RV Review: 2025 Grand Surveyor 275FKBS—a double thumbs-up kitchen

Today’s RV review is of the Grand Surveyor 275FKBS, a longer travel trailer with a front kitchen that has some features traveling couples might appreciate. But first, let’s detail who Grand Surveyor is.

This is part of the Forest River family and there are actually three different Surveyor collections: Surveyor Legend X, Surveyor Legend and Grand Surveyor. In that order, they get larger and more well equipped. 

This model is a longer front kitchen travel trailer with bedroom and living room slides. When you move into the Grand Surveyor line you also get taller ceilings, at 6’9”.

Start at the road with the Grand Surveyor 275FKBS

There have been a number of updates to this line since we looked at them last, all of which are purportedly a direct result of customer input. That’s not a bad idea. 

Where the rubber meets the road, you have Goodyear Endurance radials with internal tire pressure monitoring systems. Nice. But it’s still traditional leaf springs, which are pretty common.

This also comes standard with power stabilizer jacks. 

This does have a heated and enclosed underbelly. There are 12-volt tank heaters to keep the tanks from freezing in colder camping, but the underbelly is not heated. 

Funny thing—This time of year I get into discussions with folks on social media where they don’t want to run their furnaces because they say the furnace uses a lot of propane. But I remind them that’s because the RV they chose has a provision for heating the underbelly, which protects the plumbing. They’d still rather run electric space heaters, which I think is a terrible idea—so let them learn the hard way. 

Two sewer outlets

Something else you’ll see while you’re under here is that this has two sewer outlets. The one toward the front of the rig is just the gray tank for the kitchen. This is how my new trailer is, too. What I did was buy a Valterra clear sewer cap that has a provision to screw a standard hose on it. I just use the hose I normally use for the black tank flush and leave the front tank open. 

No. That’s not recommended by the RV manufacturer. But we’re very careful what goes down the gray tank, plus there’s a screen there. Yeah, it’s not ideal. But remember—I’m pretty lazy. 

I wonder if there are people on social media betting on when I’ll have an issue doing this— like I am betting on the ones who don’t use their RV furnace? Hmmmm. 🤔

Grand Surveyor 275FKBS - 2025

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Kitchen and living space in the Grand Surveyor 275FKBS

As mentioned, this is a front kitchen, which means that the counter extends the full width of the front of the trailer—so there’s lots of counter space. That means there’s lots of cabinet and drawer storage, as well. 

Adding to this is a pantry in the slide. So this is a good RV for those who like to cook. Oh… the oven, you ask? Why I thought you’d never ask. It’s a 21” (vertical) oven! As I wrote, Surveyor has made some upgrades to this rig, which are in response to your requests, and this is one of them. It’s a great idea!

But, as Walt Disney used to say, they “plussed” it. There’s a cutting board behind the three-burner stovetop that serves as a backsplash but also nests into the sink so you have a cutting board. You bet this kitchen gets two thumbs up from me. 

But wait, there’s more—as they would say on late-night TV commercials. 

Breakfast bar in the Grand Surveyor 275FKBS

There’s also a breakfast bar here that comes with two bar-height chairs. This breakfast bar sort of lords over the main living space. However, you could also use it as a prep area if, for some reason, all that kitchen counter space weren’t enough. Or, it could be where you set up a buffet, as well. 

Since we’re lording over the main living space, let’s examine that more and check out the theater seats that are in the road-side slide room. This is a good example of the breed, as it has a center armrest that’s pretty sizable. It can fold up, so now you have what amounts to a couch. 

Opposite that is a traditional RV dinette with knee knocker poles for the tables. Of course, this can also become a second bed if you have people staying with you. 

Something else that’s nifty here is the central vacuum located right at the dinette. I can’t imagine a better place for it. 

Let’s potty talk

Lately I’ve seen several RVs where there’s a mid-bath, including my own. I really like when the bathroom spans the full width of the RV, but that’s not true of everybody. So this trailer has a bathroom that doesn’t take up the full width of the trailer. That leaves a hallway between the main living space and the bedroom. 

Truthfully, this bathroom has plenty of space to do what you need to do, and you get that hallway. 

I also like that the shower is rectangular and has a Nautilus shower door. I’m not a big fan of huge pieces of glass in an RV, and many shower doors are the biggest culprit in this. 

There’s also a high-performance vent fan in here, which is another plus after that big oven. This also has no furnace ducts in the floor of the rig—another plus. 

But here is an odd decision. The intake for the furnace is in the bathroom. I can see that being an issue if you served cheese and broccoli casserole to your guests on colder nights because, well, you may get a whiff of how that can affect their intestines. Perhaps that good vent fan would compensate. We all hope it does. 

Bedroom in the Grand Surveyor 275FKBS

The bedroom is a pretty cozy place here, with an electric fireplace on the camp side that’s surrounded by drawers and cabinets. 

The bed is an Olympic queen and is located in a slide room facing the fireplace. The slide is a Schwintek mechanism. 

This also has a second entry door to the outside. 

Boondocking and travel access in the Grand Surveyor 275FKBS

I’m not thinking a lot of people will be using this rig for boondocking but, of course, you can. There is a single 200-watt solar panel on the roof with a 30-amp MPPT charge controller. A second panel is optional.

Of course, most RV dealers are going to saddle you with a flooded lead acid battery, which I think is a disservice to you—but that’s just me. I still think, even if you’re using these seasonally, it’s time to just go lithium already for so many reasons.

With the two slides in, they do block the bathroom in the middle of the rig. But you could squeeze between the bedroom slide and the door to the bathroom depending on how you’re built. I should say, you might be able to do this—I wouldn’t. But, then again, I displace a lot of water in the pool.

Not that I’m going in the pool at this time of year. 🥶

Conclusions about the Grand Surveyor 275FKBS

I think they’ve done a really good job with this RV. As a couple’s camper, you get a great kitchen with lots of storage plus decent living space. The bedroom is particularly cozy, to me, with that fireplace in there. Nice. 

There isn’t the hugest amount of storage outside this RV, so that might be the Achille’s heel of this rig. But I’ve seen RVs with less storage. This might be irrelevant if you’re using this for a seasonal camper. So, too, would the leaf springs no longer be an issue. 

Overall, it is a nice RV with a comfy interior. Not bad. 

My thanks to Josh from Bish’s RV for the photos and video in this article

More about these RV reviews

These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. They are based on information from a single unit and may not reflect your actual experience. Shop your RV and dealership carefully before making a buying decision. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.

Tony comes to RVtravel.com having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. He also works closely with a number of RV manufacturers to get an inside look at how things are done and is a brand ambassador for Rockwood Mini Lite with his wife, Peggy.

You can also check out his RV podcast with Peggy. 

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