Keystone vs Heartland and screen doors

[ketah777]

Hello, we were all ready to order a Heartland Cyclone and then we found out that they no longer have screen doors. They now just have a window with a screen which means you have to keep the door shut all the time. I don't know how others feel about this, but I love to have a screen door so this was a deal breaker for us. Now we have decided to look at other options. Do Keystone RVs still have screen doors?

Now that we're back to choosing, we are thinking of maybe not even getting a toy hauler anymore but considering a bunk house. We have 2 kids and will be traveling full time for a couple of years. We originally wanted a toy hauler so we could get a golf cart which is fun to have a Ft. Wilderness, but not sure how useful is it everywhere else? Also, we love the back patio. On the other hand a kid's room would be nice to have.

Any recommendations on a good bunk house we should look at?

Thanks for any advice!

[gtsum2]

No screen door isn't good IMO. I am amazed they don't offer one? What tv do you have?

[GaryWT]

Interesting and Thor owns both companies so who knows what is coming. Golf carts can be fun but you cannot use them everywhere and some places might make you leave them inside so how would that effect sleeping? Bunk rooms are good especially the ones with the slide for extra room. Keystone has many to choice from.

[ketah777]

We are getting a 3500 dually, but don't have it yet. I wondered about whether we would be able to use the golf cart at many campgrounds. We have only camped in FL and golf carts are pretty common, but now that we plan to travel around the country I wasn't sure if it would be too much trouble having one.

I would really like a Montana but don't see very many bunkhouse options other than the 356tbf. That one looks nice, but when it says "stock only" does that mean you can't order one, you have to find a dealer that has one?

[KanTC]

.......I would really like a Montana but don't see very many bunkhouse options other than the 356tbf. That one looks nice, but when it says "stock only" does that mean you can't order one, you have to find a dealer that has one?

That's correct -"stock only"- means the floorplan has been discontinued, and you'd have to find one at a dealer -OR- possibly Keystone "may" have
some (already built) that haven't been delivered yet.

One thing to note - the 356tbf was only manufacturered for 2014 model year, and now the entire Mountaineer line (by Montana) is shown as "stock only".
It might be like searching for a needle in a haystack ;) but, if you have an area Montana/Mountaineer dealer they may be willing to help you find one.
http://www.keystonerv.com/find-a-dealer

The Keystone Avalanche has a "nearly" identical floorplan: 341TG http://www.keystonerv.com/avalanche/#/floorplans

Good luck with your decision, and :wlcm: to the forum.
Terri, the Chevy co-pilot :)

[ketah777]

Thank you! I see there are a few bunkhouse options with the Avalanche that look really nice. I was at first looking for a Montana because I have heard that people that buy those seem to be really happy with them. But, they don't have a lot of choices as far as bunkhouses go. Do you know if customer satisfaction is as high with the Avalanche? Is there a place to read customer reviews of various models?

[KanTC]

ketah,

I don't know of any review sites for the Avalanche. That brand/line was re-badged & introduced in 2010 [formerly known as the Challenger 5th wheel line], so it may be difficult to find enough info
(all in one place) for a "fair" review. We do have a few Avalanche owners on the forum though.

Also keep in mind, the Mountaineer and the Montana (itself) are two separate lines/brands. The Montana (by name) is one of Keystone's highest price-point brands/lines [now labeled at "Luxury"].....
the Mountaineer & Avalanche are both in the "Premium" category, and should have comparable features/base price for that category. I've never compared the 3, so I don't know the differences.

Yes, your choices will be very limited for bunkhouse floorplans at the price-point you're considering. Generally speaking, most buyers looking for larger/bigger (at/near luxury priced) 5th wheels are typically couples, not "families", so there probably isn't a huge demand for bunks. ;)

Hope this helps.
Terri, the Chevy co-pilot :)

[ketah777]

That makes sense, I guess most families looking for bunk houses aren't necessarily looking for something to full time in like we are. The Avalanches look very nice though, I will look into that some more. Thanks for your help!

[JRTJH]

I'm not sure where you're going to be spending the winters, but Keystone RV's aren't really "4 season" trailers. Whether they are advertised with a Polar Pak, Polar Plus, Arctic protection, or any other name, they aren't equipped or insulated for sustained cold weather living.

There are some other brands that do offer "true 4 season capability" but with that comes a higher price. Some of the custom build RV's are able to adapt a floorplan to give you more of what you're looking for. One company, DRVSuites has some models that may meet your needs without any modifications and provide you a more livable RV.

Here are links to some of their floorplans:
http://www.drvsuites.com/mobile-suites/floor-plans.html

Take a look at the Lexington and the Manhattan. They both have a bunk room and space for the entire family to sit and relax in the main cabin. That's something that is very seldom seen in any bunkhouse model.

Good Luck in your search for the right RV for your new adventures.

[Festus2]

I'm not sure where you're going to be spending the winters, but Keystone RV's aren't really "4 season" trailers. Whether they are advertised with a Polar Pak, Polar Plus, Arctic protection, or any other name, they aren't equipped or insulated for sustained cold weather living.

There are some other brands that do offer "true 4 season capability" but with that comes a higher price. Some of the custom build RV's are able to adapt a floorplan to give you more of what you're looking for. One company, DRVSuites has some models that may meet your needs without any modifications and provide you a more livable RV.

Here are links to some of their floorplans:
http://www.drvsuites.com/mobile-suites/floor-plans.html

Take a look at the Lexington and the Manhattan. They both have a bunk room and space for the entire family to sit and relax in the main cabin. That's something that is very seldom seen in any bunkhouse model.

Good Luck in your search for the right RV for your new adventures.

Another "residential" RV to consider is the Redwood by Thor. It is a higher-end 5th wheel designed and constructed for the full-timer. I've been in two - a 2013 and a 2014 and have been very impressed with the quality and build of these units. You can "smell, feel and see" it as soon as you go in the door. Very similar to the DRV's mentioned by JRTJH.
Have a look at their website (www.redwoodrv.com)

[ketah777]

Thanks again for all the input. I have briefly looked at Mobile Suites before. Yes, they look very nice and even though we may be looking for a higher end bunk house, that is a bit out of the price range we are looking for. Anyway, we're now thinking of a Gateway 3650BH.

As far as where we'll be in the winter, I don't know, but for the most part we plan to follow the warmer weather. We live in FL now, but don't want to spend summers here anymore, just winter. :) We have jobs that allow us to work from home remotely so I guess we'll just go wherever the road leads. ;) Looking forward to the adventure!

[grayghost03]

We are getting a 3500 dually, but don't have it yet. I wondered about whether we would be able to use the golf cart at many campgrounds. We have only camped in FL and golf carts are pretty common, but now that we plan to travel around the country I wasn't sure if it would be too much trouble having one.

I would really like a Montana but don't see very many bunkhouse options other than the 356tbf. That one looks nice, but when it says "stock only" does that mean you can't order one, you have to find a dealer that has one?

From what I understand, the entire line of "Mountaineers" are going away and being renamed something else, that's why all Mountaineers are stock only, we have the 356TBF, it was a one year floor plan, new for 2014. Maybe the new badging name, what ever it ends up being will have the same floor plan. You can see the changes we made to the bunkhouse on our blog