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Old 02-14-2015, 08:16 PM   #1
BlueknightWI
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New to Forum and Toy Haulers

I'm new to the forum. Thanks for the add. My wife and I are looking into buying a new Keystone Impact 311 Toy Hauler. I intend to tow it with my 2008 Silverado 2500HD Duramax 6.6. My son in law says I should add air bags. I'm just wondering it someone with experience feels I can tow this, loaded with two Harley Ultra Limiteds inside? Normally I would use this just with our Limited, but occasionally would have another couple along. Also, what do folks use for front wheel chocks? I want something that isn't in the way when camping. We are buying the Super Glide for the universal rails.
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Old 02-14-2015, 09:13 PM   #2
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Welcome to the forum

First off, adding air bags does NOTHING for the weight ratings of your truck. 311 shows a kingpin of about 2800#'s. That's before batteries, and propane.

Look at the federal sticker on the drivers door, it will list a bunch of numbers. GVWR is one and rear axle weight rating is another. Do yourself a favor and take your truck to the scales, loaded with all the people, gear and fuel you will have onboard when you hook up. Then add another 100 pounds for the hitch, and using the SCALE weights, subtract from the ratings on the door tag. That will give you an informed start tomyour hunt.

As to wheel chocks, there are a few choices. I use X chocks between the wheels and that works for me. Others may have other suggestions.
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Old 02-15-2015, 03:59 AM   #3
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Front Wheel Chocks

I use two Condor Pit Stop PS-1500 wheel chocks.
I did not want to drill through the floor of the trailer, so I took a 3/4" 4X8 sheet of plywood and ripped it lengthwise. I mounted each Condor to the leading edge of the plywood. I countersunk the bolt heads on the underside to prevent damage to the rubber flooring. I also bought an 8' piece of outdoor carpet and cut it the width of the plywood and put it under the plywood. Once in place and the bike loaded, I put a short ratchet strap around the Condor and front wheel and one off each side of the back to prevent the rear end from shifting. I've hauled two Harleys thousands of miles without any issues. When not in the Toy Hauler, they are used in the garage to park the bikes. This keeps them straight up and off the kick stand thereby taking up a little less space. I hope this helps.
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Old 02-15-2015, 05:27 AM   #4
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Thanks guys. I will look into both of your posts advice.
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Old 02-15-2015, 11:13 AM   #5
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Quality?

Gentlemen, I've been reading today about a group of disgruntled owners of various Keystone RVs. I've never owner a Keystone, but I've had a Dutchmen TT and now own a Forest River Rockwood TT. This other group on Facebook makes it sound like quality and craftsmanship-and especially the company standing behind their product are all sorely lacking. Any input is appreciated. Haven't bought yet. I do know that our local dealer that used to handle Keystone dropped them last summer. I will check into why tomorrow.
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Old 02-15-2015, 11:39 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BlueknightWI View Post
Gentlemen, I've been reading today about a group of disgruntled owners of various Keystone RVs. I've never owner a Keystone, but I've had a Dutchmen TT and now own a Forest River Rockwood TT. This other group on Facebook makes it sound like quality and craftsmanship-and especially the company standing behind their product are all sorely lacking. Any input is appreciated. Haven't bought yet. I do know that our local dealer that used to handle Keystone dropped them last summer. I will check into why tomorrow.
First, you can read about "disgruntled owners" on any RV forum you visit or subscribe to. Keystone is a large RV manufacturer and there are going to be owners, who for one reason or another, are not happy with what they have bought. Some are more vocal than others and the ones who are the loudest are the ones who are the unhappiest. These are the ones you hear about the most.

Meanwhile, there are far more owners who are quite pleased with their Keystone than those who are not. They are not perfect and do have flaws and problems. If you know of another RV manufacturer who makes perfect RV's that do not have any problems --- please, share that with us so we can all rush out and buy it.

I may be wrong but the Facebook "group" discussion of disgruntled Keystone owners that you referred to was initiated by one of our former "disgruntled owner" members. He has taken his anti-Keystone crusade to social media, in the hopes that he can spread the word and warn any unsuspecting buyers about the pitfalls and dangers of purchasing any Keystone product.

