Full-time in Keystone Bullet Premier?

[Eric21]

If you measure cupboards you can make cardboard mockups of them and test fit things into the mockups. Be sure to weigh those things as well. We used a kitchen scale and a bathroom scale to do that.

 

In my most recent van there was a 5" space between the bathroom wall and the back doors. I hooked bungie cords across that space and used it to store outdoor furniture and cleaning utensils. So be sure to look at all potential spaces including the idea of putting a shoe pocket hanging thingie just inside the front door to hold keys, sunglasses, gloves, etc. Using your space well can make things feel bigger than the first appear to be. But,you still have to watch weight--total and distribution.

 

Linda Sand

 

Thanks for the tips on dealing with storage Linda. I’m pretty sure I could make it work. Here's my cargo estimate:

 

* minimalist cookware, silverware, utensils, measuring cup, collapsible colander etc (biggest items being a 3 quart pan/wok and 6-quart pressure cooker)

 

* a few stack-able food storage containers

 

* large 12 X 12 screen room

 

* large 10 X 10 tent

 

* one large cot

 

* two large self-inflating camping mattress

 

* a couple small tool boxes,

 

* a Vornado fan,

 

* a Vornado electric heater

 

* induction hot-plate

 

* Two 30 foot extension cords

 

* food items (spices, oil, vinegar, canned goods, grains, beans, seeds, nuts, onions, garlic, fruit etc)

 

* paper towels, toilet paper

 

* minimal amount amount clothes (enough for a week or two without doing laundry, bathing suit, grey suit. Clothes get re-worn if they pass the site and smell test )

 

*Minimal cold weather gear (Jacket, gloves, ski hat, thermal underwear etc)

 

* 5 pairs of shoes (flip-flops, casual, gym, hiking, dress)

 

* extra set of sheets and extra towel

 

* basic toiletries and barber's clipper kit

 

* small first aid kit

 

* two small fire extinguishers

 

* bin with some paper-work (passport etc).

 

* A camera/video camera

 

* Basic RV supplies (locks, towing gear, wheel chocks, etc.)

 

* Cleaning supplies (broom, cleaning liquids, rags, wipes etc)

 

* Cables and hoses for RV electric, water, sewage'

 

* laptop and tablet

 

* WiFi Hotspot

 

And I’ll have a large capped truck bed in addition to the trailer’s outside and inside storage. And yes, apparently I love putting things into lists when I write :/ I started out writing this list thinking it was going to be short list. But it keeps expanding as I think of new items. I probably forgot something as well. Hmm, I still think it can fit in even the smallest trailers. But I'd probably double check.

[Eric21]

So far I’ve narrowed down my choices to the following.

Either a 2014-2016 Ram 1500 V6 Pentastar or a 2017 Ford F-150 2.7L Ecoboost depending on my trailer selection.

Trailers in running:

* Arctic Fox 22g

* Escape 5.0 TA with added insulation options

* Lance 1685 and 1985 with Thermal Package

* Dutchman Aerolite 213rbsl

* Keystone Half-ton Cougar 19BEWE with Polar Package

* Evergreen I-Go Cloud C183RB

* Jayco Jay Flight 19RD with thermal package and upgraded
suspension

* Classic Airstream shell in good shape with insulation

 

* Rockwood Mini Lite 2104s

 

* Camplite 21rbs

I’ve only really taken a look at the Lance and Escape so far. Hope to see the others over the next couple of months.

[Eric21]

A few questions:

I’ve heard people expressing that they liked being close to their RV manufacturing plant in case they need factory service. What kind of issues would require factory service? Lance, Northwood, and Escape are on the opposite side of the continent from me. Would they make other arrangements to handle these type of situations?

Has anyone heard anything about the Keystone Cougar Half-Ton Travel Trailers? On paper, they look like a Northwood rival, but with a lower price and better dealer network.

 

Anyone have experience towing an 8.5 foot wide trailer? Is towing any different than with the 8 foot wide trailers?

 

-Eric

[Daveh]

Eric, Have you ;ppked at the Livin Lite line? Another line I was very interested in when looking. I have looked in one walking by but never been in one. I think they would meet many of your criteria. http://www.livinlite.com/camplite-overview.php

[Daveh]

Keystone Thor, the maker of the Cougar, is the largest manufactuer of towables in the US--- so yes, you will have a vast dealer network.

 

Thor makes a wide range of products at various price ranges and with various intended audiences and uses.

 

As far as comparing with Arctic Fox the RV Consumer Group will tell you that the Cougar, and the Camp Lite, I referred you to above, differ substantially in quality. Arctic Fox suffers from the lack of a large dealer network, but they have been able to keep many of the benefits of a small company focused on a quality product.

 

A manufacturer that directly compares is Outdoor Rv as they once had common ownership with Northwood Manufacturing and are located within miles of each other. However, they also have the detriment of a smaller dealer network.

