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Old 02-06-2014, 08:33 PM   #1
J&A
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Outback Terrain 299TBH - First Impressions

We selected the Outback Terrain for its ultra-lite weight features and construction quality when compared to other brands around the same price point. A lot of our research was done online but the validation and final decision came after inspecting the travel trailers while visiting multiple area dealers and RV shows.

We bought our Terrain 299TBH in October, 2013, and we've been out in it twice. No major issues so far, as we expected. Only a couple of minor problems soon to be corrected (under warranty):
• Rivet and washer missing on propane tank cover
• Bathroom fan assembly came partially loose
• Fuse panel door latch is defective
• Wheel fender trim silicone is cracking
• Wall covering is starting to peel off on one corner

Overall, the Terrain is performing as we expected. The floor plan we selected works really well for us. We put our travel trailer to test during our first two camping trips. We had our share of warm weather (~90°F+), cool weather (~40°F+) and some light rain. The smoke detector did go off the first time we turned on the heating, as many have experienced. Our dealer warned us about this too. Happy to say we (6) were very comfortable and dry all the time. The ducted air conditioning worked well.

The different sleeping configurations proved very convenient and well designed. For example, there is plenty of room to walk around the sofa sleeper when deployed. It didn’t feel cramped even with the trailer full of people. A piece of furniture we would add when traveling with extended family and friends is a light multi-purpose table in front of the sofa bed to serve as a coffee table, foot rest, dining table, etc. I hear the front fiberglass cap is no longer present in the 2014 Terrain models. Well, lucky for us!

The aftermarket accessories we bought to solve for some inconveniences:
• Foam mattress topers for all beds
• 2 external rain covers for the fan vents
• A bunk bed ladder (Seriously Keystone, a bunkhouse model with no bunk bed ladder?)
• A tongue jack foot (Again Keystone, seriously?)
• Battery disconnect switch
• 6 Watt Solar 12V battery trickle charger
• TP Holder & Self-Sticking Towel Hooks

I’ve also made insect screens for the different vents around the trailer and a water line blow out plug with air valve for winterizing the trailer’s tanks and water lines. I found the materials at the local home improvement stores. For a set of wheel chokes with rope pulls I used 4”x4” scrapped cedar wood cut at a 45° angle on both ends and rope I had in the garage.

For winterizing the Terrain, I used the compressed air method as recommended in the following Keystone Service Tips video: . The water heater bypass valve is located under the lower bunk bed towards the outside wall. To control the amount of compressed air supplied, I adjusted my compressor regulator to 20-25 PSI just to be on the safe side. Except for having to open the water heater pressure release valve before removing the anode/drain plug, all other steps in the video appear to be in the correct order. Upon inspecting the anode, I noticed already some deterioration. While this is expected, I’m not sure if this was the result after only 2 camping trips. Thoughts anyone? Anyways, I added Teflon tape around the thread and put it back in after winterizing. I’ll buy a spare to keep it in the TT toolbox.

Now we’re just waiting for the weather to warm up a bit to go out camping again. Happy RVing!
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Old 02-06-2014, 09:11 PM   #2
JRTJH
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J&A,

Thanks for the great review. Other members and guests who are considering an Outback will benefit from your time spent to share your experiences.
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Old 09-15-2014, 02:53 PM   #3
seascorpion02
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Thanks for the review! I am fairly new to the forum and have just purchased the outback terrain 299TBH at the Hershey rv show. I'm upgrading from a palomino stampede hybrid. I am taking delivery in two weeks on my unit. The wife and I are excited but after reading some of these posts I was starting to have second thoughts. I'm having them install a slide topper and have concerns as to the mounting. Just curious if there is anything major I should look out for when doing my PDI. At the show I saw at least a dozen things that weren't right with the unit which made me question the quality control. They assured me that not only do the dealer prep ppl but the keystone warranty ppl go through the unit and will find more then i saw. Again really reassuring. I really hope I'm not getting into a basket case unit with how much it's costing me.
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Old 09-17-2014, 03:50 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by seascorpion02 View Post
Thanks for the review! I am fairly new to the forum and have just purchased the outback terrain 299TBH at the Hershey rv show. I'm upgrading from a palomino stampede hybrid. I am taking delivery in two weeks on my unit. The wife and I are excited but after reading some of these posts I was starting to have second thoughts. I'm having them install a slide topper and have concerns as to the mounting. Just curious if there is anything major I should look out for when doing my PDI. At the show I saw at least a dozen things that weren't right with the unit which made me question the quality control. They assured me that not only do the dealer prep ppl but the keystone warranty ppl go through the unit and will find more then i saw. Again really reassuring. I really hope I'm not getting into a basket case unit with how much it's costing me.
Welcome to the forum seascorpion02!

You are a more seasoned RV owner than we are. So second thoughts are warranted, especially in this industry. I invite you to read another thread I wrote on dealing with two major problems I had with a fading front cap (if you're buying a '14 or newer you won't have a fiberglass front cap) and a buckled slide roof.

However, I'll say it again, none of my new travel trailer’s quality issues are new or specific to my brand. Most of these quality issues, if not all, are documented in the forum and allowed me to proactively look for them before they caused major damage or additional cost to me.

I know from my personal experience that the Terrain I purchased is built and finished better than other brands we inspected and considered within our price range.

