Keystone OUTBACK TERRAIN 250TRS

Quality - Outback has a pretty good following, as do many other manufacturers. They all have a few units that get off the line with some issues. Then, they have things come apart, when they're bouncing down the road. Doesn't matter who put it together, you'll need a few tools to keep it that way.

Don't have the Outback version. Did have the same floor plan built by Starcraft.

It didn't take long before we started looking for a different floor plan.

Things we didn't like:

Climbing into the master bed. First person in, had to be last person out, or climb over the other person. The climb over part was not good in middle of the night.

Bathroom was too small, for changing clothes, and there was no other private area. First mod was installing curtains to seperate bunk area and master bed area. Kitchen, entertainment area, and master bedroom were all the same area.

Television location - Watching TV, you had to be on the sofa, or master bed.

Smoke detector (always going off) was too close to the stove and there was no roof vent near the kitchen. The two vents in entire trailer, were just a few feet apart, in bathroom and bunk area. I could stand in bathroom doorway and open or close both vents at the same time. I got some drawings from Starcraft, cut a hole, and installed a roof vent in the kitchen area.

My dear cousin and hubby had a KZ with basically that floorplan. Good points and not so good depending on your needs. First thing is that then the rear slide is in, there is not to be any additional weight put on it, so no piling supplies, any kiddos climbing up, etc. And, when it's brought in, anything you might have that would limit clearance has to come down. Some friends with an Outback had a shelf they put up for game storage and each time they broke camp, the shelf had to come down. Depending on your location, you're going to need to be diligent about keeping the slide mechanism rust-free and, if need be, sprayed with Rust-O-Leum. Dear cousin lives near the coast and they liked beach camping, but the salt air was brutal on the metal mechanism. Before you make the leap, be sure to try the bed for size....sometimes a taller person will have trouble with the solid walls and being able to stretch out. Final downside, as I remember it, is that you have virtually no countertop space in the kitchen. That may or may not be a problem for you.

Our previous trailer was a HTT and completely agree about the benefits of towing smaller and set up with much more space. We did look at a rear slide - also known as an expandable - but decided it was not the right trailer for us. We loved our HTT for 7 great years. If you haven't looked at one up close, you might want to take a peek and see if it's something you like. You either love sleeping under canvas or you hate sleeping under canvas. Good luck and happy camping.

handye9 wrote:
Quality - Outback has a pretty good following, as do many other manufacturers. They all have a few units that get off the line with some issues. Then, they have things come apart, when they're bouncing down the road. Doesn't matter who put it together, you'll need a few tools to keep it that way.

Don't have the Outback version. Did have the same floor plan built by Starcraft.

It didn't take long before we started looking for a different floor plan.

Things we didn't like:

Climbing into the master bed. First person in, had to be last person out, or climb over the other person. The climb over part was not good in middle of the night.

Bathroom was too small, for changing clothes, and there was no other private area. First mod was installing curtains to seperate bunk area and master bed area. Kitchen, entertainment area, and master bedroom were all the same area.

Television location - Watching TV, you had to be on the sofa, or master bed.

Smoke detector (always going off) was too close to the stove and there was no roof vent near the kitchen. The two vents in entire trailer, were just a few feet apart, in bathroom and bunk area. I could stand in bathroom doorway and open or close both vents at the same time. I got some drawings from Starcraft, cut a hole, and installed a roof vent in the kitchen area.

I have an Outback 25RSS, essentially the same trailer, slightly different floorplan. Agree with most everything said here. While the bathroom is functional, it is real tight and for changing clothes, it's a challenge. I don't have the smoke detector issue, but everything else is spot on.

My thoughts,

I have a 260trs, which may interest you.

As for climbing over each other getting in and out of bed, this is ONLY for the old queen models. The new models have a king sized bed, you sleep with your head at the rear of the trailer, no need yo climb over anyone. Also the concern of sleeping by a wall is eliminated somewhat due to it being a king sized bed, and must bigger than basically every other TT bed in that size/price range.

Kitchen counter space: yes very limited, which is solved by the 260TRS having an full outdoor kitchen. Ives never cooked anything inside my trailer.

Bathroom is small yes, too small to change clothes, again this is solved by the 260TRS since it has a separate front bunk/living area that is plenty big enough and definitely private enough to change.

Watching tv.... yes in the main area, sucks to watch tv... solved with the 260trs since there is the front living/bunk area that has an entertainment center with tv hookups. Just move the tv there or buy another tv if need be.

The 260trs is narrow, very narrow, and some people don't like that. I didn't know if I would, not an issue whatsoever for me though. there's very fee TTS out there, that length, that have a king bed, separate bunk/living area, outdoor kitchen, and 2 couches.

