citation Explore a look unlike anything on the market.
Shortly after launch, General Coach Canada expanded the line from the original non-slide wet bath 9-6 and full-wall slide-out wet bath 10-2 to include the non-slide dry bath 10-8. At this point, there was no mistaking General Coach Canada’s intention. This company was aiming at the no-holds-barred high-end luxury truck camper market, and they came to play.
Now General Coach Canada is announcing the biggest news since its launch. For 2026, they’ve advanced all three Citation Explore models by utilizing an all-new cabinet material developed specifically to reduce a significant amount of weight without compromising strength, quality, or aesthetics. Built with XPS-core panels and Garnica Ultralight Duraply faces, the new cabinetry has shed hundreds of pounds from all three models. That bears repeating. All three campers have lost hundreds of pounds.
To learn more about this new material and cabinetry, and exactly how it resulted in so much weight loss, we talked to Heather Millar, Sales and Procurement at General Coach Canada.
Heather Millar, Sales and Procurement at General Coach Canada holding the new cabinet material
Before we talk about the new cabinets and material, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to work for the RV industry and General Coach Canada.
In 2009, General Coach was purchased from Thor Industries by my father, Roger Faulkner, an RV/MH Hall of Fame Inductee (2018). My father led the acquisition that returned the company to family ownership. After the acquisition, the business became General Coach Canada, with my father serving as President and my brother as Vice President.
I joined a few years later. As we approach two decades of family ownership, I’ve had the opportunity to get involved in many aspects of the business and to work alongside both my dad and brother. It’s especially rewarding to now see the third generation beginning to take an interest.
Today, General Coach Canada manufactures theatrical trailers for the film industry around the world, a premium line of park model trailers, rental cabins for the campground industry, the Citation Reward luxury travel trailer, and the Citation Explore truck camper line.
Citation Explore 10-8 driver’s side exterior
What prompted General Coach Canada to revisit cabinet construction and materials for 2027?
Since launching the Citation Explore truck campers, consumers were exceptionally positive about the overall concept, design and interior aesthetic, but were not as enthusiastic about the weight. That was the primary reason why we researched and selected a new and dramatically lighter cabinet material.
We didn’t want to change the other aspects of the campers because the feedback was otherwise exceptionally positive, and we don’t compromise on quality. Changing the cabinet material allowed us to reduce the weight, maintain the way we build cabinets, and maintain our high quality standards.
Inside a Citation Explore 9-6 with the Garnica Ultralight Duraply
What is Garnica Ultralight Duraply with XPS insulating core, and why did you choose it?
We’d already been using Garnica plywood, so we were familiar with the brand and had a lot of confidence in its quality. As we started looking for ways to reduce weight, it was a pretty easy decision when we saw Garnica’s Ultralight Duraply. It uses an XPS insulating foam core with durable European poplar plywood skins, so it’s significantly lighter than conventional plywood while still being strong, stable, and easy to machine with the same woodworking equipment we already use.
The XPS core also adds thermal and acoustic insulation, and the treated poplar faces are highly resistant to moisture, warping, delamination, and fungal or insect damage. Those qualities have made it a popular material in premium RV and marine applications where every pound matters and durability is critical.
For us, it checked all the boxes. We were able to reduce weight without compromising the quality or longevity we expect from our cabinetry. We trust the Garnica brand and know their quality.
What was it like when you got the Garnica’s Ultralight Duraply in-house?
It was a wow moment. We keep saying we need to put out a video of us tossing a cabinet back and forth because it’s so incredibly lightweight. That was the first thing that impressed us.
That would be a fun video to see. How did you test the new material?
Garnica provides a comprehensive technical analysis and product manual, which we reviewed before testing the material ourselves. We then ran it through all of our machining processes to ensure there were no issues with its quality, finish, or manufacturability.
Next, we built, installed, and tested the cabinets for weight, screw retention, and load capacity. The results were positive across the board. We already had experience with other Garnica products and were confident in their quality. That made this an easy transition.
Inside a Citation Explore 9-6 with the Garnica Ultralight Duraply
How does the new cabinetry compare to the previous cabinetry in terms of strength and durability?
