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Keystone RV: First 2021 Model Reviews
To say that 2020 was exceptionally destructive is an understatement. However, if there is anything positive, it is how the pandemic has forced motorhome manufacturers to break the mold. Disruptions in the supply chain and swarms of first-time shoppers looking for safe and affordable alternatives for their holidays have prompted manufacturers such as Keystone RVs to respond.
The result is a collection of new products that will be considered perhaps the most innovative in recent years. Let's take a look at some Keystone motorhomesOffers for 2021starting with its flagship Montana brand.
Montana High Country 280/281CK
With the removal of the RV Industries Association's 430-square-foot rule, some manufacturers have opted to build larger. However,MontanaHigh Countrythe new 280/281 CK is heading in the opposite direction.
“When RVIA removed the maximum saddle area restriction, the temptation increased. But our sales data showed otherwise,” said Sam Lengerich, product manager for Montana. “Many of the customers we serve today are mobile people who travel while traveling instead of sitting in one place for weeks. They push us towards smaller saddles, as exemplified by the Montana High Country 280/281CK.”
Incidentally, an odd or even numbered floor plan designation - for example, 280/280CK - indicates whetherplantit is offered with a RV or home refrigerator. Keystone believes there is a need for both. In this example, the 280CK is a RV fridge and the 281CK is a home fridge.
While Montana High Country has successfully introduced several smaller 32-foot stories in recent years, the new 280/281CK is the shortest at 24 inches.
Lengerich comments: “Usually when designing a shorter device, you have to sacrifice space on the kitchen counter, which ends up with a TV on the back wall, which provides a terrible picture. Our goal was to break these design constraints and create a floor plan that was compact but nothing like it.”
(Video) 2021 Keystone Cougar Half Ton 34TSB | Travel Trailer - RV Review: Camping World
The High Country team did so by ditching the dining area for a U-shaped kitchen with massive countertops and bar stools. They also created a collection of L-shaped seats with a chaise longue facing the entertainment center for perfect TV viewing. You may have noticed that some RV floor plans have the TV seats at a high angle, which is not the case in this high altitude country.
Additionally, to create the impression of a larger interior, Keystone RV created larger windows positioned to let in more natural light. Montana High Country's colors and interior design remain largely unchanged as of 2020. As Lengerich explains:
“We took a diamond and buffed it up a bit,” keeping the bleached Louisville Ash color palette and adjusting the accent color to what it calls Urban Charcoal.
One not-so-visible change to the High Country for 2021 is to the axles and springs. While the gross vehicle weight rating remains the same at 7,000 pounds per axle, Montana worked with Dexter to create heavier components that Lengerich describes as more durable.
The 2021 High Country offers an optional Solar Flex system that includes a 265W solar panel with a 2000W inverter. For better outdoor living, the 280/281CK floorplan comes standard with two patio awnings providing 27 linear feet of coverage .
Keystone RV – Puma
Oh, Keystone trailerPumaand Cougar Half-Ton saddles and travel trailers have been Keystone's most popular brands for many years. So when Cougar makes a noticeable rebrand, it's inherently big news. The BIG NEW for the 2021 models are all-new interiors.
"We've moved away from traditional browns and darker colors to a lighter interior with a new dashboard, floor, ceiling and cabinets," said Scott Taylor, Cougar product manager. "It's a style we call the Amy Gray Signature Series, named after one of our interior designers."
The Cougar's new look features a vintage Matte Luxe white and slightly darker "Modern Driftwood" cabinets in the living room. Customer feedback on previously released deliveries has been generally positive, says the Cougar team.
While the transformation of the interior has been stepped up in the 2021 Cougarnews list,as well as eight new floor plans, one of which is the Cougar 345UMR saddle. For a dog owner who always goes camping with his two large dogs, this floor plan makes a lot of sense.
The "UMR" designation in the model names stands for Utility Mud Room, a feature that Cougar says makes this floor plan one of a kind and, frankly, never seen before.
The Cougar team says it's designed specifically for campers with more active activities, such asFishing, hunting and pet owners. The 345UMR features the flexibility of a full size utility/mud room on the back of a 38m saddle.
Call features include:
- Dog shower/device, making it easy for campers and their four-legged friends to rinse off everyday adventures without leaving dirt and debris in the main space
- Extra-large rear storage cupboard with washer and dryer hookups or for storing fishing rods, rifles or beach gear
- Separate office space in the pantry
- Sliding barn style door separates the wash/mud area from the main living area
Zwiastun Keystone – Outback
OKeystone RV Outbackboasts a revamped interior and new exterior graphics for 2021, along with three ultralight floorplans (two of which are shed models) and two larger floorplans.
In the kitchen, the Outback comes standard with a 12-cubic-foot 12-volt refrigerator, with an optional eight-foot RV refrigerator. Outback believes the 12-volt refrigerator, new to the 2021 lineup, will be hugely popular as it uses a compressor-based refrigeration system rather than an absorption system. Because the mechanical footprint is smaller, it also allows a 12 cubic foot refrigerator to fit in the same space that an 8 cubic foot RV refrigerator would take.
Perhaps the biggest news centers are about one of these new, larger factories, the Outback 324CG.,which was designed for people with physical disabilities.
