Bullet, Bullet Premier, or White Hawk?

[bobbyg123]

Here in the Northwest, our choices for lightweight bunkhouse trailers are limited. I tow with a 1/2 ton truck, and probably always will, so choosing a trailer with a GVWR of 8,5000lbs or less is critical for me. My current rig weighs 6,500lbs fully loaded, and I've pulled her to Yellowstone and throughout the mountainous NW region without any issues. I think I can handle another 1,000lbs, but I'm not interested in pushing past that too much.

The most abundant trailer choices that fit my specs out here are Keystone Bullet / Premier, Keystone Passport, and Jayco White Hawk. I've had good luck dealing with Jayco; however the White Hawk doesn't come in a floor plan that interests me. I prefer a rear bunkhouse that has slide out, as it can serve as a private guest bedroom for Grandparents and friends parents when needed.

So I finally come to my question(s)....

Rather than turn this into another "my favorite brand" thread, what do you guys think are the pros and cons of these 3 rigs? Are there any major differences between the Bullet and the Premier apart from higher end appointments? Which bunkhouse area do you like better? Why?

I really like the Bullet Premier 31BH 31BH, but the unloaded weight is nearly 500 lbs more than the non-premier version and the GVWR is a full 1,000 lbs more. It's better appointed, has an outside kitchen, and double entry doors; but those features aren't in my "deal breaker" category.

The Bullet 296BHSWE 296bhswe has a similar (not exact) floor plan and is much lighter. (6050 dry / 7600 GVWR). As noted above, it doesn't have an outside kitchen, or duel entry, but in some respects I like the bunkhouse layout better. The bunk area has a kids dinette which is nice for coloring, homework, and keeping kids snacks quarantined.

The Jayco White Hawk 31DSLB Jayco White Hawk 31DSLB doesn't have the ideal floor plan, but maybe it just hasn't grown on me? It does have dual entry, bigger tanks, and an outside kitchen. At 6,475lbs dray and 8,200 GVWR, it's weight is on par with the premier.

[doswheelers]

Might want 2 check out the Palamino Solaire line. They had some of the lightest bunk models I could find. I have the 307 loaded with just about every option weighing in around 6300lbs. According to the dealer locator, they are available in Puyallup. Good luck in your search.

[bobbyg123]

Gebrown wrote:
No one is giving you a hard time for looking at trailers 34' in length???

I'm a vet, so maybe they know better? I've been towing our 32' with a 1/2 ton since 2009. Been to Yellowstone and over the Cascade mountains numerous times without issue. Keep your speed down, use a properly set up w/d hitch, and you'll be good to go.

[Crawfordville]

We also have a Premier and love it. Our favorite is the outside kitchen. Absolutely love it. It is funny that you mentioned the pantry. I love the pantry. Particularly when we go camping somewhere that is isolated and there is plenty of room to store food.

[Gebrown]

No one is giving you a hard time for looking at trailers 34' in length???

Anyway, we're looking at similar trailers, have you checked out the Coachmen Apex 300 BDS? It's similar to what your looking at.

[GaryWT]

We have the premier and love it. Love the outside kitchen and the door to the bathroom. We use the tv in the outside kitchen all the time and my son has one in his bedroom. We towed with a 150 for a year and all was good. Max weight is 8,000, I never weighed it never towed with anything in the tanks. My 150 had tow rating of 8,600 and a payload of 1,700.

Friends have a bullet and they love it, just not as fancy as the premier. I looked at your layout and although I like the table in the back, I don't like the slide on the awning side and for me the bathroom would be a little tight.

I do not have any experience with Jayco

Good luck.

[bobbyg123]

myredracer wrote:
At the last couple of RV shows here, I've noticed that the Whitehawks have had the BAL/Norco Ultraframe. I have in the past also seen the 3-piece, welded up, I-beam made from separate pieces of sheet steel also used. I am not sure if Jayco has switched over to the Ultraframe on some or all models, but if the other two have the fabricated I-beam, I would most assuredly go with the Ultraframe as it is much stronger and more durable.

That's a question I'll have to ask Keystone, I guess. I've had good luck with my Jayco service department, but my trailer has hardly been trouble free. I've also heard mixed reviews on the White Hawk model; however perhaps the move to the Ultraframe is Jayco's response to some of the build quality concerns?

It's a tough dilemma when you're forced to consider a floor plan that you're not excited about. I've learned over the years that the number one regret with trailer purchases is related to the floor plan. Build quality is important obviously, but for the most part I've found that most of the mainstream production models are built to about the same standard of quality.

[myredracer]

At the last couple of RV shows here, I've noticed that the Whitehawks have had the BAL/Norco Ultraframe. I have in the past also seen the 3-piece, welded up, I-beam made from separate pieces of sheet steel also used. I am not sure if Jayco has switched over to the Ultraframe on some or all models, but if the other two have the fabricated I-beam, I would most assuredly go with the Ultraframe as it is much stronger and more durable.

[Rvinnewbury]

No I haven't weighed it yet, might someday, I have a good 7% 2 mile grade 10 minutes from my house and I have pulled it going the speed limit up and geared down on the downside and was able to maintain my speed with minimal brakes. Pulled a few 6% grades without problems. My old trailer weighed 7500 lbs and my Premier pulls better than that one. A F150 shouldn't have problem.

[bobbyg123]

Rvinnewbury wrote:
We have Bullet Premier 31BHPR and really enjoy it. The back bunk in nice and large a very functional. We moved the tv from the outside to the bunk area so the kids can hook up their xbox, which is a life saver on those raining day trips. We also pull it with a silverado 1500 it is enough truck. One feature I like is the pantry in the kitchen, a lot of trailers with similar floorplans don't have that. Anyways, hope this helps.

Have you weighed your rig at the scales? I think my F150 could handle it, but we've got some steep mountains here.

[Rvinnewbury]

We have Bullet Premier 31BHPR and really enjoy it. The back bunk in nice and large a very functional. We moved the tv from the outside to the bunk area so the kids can hook up their xbox, which is a life saver on those raining day trips. We also pull it with a silverado 1500 it is enough truck. One feature I like is the pantry in the kitchen, a lot of trailers with similar floorplans don't have that. Anyways, hope this helps.