Keystone Raptor Toy Hauler Review

Keystone Raptor Toy Hauler Review of Our New RV! Tour the inside of our 2020 Keystone Raptor BEFORE we make changes and do a little remodel and decorating. An honest RV review about what we LOVE and what we DON'T. We'll tell you what projects we're going to tackle - from painting, decorating, installing a washer/dryer, organizing, and more!

Jump to:

• Our Honest Review
• Our Must Have Criteria For Selecting An RV
• Why Did We Choose The Keystone Raptor Toy Hauler 351?
• Tour The Inside
• Related Content
• We'd Love To Hear From You!
• 💬 Comments

Our Honest Review

Okay, let's review our new Keystone Raptor toy hauler! Come see the inside of our RV and get our thoughts on what we love and what we wish we could change!

We Have No Affiliation With Keystone

I just thought it was worth mentioning that we have no affiliation with Keystone, and are not being compensated by them for writing this post. All opinions are our own and we are willing to share our opinions freely with you! 

Our Must Have Criteria For Selecting An RV

Everyone's criteria for choosing an RV is different, and just like a regular home, your needs will change over time. This is true for us as we are on our 4th RV! A couple of things changed since we had our 2016 Newmar Ventana (diesel pusher).

We have the ability to work remotely now so we plan on traveling in the RV for extended periods of time. In the end, the Newmar did not have enough "office" space for both of us to work comfortably.

Our most recent change was adding 2 motorcycles and a dog to the mix - so we were looking for RV space that can handle those things.

Our Criteria For Selecting An RV:

• Storage for our must-have items. After our 4th RV, we know what items we use and which we don't. One of the first things I do when evaluating an RV is to visualize where our stuff is going to go. If I can't store some of the items we use on a frequent basis, it gets ruled out. 
• Workspace for both my husband and me. I need kitchen and office space (as I'm a food blogger) and my husband works for an IT company and is literally on the phone in meetings THE WHOLE DAY. He needs his own space. I NEED him to have his own space! 🙂
• Comfortable sleeping space for adult children and guests on occasion.
• Garage space for my husband's motorcycle
• Space for 2 dogs. 
• King size bed (As you know, an RV king is not a real king, and an RV queen is smaller than a real queen. If you get where I'm going with this, I value my sleep and space and I'm not willing to compromise on this, even if it means sacrificing some floor space.)
• Our truck can safely and easily handle the RV. Important for safety!
• The RV can accommodate the weight of our items including 2 motorcycles (if we add one later). Also important for safety!
• Good air conditioning. We live in the South so the air conditioning is extremely important!
• Good appliances - convection microwave, roomy enough refrigerator, and an oven that actually works. Since I am a food blogger I develop recipes and cook A LOT. It is very important to have a functioning kitchen. Trust me, this ruled out a lot of RV's!

Why Did We Choose The Keystone Raptor Toy Hauler 351?

It Fits Our Current Needs

We chose the Keystone Raptor Toy Hauler 351 because it fits most of our current needs we mentioned above, it was within the budget, and we were comfortable with the quality of the unit we saw.  

It Is 40' and Under

If you aren't familiar, typical fifth wheel toy haulers are pretty big and many are over 40'. We wanted to stay under 40' so this narrowed our selection A LOT. 

Garage

We considered a toy hauler for the flexible space that the garage would give us. It can haul the motorcycle when in transit, then it can be moved outside and we can then use the table and garage area for an office (with a closing door for when my husband is on the phone).

The garage also has a queen bed system that can be raised and lowered as needed. If we don't have guests it will be in the up position. 

It's New - No Major Remodel Needed

While we considered buying a used RV and taking on a remodel, at this moment in time we are just too busy to handle a major project. I'm not opposed to some smaller projects though! 🙂 The Keystone Raptors are typically more modern looking than a lot of RV's so that eliminated any major projects.

While there are few complaints about some items in the RV, they are mainly fixable and in most cases, we've come up with a good solution to fix or remedy. 

Tour The Inside

Okay so here is the RV right after we brought it home - with no personal items or anything in it yet. 

If you want to see the manufacturer specs and floorplan here's a link to Keystone's Raptor 351 information.

Check Out The Kitchen

Things We Love

Efficient Kitchen Space

As you walk in the door the kitchen is to your left. It's not the hugest kitchen, but it's really quite efficient and it has a lot of counter space which I really need for cooking and photographing recipes! Anyone who is a cook will appreciate the counter space!

