Keystone Outback vs Venture SportTrek

I have an Outback 298RE, 2011 model bought new. Just shy of 10,000# loaded. The only real problem I've had with it were the under rated tires. The BIG problem I had was a dealer of very questionable ethics. A phone call to Keystone and 90 minutes is all it took to rectify that little attitude.
We tow around 20,000 miles a year. Very happy with the coach.

I like my 2015 311 Impact Keystone with minor issues most of it being with the dealer after I addressed to them about passing the buck what department takes responsibility. It would to your Bennett having them change out the tires called china bombs or Trailer king. I just wished I would have told my sale guy to take a hick and picked another sale person My guy was a moron.Make them give you a start up Kit and may be a good set of tires.Have fun and good luck with you dealer.

Just to give you a sense of perspective, I also have a Keystone Outback...a 2007 25RSS. I bought it used from it's 2nd owner. There have been no quality control issues with the build of the trailer and how it's holding up in our Colorado climate. I've had to fix a minor leak at the toilet intake line (no biggie), replace a faucet and water release valve for the fresh water tank (due to freezing and my own fault for not winterizing in time) and routine stuff like new tires and bearing repacking, and that's pretty much it. No leaks, no issues with electrical system, no problems with slides. As someone else stated, it's a good mid-range line of trailers.

We purchased our 2015 Keystone Hideout 210 LHS in April 2015. We have used it a total of about 70 days so far and traveled about 1,000 miles. So far we are very pleased. Zero problems. We are quiet happy with our decision and the TT fit our budget and camping needs perfectly. I too saw that fb page. I don't give "rants" that much credibility as the details are usually exaggerated or overstated. IMHO. reasonable people don't post such destructive post and/or dialog. I have had three RV's over the last 20 years and I know this. Any RV takes tender loving care. Preventive maintenance is paramount. When you find a problem, fix it ASAP. RV's are not as durable as a house. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your TT as much as we do. God's speed.

The Outback is a decent mid-line trailer. Very good value for your dollar.

You might have a few glitches at first, some new trailers do.

We have used our full time for 9 years now and are very happy with it.

Mommyof2VA wrote:
Thank you all for your replies! I'm feeling a little more at ease now. ;) We've never spent this much on a camper before and I'm scared of having buyer's remorse later from running into unforeseen issues.

It's a 2016 Outback 325BH. We'll be towing it with a 2002 F-350 Diesel. The truck is rated to pull up to 12,500 and this camper is 8,325 (shipping weight). So, there *should* be plenty of room for additional weight when adding our stuff/junk ;) and water. What do you think?? (I know our truck sounds ancient, but we purchased this truck last year and had almost everything rebuilt, so it runs like a champ!)

This checklist is fantastic! I'm definitely bringing it with us and going through it when we go back on Monday!

Your tow vehicle combo sounds perfect. I recommend that you completely read the PDI checklist and email to your dealer so they know what to expect. They may tell you that they go through all of these things and your inspection is not necessary. Remember, you are in the drivers seat until $ changes hands. My PDI get really takes 3 to 4 hours to complete. If your dealer isn't willing to allow you to do this, then I would walk. Don't let your emotions of excitement get in the way. Make sure any problems you have found have been either rectified to your satisfaction or put in writing when parts are needed before you take delivery.
Good luck.

Thank you all for your replies! I'm feeling a little more at ease now. ;) We've never spent this much on a camper before and I'm scared of having buyer's remorse later from running into unforeseen issues.

It's a 2016 Outback 325BH. We'll be towing it with a 2002 F-350 Diesel. The truck is rated to pull up to 12,500 and this camper is 8,325 (shipping weight). So, there *should* be plenty of room for additional weight when adding our stuff/junk ;) and water. What do you think?? (I know our truck sounds ancient, but we purchased this truck last year and had almost everything rebuilt, so it runs like a champ!)

This checklist is fantastic! I'm definitely bringing it with us and going through it when we go back on Monday!

Our previous TT was an Outback and it was a quality unit. The only issue I had with it was the pass-through hatch frame was weak on caulk and it leaked. Easy repair I did myself.

I'm on my 4th camper, only one of them Keystone, and all of them had little issues that needed to be addressed but none were anything serious.

I'll echo Steve's comments. The quality of the dealer is more important than the brand of trailer.
Welcome to the forum. By the way, what model trailer is it, and what do you plan to tow it with? Too many dealers say "Sure, you can tow that with your vehicle" and the buyers then find out they're under-trucked.

I wouldn't read into most rv owner rants I see on the Internet. While these rants may be justified by issues with a particular brand of rv, there are thousands of other happy owners. Most people that are happy with their rv purchases simply don't set up Facebook pages to tell the world how happy they are.
I have owned two Keystone Outback (currently on my second). Yes, there were several minor issues with each when they were new. Being an educated buyer, I caught these items during the pre delivery inspections (I used the pre delivery inspection PDI form available here: Pdi checklist ). Any flaws I found were repaired by my dealer before I handed over $ and before taking delivery. If I had not taken the time to thoroughly inspect my rvs before purchasing, I too would not have been happy.
The bottom line is that no brand of rv is perfect. There is a lot of equipment, and parts crammed into a box which is then hauled down the road. There will be problems. Things will break, things will come loose. Rvs require constant maintenance and a watchful eye. A well educated buyer working with a reputable dealer makes a world of difference.