Sydney Outback

[Teresa C.]

I have read forum rules...so I hope I am not breaking any (as a newbie) and have posted this in the correct spot. I am looking for pros and cons...people who have likes and/or dislikes of their Sydney Outback. We have fallen in love with a 2008 Sydney Outback and are debating on whether or not to buy. It is still on the lot, so technically new. We have not been able to find the rear kitchen floorplan anywhere on line for comparison and comments. We have gone back to the lot 5 times to look at it, but are afraid to commit. We keep thinking....maybe we should buy used as we can save a few $$$$. We are see-sawing back and forth. We can't make up our mind. We know the floorplan, size, and manufacture (keystone ;)) that we want....but are afraid to make the BIG decision.

Can any of you out in the big world send some information my way.....help please. Feeling a big over whelmed.

[Flyguy]

Are you sure that this is a new 2008 trailer? I am looking at the 2007 Keystone Outback Sydney brochure and the only 5ver rear kitchen floorplan shown is the 31FRKS, but this is a 2007. I looked at all the other Sydney brochures and the 31FRKS floorplan was not available in 2008, 2009, or 2010. To check and see if the trailer is a 2008 model year, go to the lower left side of the trailer (drivers side) and read the manufacture date, if it's an 08 the date should read: anywhere from June 2007 through May 2008, if the date is prior to June 2007 then it's an 07. Also here is the link to an inpection form that you can save, printout and use if you deceide to buy. http://eaa1358.com/Passport/Pre-Delivery%20Inspection%20Checklist.pdf Let me know if the 31FRKS is indeed the model that you are looking at.

[hankpage]

In '06-'07 & 08 Keystone flipped around many dates claiming they went by date of mfg. This should have no effect on you if you plan to keep the unit for a while. (resale value) Your warranty will be from date of sale. My '07 Cougar 290RKS also had a door sticker saying 290 EFS which was an '06 model.
Anyway ..... We love our RK , it is very livable and everything is accessible while on the road with slide closed. (except living-room tv :rolleyes: ) We also liked the RLs but having to lift the chair out of the way to close the slide rained on that parade. Also check the dates on tires and have dealer compensate or change them. Good luck and welcome to the forum, Hank ....... You might also want to take a look at Cougars line up ... I think they still have a couple RK models similar to Outback.

http://www.rvusa.com/rvs/arkansas/mayflower-rv/2008-keystone-outback-fifth-wheel-21575#videos maybe this link will help you compare and the floorplan is identical to the Cougar except for location of laundry chute.

[Teresa C.]

Thank you so much you guys. You have been a tremendous help. I will check the sticker, just out of curiousity now. The salesperson did tell us it was the last year they made the RK in the Outback Sydney. Unfortunately the lot is 2 hours away...so I can't do it any time soon. I can hardly wait to have a picture of our truck and trailer together on here. FlyGuy...I will let you know what we find out.

[Festus2]

We have an "08 Cougar 278RKS (technically an '07 most likely) with a rear kitchen. One of the features that drew us to this particular unit was the "extra" counter space offered by the rear kitchen layout. The drawback of the rear kitchen is that the cupboards containing dishes are subject to more bouncing around and we have had a mishap where the door came open and the dishes fell onto the floor. That problem has since been remedied.

We are very pleased with our purchase - we bought it new in March of 2008 and have had only minor and very "owner fixable" problems with it.

Floorplans are very personal -- what one couple likes another dislikes - so if you can find a floorplan that suits you and you like it then that is the unit you should consider - especially if you plan on keeping it for a long time.

Welcome to the group and keep us posted.

[Flyguy]

Teresa, Hankpage brought up a good point regarding tires, in order to tell the manufacture date of the tires look for a four digit code on the tire sidewall that looks like the picture below:

http://keystonerv.org/forums/picture.php?albumid=1&pictureid=62

In this case the four digit code reads 5107, this indicates that this tire was manufactured on the 51th week of 2007, checkout when the tires on the trailer you've been looking at were manufactured, if too old, maybe you can get the dealer to throw in a new set as Hank said.

[hankpage]

We have an "08 Cougar 278RKS (technically an '07 most likely) with a rear kitchen. One of the features that drew us to this particular unit was the "extra" counter space offered by the rear kitchen layout. The drawback of the rear kitchen is that the cupboards containing dishes are subject to more bouncing around and we have had a mishap where the door came open and the dishes fell onto the floor. That problem has since been remedied.

Festus2, I have found that carrying 1/2 tank of fresh water reduces the rear bounce considerably. This also makes pit-stops easier on long trips. Most of the weight we carry is stored forward of the axles so this also helps with balancing the load from pin to both axles.