I'm not about to try and tell you that if you buy a Keystone, you won't have any problems with it. Most of us have had some minor issues - many of which we have dealt with ourselves. However, I am confident that the vast majority of us here on the forum are pleased with Keystone. Also, keep an open mind about Keystone and its products and don't let yourself be influenced by a small bunch of angry, disgruntled Keystone owners who have provided us with proof to the old saying that "misery loves company".
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Old 02-15-2015, 02:12 PM   #7
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I am a Keystone owner and, yes, some units have issues and some don't. From my reading before purchasing this camper it appeared to me that virtually every brand has issues and unhappy customers.

My unit has had several minor issues - nothing major. Some I've corrected and others have been corrected by the dealer. It is currently in the shop to have the LP tank cover replaced - not due to poor workmanship but rather due to the tech on my last trip bending the metal tab that holds the cover on resulting in it coming loose and breaking a corner off.

I've owned Fleetwood, Rockwood and Jayco brands in addition to Keystone. Each had its own problems but I've never badmouthed any of them because when you are dealing with mass produced RVs it's the nature of the beast.

Keystone has done a good job of standing behind their product for me. I'm sure others may think otherwise about their situation. Bottom line is I think you are going to have the same issues no matter what brand you have.
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Old 02-15-2015, 05:04 PM   #8
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I'm on my second Toyhauler - both are/were Fusions made by Keystone. Based on my personal research and inspection of other trailers, I chose the Fusions over all others for many reasons. Neither one was a disappointment. Do some research, personally see and touch the different candidates. A toyhauler is a big investment, regardless of manufacturer. Carefully weigh the peace of mind an extended warranty may or may not provide.

Do your best to understand the "science" of tow vehicles. Make your own informed decisions. You will be towing a significant amount of money (trailer plus toys). Do not forget that the personal safety of you and the passengers in your tow vehicle (as well as others in the public) are in your hands and the quality of your equipment.

Spend your money wisely. As mentioned on this forum and many others, folks will make large investments in toys and then cut corners to save money. An educated consumer is the satisfied consumer.

Regarding wheel chocks - I don't use any. I usually tie down motorcycles front and back with the motorcycle in gear. I have yet to have problems. I would love to have some wheel chocks, but they would have to be removable and not interfere with using the garage as living space.
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Old 02-16-2015, 12:41 AM   #9
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Then you can call me a disgruntled owner. Mine is a 2012 Fuzion 399. Bathroom door is not aligned, so it won't always stay shut. Had to jack around with the front door, because it has to be slammed in order to shut. The rear door striker plate is not aligned,...therefore, you can't lock the deadbolt. Front cap faded,...whoopty do, they fixed that. Didnt want to, but they did. Had to go through the whole trailer to check all of the Bulldog Latches because too many of them weren't properly adjusted, "from the factory." Had to go through and put felt pads on every cabinet as well. Pulled up to our camping spot for our first shakedown,...went back in the garage, to find that I had 2 screws on the floor from my sliding glass door. Then found that the others were already backing out as well.

My previous toyhauler was a 40' 2006 Skyline Rampage 385 or 387 wide body. Two repairs in 6 years,...replaced slide out motors, and generator carb repair because I let it sit too long in storage. Any other time that it was in the shop, was because of upgrades.

Now please explain how people are supposed to be happy with something like that. I could see if there were just a few people who were complaining. Then you could say that a few people got a couple of bad apples. But when you have tons of people with the same complaints(Ford 6.0),...then there is an honest issue with the factory. Me myself,...I will never buy a Keystone again. It is uncalled for, that you have these kinds of problems in a brand new $80k trailer.