 

Different people will have different priorities. I drove from Mich to Minneapolis to see an Arctic Fox in person and drove to Washington to get one. Others have driven much farther than that. That may be crazy but it fit what I decided were my priorities. I would take Kirks advice and get the RV Consumer group stuff and then continue doing what have been for research. You are leaps ahead of most in analyzing your options and every choice will have some tradeoffs.

[Daveh]

By the way, Lance is a smaller manufacturer that was primarily focused on the truck camper market and has a good reputation in that market. Their expansion in the towable market is more recent but I have heard good things about them. Iwould be interested in whether Lance considers there own units to be vacation or trekking, seasonal, full time. However, I agree with you they are worth looking at foryour purposes.

[Eric21]

Eric, Have you ;ppked at the Livin Lite line? Another line I was very interested in when looking. I have looked in one walking by but never been in one. I think they would meet many of your criteria.

I'll add it to the list. But after doing a quick internet search, it seems like it might be one of those things that sounds good in theory but doesn't really work out in practice. People end up not being very comfortable in them for whatever reason.

[Eric21]

Keystone Thor, the maker of the Cougar, is the largest manufactuer of towables in the US--- so yes, you will have a vast dealer network.

 

Thor makes a wide range of products at various price ranges and with various intended audiences and uses.

 

As far as comparing with Arctic Fox the RV Consumer Group will tell you that the Cougar, and the Camp Lite, I referred you to above, differ substantially in quality. Arctic Fox suffers from the lack of a large dealer network, but they have been able to keep many of the benefits of a small company focused on a quality product.

 

A manufacturer that directly compares is Outdoor Rv as they once had common ownership with Northwood Manufacturing and are located within miles of each other. However, they also have the detriment of a smaller dealer network.

 

Different people will have different priorities. I drove from Mich to Minneapolis to see an Arctic Fox in person and drove to Washington to get one. Others have driven much farther than that. That may be crazy but it fit what I decided were my priorities. I would take Kirks advice and get the RV Consumer group stuff and then continue doing what have been for research. You are leaps ahead of most in analyzing your options and every choice will have some tradeoffs.

Yeah, reasonable advice.

 

And I've heard mainly good things about Lance too. However, I know they pinch roll their laminated walls instead of vacuum sealing them (which seems to the newer, better process). I've heard stories about their walls and roofs de-laminating or bubbling. But the company seems to have a pretty good reputation otherwise. Their product is definitely higher quality than the Premier. I haven't compared to the others on my list yet.

[Kirk W]

Anyone have experience towing an 8.5 foot wide trailer? Is towing any different than with the 8 foot wide trailers?

I have towed an RV of 102" and the class A we lived in for 12 years was also that width. (8,5') Remember that the difference is only 3" on each side so on the highways it is really no noticeable difference at all. Inside it is quite noticeable. On the highway it does mean more weight, but as long as you are considering the total weight, that is already something that you are dealing with. The only thing that I remember noticing when we moved from a 96" wide trailer to one that was 102" is that it took a little more space when parked in our storage space. To give you a reference, I just measured and my Dodge truck is 101 7/8" wide from mirror to mirror with them rotated out into the towing position.

[trailertraveler]

The Cougar and the Premier that you were looking at are both listed by Keystone as being in their midrange line of trailers, so I'm not sure I would expect much difference in the quality of build or construction methods. Dutchmen is also a Thor company and when I dealt with them a couple of years ago they shared costumer service and warranty services with Keystone.

 

Rockwood is a Forest River Company. Many virtually identical trailers are sold by Forest River under the Flagstaff brand. The Flagstaff 21DS appears to be very similar if not identical to the Rockwood 2104S. This may mean that there are more potential dealers closer to your location.

 

One company that is rarely mentioned on this forum when discussing travel trailers is Winnebago. They have a pretty good reputation in Motorhomes and re-entered the towable market with their acquisition of Sunnybrook. They make trailer series called the Minnie and the Micro Minnie which may be of interest to you.

[2gypsies]

The members on this forum are very knowledgeable and have given you some great comments. However, if I were you I'd also check out the owner's forums of the particular manufacturers you have in mind.

 

Also, irv2.com has a owner's forum for quite a few manufacturers.

 

Here is the Lance owner's forum:

 

http://lanceowners.hoop.la/

 

Good luck in your search for the perfect one for you!

[Eric21]

I have towed an RV of 102" and the class A we lived in for 12 years was also that width. (8,5') Remember that the difference is only 3" on each side so on the highways it is really no noticeable difference at all. Inside it is quite noticeable. On the highway it does mean more weight, but as long as you are considering the total weight, that is already something that you are dealing with. The only thing that I remember noticing when we moved from a 96" wide trailer to one that was 102" is that it took a little more space when parked in our storage space. To give you a reference, I just measured and my Dodge truck is 101 7/8" wide from mirror to mirror with them rotated out into the towing position.

Thanks for the info. Did you drive the trailer much on the east coast?

