Today’s RV review is of the new Keystone Passport SOLO Series 15FK, a whole new small, single-axle travel trailer that Keystone absolutely nailed. This model is so new, there’s almost no details about it yet on Keystone’s website.
But Open House happened last week, which is when the RV companies show off all the new models to dealers. The Passport SOLO Series 15FK was there among the Keystone products.
Highlights of the Keystone Passport SOLO Series 15FK
One of the realities of looking at so many RVs is that I see a lot of the same floor plans over and over. That’s not a bad thing at all. The differences from one brand to the next really can affect how your experience is.
This is a totally new floor plan in many ways with some truly innovative aspects to it, plus masterful use of space.
The first thing to get out of the way is the sleeping arrangement. It features a Murphy bed system in a slide room on the road side. We’ve seen this in some motorhomes recently, but I haven’t seen this in any travel trailer that I can recall.
By day you have a couch which has a slot beneath it for a table, along with two drawers beneath that space. The couch jackknifes down and there’s a trifold mattress behind it—there’s the bed. All of this is directly opposite where you’d put a TV, if you choose to have one. There isn’t one included.
I actually really like that because so many people replace their TV with one that suits them. Now, if we could also convince the RV companies not to include mattresses. Although this may be a logistical nightmare for dealers, so I doubt that will happen. Ever.
Not only is the space across from the bed a location to hang a TV, but that whole wall swings open to reveal storage behind it. Further, there’s a large closet/pantry built into the cabinetry farther back in the trailer.
Typically, small, single-axle trailers have two things you can count on: very little storage and almost no kitchen counter space. This is totally the opposite of that. There’s a lot of storage in here and a big kitchen counter.
Kitchen
The entire front of this offering is the kitchen, which features a wrap-around counter. There is a smaller sink and a two-burner linear stove—which works just fine in this trailer. There’s also a 10-cubic-foot 12-volt refrigerator. The flat windshield in this trailer makes sense. You’re up there at the kitchen so you’ll want to look out while you’re spiraling cucumbers for that oh-so-fancy water you’re famous for.
Or whatever.
Another highlight of this kitchen is that there are actually drawers and cabinets, which seem to be missing in other smaller trailers. This is really a great kitchen.
This does not feature an oven but I’m good with that. Give me a good one or none at all. I am camping, after all.
Besides, you can also go outside and cook. There you’ll find a flat-top grill and a small refrigerator. This is where I do all my bacon makin’ when I’m camping.
That grill is outside under the sink cabinet for what is the bathroom inside. That bathroom spans the width of the back of the trailer and is also quite spacious. I really like the nautilus shower doors. They are sort of on a roller that incorporates a squeegee to wipe off the water. Yeah, I understand the glass doors look nice at the dealership, but I prefer this flexible door as it’s just more roadworthy.
Oh, and you can enjoy a good shower here, as a tankless water heater is part of the story.
Keystone features
I’ve written a lot of times how I think that Keystone is using their larger size to the customers’ advantage with features that will really play out well in the long term. I was really surprised to find that this small trailer incorporates Keystone’s Blade™ air conditioner. It has a high-quality air filter built into it, but one you can replace at most hardware stores as it’s a standard size.
This also features Keystone’s HyperDeck™ flooring. It is a man-made flooring laminate that is impervious to water damage. Thus far I have heard no issues with this product from any friends at dealerships, and it’s been out for a few years now.
Boondocking and travel access in the Passport SOLO Series 15FK
But the best Keystone feature is the included 220-watt solar panel on this model. Further, you can upgrade that to 440 watts of solar if you’re planning to spend time off the grid at all. To that you can also add 200 amp-hours of lithium battery storage right from the factory or to be installed by your dealership.
There is prewiring for an inverter, if you’d like to have one. There is also accommodation for a tire pressure monitoring system, although I do wish that were standard.
I don’t know how well you can access the back bathroom with the slide room in. But it seems like you can, just based on the floor plan drawing.
Conclusions
Travel trailers that have that adventure-ready stance are something that’s super-hot nowadays. But they have been absent from Keystone’s portfolio for the most part. This is Keystone waking up, stretching and coming out swinging.
There are some things I saw that I didn’t like, including Keystone’s continual use of the worthless tiny vent fan. I wish whoever buys those for Keystone would go on a vacation to a land where they only serve Taco Bell and this is the only way to clear the day-after effects of that. They would then actually change their tune.
If they survived the affair.
Also, there is a separate sewer connection for the black and gray tanks from the bathroom and for the front kitchen. Further, that front kitchen connection is under the slide room. So you’ll absolutely want to hook that up before you extend the slide. Phooey. Give me one connection. Period.
While there are no specs nor pricing yet on this model, you can look at Keystone’s Passport 189 for comparison. It isn’t that different in size. That model comes in at about 4,825 pounds and has a 1,605 pound cargo carrying capacity—not bad at all. Pricing for the 189 is $40,461, which is, of course, competitive.
But the Keystone Passport SOLO Series 15FK is a terrific floor plan packaged well. I bet Keystone is going to have a major hit with this. I don’t have specifications for this yet nor pricing. But they’re not crazy—this is going to be there with the competition.
That competition doesn’t have a floor plan anywhere as nifty as this one. I really like what they’ve done here, which is take a small trailer and make it very useful and spacious feeling. Good job, Keystone!
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 with his wife, Peggy.
You can also check out his RV podcast with 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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##RVDT1961
Ingenious use of a small floor plan. One thing lacking is space for hanging clothes, would have to add a closet rod in the shower. Have done that to all our travel trailers. Only other knock I have (other than double dump) is that gas regulator being mounted up so high on the front cap, seems vulnerable, and might preclude adding a bike rack.
As nice as it looks, I don’t want to have to make up my bed every night. It gets old, really quickly. Good concept for some, but not for us. Nice kitchen and bath–very spacious, a rarity in a 15′ trailer.
I agree about making the bed every night but we bought an RV Superbag which we had in our first Rockwood camper and now are using in our newest one. Some say these are expensive but the fact that we’re still using it six years later and it’s still in perfect condition is a testament to how well made it is. Ya’ gets what ya’ pays for!
I like the floorplan, especially the 60×80″ real queen bed. But if access to the bathroom is limited when the slide is in, forget it. And the bed is inaccessible with the slide in as well, so no overnights in a Flying J RV parking space. Plus, it takes too many people too long to dump with just one dump valve, so anyone with two should be required to dump one, then go to the back of the line to dump the second one. Finally, solid steps right next to the stove should be banned by every Health Dept. in the nation!