Industry magazines RV Pro and RV News have recognized the Outback 342CG as one of 2021's best new models.
Keystone’s Outback team is taking the company’s “Live It Out” mantra seriously by designing a travel trailer to help campers who have physical disabilities get (or stay) out on the road. Working with adventurers and disability advocates, Riley Poor and Andrea Peruzzi, Product Manager Nick Ebenroth and his team took a hard look at Outback’s 342CG floorplan and have modified the design to both be more wheelchair friendly and continue to appeal current buyers who already love the model for its versatile garage space.
Initially concepted as a toy hauler floorplan, this model has a 56" wide extended ramp door which was natural point of ingress and egress for campers who use a wheelchair.
“As we talked with Riley and Andrea we realized that we could make modifications to the layout that would result in a floorplan that works well for the buyers that have loved the flexibility of a cargo door and garage space, and also work for a camper who is in a wheelchair,” said Ebenroth.
“We took the basic footprint and reconfigured the kitchen counter, slimmed down the wall for the entertainment center and replaced a hinged door with a sliding bar door to create an easy transition for a wheelchair into the living area,” said Ebenroth. “We also widened that main door to 30” so that it would work with an aftermarket wheelchair lift.”
By modifying the pantry to be wider and shallower, sliding doors are now featured to the bedroom and bathroom. The team also replaced door and drawer pulls with handles to make them easier to open.
Connecting with nature is so important for everyone, particularly right now. Many campgrounds and parks are stepping up to become more accessible to campers in wheelchairs. With the new 342CG, we wanted to eliminate some of the common barriers to RVing," - Nick Ebenroth, Keystone Product Manager
“Connecting with nature is so important for everyone, particularly right now. Many campgrounds and parks are stepping up to become more accessible to campers in wheelchairs. With the new 342CG, we wanted to eliminate some of the common barriers to RVing,” Ebenroth continued, “We’re going to continue to learn a lot through this journey and look forward to evolving our design thinking and creating even better solutions.”
Other notable features of this floorplan include:
- Cargo garage with flip-down bunks
- King bed with built-in pet kennel
- Two pantries
- 48” fireplace
- Sofa sleeper
