Upgraded my camp life w/ Keystone Reign RV

KevinC · Jan 17, 2026

Sold my Aliner Scout. It wasn't fulfilling my requirements, and I needed something a little bigger. Knowing going bigger I was going to be adding weight, which was the main reason I bought an Aliner, to keep the weight down. So, I set out to keep the camper under 3K lbs.

2026 Keystone Reign 13RB. 2970 lbs. Couple of key points that drew me to this one.
1. Automotive Aluminum Skin. Painted in automotive grade paint.
2. No wood. Composite roof, floor. Aluminum framing.
3. BAL Huckbolted frame, not welded. Powder coated
4. Dry Bathroom.

First trip was 175 miles one way. I decided to try and manual shift the whole way. It felt better, but the gas mileage results were the same. 10 MPG. Rear end sagged 2 inches. I took out one of the propane tanks to cut hitch weight. If I remove the Rebel Offroad rack I'm sure the drop would be minimal. No WDH or sway control. Is it needed? Not sure. Overall I enjoyed the tow and felt safe in all aspects of the trip. Interstate driving at 65mph and passing or getting passed by a semi I did get some wiggle in the rear.

Jeep Gladiator Upgraded my camp life w/ Keystone Reign RV 1768661134952-o4

Jeep Gladiator Upgraded my camp life w/ Keystone Reign RV 1768661158739-vm

Jeep Gladiator Upgraded my camp life w/ Keystone Reign RV 1768661175421-x4

Jeep Gladiator Upgraded my camp life w/ Keystone Reign RV 1768661193333-zy

NC_Overland · Jan 17, 2026

That’s nice. I’d definitely recommend a weight dist hitch. Also, I don’t recommend manually shifting. Lugging this engine is the absolute worst thing you can do to it.

KevinC · Jan 17, 2026

NC_Overland said:
Lugging this engine is the absolute worst thing you can do to it.

I agree, so let me clarify. I manually shift when the RPM's reached 3500-4K, which is about when it would shift when in regular mode. The issue I had with allowing the computer to shift is it held 1-2-3 gear longer than I wanted.

NC_Overland · Jan 17, 2026

KevinC said:
I agree, so let me clarify. I manually shift when the RPM's reached 3500-4K, which is about when it would shift when in regular mode. The issue I had with allowing the computer to shift is it held 1-2-3 gear longer than I wanted.

You said it yourself, you saw zero gain. Just let it rev. This engine loves to rev.

Jaxmax · Jan 17, 2026

WDH is what you need your hitch weight should not be that bad but if your rear is sagging your front is probably getting light. Awesome choice, it is hard to stay at 3,000 pounds and have a dry bathroom.

DylanM · Jan 17, 2026

KevinC said:
No WDH or sway control. Is it needed?

Needed? No, but definitely recommended.

Jeep Gladiator Upgraded my camp life w/ Keystone Reign RV wdh

Jteakus · Jan 17, 2026

That's a nice camper!

Xplor · Jan 18, 2026

Great find. I just looked up the specs. After owning 3 Airstreams over the years, if we ever get another TT, it will be something just like this.

Maximus Gladius · Jan 18, 2026

The wife and I have also been talking the need for a trailer like this. Very nice.

I’d highly recommend the Airlift 1000 air bags. It’ll keep your truck level and your headlights out of oncoming eyes.

Antrmo · Jan 18, 2026

Looks great, mojave suspension is softer I think, might cause more sag? WDH will help.

biodiesel · Jan 18, 2026

KevinC said:
No WDH or sway control. Is it needed?

You will 100% want sway control in a crosswind, and you'll also want to transfer some of that tongue weight to the front axle. It will ride even better once you get a good weight distribution hitch dialed in.

The camper looks really nice. It's a very ideal weight and size for the Gladiator. I've been casually looking at small campers that can be used with the Gladiator and still be somewhat off-road durable. It's good to see more choices (models, floorplans, and manufactures) on the market. Thanks for posting.

NC_Overland · Jan 18, 2026

I agree on that camper. That’s perfect for a gladiator.

Probably a stupid question, but can you put much bigger tires on a trailer like that without having to upgrade to a heavier duty axle?

KevinC · Jan 18, 2026

Maximus Gladius said:
The wife and I have also been talking the need for a trailer like this. Very nice.

I’d highly recommend the Airlift 1000 air bags. It’ll keep your truck level and your headlights out of oncoming eyes.

Thanks Kevin. I did some research and searching before purchase. I did walk thru's on a few manufacturers. The conclusion I came up with is most campers are still sub par build quality. You don't get what you paid for anymore. This particular Keystone seemed to be built better than the Rockwood, Intech and Jayco I seen. Time will tell but so far, I'm happy with what I got.

I thought about airbags, if only for the benefit of getting my truck back level. I don't plan on traveling when its dark, but getting the headlights back to level is something I have worried about.

KevinC · Jan 18, 2026

NC_Overland said:
I agree on that camper. That’s perfect for a gladiator.

Probably a stupid question, but can you put much bigger tires on a trailer like that without having to upgrade to a heavier duty axle?

That's funny, I was just thinking the same thing when I was sitting outside looking at it at the campsite. There isn't much room for larger tires without hitting the fenders. Which are removable. I'm not sure how much stress a heavier tire would put on a torsion flex axle. I think it's a 4000# axle.

NC_Overland · Jan 18, 2026

KevinC said:
That's funny, I was just thinking the same thing when I was sitting outside looking at it at the campsite. There isn't much room for larger tires without hitting the fenders. Which are removable. I'm not sure how much stress a heavier tire would put on a torsion flex axle. I think it's a 4000# axle.

I looked at the fenders too. I wonder how feasible it is to move them for more clearance. Or maybe a different fender. You’d want fenders on it.

Upgraded my camp life w/ Keystone Reign RV

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