Premiere 31BHPR vs Sunset Trail Reserve 31BH

NCKman · 07-16-2012, 12:46 PM

We are deciding this week. We are down to a 2013 Keystone Premiere 31BHPR or 2013 Sunset Trail Reserve 31BH Price is not an issue, within $1000.00 Features we like on the Sunset Trail: Larger Queen Bed TV Mounted Higher Fireplace Dinette Table seems better quality, more comfortable sitting area Door to Bunkhouse Paint Scheme Pull Out Sofa bed in living area 2 year warranty (vs 1 on Premiere) Features we like on the Premiere Bunk Room Layout, Full cushion bed in Bunk house, queen size for adults Larger Pantry Outdoor Kitchen Layout 400 lbs lighter then Sunset The Sunset Trail has more features that we like, however, we felt it might not be as well constructed. We noticed rippled wall paper over the kithcen sink, the bunk house door would not latch, caulking around the wood on the entertainment center. The jacknife couch in the bunk house was not very comfortable and we could not get it to fold back up. We also found the expandable blinds in the master bedroom hard to latch and suspect they would be quickly replaced with regular curtains. Don't like the bumper mounted Grill in the ODK. The Premier had a lot of selling features - flush lighting, frameless windows, large storage area, however, not sure of the value of those. When researching the Premiere, noticed posts about bent axels. Also noticed that the carrying weight is doubled in the Sunset (2600 vs 1300) which makes us question if the Sunset is built better from that perspective. Premier uses cable for slideout, Sunset uses gear / track. Ultralight is important to us, which is why we are looking at these units. By all outward appearnces, the Sunset Trail seems to be the higher end trailer, however, since the price is so close, we are wondering if we are missing something. Anyone have any input?

Kagex · 07-16-2012, 01:19 PM

I can honestly say I had alot of the same questions in regards to build quality. These are light weight trailers and are not built to the spec of a older Okanagan heavy weight, but they are better than you may think. I have only used my Sunset for 3 months but it has been absolutlyrock solid(knock on wood). Being biased towards Crossroads I will have to say get the 31BH you will not be dissapointed. And if you have any questions/concerns the factory is fantastic to deal with in my experiences and reading the experiences of others in the forum. No matter what trailer you get you will make small mods to meet your needs, and with quality maintenance these trailers should last for many years to come.

dodgeman28 · 07-16-2012, 04:01 PM

I gotta agree with Kagex. I looked at over 30 different trailers before bought my Sunset Trail 25RB. have only taken it out twice but have had no issues with it (knock on wood!) The Sunset Trail Reserves are very nice and have had at least a dozen people come ask me to look at it! looked at the Keystone trailers as well and wasn't very impressed. I have no regrets going with the Sunset Trail and I would highly recommend going with them.

thefabbros · 07-16-2012, 04:37 PM

I also have to agree with dodgeman and kagex. You will have no regrets buying the ST31BH. We had narrowed it down between the 2 trailers that you are comparing and theST31Bhis what we went with. The big selling feature for us was the resessed kitchen sink. With the covers on, you gain much more counter space. Another selling feature was that on the premiere, the awning didn't go past the door to the bathroom were as on the ST31bh it covers the bathroom door. Hope this helps and whatever one you decide on, i think you will have a great time.

mwebber78 · 07-16-2012, 05:54 PM

The Keystone nets you half the warranty coverage and while ou may have found a few cosmetic issues these are typical PDI correctable issues. Also, I've always ordered my units factory fresh built to my preference of colors and options. At a decent dealership, they will give you a great price on a factory ordered unit as they incurr no flooring costs to finance the unit....

As far as Keystone, I've read a fair share of issues on them but overall most seem pleased. The warranty and Crossroads customer service is the biggest selling point.... No one has ever accused Keystone of great customer service... Jmho.

sle1995 · 07-18-2012, 10:43 AM

The ten gallon difference in the the black and grey tank would push me towards the 31BH if I were choosing between these two. I have the 31BH and love it. I would also recommend that you order one from the dealer as opposed to buying one off the lot. Then you can look at the options that they might not have ordered theirs with. We have not been disappointed with ours. We ordered ours in March and received in April. Have used it about 25 nights so far and it has not disappointed us yet.

NCKman · 07-19-2012, 04:56 AM

Thanks all for the feedback!

We decided to go with the Sunset Trail Reserve, picking it up tomorrow and will do a test trip this weekend.

Both campers were very nice. The main item in the Premier that kept drawing us back was the queen size fold out cushion bed in the bunkhouse (Sunset has a Jackknife couch) for the occasional trip that we have other adults with us, however, we decided that we could do without that.

In addition to the items mentioned in this thread, the main items that we noticed were:

<ul>[*]Number of outlets - this is important to us as we have multiple cell phones, tablets, laptops and sometimes work from the campground. The Premier had 1 outlet in the master, one outlet in the bunk house, one under the kitchen cabinets, and 1 in the bathroom (facing the outside door, so you might not leave items plugged in if in the way). The Sunset has a bunch - 2 in the Bedroom (with corner shelves to store your electronics, 2 in the living area (1 next to couch, 1 next to dinette), 1 under Kitchen cabinet, 2 in Bunk Area, 1 in bathroom. Advantage Sunset[*]Bunks in Sunset are rated at 300 lbs, Premier has one at 150 lbs, one at 250. Advantage Sunset[*]More storage are in outdoor kitchen on Sunset since the grill in mounted on the bumper. Advantage Sunset[*]Queen bed in Master is 6" longer in Sunset, no feet hanging off the ends. Advantage Sunset[*]The Premier had a larger kitchen pantry (no pantry, just drawers under the fridge in the Sunset). Additionally, the closet in the living area (across from the bathroom door) is a full closet in the Premier (can be used as a wardrobe), it is two seperate units on the Sunset so it would be hard to hang clothes. Advantage Premier[*]The quality of the drawers in the Premier appeared to better constructed then the Sunset, which seemed to have more play and lighter material. Cabinets and drawer quality was item we ran across in other forum posts. Advantage Premier, but crossing our fingers that not an issue on the Sunset[*]The Sunset has side access to the storage area under the dinette seats, Permier did not. Advantage Sunset.[*]Bells and Whistles (on the models we looked at) - as mentioned in my original post, lighting in the Premier looked very nice (flush mounts) and there was a unique look with the frameless windows. It also included a small flat screen in the bunk area. Sunset has synthetic leather couches, fireplace, bronze colored fixtures in kitchen / bathroom, and electric jacks. Price difference of $1000.00. Advantage (IMO) Sunset[*]Customer Support - Owners of Crossroad brands (sunset) really came out in support of their camper and the quality of factory support when needed. Hopefully we won't need it, and I'm sure the dealer plays a big role in this, but Advantage Sunset.[/list]As you can see, we spent quite a bit of time thinking about this. The Sunset just more well thought out and the additional bells and whistles are a plus. We are looking forward to many fun camping trips in it!

happycampers · 07-19-2012, 06:49 AM

I wouldn't worry too much about the pull out couch.... if its too comfortable your guests may never leave...
Anyway, welcome to the club. Crossroads is a good choice!

DirtEngineer · 07-19-2012, 07:01 AM

I'll tell you my ST experience is very positive. Bought our 26BH last year, and have over 6,000kms on it so far. No issues with finish quality that I have seen, and many of the advantages you list above are what drove us to buying Crossroads. I really can't come up with any complaints at all about the ST. Plus, I think the ST's with the reserve package are amongst the sharpest looking RV's on the market.

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