I am becoming more convinced that "Quality Control" in this industry is an oxymoron. Purchasing a new quality RV product at this time is a crap shoot, given the explosive growth and manufacturing ramp up the industry is experiencing.

What to look for? I believe you're onto it.

1. Use the recommended PDI document in this forum.

2. The New Owner Checklist might be helpful.

3. Make sure to confirm with Keystone there is proper blocking to mount the slide topper or the correct anchoring method.

4. The dealer will tell you and promise you the world to close any deal. Don't trust. Verify everything prior to purchasing anything.

5. Keystone has honored their warranty to us but be aware they're now 8+weeks out on certain parts and it can be a real problem getting them.

6. Climb on the roof and inspect it thoroughly for damage, bubbles/delamination, poor caulking, etc.

7. Stay emotionally attached to your money (not to the unit) until the bitter end! Negotiate!

We're heading out camping next weekend and plan on having a great one! Keep us posted on your next steps. Good luck on your decision.

Regards,
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Old 11-10-2014, 12:51 PM   #5
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Got a trip in before winter

Just an update, we ended up getting a weekend trip in before I winterized the trailer for the season. Everything went well, nothing major happened. Most of my worries about the trailer were taken care of, just waiting on keystone to send me a block of corner trim. My only complaint about this model which i was told was the number one "family unit" was the command center switches. i have a very busy 2 year old son and the awning and slide out control switches are at the perfect location for a very curious 2 year old. the cabinet above the tv almost at the roof line is where the light switches are. if the light switches and the slide controls were switched it would be much better as i would rather have him turning the lights off and on instead of the slides and awnings going in and out. just a thought keystone. After he did it once or twice and we diverted his attention he pretty much left them alone. but like i said with this being a family unit thats kind of a dumb place to locate those controls. otherwise gret trip and we love our new unit.
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Old 11-11-2014, 11:03 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seascorpion02 View Post
Just an update, we ended up getting a weekend trip in before I winterized the trailer for the season. Everything went well, nothing major happened. Most of my worries about the trailer were taken care of, just waiting on keystone to send me a block of corner trim. My only complaint about this model which i was told was the number one "family unit" was the command center switches. i have a very busy 2 year old son and the awning and slide out control switches are at the perfect location for a very curious 2 year old. the cabinet above the tv almost at the roof line is where the light switches are. if the light switches and the slide controls were switched it would be much better as i would rather have him turning the lights off and on instead of the slides and awnings going in and out. just a thought keystone. After he did it once or twice and we diverted his attention he pretty much left them alone. but like i said with this being a family unit thats kind of a dumb place to locate those controls. otherwise gret trip and we love our new unit.

Ugh. I know what you mean about the command center switched. My 18 month old won't leave them alone!
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Old 11-12-2014, 09:08 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by seascorpion02 View Post
Just an update, we ended up getting a weekend trip in before I winterized the trailer for the season. Everything went well, nothing major happened. Most of my worries about the trailer were taken care of, just waiting on keystone to send me a block of corner trim. My only complaint about this model which i was told was the number one "family unit" was the command center switches. i have a very busy 2 year old son and the awning and slide out control switches are at the perfect location for a very curious 2 year old. the cabinet above the tv almost at the roof line is where the light switches are. if the light switches and the slide controls were switched it would be much better as i would rather have him turning the lights off and on instead of the slides and awnings going in and out. just a thought keystone. After he did it once or twice and we diverted his attention he pretty much left them alone. but like i said with this being a family unit thats kind of a dumb place to locate those controls. otherwise gret trip and we love our new unit.
Good to hear you got a chance to do a shakedown trip before winterizing. I can see how the command center location would be a an attractive feature for your 2 year old. Has he discovered the space under the trailer or the slides? Be careful with the lower slide corners. You don't have to be a 2 year old to find them!

Happy camping!
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Old 11-18-2014, 09:13 AM   #8
seascorpion02
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slide out space

Quote:
Originally Posted by J&A View Post
Good to hear you got a chance to do a shakedown trip before winterizing. I can see how the command center location would be a an attractive feature for your 2 year old. Has he discovered the space under the trailer or the slides? Be careful with the lower slide corners. You don't have to be a 2 year old to find them!

Happy camping!
We usually put a table in front of the (under awinging) slide and keep some of his toys under there so he really doesnt go under the trailer or slides. But yes our first trip for the season over memorial weekend, we went to the Delaware shore. When we got there it started to rain by the time we checked in and I got to our site it was pouring. So rushing around doing the outside setup my wife getting the inside ready she put the slide out which was fine i was next to it when she opened it. so trying to route the water hose under the slide section i bent over to get the hose and saw that my one wheel chock wasnt touching the wheel and ocd me crawled under to push it tight to the wheel. i backed out from under it thinking i was in the clear stood up right into the corner and put like an 8" gash/cut right in the mid section of my back. lets just say it was a great way to start off the season and an even better way to kick off a vaca at the beach.
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Old 11-22-2014, 04:10 AM   #9
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...crawled under to push it tight to the wheel. i backed out from under it thinking i was in the clear stood up right into the corner and put like an 8" gash/cut right in the mid section of my back. lets just say it was a great way to start off the season and an even better way to kick off a vaca at the beach.
Ouch! Sorry to hear this. It must have hurt. I hope you are well now. Good time now to start making reservations for next year and plan for those added comfort mods.

Cheers!
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