 

Apparently, many roads east of the Mississippi weren't built for those kind of widths and it is technically illegal in some states. Here's a link:

 

https://rv-roadtrips.thefuntimesguide.com/2009/07/rv_size.php

[Eric21]

The Cougar and the Premier that you were looking at are both listed by Keystone as being in their midrange line of trailers, so I'm not sure I would expect much difference in the quality of build or construction methods. Dutchmen is also a Thor company and when I dealt with them a couple of years ago they shared costumer service and warranty services with Keystone.

 

Rockwood is a Forest River Company. Many virtually identical trailers are sold by Forest River under the Flagstaff brand. The Flagstaff 21DS appears to be very similar if not identical to the Rockwood 2104S. This may mean that there are more potential dealers closer to your location.

 

One company that is rarely mentioned on this forum when discussing travel trailers is Winnebago. They have a pretty good reputation in Motorhomes and re-entered the towable market with their acquisition of Sunnybrook. They make trailer series called the Minnie and the Micro Minnie which may be of interest to you.

 

 

Thanks for the info about Keystone and Winnebago. The Cougar appears to be more solidly built than the Premier, on paper anyways. In fact, the Cougar 19BEWE weighs more than the Arctic Fox 22g, and Keystone claims to have successfully tested the Cougar to temperatures of 0 degrees Fahrenheit. I haven't seen it in person though. And eventually I'll probably cough up some money for the RV Consumer Group.

 

Also, the Winnebago trailers really caught my eye, but the unfortunately the ceilings are a bit too low. I need a listed 78" inches (6'6") of standing room to feel comfortable. If I was short enough, I would have already purchased a Casita or small Escape and been done with this whole process already. #TallPeopleProblems

[Eric21]

The members on this forum are very knowledgeable and have given you some great comments. However, if I were you I'd also check out the owner's forums of the particular manufacturers you have in mind.

 

Also, irv2.com has a owner's forum for quite a few manufacturers.

 

Here is the Lance owner's forum:

 

http://lanceowners.hoop.la/

 

Good luck in your search for the perfect one for you!

Thanks for the suggestion, link and luck. I'll check the owner's forums out at some point. Maybe I'll start with Lance since I've seen it and it's still a strong contender.

[Kirk W]

Did you drive the trailer much on the east coast?

We drove it in nearly all of those states although most of it was on US routes which also fall under the federal guidelines and also on state highways. It is true that some of the more rural roads are a bit tight, but that doesn't change the fact that it is only 3" on each side and rarely makes much difference. The most accurate thing in the article that you linked to is this quote.

 

Of course, you might want to take all of this with a grain of salt. Wide body RVs have been around for over 10 years now, and I’ve never heard of anyone being cited for an over-width situation with an RV.

[Eric21]

We drove it in nearly all of those states although most of it was on US routes which also fall under the federal guidelines and also on state highways. It is true that some of the more rural roads are a bit tight, but that doesn't change the fact that it is only 3" on each side and rarely makes much difference. The most accurate thing in the article that you linked to is this quote.

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I know people drive with 102” rigs all the time without getting tickets. Just didn’t know how often it made things more difficult or scary.

 

When I rented the Class C, I drove it from Orlando to just outside of New York city. I don’t know how wide the RV was, but there were a couple times I was really white knuckling it …a construction zone close to DC at night and a tunnel in the mountains.

 

It could be my lack of experience, but I had a hard time judging the width of the RV vs the width of the lanes. Maybe things get easier with time and experience. Or maybe it would help to lookup the lane width's ahead of time. It would give me a lot more confidence knowing I was on a 15 foot wide lane vs a 9 foot one.

[sandsys]

It could be my lack of experience, but I had a hard time judging the width of the RV vs the width of the lanes.

Here's an exercise that can help with that. Take the rig to a nearly empty parking lot and park it between the lines of one parking space; use GOAL to check to be sure you are centered in the space. Look at the lines from the driver's seat. Then get out and measure the space between those lines. Now move the rig so it is centered on one of the the lines so you are parked in the middle of two parking spaces and look at the lines beside you from the driver's seat. Then measure the width of those two parking spaces you are straddling. One you have visualized where the lines are in those two scenarios, you will probably be more comfortable judging the lane markers on a highway.

 

Linda Sand

[Eric21]

Here's an exercise that can help with that. Take the rig to a nearly empty parking lot and park it between the lines of one parking space; use GOAL to check to be sure you are centered in the space. Look at the lines from the driver's seat. Then get out and measure the space between those lines. Now move the rig so it is centered on one of the the lines so you are parked in the middle of two parking spaces and look at the lines beside you from the driver's seat. Then measure the width of those two parking spaces you are straddling. One you have visualized where the lines are in those two scenarios, you will probably be more comfortable judging the lane markers on a highway.

 

Linda Sand

Thanks. Once I get an RV, I'll try that out. I guess there's lots of people driving and towing these wide RVs and I rarely hear of accidents. I suppose it can't be to difficult to adjust to driving them.

[2gypsies]

Class C's are harder to judge how wide you are because you're sitting in the narrow part and it's wider behind you. Class A's are all one width as are a 5th wheel and truck.