February 22, 2023
We have owned our 2021 Keystone Sprinter 32BH (also called a Campfire Series, or 32FWBH, depending on your source) for a little over a year now. We purchased it new in November 2021 from a local central Florida dealer after having searched for years to find an option that suited us.
We were at a point in life we were downsizing from a large house with a large family, so traveling frequently was going to be a great option since I already worked remotely and our son does virtual school. It just made sense. However, we weren’t interested in a huge RV with all the bells and whistles just yet, and didn’t want to invest the money, so this was our happy medium while we tried it for a year.
Sadly, we had what has come to be known as a “Covid Camper”, meaning that there were a lot of things that didn’t work when we first got it. Due to shortages in both supplies and people during 2022, it took time, but we got all the kinks worked out in our home on wheels and settled into a simple maintenance routine.
WHAT WE LOVE We love that this rig is right at 37 feet in length, so we can still get into many state and national parks without issues, but it can be tight, so we still do our research! The kitchen is a good size for cooking a family meal and, even with a smaller fridge, the pantry is a decent size so we can store 2-3 weeks of food in here. The outdoor kitchen is also spacious and with a larger compact fridge, so it does great for drinks and snacks. The second bath in the bunkroom is great so our son doesn’t have to cross the house (aka wake the dogs) in the night, and we can store toiletry overflow and cleaning supplies here. There is plenty of headroom for our tall friends and family that visit, and some have been surprised at how open it feels. The outside garage is spacious and, with two access doors, allowed us to keep tools and gear at both doors for when needed so we didn’t have to unload everything.
QUIRKS OF THIS MODEL No RV is perfect, of course, but there’s a few things in this one that were odd once we lived in it a bit. The living room has a 2 seater recliner loveseat, so the family cannot comfortably all watch a movie together without modifications or someone at a dining chair. Bunk bed sizes are odd dimensions, but that is normal for all RVs. The ladder to the upper bunk was small metal bars that hurt the feet, so we had to modify it to larger wood steps–but that made such a difference! Also, the master bedroom had strange storage. The closets had hanging racks, but hangers didn’t actually fit, so we swapped to the stackable hanger rack. Also, the overhead storage doors over the bed swung from the middle and were awkward to get to, so we flipped the doors on the inner two. Outside, the awning stops right at the door, so on a rainy day, even extended, you may get dripped on. In Florida, there is usually wind if there’s rain, so ours was closed up, so not a problem that often for us. The kitchen is on the back of the RV, but the living room slide is between the covered outside area and the kitchen, so often we are divided outside if one is cooking. We just usually kept the picnic table by the kitchen and sat there when cooking and eating.
WHY WE DECIDED TO CHANGE Alas, we did decide to change to a new rig. Not because we didn’t enjoy this one, quirks and all, but because our family’s daily needs were just not being met. We work and school from home full time and needed a better option for multiple work set ups that allowed for privacy with calls and meetings. We wanted a better living room set up since our kiddo has decided he prefers to spend time with us instead of tucked into his bunkroom. We also chose one with a loft so we have space for guests that are tall and won’t fit a bunk, and can store our photography and active gear there when not in use, but still keep it temperature controlled. We also wanted to have a better solar set up and larger tanks to allow us to boondock more. While we could have made modifications for some of these on our 32BH, and we did have temporary changes, there were some things we couldn’t modify and resolve.
Luckily, we found our unicorn–the RV that has all the things to meet our needs. While it is still under 40 feet, it is larger than I would prefer for traveling, but it is what we need in this season of traveling as a working family and still allows us to pack and move easily on travel days. Once we are empty-nesters, then I can negotiate my tiny living options.
Like or comment below, and share with others to support the blog. I post weekly about teaching, traveling and family. Until next time, you can find me on Tiktok @sonya.BOMSquadleader , on Instagram at sonya_barnes_a2t , or our adventures at BarnesOnMove.com, Facebook & TikTok at @BarnesOnMove