Today’s review is of the Keystone Arcadia 3940LT, a large bunkhouse fifth wheel that might be considered competition for Tuesday’s Wildcat 369MBL. While the Wildcat is a mid-bunk, this model has the bunk room at the back. While I haven’t seen any details, I did see an Instagram reel of a sneak peek of a mid-bunk Arcadia if that’s more of interest to you.
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Keystone Arcadia
Just over a year ago Keystone introduced a whole new line of fifth wheels and travel trailers under the Arcadia brand. These mainstream rigs offer a lot of new features along with some of the cornerstone features that are part of what sets Keystone apart.
As with all brands, there are a variety of floor plans. We’ve looked at the Arcadia travel trailer in the past and also looked at what Keystone revealed in their initial launch of this rig.
I was so intrigued by the Arcadia line that I scheduled a tour last year of the plant, and was pretty happy with what I saw.
Highlights of the Keystone Arcadia 3940LT
There’s a lot that sets this floor plan apart, as well as the Arcadia line in general. I always suggest one looks at the structure before the finish just because that’s what’s going to be a factor in holding up over time.
Structurally there is a new chassis called NGC2 (Next-Generation Crawlspace Chassis). The Arcadia frame drops the cross members 3” below the two 10” I-beams that run the length of the frame. The result? A cavity that runs the length and width of the coach—like the crawl space foundation of a home. On the road-side, the Arcadia cross members are convex (like the bottom of a boat) to both make room for tanks and add tension to keep the protective corrugated panels smooth and sound.
Space Saver upper deck and front cap
Arcadia uses a Space Saver upper deck design which replaces a series of 2” x 6” beams with one 6” x 6” header beam, allowing for a flush-floor walk-in closet. But they didn’t stop there… By reducing the pitch of the front cap and raising the height of the cap’s “nose” (the most forward point), Arcadia owners are treated to a spacious en suite walk-in with shelving, a full-length hanging rod, and hookups for either side-by-side or stackable washer and dryer.
Now the interior
This model features a full second bedroom in the rear of the unit with a queen-sized bed and a huge loft. There’s also a cabinet on the camp side for hanging clothes and such, plus some drawers as well.
Another plus is the second bath with its own exterior entry door, or access from the rear bedroom. This makes a lot of sense if you have littles or even another couple that you camp with. I like when there’s a separate outdoor entrance to the bathroom.
Another thing I am loving about the Arcadia family are the Roman blinds. While roller blinds work just fine, these just seem to have a nicer, higher quality feel to them. In fact these might be my favorite blinds in an RV. The reasons for this include the fact that they are both really easy to move up and down, but also they have thermal properties so they help keep inside temperatures in and outside temperatures out.
There’s a good amount of storage behind the TV and drawers all over the kitchen.
Other nice things about this interior are the flush floor slides and complete lack of carpet. Hooray!
Lastly, someone was really thinking when they incorporated a flip-up work station on the side of the island. With the free-standing chairs at the dining table you can easily make a spot for two individuals to get work done or work together on things. It’s a great idea that’s simple but highly effective.
Keystone features
In addition to just the features of this brand from Keystone, there are also things that the company is doing that have set it apart, and that I have highlighted in the past.
One of these is their Blade Pure™ air conditioning system. This system uses a residential-style air conditioning filter to actually filter the air, a feature almost no other RV has and certainly not one in this price category. Further, Keystone has a patented air handling system that the company claims delivers up to 20% more air. Cool.
As someone who handled warranties, I also like that Keystone has a unified wiring system so a red wire in one unit does the same as it would in all the units. This might seem obvious, but it’s not common in the RV industry. Doing the unified wiring makes diagnosing an issue much easier, but paying attention to it in the first place makes it less likely to be a problem.
All Keystone products come with at least 200 watts of solar and this one is available with up to 600 watts of solar. With that much solar you also get a 3,000 watt pure sine wave inverter. Further, Keystone is working with its dealer network to make lithium batteries available to customers through a partnership with Dragonfly. You might also know their retail brand, Battle Born.
Boondocking and travel access in the Keystone Arcadia 3940LT
I don’t know how usable anything in the main living space would be with the slides in. It appears that the island would block access to the refrigerator, but I don’t know this for sure. Of course the upper bedroom, back bedroom and both bathrooms are fully accessible.
In summary
There’s a lot to like about this floor plan and this brand of Keystones. I am not a fan of in-floor furnace ducts, but I also know that they’re a factor of the fully heated and enclosed underbelly. That doesn’t mean I have to like them, though.
Also, let’s talk about marketing a bit. There is so much misunderstanding about towing and trailering already, and I just don’t like that Keystone calls these their “Half Ton” series.
You can tell people to do their research and know before they tow and provide as much information as possible. But there are bound to be dealers out there who tell buyers that it’s perfectly fine to tow this with their half-ton trucks. I can hear the conversation now: “Look, it says so right on the fifth wheel.”
Sure, you might have the unicorn half-ton truck that can safely haul this, but you’re going to have an exceptional vehicle. I would love to see the RV industry as well as pickup sellers actually provide real information to consumers instead of the confusing malarkey that is being spread now.
Otherwise, though, I really like this unit and a lot of the keystone features in this brand from Keystone RV.
One thing, there aren’t many photos of this unit.
More from Tony
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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.
You can also check out his RV podcast with his wife, Peggy.
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.
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##RVDT1939
I agree completely! This is a disaster waiting to happen for anyone who believes a sales pitch and tries to tow this with a half-ton.
How can a manufacturer even think of advertising any 40′ fifth wheel as “half-ton towable”? Just that length alone is more than a 5,000# half-ton can safely handle at 65 mph on an Interstate when being passed by a 53′ semi going 75 mph!
And that’s not even considering the trailer weight. 15% of 13,820# is more than a ton of pin weight and it could be as much as 20%, depending on the weight distribution of the cargo. Then add the weight of the six people who fill all those beds riding in that crew-cab, plus the weight of whatever they must have in the cab to entertain themselves, to that pin weight. I have never seen a half-ton that could handle that payload or GCWR.
interior pictures seem to be of a 3660rl. We have one and love it!