RV REVIEW REVIEW AND PHOTOS BY HOWARD ELMER
Keystone Hideout 25TH19 An upgraded toy hauler The toy-hauler RV was born in California—a region we know enjoys great year-round outdoor activity-friendly weather. However, the other reason for the toy-hauler boom out West was the explosion of off-road vehicle sales—namely ATVs. So where could owners ride these toys? Well the only “public” off-road riding areas available were (and still are) on state managed lands— and to get to most of these you have to drive. This need is what spawned this new RV design. Californians needed a weekend travel trailer that doubled as a garage and transport for the “toys” they took out to the desert and mountains. Once these trailers appeared in the West they were quickly adopted by all regions of the country as RVers, regardless of where they lived, immediately saw the logic of this two-trailers-in-one concept. These toy-haulers can accommodate anything that will fit into the back door—anything frommotorcycles, ATVs, snowmobiles, golf carts, ultra-lights, dune buggies, or even vintage cars (smaller ones, of course) or anything else you can think of—a hot air balloon perhaps?
Today this toy-hauler concept has spread to every type and size of RV—from 15 to 40 feet in length—as towable travel trailers, fifth-wheels, and even as motorhomes. The unit I chose to test recently was the Hideout 25TH from Keystone. All new for the 2019 season this 30-foot floorplan emphasizes simplicity (no slide-out), ample sleeping space for six (with an optional electric drop- down queen bed in the rear), and a garage length that expands to 14 feet inside with the benches folded up. To tow this trailer, I used the 2019 GMC Sierra Denali with the 6.2L V8 engine and 10-speed transmission. From outside the features to note on the Hideout include the ride height of the trailer (with 15-inch radial tires on E-coated rims riding on twin Dexter EZ lube axles) that will get the trailer in and out of rough access roads. Other items such as the checker plate on the nose will resist road-rash, as will the frame rails that are powder-coated to resist chipping. A Cold Mountain Package, which fully encloses the underbelly, protects the tanks from freezing and will also protect against stones. The screw-type stabilizer jacks at all four corners are standard as is the power tongue jack. Note the pass- through storage at the front of the trailer—not large, but at least it’s the full width of the trailer.
RV REVIEW
COAST TO COAST FALL MAGAZINE 2019
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