Great Lighting

The lighting is really good in the kitchen between the overhead lighting, the pendant lights, a light over the microwave, and a light over the sink - it's got great coverage. 

The Refrigerator

While the refrigerator isn't the super large residential refrigerator that we just gave up from our last RV this one can run on propane and electricity, it has the perfect amount of space.

I also love that the doors automatically lock! I can't tell you how many times one of the kids or us forgot to lock the fridge and as soon as we went around the corner - all our stuff would come flying out. 

The Sink

The sink is large and while it does not have a divider, I do have a collapsible bin so it's not a big deal at all.

Two Ovens!

The rig uses propane which I love cooking with, and I use it at home. This rig not only has an oven but a convection microwave -this means 2 oven options! Love that.  

Wish We Could Change/Fix

There actually isn't a whole lot in the kitchen to complain about, but there are a couple of things kind of annoying and could cause injuries! Please keep in mind these items might be fixable we just aren't sure yet. If they get fixed I will update you!

Dangerous Microwave Convection Oven Shelf!

The brand of the microwave is a Furrion and I'm not familiar with that brand other than they offer several appliances, TVs, air conditioners, etc. for RV's. 

What Happened:

I was baking cookies on the convection setting with a metal cooking sheet sitting on the convection shelf. I opened the door and the pan literally slid right out! Luckily I had potholders ready and caught the pan! I checked the cookies and they weren't done so I put them back in to continue baking.

The second time I went back to the oven I, of course, forgot about the pan incident, and when I went to open the door - lo and behold here comes the hot pan and cookies right at me!! I wasn't about to catch them with my bare hands and they slid right out and fell onto the floor. I wasn't ready with the potholders this time! Geez. 

What We're Doing About It:

The first thing we checked was whether the RV was still level - and it was. This means the microwave itself is installed crooked OR the metal shelf inside is installed crooked. Stay tuned...we didn't have a level with us that would fit inside to make a final determination. I will let you know what we figure out! 

UPDATE 1/1/21 crooked microwave fixed! The microwave was installed crooked by the manufacturer. After 4 hours of work by my husband he was able to pull the microwave out and reinstall properly.

Microwave Venting

I thought it was great that the microwave vents to the outside. When using the stove I can turn on the microwave vent it will take all the steam and odors outside - instead of back into the coach where you then have to turn on a secondary ceiling exhaust fan.

However, when we use the vent, there is actually a huge amount of air blowing back into the RV from the left side of the microwave. We are thinking that the microwave was not vented properly to the outside. Stay tuned for this issue too...we need to look into the problem. 

UPDATE 7/20/20 problem solved! The vent to the outside was locked closed. My husband was able to unlock it from the outside. Yay!

Fan Control

There is a fan in the kitchen but the control is located within the In-Command System. The only way to turn it on and off is to go to the command center controls, type in your 4-digit security code, scroll through to HVAC, and then turn it on/off there, OR you can control with your phone. 

Kitchen Projects

There will be more projects I'm sure, but here are two I would really love to work on soon!

Paint The Upper Cabinets

• To lighten up the spoace and break up all the wood, I want to paint the upper cabinets a white color with a hint of gray in it. I'm only going to do the upper cabinets to see how much it brightens things up first. The pictures don't show it well but the cabinets are a gray-washed barn wood look. I don't mind them at all but the RV is still a little too dark overall.  I already have all the supplies so I'm anxious to get started! 🙂

Replace The Backsplash

• Remove the current backsplash and replace it with something different. Got any ideas?? I need help with this. I am waiting to decide after the upper cabinets are painted. The current backsplash is a solid sheet of paneling and not a true tile. It has been glued on the wall - and not well I might add. No matter what it's coming down. I think it looks cheap. 

The RV Living Room

Things We Love

Comfortable Sofa

The sofa is quite comfortable

Dedicated Pantry

The pantry is actually next to the sofa and I thought at first it might be strange due to it's location away from the kitchen, but it has worked out fine so far. I'm just thankful there is a pantry and it's not like it's that far to walk. 🙂 

Wish We Could Change/Fix

Awkward Overhead Cabinets Above TV

No major projects in the main living space other than above the fireplace/tv are some storage cabinets that will desperately need some shelving. There is a strange bump-out on the bottom of those cabinets preventing me from storing anything useful right now. 

