2017 Keystone Bullet Crossfire 1650EX

[gelham01]

I've been seriously looking at making the move from a pop-up trailer to this Keystone model. Real interested in what this forum had to say about the brand and model? Thank you!

[Logan X]

Welcome to the forum!

I am personally very happy with Keystone and I feel comfortable recommending them. However, what’s more important than the brand is the dealership you use. The dealer is basically the “quality control” for new units and it’s the dealer that handles all the warranty stuff. Use a good dealer for any trailer you buy and cultivate a good relationship with them.

Also, you have to go into owning a trailer with eyes wide open. There will be problems. Stuff will break. If you can embrace this and you are at least a little handy, you will enjoy it. If you expect it to be problem free for three, five, ten years...you will be disappointed.

Having a positive trailer owning experience is a lot about keeping up on preventative maintenance. It’s not a ton but there are things that need fairly constant attention. If you keep up with the maintenance, you greatly improve your chances of things continuing to work well.

I’ll get off my soapbox. And I apologize if you already knew all of that from your pop up experience.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[gelham01]

Thank you. I've read that as well. The dealer I am going through is five hours away from me [emoji21]

[Gary R.]

Hi there and welcome to the forum!

As Mike stated, it will really help to find and build a good relationship with the RV dealer, and it is inconvenient that your dealer is such a distance from you.

With any RV, it will be a learning experience, and you will become experienced with handling the small issues that crop up.

When you make your selection, be sure to have a "camp out" in your driveway to help the learning curve. And be sure to share a picture or two with us!

Best of luck with your search!

[gelham01]

Hi there and welcome to the forum!

As Mike stated, it will really help to find and build a good relationship with the RV dealer, and it is inconvenient that your dealer is such a distance from you.

With any RV, it will be a learning experience, and you will become experienced with handling the small issues that crop up.

When you make your selection, be sure to have a "camp out" in your driveway to help the learning curve. And be sure to share a picture or two with us!

Best of luck with your search!Great idea about camping in the driveway to test things out. I'm coming from a pop-up without water and propane, so those are the two items I need to get experience with.

[travelin texans]

Do a very thorough PDI then If possible camp near the selling dealer & use every item on/in the rv for a few days so if anything serious rears it's head early you'll be close by.
It's not like buying a vehicle, your local RV dealer IS NOT obligated to do any warranty work on any RV they didn't sell.

[RagingRobert]

Is that the RV that has pull out beds just like a pop up trailer? Not sure I like those but it has its advantages I guess. I like the secure warm feeling you get surrounded by fiberglass and windows :) YouTube is great for info/walk thru's/reviews.

[flybouy]

The hybrid trailers are great for offering space in a "small package" but I'll throw a couple of things to think about as a previous owner of one years ago.

1. Tow vehicle. It's not a pop up. There's a lot of wind resistance and a heavier tongue weight. A minivan won't do it. What are you towing with?
2. You have the same disadvantages of a pop up (IMHO). Canvas, wet canvas, outside noise, cold/hot beds due to canvas.
3. You have 2 LARGE doors to leak. You must keep a close eye on those seals as a leak will typically become a large problem very quickly if not addressed. So inspecting for leaks, checking the seals and the latch mechanisms become crucial.
4. Just like a pop up the front bed covers the propane bottle when it is pulled out.

I hope you find what you like and enjoy it. We started out in a cheap used pop up pulled by a Chevy S10. Didn't want to get to heavy into it until we found out if it was for us or not. The hybrid was our second unit (basically for the bathroom). it was a 2 axle 22' and had the little S10 maxed out. Bigger truck and bigger trailers followed.
This is a story that I'm sure sounds familiar to many readers.

[jessicao17]

HI! we upgraded from our pop up to the 1650ex hybrid and we LOVE it. it really is the best of both worlds i loved loved my popup, but this is very nice you can just throw your things in and go. You will have to get better beds and make sure you use the all-weather blankets over the back bunk in the mid-summer but other than that it has been a pretty cool experience.
Another reason we got it is because we can have it in the driveway due to it being under 22ft long.

[wiredgeorge]

Looked at a video of the 2017 Keystone Bullet Crossfire 1650EX and noticed something... there were guide wires across where you entered the bed. OUCH. Next, how the heck to you heat/cool those bed pop outs if the curtains are shut with a non-ducted A/C? Otherwise, didn't look bad... looked like entry level amenities. Last, OP mentioned 2017. Doubt this camper he is looking is new so I would consider not buying from some dealer if you like the model but buying from a private seller as the dealer advantage to take care of warranty issues is just not there. Extended warranties? Too many pros and cons to get into that but I wouldn't have one.

[Tdesrosiers]

We started with a popup, upgraded to a hybrid, which we used for 11 years. Now we upgraded to a travel trailer. I can tell you that the hybrids are great, and we have buyers remorse, we really miss the hybrid. Yes, they have quirks like bunks that will leak (when, not if), and the sleeping areas can get warmer/cooler than the rest of the camper. But the space you have is great. We were towing 22 feet, and opened up to 26 feet. You need a real big camper to get the same space as a hybrid. Good luck!

[flybouy]

I've been seriously looking at making the move from a pop-up trailer to this Keystone model. Real interested in what this forum had to say about the brand and model? Thank you!

I should have asked this in my first reply. What are you using for a tow vehicle? From what I can find that model would have a fully loaded weight of 4,700 lbs. That would put your hitch weight at just over 600 lbs. The other consideration is the wind resistance where towing a pop up has very little resistance pulling a travel trailer of any size creates a lot of drag.

This poses no issue if you are using a 1/2 ton pickup but will be a no go for a mini van or small SUV or crossover.

[DetnNet]

Welcome to the forum. For me layout and size were a consideration. A good dealer makes a difference. Good luck.