The travel trailer market is bursting with interesting new models and the Springdale 266RL from Keystone is a good example of a comfortable, smart-sized RV. At just shorter than 29 feet long it’s easy to tow, small enough to fit in many campsites, but large enough for comfortable, uncrowded living.
The 266 is best suited for two occupants although it can sleep six when its muscles are fully flexed. Its floorplan includes a master bedroom up front, a dinette and sofa/bed in the single large streetside slideout and a pair of swivel chairs out back, plus the curbside galley. The sofa folds into a bed and the dinette also converts into a bed so more family members can be accommodated.
The extra-deep dual-bowl acrylic sink and high-rise residential-style faucet set in a granite-looking composite counter highlight the roomy kitchen.
An affordable price is a selling point for the 266. With a modest selection of options, the as-viewed MSRP totals $25,410, not bad for a nicely equipped, 28-foot trailer. The option list includes a “One Touch Plus” package, priced at $2,100, which includes an electric awning, power stabilizer jacks, a power A-frame jack, air mattress, aluminum wheels and an XL entry-assist handle. Keystone calls this a “standard build/mandatory option” package, but it’s not the only company that appears to have recently decided to mix up the words “mandatory” and “option.” Our way of thinking is if it is listed mandatory, it’s a standard feature. That sensible approach worked for many decades of RV sales and it would make sense to use it now rather than confuse customers with this kind of “mandatory option” pricing.
A large, single slideout carries a couch and dinette, offering generous living space.
Keystone builds this trailer using spruce wood-framed and aluminum-sheathed construction with fiberglass batt insulation. The floor uses 2-inch-by-3-inch joists on 12-inch centers with 5/8-inch decking, which explains the floor’s solid feel. Standard four-corner stabilizing jacks further enhance the trailer’s stability in camp. A fully enclosed underbelly, another of those required options ($275), helps improve multi-season trailer use.
Optional protective diamond plate sheathing ($70) covers the lower part of the front cap and nicely complements the body colors and graphics. Entry is via an aft-corner door that leads past the swivel chairs and into the lounge and dining areas. A second door up front opens into the master bedroom suite.
An enticing dark wood finish on the lower kitchen cabinets works well with the Boutique Cherry cabinets with Mocha base finish. Beauflor cushioned vinyl flooring throughout, plus durable carpeting in key places add up to a good feel underfoot. Likewise, rugged but plush upholstery provides comfort with camping-friendly accommodations that should stand up to heavy use.
The kitchen’s central location, relative to the L-shaped lounge area defined by the sofa/bed and pair of rockers out back, makes it a natural for the cook to enjoy socializing during meal-prep time.
Kitchen, dinette and bath countertops are a granite-looking composite that’s easy on the eye. The dinette Do More table features spring-loaded legs for easy deployment as a table or it can be lowered to become part of the dinette bed. An extra-deep dual-bowl acrylic sink with high-rise residential-style faucet makes it easy to wash big pots and pans. There are no kitchen drawers in this model, just overhead and below-counter cabinet doors plus cubbyholes for spices and the like.
Springdale occupants can enjoy the AM/FM/CD/DVD/MP3 player, a $415 required option, and the flat-screen 26-inch HD TV that’s another mandatory option ($485). Satellite pre-wiring and a bedroom TV-prep package are standard. The TV and stereo are housed in a cabinet at the forward end of the living space abutting the dinette. When you want to watch TV from the bedroom, the TV swivels around to face the master suite.
The bedroom provides plenty of room for a couple and storage galore.
The enclosed bath is a small curbside room that borders the master bedroom up front and the kitchen cabinets in back. Its space is laid out in a practical and functional way and includes a small storage cabinet below plus a medicine cabinet above the sink.
Shirt wardrobes flanking the bed along with an overhead cabinet and small nightstands with drawers adorn the master bedroom. A single dual-bulb overhead lamp provides reading light after hours.
Fluid capacities in this trailer should go a fairly long way when dry camping. A 60-gallon fresh tank plus matching 34-gallon grey and black tanks will do the job nicely, given average RV water conservation measures. The A-frame is also set up with a rack that can hold two full-size batteries for extra off-the-grid power.
The trailer’s 7,700-pound gross vehicle weight rating means, as long as the users don’t go overboard with cargo, this trailer can be properly towed by many of the half-ton trucks on the market. For a lot of people, that eliminates any need to upgrade to a heavier tow rig, when they might already have a half-ton pickup for family or business use. For anyone looking for an affordable rig perfectly designed for two, but capable of supporting a larger group when necessary, the Springdale 266RL looks like an interesting option for buyers shopping in this RV size and cost segment.
More Information
Ext. Length 28’ 11”
Ext. Width 8’
Ext. Height 10’ 11”
Int. Height 6’ 10”
Freshwater Cap 60 gal
Black-/Gray-water Cap 34 gal/34 gal
LP-Gas Cap 14 gal
Hitch Weight 770 lb
GVWR 7,700 lb
MSRP $25,410
Keystone RV 574-535-2100, www.keystonerv.com.