Quality of the Outback Terrain? I had one issue, a light switch stopped working. Simple fix. It's otherwise been trouble free. I've found a few tiny bits of trim that aren't perfect and a few small imperfections... but really, no complaints.

OK...The DW mentioned the TV viewing...Can't watch from the Dinette...

Can the Wall Mount be replaced with a much longer telescoping mount that allows the TV to be extended out further???

We have an '11 250RS, essentially the same design. The "build quality" is a relative, subjective term, but in my opinion compared to having looked at numerous other TT's, I'd say it's "OK". I still found enough of the "Oh why did they do this (insert installation or piece of equipment or trim) so cheap!" moments. That said, we thoroughly like and enjoy ours and took it on a 5K round trip from Iowa to California last year...a very comfortable experience (except for losing the awning in a high-wind thunderstorm in Nebraska...my fault for not tying it down or folding-in).
As you noted, we get about 25 feet of living/moving around space in a 25 foot trailer as opposed to 8 to 10 feet being taken by a bedroom. But, the rear slide bed is definitely NOT for everyone. Harder to make the bed up, harder just getting in and out, a bit cooler in cold weather, a bit warmer and stuffier in hot (a fan really helps!). Think carefully what your priorities are.
About the TV , ours (mounted in the same place) came on a triple-articulating arm bracket...you can see it everywhere.

Regards, BGood

I love mine. I traded in my 5th wheel last year for the 250TRS. I bought this camper because I am 6'6" and needed something with extra headroom. I also love the king size bed. I am not sure what the others above are talking about with the bed because we sleep with our heads at the end of the camper and we have tons of room in the bed. Seriously, the bed is huge.

The bunks are also a very good size. The biggest twin size bunks I have seen in a camper.

I am also very pleased with the amount of storage. I thought this was going to be a big issue for me because I was coming from a 5th wheel but I have plenty of space and some to spare. About the only thing I can't store in the camper is a grill but I put that in the truck bed now.

The main negative is the bathroom size. It is small for me but I am able to shower and do my business in it. There is also a lack of privacy since there are no "rooms" where you can shut a door and separate yourself from others. We thought about adding a curtain to separate the back half from the front but haven't done it so far.

mfoster711 wrote:
I love mine. I traded in my 5th wheel last year for the 250TRS. I bought this camper because I am 6'6" and needed something with extra headroom. I also love the king size bed. I am not sure what the others above are talking about with the bed because we sleep with our heads at the end of the camper and we have tons of room in the bed. Seriously, the bed is huge.

The bunks are also a very good size. The biggest twin size bunks I have seen in a camper.

I am also very pleased with the amount of storage. I thought this was going to be a big issue for me because I was coming from a 5th wheel but I have plenty of space and some to spare. About the only thing I can't store in the camper is a grill but I put that in the truck bed now.

The main negative is the bathroom size. It is small for me but I am able to shower and do my business in it. There is also a lack of privacy since there are no "rooms" where you can shut a door and separate yourself from others. We thought about adding a curtain to separate the back half from the front but haven't done it so far.

Somewhere between 2007 and 2014, Keystone changed the bed position from head/feet being side-to-side, to having the head of the bed at the window. Changed from a queen to a king bed in that 90 degree change in bed placement. Comments about the bed are relative to the older bed position.

That change is bed position is a great improvement in the bed design. I have an older trailer of a different manufacturer which we sleep with our heads at the sides. It makes it more difficult to get in and out of bed. The new 250TRS is on my list as my next trailer. The added cabinets is great as well for storing clothing, my current trailer doesn't have any cabinets in the bed slide.

I have the same layout only in the Kodiak 240 KSSL version. The bed issue is fixed in the newer models as mentioned, so I find it huge and comfortable. Also the TV issue is fixed with the newer models as the bracket moves in mutiple direction so it can be seen from the dinnete, sofa or the master bed, also there is another hook up for a TV in the bunk area.

I will agree the bathroom is small, although at 6ft tall I have no problem with the shower. Also the set up does not allow for a private closed off bedroom as mentioned, so you will have to weigh that out for your decision. Also the kids eventually do grow out of the bunk area (my son is now 13 and 6ft 2, so he doesnt fit). I had no problem with the counter space, coming from a HTT, I was used to small counter space. There is tons of storage space in this trailer as mentioned. Also the hitch weight is pretty heavy with these trailers, I suppose to compensate for the rear and side slide weight. So although the trailer isnt that heavy (under 6000 lbs loaded) our unit requires at least a large V8 truck to tow it comfortably...

On the positive side as to why we choose it; we love how open and big the middle part of the trailer is, it feels much bigger and with the high ceilings, a very large trailer feeling.

Good luck.