[Teresa C.]

wonderful advice. Thank you all. We still have not committed ourselves....we really like the Sydney on the lot...but we keep finding good deals on used...but they too far for us to go look at them just yet. We are driving ourselves crazy. We will be reading all of your blogs elsewhere on this website and learn more. I will of course let all of you know our final decision and (of course) post a picture and truck. =c)

[Festus2]

Hank:
We usually carry about 1/4- 1/3 of a tank of fresh water. Our FW tank is located just above and behind the rear axle and we try to position most of the weight between the pin and the rear axles as well. When some of our dishes ended up on the floor, we were going over a very bad stretch of road and have found that Corel dishes "explode" when they hit an uncarpted, hard floor. Still like the rear kitchen.

[Teresa C.]

How did you fix the cupboards so they didn't come open during the trip? And yes Corel does explode.

[Festus2]

I screwed a small cuphook at the very back of and underneath the "offending" cupboard and ran a heavy-duty elastic band from the cupboard door handle to the hook. The hook is almost invisible and out of the way and we just fasten the cupboard shut when we are on the road. I think you can also buy special hooks or door fasteners that do the same thing but this only cost a few cents and it works! As an extra precaution, we have been told that some people stuff a small pillow or cushion inside to prevent the dishes from moving against the cupboard door.

[icefireguy]

My Wife is only 4' 8" tall, so we have all our Corel stuff in the lower drawers because she can't reach the upper cupboards which solves that problem. You guys need shorter wives. :)

[Flyguy]

I'm not even going to go there!!

[Teresa C.]

Well, the 2008 Sydney is still sitting on the lot...we just can't make up our mind. We have now found a 2008 Mountaineer that we love, very similar layout, just beautiful. Of course it is some $10,000 more. So we are trying to get our financing together and that will be the deciding factor. The 2008 is also a model still on the lot. Great deal. It sure is a nice RV though, I don't know why it is still there.

I am tall too.

[Steersall4]

Teresa,
another thing you can enter in "Memory", new units have a 1 yr warrenty on EVERYTHING, but typically a used unit has warrenty on nothing. typically !
as far as cabinets? well go to the "Dollar" stores, buy a bunch of the rubberized shelf liner. cut squares OR round peices to fit between every dish,plate,saucer stuff will stay pretty much in place. we have had a rear kitchen in a little 24' cougar NEVER did we have the first problem with dishes nor cabnet doors. that is not to say the rubber shelf stuff made all the diff. but it surely must have helped. Since we had lot os lil peices of the stuff we still use them in our center kitchen. since we winter over in our present Cougar we will not part with the big rear window. and easy chairs.

[Teresa C.]

Good point Steersall4. Yet another thing to keep in mind. Both units are on a lot and brand new - just happen to be 2008's. I sure like the mountaineer.

[Steersall4]

since I live in Indiana and with in a daytrip 3 times thought we were gonna get to see Cougars built but instead got there in time to see how Mountianeer's are built. all the keystone stuff is done pretty much tha same ways. we don't go UP there just for that normally we are also taking in a nationally know Flea market and lil Amish town of Shipshewana. pronounced just like it looks. I'd need more truck for a Mountianeer

[Teresa C.]

How fun to be able to get to go to the plant that makes them. What did you think of the moutaineer, while being built? You live in beautiful country...I have been no further east than Idaho. We so need to get this RV and take the family all over. There is even so much stuff here in Washington State that I have never seen. I want to experience it all. We have a 1 ton, so we have enough truck, now just to decide on the RV.

[Steersall4]

the mountianeer is a nice trailer I beleive to be considered NEAR the top of Keystones line. and Hey lady there is Keystone plants out there. if like here there are regular scheduled plant tours. Here one does not get to see work going on because the factory lay out is not such that they can be working and have visitors too. Then too here 90% of Keystones employees are Amish. They are know for quality work in what ever they do. AND their work in the plant starts at 4 am. they then go home at 2 pm, most on bicycles and take care of chores. If they can not keep up at home they are not allowed to work away from home. I would guess plant tours out there might be different.
Yes you need to see country and us too I have an uncle been lynnwood/tacoma for a long time says we need to see Washington! I know!

[Teresa C.]

My husband is from Lynnwood, we are now living on the East Side of the Mtns, up near Canada. I will have to look and see where there may be a Keystone plant near me. I think that would be fun to tour. Yes, there are lots of neat/gorgeous things to see over here in the Pacific Northwest. But, I would sure love to come out towards your way and see the country. So much country to see, I am excited to get started. Work and jobs and school seems to get in the way... :( Oh, well, I will be retired some day.

[Festus2]

I am quite sure there is a Keystone plant in Pendleton, Oregon........ not that far south of the Tri-Cities area --- on Hwy 84. I would think that the plant tours in Keystone's Indiana plant would be very similar, if not identical, to the tours in their Oregon facility. The hours might be different but I am sure you would be shown the same things - regardless of who is working in their plant.