UPDATE 1/1/21/20 solution! We were able to create a shelf in the tv cabinet by adding legs in the corners and center of the cabinet. Due to the cabinet configuration we could not use screws or nails. Essentially we made a "table" shelf with legs that worked with the bump out (we had 3 short legs and 3 long ones).

Sensitive Buttons!

The buttons on the sofa that work the massage and heat or very sensitive and turn on with the slightest touch. Considering you use an armrest to sit down (more than I realized) we are constantly turning these buttons on and then off.

UPDATE 1/1/21 problem solved! We found special cupholders that also have a pocket for holding a cell phone. This pocket covers the switches so you can't accidentally bump them. This was the perfect solution as it made the actual cupholder much more convenient to use!

No Place For Setting Anything On

Most of the sofas we saw in other RV's had small tables that inserted into the armrest of the sofa which would give you a place to set a popcorn bowl, a magazine, remote, your phone, etc. This couch doesn't have that so I either need to purchase a C-table, toss the items on the sofa next to us (which doesn't work when the dogs keep trying to join us), or find another solution. Do you have any ideas? 

Main Living Space Projects

Organize The Pantry

• The pantry will need to be organized so that items won't shift or fall forward during transit. The pantry itself is quite narrow and each shelf is somewhat tall so I am going to have to go for some storage containers that are tall and narrow or than can stack. If you've got any ideas let me know!! 🙂

Add A Shelf To The Cabinets Above The TV

• The cabinets are really tall, but there is no shelf. To get around the awkward bump-out in the cabinets and create more storage space above we will be adding a shelf for sure. 

The Bedroom Space

After I wrote this I realize that the list of items that we wish we could change or fix is quite long and things we love is small. Please keep in mind that several of our complaints are typical amongst most RV'ers and something we encountered with almost all of our previous RV's. In other words, these issues aren't specific to Keystone. Some are personal preference, some are design issues. 

Wouldn't it be nice if one of these manufacturers could think outside the box and solve some of these common complaints that people have - and not charge us an arm and a leg for it?

Things We Love

Size Of The Bed

It is a "king" size bed which is nice for sleeping and keeping your own space. A king-sized bed will always reduce your nightstand space so you will have to decide if a bigger mattress is more or less important than a nightstand. With that said, I sleep on the left and the nightstand on my side is quite generous!

Lighting

The lighting in the bedroom is great. There are very bright overhead LED lights in the ceiling and 2 reading lights above the bed near the headboard. My side of the bed has a nightstand that is quite generous so I plan on using a lamp to soften the lighting a bit at night. The reading lights are a little too bright for me, but I know they would work great for other people. 

Cute Barn Door 

Love the cute barn door to the bathroom. A much better look than a standard sliding door. 

Wish We Could Change/Fix

The bedroom is an area where we wish we could make some changes. However, this is an RV and no matter what RV we've owned they're pretty much the same. It's a give and take on space. We would rather have a larger living space than a larger bedroom.  We went with a smaller RV to make it easier to haul, the sacrifice is a smaller bedroom and less closet space. I'm not going to complain about that. 

Dark Bedroom

The bedroom is very dark even with the lighter tones wood. I know this is pretty typical in RV bedrooms (all of our former RV bedrooms have been like this), and I am looking at ways to help fix this - like lighter painted cabinets, a lighter color bedding, etc. 

TERRIBLE Mattress

This is by far the WORST mattress of any of the RV's we've owned so far. It is hard as a rock. After the first weekend, the mattress showed body imprints and caving where we slept.

Clearly Keystone put zero money into this mattress. I really find this odd and almost disappointing as we spent more on this RV than any other trailer we owned. I'm sure it is about price point, however, the Raptor is also at the top of the price point for their toy haulers too. 

UPDATE 1/1/21 problem solved! We replaced the mattress with a custom one. More details on which brand we used will be coming soon!

Why Can't The RV Industry Improve Mattress Quality?

We were spoiled in the Newmar with our Comfort Air dual-sided mattress, but in all other RV's we've had to replace the mattress. If it's so common for people to replace their RV mattress then why can't the RV industry just provide a normal decent mattress to sleep on in the first place? Why do we have to go out and spend MORE money on a different mattress just to get a good night's sleep? 

