RV review: Keystone Bullet two-fer—271KBS with porch and 265FKS without

Today’s RV review is of two trailers that are the same, with one big exception. They are the Keystone Bullet 271KBS and the Keystone Bullet 265FKS. The big difference between these is a back wall in the 271 that can drop down and be a porch. Let’s talk about it. 

The back wall porch

When I was in Indiana at the RV Open House, I saw this porch contraption and thought it was a great idea. Actually, the first place I saw it was on a Keystone Bullet, but that model had a rear kitchen, which made a lot of sense. 

Obviously, you be the judge on the placement in this model, and, of course, I am looking forward to your input. 

Essentially, when the porch is closed, you get a big window the width of the porch. There are integrated shades that also have reflective backs to keep the sun’s rays at bay. 

Flip two handles and drop the porch and now you have, well, a porch. The window becomes the back wall and there are wire sides on the porch. You can still block off the entire opening with those blackout shades and there are also screens that can cover the open space. I like the idea, as I think people have been buying toy haulers to accomplish a porch for years without really wanting a toy hauler. Now you don’t have to. 

This is the same porch mechanism they put on the side of the Forest River Sabre 37RVMILES that we looked at a while ago, except this one’s on the back of the RV. They put the one on the Sabre on the side. 

And that’s something to think about. As mentioned, I saw this porch gizmo on a Bullet at Open House and that model had a rear kitchen. This one has a front kitchen so that porch is right off the bedroom. That may or may not work for everybody. 

And that’s why we’re also looking at the Keystone Bullet 265FKS—it’s essentially the same floor plan but without the porch. 

I’ve seen people use toy hauler porches for hanging out, but having the porch right off the bedroom… that’s sort of upside-down pineapple territory. And, if you know, you know. 

Of course, there’s something to be said about crawling out of bed and stepping out onto the back porch and surveying the beautiful place you’ve chosen for the night, but if you sleep in the same outfit that you were born in, a robe would be a good stop on your way out to do your surveying. 

Keystone Bullet 271KBS - 2025

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Start at the road with Keystone Bullet

Keystone has really upgraded the Bullet line. The tires are now Goodyear Endurance and ride on a torsion axle suspension—the same suspension used in things like Rockwood, Flagstaff, and Airstream. 

The one thing missing is a tire pressure monitoring system, but this is outfitted for an aftermarket unit. I can’t imagine towing without one. 

You will find two dump connections and they’re essentially right under the main slide, which is a bit of a bummer. This is also how my own trailer is configured. What I’ve done is put a Valterra sewer cap with a garden hose attachment on the front connection, which is just the kitchen gray tank. I just run a garden hose from that so I can dump the kitchen gray when I need to. 

It actually makes this much less inconvenient and, what I’ve found is that with the two gray tanks, I can go longer between dumps since the kitchen has its own tank.

The slides in this RV are cable slides. There are two types of cable slides; these are not the ones you can occupy when they’re closed. 

The grand tour

Whether you get the fancy porch model or not, there is a bedroom slide in this and that facilitates a larger 70” X 80” bed. As mentioned, there is that back porch, should you choose that model. There is also a standard entry door into the bedroom, as well. So you can access the bedroom even with the slide closed. 

The bathroom in here splits the RV in half, which means a larger shower and more space. But I know how some of you feel about this type of arrangement. 

The kitchen occupies the front of the rig, which means pretty decent counter space and plenty of drawers. The three-burner propane cooktop features a 17” oven—bummer. But there is a convection air fryer microwave, so that makes up for the small, worthless propane oven. 

As for the kitchen, there is also a second one outside that features a flat-top griddle and a small fridge. So, really, you can do pretty well here by combining inside and outside kitchens. 

There are choices for the seating in this: you can have a traditional booth, dinette or a table and free-standing chairs. There are also theater seats or a hide-a-bed sofa. 

Boondocking and travel access

As mentioned, the front and rear slides conspire to completely block access to the bathroom. This is the same floor plan as my own new trailer (a Rockwood Mini Lite 2506FK), but there is no second slide, so I can get to the bathroom mid-trip through the back door. Though I don’t have a bed this large either, so there’s that.

Keystone was really ahead of the game in solar with their SolarFlex packages. This trailer comes with 220 watts of solar on the roof and is prewired for an inverter. You can also opt for a second panel and inverter with the SolarFlex 440i package, which also has an inverter and smart shunt. It’s a pretty nice setup if you want to grow the system, too, with provisions for that growth.

And Keystone also partnered with battery maker Battle Born/Dragonfly, so you can opt in high-quality lithium batteries. In my not-so-humble opinion, any RV that has a 12-volt fridge should just be outfitted with a lithium battery already. These antiquated lead acid units just don’t serve RVers as well as the lithium units do. Yeah, they’re more expensive, but better stuff always is. Like that torsion axle suspension.

My thoughts about the Keystone Bullet

I like that Keystone kept the model without the porch and offers the one with. Keystone has also done a number of things through their Innovation Lab, including the intentional coloring of the wiring. That means there is less likelihood of a wiring issue and, if there is a wiring issue, it’s easier to diagnose. 

Interestingly, when you look at the specs for these models, the model with the porch has greater cargo carrying capacity and a higher GVW. That higher GVW makes sense to me— the porch isn’t that light, and it also adds to the price of the rig, naturally. 

Overall, I like this floor plan. As mentioned, my own new RV is this same floor plan, except without the bedroom slide. Oh, and the back porch. And, quite honestly, if I were to buy this, I’m not sure I would want the back porch. If this were the rear kitchen model, I would probably feel differently, but it’s not. 

But, overall, Bullet has come a long way since the models I was selling just a few years ago. I think the value and features really do make this a compelling brand. Plus, if you need time to make a decision, you could drop down the porch and go out there and sit on it. The decision, that is. 

My thanks to Josh from Bish’s RV for the photos and video.

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. 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. 

MORE KEYSTONE REVIEWS:

• Keystone Hideout 24LOF destination trailer
• 2025 Keystone Bullet Crossfire 270RKS with a magic desk
• 2025 Keystone Arcadia 292SLRL—the same but different
• Keystone Outback 328RL—striking gold
• 2025 Keystone Bullet Crossfire 260RBS—nicely updated

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