The Outback 342CG is the result of a collaboration with adventure and disability advocates Riley Poor and Andrea Peruzzi. Poor die-hard freeskier (like Winter X Games) and talented filmmaker, he was paralyzed after a clumsy accent in 2009. Traveling for a person with quadriplegia turned out to be extremely difficult, expensive, often dangerous and unpredictable for him.
Outback Product Manager Nick Ebenroth says: “Our dealers and retail customers tell us about the growing demand for trailers that can accommodate people with physical disabilities. Our goal was to create a multi-functional floor plan that met these requirements, but would also be attractive outside this specialist market.
The Outback team started with a basic design for one of their proven installations and then redesigned it. The original floor plan included a 56-inch-wide ramp that was a natural entry and exit point for wheelchair-bound campers.
“We took the basic dimension and reconfigured the kitchen counter, reduced the wall to an entertainment center and replaced the hinged door with a sliding barn door to provide an easy transition to the living area,” says Ebenroth.
Other changes include a wider 30-inch main hallway to allow wheelchair lifts to be replaced, a more accessible pantry, sliding doors to the bedroom and bathroom, and more ergonomic cabinets and drawer handles.
Other notable features of the 342CG include a cargo garage with fold-down bunks, a king-size bed with a built-in pet kennel, two pantries, a 48-inch fireplace, and a sofa bed.
Toy transporters with Keystone trailer
While smaller "entry-level" caravans initially benefited most from the influx of RVs for the first time, other market segments also experienced a decline, includingkey merger and a line of Raptor toy trucks.
Connection
For 2021Connectionreveals a brand new interior design, numerous floor plan enhancements, and two new floor plan models.
In terms of interior changes, Fuzion switched to warmer shades of gray that reveal the wood grain of the cabinets and added shaker-style cabinet doors. Gone is what product manager Nick Ebenroth described as last year's flat gray color. Instead, a brighter new look is offset by a dark wood plank floor and accented with dark brown trim and a tab headboard.
In addition, all 2021 Fuzion floor plans will feature an east-west bed instead of a north-south bed. The brand has also redesigned its actuality430floor plan, extending it to convert the half of the bathroom off the living area into a full bathroom, making 430 the first floor plan with two full bathrooms at the Fuzion Stables.
Along with the above changes, Fuzion is now adding two new floor plans. One of these is the Model 379, a 3/4-ton two-axle towed fifth wheel with a 3-meter full garage, cross-talk seating, a half-bath in the main living area, an outdoor kitchen and two patio awnings.
“We love our Keystone Fuzion 427, recommend it all the time and invite other campers to check it out. We can't wait to check out the new floor plans and model decorations for 2021!”
Jimmy i Lisa Cox –Find us at the campsite
Coal
Coalis another Keystone toy truck brand that plans to shake up the market with its new 338 saddle.
Up until now, the world of toy trucks has been dominated by large models - say 12-metre ones, says Colin Clark, carbon product manager. Based on conversations with campers, Clark believes that proper saddle carts are needed to transport toys in state and national parks. By this, Clark means toy carts that are less than 35 feet long and meet park size requirements, and are more maneuverable in situations where space is limited.
According to Clark, the new 338 Carbon meets these requirements. It is approximately 33 feet long, features a 3-foot garage with lashings welded to the frame, a fuel storage system, a full steam wall separating toys from the living area, and includes a private suite.
Springdale
One of the Keystone brands that saw an immediate increase in sales wasSpringdale. With a virtual candy store complete with floor plans and sheds, Springdale claims to offer convenient camping for families of all sizes at an affordable price. So why would a company now decide to reinvent the product?
"Over the years our dealers and customers have come to know and love Springdale as a reliable product," said product manager BJ Kloska. “One of the things we're going to do in 2021 is to raise the level of enthusiasm. We did it by taking a fresh look at the product, especially its interior. There isn't a square we haven't touched."
Among these changes are a brand new decor, brand new furniture, brand new cabinets and hardware, as well as a number of updates.
For 2021, Keystone RV has changed the color of the Springdale to a lighter wood exterior with black accents. In addition, the windows have been enlarged to let in more natural light and brighten the interior. For example, on select Springdale models, customers will find a 48-inch by 12-inch window that extends from the kitchen sink to the stove, which Kloski says will be a big hit. Another major update is the additionCreate a larger furniture collection.
Come onmake more furniture– claims Kloska, your sofa/dining room can be used in many ways. It's a bit hard to describe in words, but it works by making the sofa cabin set rotate and fold to increase the sofa seat, transforming it into a living room or a large dining area.
The Springdale team also focused on increasing storage space. The 2021 models offer convenient storage in the dining area, twin shelves in the master bedroom (instead of single) and ingenious expandable mesh pockets throughout the interior to store small items such as phones, iPads and remotes.
There are popular RVing forums for owners of specific Keystone brands. ABOUTMontana Owners Clube about Keystone teaserforaboth are very active and are very helpful to other RVers.
Visittheir websiteto order a new Keystone online. Not ready to buy? Try to borrow fromRVShareLubOutside. If you're considering buying a new 2021 Keystone motorhome but don't want to part with your old one, earn some extra income by putting it up for salerent with Outdoorsy.
You can see more motorhomes 2021 withRVB Model Year 2021 Guide.