That’s a fair question, and it’s one we asked ourselves before we ever considered putting the material into production. The answer is no—we didn’t find any compromises that would make us question using it in our truck campers. In fact, a side benefit is the ease at which our employees work with the new material. I can lift an assembled cabinet over my head without much effort at all.
This new material provides the same strength and durability that our previous cabinets did and is still light years ahead of the standard face frame construction that is so prevalent in the RV Industry.
Where are the Garnica panels made?
The base material is manufactured by Garnica in Spain. It arrives as an XPS-core sandwich panel with poplar plywood skins already bonded to both sides.
We then have a partner in Montreal laminate the decorative surface onto those panels before they’re shipped to us here in Hensall, Ontario, where we machine and assemble the cabinetry. Our supplier in Quebec also did testing to make sure it would go through their machines.
Inside a Citation Explore 10-2 with the Garnica Ultralight Duraply
Are the new cabinets made in the same modular residential-style showcased in the original Citation Explore models?
Absolutely. Our cabinet build has not changed, just the material. Our cabinets are built the same way as those in residential homes—probably the same as the cabinets in your own house. This modular build is what sets us apart from the rest of the RV Industry and provides a superior quality.
We know our modular cabinets are heavier than traditional face-frame construction, but we don’t cut corners. They’re very durable and strong, just like the cabinets you have in your own home. We build manufactured homes, and we use these same cabinets in them. That’s the approach we take with all of our products.
CNC machine at General Coach Canada in Ontario
Are all your cabinets made in-house?
Yes. We make all of our cabinets here at our factory in Ontario. We’ve invested in CNCs, saws, edge-processing equipment, and a complete in-house cabinet shop, giving us full control over the quality, fit, and finish of every cabinet we build.
What are the new base weights for the Citation Explore 9-6, 10-2, and 10-8?
The weight savings have been significant across the lineup. The Citation Explore 9-6 now has a base weight of 3,960 pounds, down 303 pounds. The Citation Explore 10-2 now weighs 4,350 pounds, a reduction of 398 pounds. The Citation Explore 10-8 now has a base weight of 4,290 pounds, down 391 pounds. Those reductions are primarily the result of the new cabinetry.
Overall, we’re saving about 300 to 400 pounds per camper. We had hoped to get closer to 600 pounds, but a 300 to 400-pound reduction is still significant in a truck camper. The biggest benefit isn’t necessarily changing what truck you need—it’s giving owners more available cargo carrying capacity.
In an email, you mentioned that General Coach was particularly focused on getting the 9-6 under 4,000 pounds. Why was that important?
Getting the 9-6 below the 4,000 pound mark for dry weight opens up some options for our customers. At that weight, a one-ton single rear wheel truck becomes a viable option. Being under 4,000 pounds also puts us in a better position with our competitors in the same size range.
Is this the first step in a broader light weighting strategy for the Citation Explore lineup?
Yes. We’re always looking for ways to reduce weight, but never at the expense of quality, durability, or the way we build our campers. We’re proud of our construction methods, and while that may mean our campers weigh a little more than some alternatives, we believe the quality, strength, and longevity are well worth it.
Beyond lighter cabinets and campers, what’s on the horizon for Citation Explore truck campers?
Right now, there are no new floor plans to announce. We’ll continue looking for opportunities to reduce weight, whether that’s something as simple as a different table leg or another component where every pound counts, but only if we can do it without compromising quality.
That’s really our philosophy. We build our campers in Canada with a focus on craftsmanship, not production speed. While we have a well-organized manufacturing process, we don’t run a high-speed assembly line. We’d rather take the time to build a premium product than rush one out the door.
If anyone in the U.S. or Canada has questions about our truck campers or would like more information, we’d be happy to hear from them. We’re also actively looking to expand our dealer network and welcome the opportunity to speak with dealers interested in representing the Citation Explore truck camper line.
For more information on the Citation Explore 10-8, visit their website at generalcoachcan.com. Click here to request a free Citation truck camper brochure.