Wish There Was A Lower Cabinet On Right Side

There is enough room for a small lower cabinet on the right, although it doesn't look like it in the picture. In our prior RV, we had a small cabinet with a door in a similar-sized area. It was narrow only 6 to 7" but it worked great for storing books, small items, etc. There is plenty of room for this and we wish they would have added one. 

Over The Bed Cabinets

The shelf that was installed under the overhead cabinets is too low and I can't sit up comfortably in bed without hitting my head. The mattress we currently have is probably only 7 to 8" thick so when we add a new mattress in a "normal thickness" there will be even LESS headspace. 

The solution to this problem will be to either take the shelf out, or prop ourselves up with a bunch of pillows so that we're in front of the shelf. I say the shelf needs to come out. 

Carpet In The Bedroom

I don't like carpets in RV's. They get dirty and stinky very easily. It's just easier to lay machine washable throw rugs down that can be washed when needed. With many manufacturers going away from carpet, they should have just followed suit and kept the same hard flooring throughout. This of course is not a deal-breaker, nor crucial by any means, but an annoyance nonetheless. 

No Window For Cross Ventilation

I am sure there may be a reason for this, but there is no other window in the bedroom except for the emergency escape window. It makes for a very dark bedroom and it is impossible to have any cross ventilation.

We were considering another Keystone model (the Fuzion 369), it had almost the same bedroom floorplan as ours but they had a window to the left of the bed. That bedroom is of similar size so I'm not sure why there isn't one in the Raptor 351?

Noisy A/C

I debated whether to include this or not because the type of ceiling A/C we have is the same as all the others we had in prior RV's (except for the Newmar which was pretty much silent). I just wish that RV manufacturers could figure out a way to quiet the A/C's in the bedroom. 

My husband has been looking at an A/C muffling cover. They are $200 so I think that's pretty expensive and I'm not sure how effective they will be. 

Bedroom Projects

Paint The Cabinets

• To lighten up the space and break up all the wood, I want to paint the upper cabinets a white color with a hint of gray in it. I'm only going to do the upper cabinets to see how much it brightens things up first. The pictures don't show it well but the cabinets are a gray-washed barn wood look. I do think the cabinets are quite pretty but the bedroom is too dark overall.  I already have all the paint supplies so I'm anxious to get started! 🙂

Potentially Remove The Overhead Shelf

• The shelf under the headboard cabinets sits too low and we can't sit up in bed without hitting our heads. Since we are getting a new mattress that is 4" thicker we really won't have any headroom. The shelf either needs to be removed, or I need to figure out a way to prop up enough pillows to keep me from hitting my head. 

Replace The Paneled Headboard

• The headboard wall is a paneling shiplap look, but unfortunately, instead of having actual grooves or texture, it is completely smooth. Up close it really looks like cheap paneling. I'm looking at either changing it to a shiplap paneling with ridges, going with paint, or using a peel and stick wallpaper. 

Add A Noise Dampener To The A/C Unit

• The A/C in the bedroom is tolerable but still a bit noisy. We are researching and looking for a good option to dampen the noise.

Replace The Mattress

• We are most definitely replacing the mattress. Unfortunately, the mattress is not a standard RV size at all. It is halfway between a Queen and a King Size and 2" longer than a short king - in other words, we're either going to need a custom mattress OR we need to adapt the platform to fit a standard-sized RV mattress. 

The Bathroom Tour

Again with the smaller fifth wheel toy-hauler, we had to make some sacrifices in this space too. Overall we are happy with the bathroom though!

Things We Love

Very Light

It is a "king" size bed which is nice for sleeping and keeping your own space. A king-sized bed will always reduce your nightstand space so you will have to decide if a bigger mattress is more or less important than a nightstand. With that said, I sleep on the left and the nightstand on my side is quite generous!

Lighting

The lighting in the bedroom is great. All the lights in the coach are LED. The overhead lights in the ceiling are very bright, and there are 2 reading lights above the bed near the headboard. 

Cabinets And Hardware

With the natural lighting, you can see how pretty the cabinets are. Kind of a gray-washed barn wood look. I like the black shower surround, faucets, and hardware. The bathroom counter and sink are pretty too. The sink is like a pearly black metal - kind of hard to explain.

