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totaldla's avatar
totaldla
Explorer
Apr 24, 2016

How long do they last?

Hi all! My first post here. Wife and I are new empty-nesters. We've tent camped all our married life and now we're looking for a travel trailer. We're not going to be full-time RVrs.

We like primitive camping, which means I'll likely drag our trailer down a lot of dirt roads. I grew up in a family that pulled a 16ft TT (slept 6) with a 60's Toyota Landcruiser 4wd that had a boat on top - typical Montana rig (or Aussie outback).

The trailer I'm looking at is the Keystone Passport 234QBWE - a 25 foot, kind of entry-level "Ultra-Lite". It's not perfect by any stretch, but it seems pretty good for the $18-19K. I'm pretty handy, so I don't see any issue maintaining a trailer to a point, but I'm not going to lift the body off the carriage to replace a floor, nor am I too keen on dismantling and re-welding aluminum walls.

I'm wondering how long these entry-level Keystone trailers last. Are they "Breaking Bad"-category after 5 years of dirt roads? Are they worth the gasoline to burn them after 10 years?
  • First question to ask.... can you tow it?

    For durability, a lightweight is probably not the best, but if you maintain it well, it will be fine. Consider a 1-2 yr old model if you can find one. Let someone else eat that first year's depreciation.

    If you like primitive camping, smaller is better. Many state parks/national parks & forests were designed for small trailers & tents. In your shoes I would step down to about 23' in length, or smaller, so you can fit in more sites.
  • Since you are pretty handy I'd give it a life span of 8-10 years assuming you don't want to trade up before hand.

    The model you've chosen has a great layout fer sure: no walking over to get in and out of bed; good amt of water tank storage for all 3 types

    Whatever you ultimately choose, enjoy it!
  • I'm on my second Keystone product. Both have been good campers. It' not uncommon for someone to own a travel trailer for 20 (plus) years. As stated above, it all depends upon your attention to detail to maintain them. Even a multi-million dollar motor home will become trash in 1 year if they are not maintained.

    Passports are a pretty decent camper for their price. If you purchase new, you'll discover most warranty issues within the first or second camp-out. If new, warranty will cover everything for at least the first year. If issues develop after the first year, it will probably me minor. After about 5 years you can expect some small issues, like screws, sealing the roof, maybe even some trim inside coming loose.

    By 10 years, depending upon usage, you can expect the appliances to begin to show signs of fatigue. BUT not always though! And if something like the refrigerator goes out, there's nothing that could have been done to prevent that anyway. RV appliances are pretty stout, and no reason why they cannot last for 20 plus years also.

    Electronics (like microwaves), fail usually after about 5 years. But even in your home, they usually don't last more than 5 years either. And no doubt you'll go through couple televisions in 20 plus years, especially if technology continues to change and evolve.

    If you are attentive to getting the wheel bearing packed every year to 2 years, watch for frame fatigue, and spot paint the frame and any painted parts, structurally, they should last forever.

    But there again, they are a trailer. They do get dragged over the road. They are exposed to all kinds of weather. And just like your car or truck, if left outside in the weather 24x7x365, you can expect paint to fade, decals to fade and maybe curl up a bit, and rust to form in places you never expected. This is all normal wear and tear, even if the camper never moves.

    Even if you park the camper under a roof, humidity will form on the outside of the camper, and anything is now subject to rust... just like a car or truck. Some things are just inevitable. But here again, with attention to detail, there is no reason why a "Passport" should not still be in good service 20 (plus) years from now.

    (But you know.... more than likely ... after 2-3 years ... you'll be trading for a different floor plan!) Don't be surprised! Not because of deficiencies in the camper, but because your needs will change and you'll learn what you do not like about the floor plan of the Passport you are considering.... just don't be surprised. I don't know of anyone that purchased their first (and only) camper and held on to it for 20 plus years!

    Good luck and I'll give the Passport 2 thumbs up! (And 2 thumbs up on the potential new owner who will take great care of it!)
  • Where do they cut corners to make an ultra lite? Look at an Arctic Fox or Airstream and then compare.
  • If you want to drag something off road get something better built. RPod NW edition, tear drop, or maybe a Northwood product.
  • I have seen well maintained 20 year old rigs and others that can trash a rig in 2 years and everything in between.

    If you don't do maintenance don't expect it to last very long.

    I would agree with Rexlion statement.

    The more severe use it gets the more problems your going to have. A ultra-light would be one of the worst choices for rough use, they are built for light weight not durability.

    My opinion. I would look for who had the best frame and most weight capacity.

    Kind of like asking if a economy car would hold up as well as a Land cruiser on the trails.
  • Broadly speaking, I think it partly depends on how well you maintain the TT while you own it. If someone inspects the roof every 2-3 years and adds sealant to the seams as necessary, it could last many years. Keep it under cover while not in use to avoid UV and weather exposure, and it might last 2-3 decades. You are correct that rough roads will loosen things more quickly, but I wouldn't expect welds to break for the first 10-15 years on most any TT. Sorry I can't speak directly to the brand and model durability.