Sorry to get off on a tangent. Like what was said, airbags don't increase capacity. In my opinion, adding airbags is like adding a power tuner,...all you're doing is assigning the weak point to another part of the vehicle. The motorcycle chocks, I can't help you out with that, since I've had no experience with a 2 wheeler in a toyhauler. I definitely agree about knowing the science of the tow vehicle. I'm not gonna get into what you should or shouldn't have. Consider that it can be the difference between life and death. I have my reasons for why my TV is an HDT. Some agree with me, and some don't. But my reasons are justifiable, and I'm happy with it.
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Old 02-16-2015, 03:05 AM   #10
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The ONLY reason I put air bags on my 2500HD was to smooth out the ride. My wife and daughter gets car sick easy, they even can tell me when there's not enough air in them......who need gauges....LOL!
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Old 02-16-2015, 03:10 AM   #11
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Oh, and by the way....this is my second Keystone product. I went back after purchasing a Heartland product (big POS). I'm thinking all manufacturers have bad days of building rigs. I have/had way less issues with our 2 Keystones.
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Old 02-16-2015, 05:03 AM   #12
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Our 2nd Keystone product very happy and will buy another one if need be, bigg limo if you really research any brand you will find many problems with any unit sooner or later,JM2C.Iam the same way with the 2012 Salem Hemisphere 292fk model we bought and had problems from the get go.Thats why we have our 2013 Raptor .
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Old 02-16-2015, 05:18 AM   #13
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I agree with Crash. Keystone, from my experience is as good as, or in my situation, better than the others. We bought a Springdale in 2010, the only problem was the refrigerator, so when we started looking for something larger, Cougar seemed to fit our needs. So far, the only issues have been the A/C stopped cooling and the remote control stopped working. Both of those were not Keystone problems, but were Dometic and LCI issues. The dealer "bent over backwards" to diagnose/repair them on our way past the dealership on the return trip home. No issues with appointments or with delays, but "right on it as we passed by his shop:. I couldn't ask for better service, and as for other RV's being "flawless" ???? Way back when, we bought an Airstream, supposedly the "best of the best" only to have the rear compartment floor fall out leaving the dealer's lot and on return an hour later, the table fell off the wall and tore a hole in the sofa upholstery. Same with our Holiday Rambler, issues with "fit and finish" in a luxury trailer? Yup, "You betcha, bygolly".....

So, I haven't had the same experience as Bigg-limo, so if I were to start looking for another RV today, I'd head to our local dealer who has provided the best service I've ever experienced and start climbing in and out of the Keystone's that are on his lot.

Oh, and I'd skip the Forest River stuff that's also sitting there. After looking at them when we bought the Cougar, I'm not interested in seeing more "miscut trim" and "wavy wall panels"... Just another opinion from a satisfied customer.
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Old 02-16-2015, 09:54 AM   #14
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My wife and I recently attended a local RV show that had most of the big boy RV suppliers, but not any Keystone FW products. We took our time and went through I think every FW trailer present at this show. Liked some features and did not like others but walked away with us both agreeing on two things.

One was that we are still happy with our choice of the Cougar. The other was that from what we are seeing from these other brands is that Keystone is providing a better value and product in comparison to the others.
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Old 02-16-2015, 11:11 AM   #15
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Smile Newbe weighing in on Keystone.

We have owned our Keystone Cougar Toy Hauler for almost a year. About 5k miles towing over diverse areas. From the flats of Nebraska to the mountains of Colorado. From the summer heat and even the SD winter chills, - deg.s. Hauling a Harley and 2 small Yamahas plus the kitchen sink. lol Will say, have been happy with most everything on it. Did have a couple of minor issues but, the best thoughts I have, have a good relationship with your dealer. My dealer has been great and truly have no complaints except for the Marathon "Bombs". lol Had one blow this spring but just like the auto industry, they put the cheaper tires on. Am going to change all before this summers adventures. We love out Cougar RV. Truly "Home away from Home". Can't wait for spring. :-)
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Old 02-16-2015, 01:59 PM   #16
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Wow! Thanks everyone. I have owned two brand new travel trailers since 1998. One was a 1999 Dutchmen lite TT which we had zero issues with. The next, and current unit is a 2006 Rockwood TT. I've had issues with the roof, due to it literally being flat. Requires diligent maintenance to keep the joints sealed. Otherwise, it has been basically trouble free. I next intend to research the dealer I have been looking into buying from. I am also retiring, but we intend to use this like our cabin away from home. I just don't want to spend $50K+ and be disappointed.
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Old 02-16-2015, 06:59 PM   #17
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I pull a fuzion 310 with my 2012 sierra 2500 and have no issues. I did add ride rite bags. The truck never bottomed out. But added them to help level the truck when pulling. I have pulled it from Louisiana to Florida a lot.


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Old 02-17-2015, 09:03 AM   #18
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Your decision to look into the dealer is a good one. Also, be sure and meet them yourself before you sign on the dotted line to see what they are like. I've had the good luck and pleasure of dealing with a lot of good folks at my dealership. They are proactive in seeing/finding things that I don't and submits them to Keystone. I've not been disappointed by either thus far.
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Old 02-17-2015, 04:15 PM   #19
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For the OP:

Look into the Condor brand of front wheel chocks. I have one that separates from the mounting plate, leaving a flat, unobstructed floor. Handles the GS just fine.
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Old 02-17-2015, 04:32 PM   #20
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Condor wheel chocks are awesome.
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