RV Review: 2024 Keystone Bullet 1900RD—lightweight and popular

Today’s RV review is of the 2024 Keystone Bullet 1900RD travel trailer. This is a single-axle, relatively lightweight trailer that features a dry bath but does have a pocket RV, or short, queen bed. 

Since we’ve all been spending time together here on RVtravel.com for awhile, it seems that we’re revisiting trailers that we’ve seen before—and this is one of those. And it’s interesting, to me, to observe changes in things over time and based on the realities of the market. 

A word about shipping RVs

The dealership I used to work at in Northern California sells a lot of Keystone’s Bullet line. This is one of the models I used to sell like crazy. Part of the appeal of this rig is that it’s small, lightweight, and also very affordable. Even today, the base MSRP on these is $24,150 (before shipping, which can add quite a chunk). But that means these are likely selling under $20,000, depending on where they’re being sold. 

Okay, quick tangent here. The cost to ship RVs has gone through the roof, so the further a dealership is from where these are made, the more it’s going to cost them in shipping. I know some of the larger fifth wheels are costing the dealership I worked at thousands of dollars just in shipping. 

That’s one of the reasons several RV companies, including Keystone, have manufacturing in both Indiana and Pendleton, Oregon. California is an enormous RV market and shipping rigs to the Golden State is costly. That’s also why there are West Coast editions and “Eastern” editions—there are sometimes differences in the rigs made in the different assembly plants. 

But these smaller RVs can also be bundled together on one transporter’s trailer. So, that helps with the little rigs when it comes to shipping costs.

Keystone Bullet 1900RD - 2024

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SolarFlex

Keystone made a lot of waves when they announced that all their trailers were going to come with at least 200 watts of solar. Except, well, this doesn’t come with any solar any longer. But you can still get it as an option and, the way I see things, that makes the most sense.  

These smaller trailers sell well partially because they’re affordable. If you’re going to park camp all the time, the additional cost of a solar package can make a relatively big impact on the bottom line. So now it’s an option. 

You can get a very basic system with a 220-watt solar panel, but there’s also a package where you can get two of these panels and an inverter. Further, Keystone has partnered with a battery supplier so that you can get batteries right from Keystone or have them installed by a dealership and covered under the warranty. 

It’s a good situation. I like that they’ve now made it more flexible so that you don’t have to pay for something you don’t need, if that’s your thing. Further, the wiring is there so if a dealership has a unit in stock without solar it can be added. 

For many buyers, just getting something that works right from the factory is a great solution. Even for us tinkerers and geeks, it’s good to have options like this. 

Starting at the bottom

I mentioned the wiring for solar is something Keystone does. In fact, they intentionally wire their trailers, which is highly uncommon in the RV industry. That means that a red wire in this trailer does the same thing as a red wire in all the other Keystone Bullet trailers on the lot. This makes servicing these much easier and also results in their needing service less frequently. 

Since I was selling these, Keystone has also switched chassis companies and now uses a Norco frame. The significance of this is that it is huck-bolted together instead of being welded. Keystone claims this is lighter and stronger. 

Another thing that Keystone does is what they call a HyperDeck™ floor, which is a laminate of man-made products. I am a bit skeptical about laminated floors. However, I haven’t heard that these have been troublesome. They are lighter and water won’t damage them. 

Of all the companies we represented at the dealership I worked at, Keystone’s warranty system was the most efficient when we did need it. But we didn’t have many issues with Keystone products, which is why I’m partial to them. 

Keystone Bullet 1900RD

What made this trailer so popular for us is that the relatively light weight combined with the affordable price meant there were a lot of folks in whose lives this would fit. 

The key selling point of this trailer is a large U-shaped dinette in the back with a giant rear window, as well as large windows on either side of the trailer. For a small trailer, these huge windows really make it feel much more open. There are lots of places where people back the trailer up to a stream or into the Redwoods and sit at the dinette and enjoy incredible views.

At this overall size, there have to be some compromises, and one of those is the “pocket queen” bed. Having one of these can be a deal breaker for people. Those huge windows in the back definitely overcome a lot of other objections. 

I also found that this trailer was popular with single women buyers with whom I worked a lot. I can fully understand this, and it would be a good package for a single traveler. 

This also has a dry bath, meaning you’re not taking a shower while sitting on the toilet. I do wish Keystone would quit using those low-performance vent fans only because I’ve become such a fan of high-performance models like the Maxxair. But this is an easy swap for a dealership. 

What I would change in the Keystone Bullet 1900RD?

Since I mentioned the fan, which you may know I am not a fan of (see what I did there?), there are a few other things I’d change in here, as well.

Now that I’ve become accustomed to better tires and tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS), I would really hope anyone who buys this trailer would utilize a TPMS. Usually, the low-budget trailer tires are the ones that are more likely to go. I just think this is a must-have feature for towables.

I teach multi-day hands-on workshops and we talk about this. One of the class participants had a TMPS but hadn’t installed it yet. They got a flat tire as they were heading to their next camping destination. Please, get a TPMS (and install it). Although, really, RV companies should make them standard.

This also has a two-burner propane stovetop. That is fine and dandy, but I prefer the two-burner in-line system rather than the one they chose. There’s also no oven, which is different than what we sold. They used to have the worthless 17” ovens. But the microwave is also not a convection microwave, so there shall be no baking unless you get something like an Omnia oven.

Something to note: While there is a pantry by the fridge and overhead cabinets above the road side of the dinette as well as above the bed, there are no drawers whatsoever in this trailer. None. Zip. Zilch. Zero. Nope, not even there. Nor there. None.

Lastly, this uses a 10-cubic-foot 12-volt fridge with a swing latch that I have found to be a high failure point. The latch moves aside during transit, which lets the fridge disgorge its contents all over, creating a nasty surprise. The fridge itself is fine, but I wish someone would improve this lousy latch.

In summary

Something I saw on this newer model was pretty clever, to me. RV companies are more and more reticent toward putting back bumpers on trailers because many people think that’s a great place to mount things that fall off and initiate legal battles. 

This trailer no longer has a back bumper, but they have put a portal into the back of the trailer with a tube for the sewer hose. Pretty clever. Also, quit putting stuff on your bumpers already. 

Overall, this is a pretty straightforward trailer that has solid usability in a small, affordable package. 

One of the things I didn’t like when Bullet switched to the lighter gray interior design is that it was more difficult for the factory to hide joiners like staples in the cabinetry. My eyes often first noticed where a cabinet was stapled. Even if the material was essentially the same as a wood grain, it was easier to hide joints with a fake wood grain. 

I’m still not a fan of this solid gray interior color but, obviously, some people are. 

In other words, for an affordable and relatively light trailer, Keystone really hit the target with this Bullet. 

Interestingly, there are various references to the model type depending on where you look. On Josh’s video this is referred to as a Bullet Crossfire 1900RD. On Keystone’s website they are under the Keystone Bullet Classic banner but the images show Crossfire. I suspect this model is a transitional model and may change names ultimately—or may just go away, as some others with this floor plan have of late.

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 lifelong 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 his wife, Peggy. 

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