2010 Premier 31BHPR

[Stargazer]

I've been holding off on making an official introduction until things became more "official"--I guess that time is now! We got a call from our salesperson today saying that the Premier 31BHPR we put a deposit on months ago is finally arriving at the dealership tomorrow. We're going into sign the papers this Saturday .

This is our second TT after buying our first one only last spring. We found out that we loved RVing a lot, but with 5 kids (11, 9, 7, 3, 1) we would need something much bigger to last us through the years. When we went to an RV show and saw the Premier's floor plan and it's light weight, it didn't take us long to make the decision .

[Happy Camper]

Hey welcome to the board!

That looks like a awesome unit, similar to the Laredo 303TG we looked at. It should give you plenty of room and it sounds like you can use it. Good luck on your first trip out.

Rick

[Stargazer]

Thanks for the welcome! I haven't had a chance to get out on our first trip yet but I have been busily trying to get it all setup. I've taken some of the modifications and accessories I took from our old trailer and installed them on our Premier:

Winegard Wingman


Maxxair II Vent Cover


Maxxair Fan Mate Vent Cover


Programmable Digital Thermostat


Additional pictures on Picasa.

[Stargazer]

Oops, I forgot that I haven't yet posted a full picture of our Keystone, yet. Here it is parked next to our old TT. We're planning on taking it out next weekend.

[Stargazer]

Here's a more recent picture:



We're gearing up for an extended road trip .

[The Sod Father]

Stargazer - I followed your blog last year as it came up when I did a google search for the 31BHPR. Just wanted to say Thank You for your mod ideas and keen insight into the trailer itself. We took delivery of our 31BHPR in January. We found a few leaks (windows and storage doors), but overall are happy with the unit. Our first trip is next weekend and I cannot wait!

So, after 1 year, what is your overall assessment of the rig? Have any problems popped up? Anything you would change?

[Stargazer]

Congrats on your 31BHPR! Did you get yours with the Comfort Package? I heard that it was available on some 2011 models.

I have to say that even after 1-year, we're in love with the Premier as much as we were from the beginning. There would be nothing that I would change with the Premier.

After a few short trips to get familiar with the trailer last summer, we went on a month-long road trip from Vancouver, Canada to Minneapolis, MN. We had a great time and while we did encounter some issues, I attribute it more to wear and tear than to defects in materials or workmanship.

The problems that I've had include:
1. Leaking toilet valve: part replaced under warranty.
2. Stabilizer jacks replaced under warranty because of defect.
3. Intermittent tongue jack operation: problem traced to faulty ground and was fixed; it re-occurred after sitting through the winter and I haven't had a chance to take it back to the dealer.

Problems during our road trip I encountered:
1. Broken support strap for wheel well trim: fixed and reinforced it myself.
2. Dinette window valance fell off wall: Must have come loose from vibration. Remounted it myself.
3. Uneven tire wear. Tire replaced during the middle of our trip. Although I didn't know it at the time, it was probably caused by a bent axle.
4. Bent axle that caused wheel bearings to seize. Discovered at the end of our road trip and we spent 3 days in Montana (not a bad thing) waiting for parts and repair. Luckily, most of it was covered by our roadside emergency coverage.

Issues discovered after going through winter:
1. Broken outdoor shower head: We camped much later in the season last fall and I got careless the last time I re-winterized. Luckily that was the only water damage we had. I replaced it with an $8 shower head from Walmart.
2. One of the screws for the support on the rear bunk got stripped from the wall because the support brace bowed a little: I reinforced the hole and added spacers and a longer screw to secure it again.
3. A cabinet door above queen bed got misaligned because the screws in the hinge were getting stripped; I removed the door, filled the holes, and then remounted it.
4. The wall panel to the left of the rear window, bowed out so that the seam is no longer flat. During my next trip out, I'm going to apply some adhesive sealant underneath to make it stay flat again.

I remembered that there are a few minor thing that I would like to change:
1. The bathroom sink is quite small and the over-the-sink cabinet sticks out so that to minimize the amount of splashing and mess, you really have stick your head down low to get over the sink. It would be nice if the sink was bigger or if the cabinet was put on a different wall.
2. It would be nice if the awning stretched over the bathroom door. I know that because of the outside kitchen door it's not possible.
3. It would be nice not to have only the stove top and not the oven. We never use the oven.
4. I would feel a little bit better if the outside kitchen sink was connected to the grey tank instead of the black.

So even there is quite a list, I really do feel that most of the issues come from wear and tear. We put on a lot of miles last summer but we sure had a blast doing it!

[The Sod Father]

Yes we got the "Comfort Package". It was added free of charge as a "show special".

Thanks for the heads up on the outside sink draining into the black tank. I did not know that.

One thing I noticed with the 2011 models is that they eliminated the cabinet doors in the rear bedroom and have bungee netting covering the cabinets. I griped about it and my dealer got the doors included as part of the deal. Keystone shipped them separately and the dealer installed them once the rig was delivered.

The 2011 also comes with a digital thermostat, which is nice but I wish it was backlit. Tough to see in low light. Well... with 47 year old eyes it is