Baldy
06-07-2021, 04:50 PM
I purchased a used 2016 Keystone Bullet 272BHS in March 2021 from a local dealer (0ur first RV). We just completed our 3rd shake down outing. I thought I would share what I've experienced to date in case it would help someone in their purchase decision making process.
If you want to skip to the bottom line, we are happy with our camper but don't assume anything when you purchase.
Tires: The Trailer King tires looked good but had a 2015 build date. Our first trip was to Discount Tire for new Goodyear Endurance tires. We negotiated a price for this when considering this unit.
Wheel Bearings: I asked the dealer if they checked the condition of bearings before selling a used unit. They were vague in answering. At the tire shop I found out we had the EZ Lube axles. I was determined to pull the hubs and pack the bearings. Upon disassembly The EZ Lubes never had seen grease. The seals were installed with some adhesive and needed a hammer and chisel to remove. Otherwise, it was a normal bearing pack.
Brake adjustment: This is a painfully necessary process and my unit came without the auto adjusters. No way these brakes had ever been adjusted. The adjusters were stuck at the minimum setting. Took my time to get this right.
Battery: I was told that the trailer would come with a good battery. Upon close inspection post purchase, it was a 2015 build and "worked" long enough to get the trailer hooked up. Purchased a new one from Costco.
Tongue Jack: It would intermittently not work. I thought this was related to the battery. Trouble shooting revealed it was a bad ground. Ran a dedicated ground wire and all is good. But I did make sure I had the emergency socket and a crank handle just in case.
Black Water Tank: Before we make the first camping trip, we opened the dump on all the tanks. We had never used the toilet. I put a 5 gallon bucked of water in there and also hooked up the flush. Yikes! We got all kinds of brown solids out. Figured the tank would be empty when we bought it.
Roof: I looked at the roof a long time using a stair ladder (like they use at home depot) and I was satisfied there were no major issues. Of course the first time my buddy looked at it using my step ladder we found concerns. Add a tube of self leveling sealant to your "must have" purchases.
Mattress: I've seen many complaints about mattresses, but we found ours acceptable. We purchased two full sized 3 inch memory foam toppers for the bunks and the jack knife couch. They were a weird size but you can easily cut the foam with an electric knife. The results were positive. Our family guests are ready to sleep on them again.
Smoke - CO detectors: during our purchase walk through the tech recommended we check the batteries. Well, when we did one unit had missing guts and the other was already dead. Can't believe a dealer would sell a unit w/o the life safety devices working!
Propane: I checked all the comfort systems at the dealer, but decided to turn on the furnace at the storage yard. It stared, but then quit and would not re-light. The propane tank was empty! I was told we got two 20 lb containers with the purchase. Of course you have to take the mounting all off to "feel" if they are full, so I skipped this.
Refrigerator: It works, but just know it needs to run about 24 hours to really be useable. Have a good cooler ready to take along as well
Accessories: You need more stuff to make the camper useable. We declined the $100 quick start package at the dealer and bought our own items. They include (but not limited to) water hose and pressure reducer, wheel chocks, sewer hose, and electrical system EMS. This site has lots of great information if you take the time to do a search and read the posts.
Summary: we knew we would have a few repairs and upgrades to make this our own; it is a used unit and most of these items have been minor. I just wanted to pass along my "surprises" related to the purchasing process for your reading pleasure.
I feel we got a fair deal our Bullet, and I would return to the dealer in the future. I've learned this industry is sure different than buying a car or even a house. You will be well served to do some research before proceeding.
Happy travels, Baldy.
If you want to skip to the bottom line, we are happy with our camper but don't assume anything when you purchase.
Tires: The Trailer King tires looked good but had a 2015 build date. Our first trip was to Discount Tire for new Goodyear Endurance tires. We negotiated a price for this when considering this unit.
Wheel Bearings: I asked the dealer if they checked the condition of bearings before selling a used unit. They were vague in answering. At the tire shop I found out we had the EZ Lube axles. I was determined to pull the hubs and pack the bearings. Upon disassembly The EZ Lubes never had seen grease. The seals were installed with some adhesive and needed a hammer and chisel to remove. Otherwise, it was a normal bearing pack.
Brake adjustment: This is a painfully necessary process and my unit came without the auto adjusters. No way these brakes had ever been adjusted. The adjusters were stuck at the minimum setting. Took my time to get this right.
Battery: I was told that the trailer would come with a good battery. Upon close inspection post purchase, it was a 2015 build and "worked" long enough to get the trailer hooked up. Purchased a new one from Costco.
Tongue Jack: It would intermittently not work. I thought this was related to the battery. Trouble shooting revealed it was a bad ground. Ran a dedicated ground wire and all is good. But I did make sure I had the emergency socket and a crank handle just in case.
Black Water Tank: Before we make the first camping trip, we opened the dump on all the tanks. We had never used the toilet. I put a 5 gallon bucked of water in there and also hooked up the flush. Yikes! We got all kinds of brown solids out. Figured the tank would be empty when we bought it.
Roof: I looked at the roof a long time using a stair ladder (like they use at home depot) and I was satisfied there were no major issues. Of course the first time my buddy looked at it using my step ladder we found concerns. Add a tube of self leveling sealant to your "must have" purchases.
Mattress: I've seen many complaints about mattresses, but we found ours acceptable. We purchased two full sized 3 inch memory foam toppers for the bunks and the jack knife couch. They were a weird size but you can easily cut the foam with an electric knife. The results were positive. Our family guests are ready to sleep on them again.
Smoke - CO detectors: during our purchase walk through the tech recommended we check the batteries. Well, when we did one unit had missing guts and the other was already dead. Can't believe a dealer would sell a unit w/o the life safety devices working!
Propane: I checked all the comfort systems at the dealer, but decided to turn on the furnace at the storage yard. It stared, but then quit and would not re-light. The propane tank was empty! I was told we got two 20 lb containers with the purchase. Of course you have to take the mounting all off to "feel" if they are full, so I skipped this.
Refrigerator: It works, but just know it needs to run about 24 hours to really be useable. Have a good cooler ready to take along as well
Accessories: You need more stuff to make the camper useable. We declined the $100 quick start package at the dealer and bought our own items. They include (but not limited to) water hose and pressure reducer, wheel chocks, sewer hose, and electrical system EMS. This site has lots of great information if you take the time to do a search and read the posts.
Summary: we knew we would have a few repairs and upgrades to make this our own; it is a used unit and most of these items have been minor. I just wanted to pass along my "surprises" related to the purchasing process for your reading pleasure.
I feel we got a fair deal our Bullet, and I would return to the dealer in the future. I've learned this industry is sure different than buying a car or even a house. You will be well served to do some research before proceeding.
Happy travels, Baldy.