I have to say that for a small, inexpensive travel trailer, the Keystone Hideout 178RB has a lot going for it that would make it a great starter RV. It’s single-axle, small, and nimble. There are no slides to break down. It has a lot of great features and a practical floor plan. In the video below we join Tom Peterson of the The RV Corral in Eugene, Oregon, for a tour.
Starting on the outside, I was impressed with the large amount of pass-through storage for a trailer this small.
Inside is an open floor plan that may or may not appeal, see notes below.
The kitchen features a 2-burner stove, fridge, and microwave oven.
The rear bathroom is surprisingly large and features a large shower and two vents.
The north/south bed can be walked around on three sides, making it easy to make up the bed when not in use.
More nice features of the 2024 Keystone Hideout 178RB travel trailer
- Girard tankless water heater
- SolarFlex 220 package
- Power awning
- Easy access to underbed storage
- 3-year transferrable structural warranty
What’s not to like?
This is a fairly barebones trailer, so you may want to do some upgrading right off the bat. A lot of things are not big fixes to add on if you like this trailer.
The kitchen sink is too small, in my opinion, and would present a challenge when washing pots and pans. It also needs a cover to increase counter space, of which there is hardly any.
There appear to be only two stabilizer jacks, in the back. Four would have been preferable.
While there is space for batteries, they are not included with the trailer, at least not in the video. If it were me, I would definitely go lithium.
A larger propane tank would be nice, although there is space to upgrade to one after purchase.
While I do think the floor plan is quite practical, I don’t like that the entire bedroom area dominates the view upon entering the trailer. At a minimum, there needs to be a curtain here, in my opinion. Or you could decorate in such a way—for instance, lots of cushions and pillows—that the bed becomes seating during the day.
2024 Keystone Hideout 178RB travel trailer specs
- Length: 20’11”
- Sleeps: 4
- Dry weight: 2,950 pounds
- CCC: 1,450 pounds
- Fresh water: 21 gallons
- Gray water: 30 gallons
- Black water: 30 gallons
- MSRP: $17,025
Learn more about the 2024 Keystone Hideout 178RB travel trailer here.
##RVDT2312
I’m curious as to why the first part of the review states that this is a single axle trailer but the picture clearly shows it is a double axle?????
Poetic license! It don’t have to be accurate, you’re not supposed to notice things like that, just blindly accept what is written as the truth and hope no one notices that you didn’t research before typing!
LOL!!!
Yes, isn’t Bob just HILARIOUS! SMH.
A simple mistake of the wrong photo Bob (now corrected), but you are the charmer, as ALWAYS. The delight you take at consistently insulting people continually astounds me. Judging by the way you act, and not just to me but to ALL our writers, I think people must have treated you very meanly when you made mistakes. I am so sorry about that. How sad. And how sad you have not managed to move past it either.
The trailer is a single axle, sorry I must have grabbed a photo of the double axle version of the trailer for the article image, will change that. I appreciate your pointing it out.
I’m so sorry I didn’t catch that when I was proofing this, Cheri, particularly so you wouldn’t have to deal with someone’s ongoing snarkiness. I was too focused on spelling, punctuation, etc., and neglected to pay attention to the image.😔 I hope your day goes better and that you-know-who minds his P’s and Q’s.😉🤣 –Diane
Not your fault Diane, it was mine. There are several versions of this trailer, it was my mistake I did not realize I grabbed the photo of the larger one. But judging by SOME people’s reactions though (one person’s, the usual one), you might have thought I kidnapped the Lindbergh baby.
🤣👶 Have a good evening/night, Cheri. 😀 –Diane
We have a trailer much like this (2020 Coachmen Clipper Cadet 17cfq – floor plan flipped so galley on campside) and love it. Only issue is the cabinets next to the bed. Bought 3/4 inch tubular pipe insulation and installed on bottom edge. No more scrapes and bruises on our arms from hitting it. Sink size is not an issue since with just the 2 of us we don’t need to cook a big batch of anything. Like this trailer ours just had 2 jacks. Added 2 in the front and a power tongue jack for under $200.
Should have mentioned that ours has the 3.2 cu ft fridge like in the floor plan, not the 6 cu ft the video. Gives us twice the counter top space as this unit.
If you screen the bed with a curtain, make sure that you can move it away from the stove whenever you cook! Otherwise, your trailer may show up on a “RV disasters” article!
What I don’t like about this trailer is that it only has two windows. It’s like camping in a box.
Hi Cheri-
We own the Gulf Stream 189DD. At 1st blush, the Keystone 178RB is a near same floorplan on an identical Lippert frame, same 3yr structural warranty, but the Gulf Stream is superior. More counter space, full size RV freezer/frig. The doors on the freezer frig are hinged on the left so you don’t have to step away from the kitchen and around the door. The bathroom door is likewise opposite hinged so you don’t trap someone in the dinette. More counter space in the bathroom.
A huge point for us is (other than a short section, which I insulated) the entire water supply system is inside the heated cabin envelope. We have been down to the mid-teens at night and had no freeze issues.
Thank you, Cheri! This looks fantastic! I am filtering reviews and forwarding them to a friend looking to get an RV to use on fishing and hunting trips. His budget is modest and his truck a 250 (2500?), so the trailer needs to be smallish for that reason, too. Thanks again! Safe travels!
We towed our 8600# fifth wheel with a Ram 2500 and it was well within the rear axle load, GVWR, and GCWR specs. The truck had a max tow capacity of 16,000#, but only a 2300# payload. So, your friend’s 250/2500 should be able to tow more than a 20′, single-axle TT (IF he wants something larger!).
Thank you, Steve! It is good to know that he will not need a bigger truck. 🙂 He was only considering truck campers, but expanded his considerations to small travel trailers, based on price. The ideal, as I understand it, is to have a comfortable place to sleep and cook, but also small enough to fit wherever he chooses to hunt or fish (mainly fish). A trailer is a bit better, allowing more room for his son to join him when they go fishing, relative to a truck camper.
I purchased a new 2022 Keystone Cougar in January 2023. My TT is a piece of junk. Nothing but problems resulting in cancelled camping trips. In August 2023 I was told I need a new roof. Keystone is arguing about replacing the roof under warranty. NEVER buy a Keyston