Wish We Could Change/Fix

The Exhause Fan Is A Two-Step Process

The bathroom fan is quite disappointing. Not only is it not very powerful, but it's a 2-step process to turn on! There is literally a switch on the wall to turn the fan on, but then you have to manually crank the fan open - on the ceiling. Seriously. For a brand new RV this is a bit archaic. It's also annoying that at this price point you can't get a "normal" fan with a switch on the wall.

Just to give a perspective, our first RV was a somewhat inexpensive bumper pull trailer that had an adjustable bathroom fan that could be worked from the wall. Thought they all came like this. We never thought to check this because we didn't know it existed. You learn something new every time. 

Bathroom Projects

Find Someplace To Store Towels

• If the triangle towel idea that I mentioned above doesn't work, we will need to build a shelf under the right-hand side of the sink to store towels. 

Install A Toilet Paper Holder and Towel Rack

• There is no toilet paper holder or towel racks installed in the bathroom. At first I thought this was weird but I would rather choose the location of these items since wall space is so limited. I love an organization challenge so I'm excited about this project!

Install Self-Adhesive Wallpaper?

• Not sure on this one. The bathroom just needs something - but I don't know what. Go any ideas? 

Stop The 2-step Bathroom Fan Process

• There has got to be a way to fix this - and hopefully, it won't be expensive. My husband is researching ideas so hopefully, we can come up with something. 

Our Favorite Space - The Garage

I know, that's probably weird. It's true though, the garage is the main reason we went with a toy-hauler. 

Things We Love

The Versatility of The Room

The garage is a great space that can be used for so many things. I love that the guest bed and the bench seating can all be lifted up via a power lift to get them out of the way. There is still plenty of headroom when they're in the up position too. 

Having the garage space with a door that closes will be perfect when my husband is on the phone or conducting a meeting. 

Space For Motorcycles

The lighting in the bedroom is great. There are very bright overhead LED lights in the ceiling and 2 reading lights above the bed near the headboard. My side of the bed has a nightstand that is quite generous so I plan on using a lamp to soften the lighting a bit at night. The reading lights are a little too bright for me, but I know they would work great for other people. 

Patio Off The Back

Love the cute barn door to the bathroom. A much better look than a standard sliding door. 

W/D Hookups For A Vented Dryer

I'm excited about this. We had a vented washer and dryer in our motorhome so we wanted to have one in this RV as well. Many RV's specify a ventless dryer which we have never had but many people complain it takes significantly longer to dry. This rig is set up so you can vent the dryer to the outside

It was a real debate whether we wanted a separate washer and dryer but we decided to go with a combined unit because it's just the 2 of us so it isn't like when the 5 of us were traveling together. We also didn't want to eat up space with a tall unit and add more weight to the RV. Hopefully, we made a good decision. 

Wish We Could Change/Fix

We have a few projects, but overall we are good with the space!

Garage Projects

Install A Vented Washer and Dryer

• We actually just bought the washer/dryer unit and we think we have all the parts that are needed. We're going with a single combined unit this time so we can have space overhead for a cabinet. 

Add A Storage Cabinet Above or Surrounding the W/D

• I would really love to find a storage unit/cabinet that fits over the washer and dryer for storing cleaners and laundry soaps, etc. This will keep them secure in place and they won't be sitting out all the time cluttering up the place

Create Space For Us To Work

• Besides hauling motorcycles and the need for a good guest sleeping room option, one of the main reasons we chose a toy hauler is for workspace when we travel for extended periods of time.

Find A Table That Will Work For A Desk and Dining

• The RV does come with a folding table but it's a bit wobbly and not quite large enough for both of us to use for working. As long as it isn't too heavy it would be nice to find a wood table or something more homey looking.

Window Treatments

• The garage really needs a window treatment that can provide privacy when the ramp is out and set up in "porch mode" - everybody can see in and it seems inconvenient to close it all up the ramp and railing at night. 

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Tour the inside of our brand new 2020 Keystone Raptor 351 Toy Hauler BEFORE we make changes and do a little RV remodel & RV decorating. An honest RV review about what we LOVE and what we DON'T. We'll tell you what projects we're going to tackle - from painting, decorating, installing a washer/dryer, organizing, and more! We're also creating a workspace in the garage. Here's what it looks like 1st day we brought it home! #rvdecoratingideas #rvremodel #rvliving #fifthwheel #keystonerv #rvstorage