5th Wheel - Rear vs Center Kitchen

[BigMike]

My wife and I are looking at new 5ers. Interest rates have dropped so low we can upgrade for same monthly costs as we have now. Anyway, we see many models with rear kitchens. We've always heard center kitchens are better, but never really understood why. Would appreciate opinions on this question.

 

[Royal]

I would vote for the rear kitcken. We have had both and the rear is the handiest for sure. Check the ARCTIC FOX trailers. Made in Oregon. www.northwoodmanufacturinghomepage

 

[C Schomer]

I never had a rear kitchen but I've read things get bounced around pretty bad with them. Most of them I've looked at were dark and dreary - not enough window light in the kitchen area. My next one is going to have a rear lounge with big windows back there. Craig

 

[DBF]

We bought a 2000 Jayco Eagle 269RD. It's a rear-kitchen unit and came equipped without shock absorbers (the Designer line (more $$) has them).



At the end of the first day of the first trip, we found the dishes and things stored above the sink to have been thrown around in the cabinets pretty severely. This is just due to the bouncing the rear of the trailer gets as you go over uneven surfaces like railroad tracks.



Those who have center kitchens think they suffer less bouncing.



I put shocks (and greasable shackle bolts) on the rig, which helped a lot. Careful storage before moving did the rest. No problems on the Alaska trip we did next.



DBF

 

[Cummins Corvette]

I am for the rear kitchen. I cook on our trips and hate all the people walking back and forth while I am cooking. JMHO

 

[dalton4]

I will second the positive things already stated by others on the fifth wheel rear kitchen floor plan. CAnderson gave you a good reason for the rear kitchen, especially if kids are on board. The cook is out of the flow of traffic.



I pulled my 29' Alpenlite, rear kitchen, from Anchorage, AK, to N. C. and back to Anchorage by way of the Grand Canyon without any kitchen breakage or cabinet storage problems. My unit has shocks on all wheels and this should be standard equipment on rv trailers.



Jerry

 

[BatMan01]

I agree with what has been said. I have a rear kitchen and the roads hear in Alaska are about the worst. I have not had anything broken but I do take a couple minutes before each trip to make sure that everything is buttoned up good. I prefer this setup for the same reasons noted above, no traffic through kitchen. I do not think you will be dissappointed either way, as with anything there is good and bad. You just have to decide what is important and find a floor plan that fits. Good luck

 

[GLASMITHS]

rear Kitchen

BigMike



You are going about it the right way. When we were shopping for a new one we came to the conclusion that a rear kitchen would not suit us at all; and we just refused to even go in one if it was a RK. A lot of people at the RV Shows (not salspeople) told us about the bouncing around, ect.



Also with an RK you enter from outside onto carpet!!

If you are ordering a new one, get one with the kitchen on slide and you won't have Mr. Andersons' problem; there is plenty room for two people to pass.



The rear living room is great; usually have bay windows and it gives plenty of light.



Also, you can get Morryde (SP) axles; and the don't bounce. My wife keeps stuff on the dinning table as well as the cabinet. Nothing ever gets thrown around. And that is on I-10 in Louisiana!!!



You also put most of the weight on the axles, not the rear over-hang

 

[DBF]

Big Mike

Hey, Big Mike!



I can't find anything on your 30' Terry 5er that you're thinking about upgrading from.



What is it you *don't* like about it? How is it arranged - center kitchen with slideout?



The way we got to a rear kitchen was as follows. We felt there is less storage and more weight with a slideout. Since we travel more than we sit still and there are only the two of us, we decided to have less weight. If you're not going to have a slideout, put the kitchen in the rear, out of the way.



Now that I'm only towing 8,000# loaded, I find it a lot easier on the road.



Ya pays yore money and ya takes yore choice, someone once said.



DBF

 

[RColston]

Rear Kit. is good, people peerring in the rear bay windows is bad.

The stuff in the cabinets can get bounced around pretty bad. Definately pad the dishes if you use glass. My HH 36 has a rear kit. and rear entry with hard flooring in front of the door leading to the kit. Works great and no traffic through the kit. If you go with a center kit. be sure to get something other than carpet between the door and kitchen. Other than the BR, the kitchen gets the most in and out traffic. My . 02 worth.





GLASMITHS, Just went through LA on the 10. Some of the roughest roads i've ever been on .



Rick

 

[BigMike]

DBF, We like our Terry ok, but after you own something for awhile, you figure out what you'd like different. We want a center door entry rather than a rear. With the couch folded out as a bed, you can't get out the door without climbing over the bed. Also, my Terry only has a 40 gal grey water tank. We do a lot of camping without sewer hookups. Sure be nice to have larger capacity. Jayco we're looking at has 85gal. I'd also like a 5er where I can check my battery fluid without having to disconnect and remove them. Also would like a little bigger shower. Otherwise, we're pretty happy and may end up keeping what we have.





Thanks for your feedback.

 

[Driftwood Ram]

Big Mike:

I had heard the same stories about rear kitchens breaking dishes, but we have a few friends that have them and do not seem to be having any problem. There are some manufactures (Alpenltie and others) that have large window area even in rear kitchen units.

We prefer rear living. There are only to of us so we do not have a lot of people running around in the unit when we are parked. There is nothing nicer that sitting in the rear chairs when you are backed up to a lake or ocean beach and watching the sun dip in the the water. As far as people looking in, that is why they invented day/nite shades.

Take your time and look around. If you do not like the plan when you step in the door, it is probably not right for you.

Take a drive over to Yakima and go through the Alpenlite factory for starters. http://www.alpenlite.com/

Here is another option http://alfaleisure.com/index.html

Just my $. 02 worth

Tracy



P. S.

I do own a Alfa but I am not paid by anyone for this opinion or do I sell any RV product.

 

[DRR-24V]

Whatever You Like !

It's just a personal choice. We have had two 5th wheels and made sure both had the rear kitchen. Windows on both sides and the rear really make it feel bigger. The rear bath models naturally have no windows on the rear making them dark. JMO

 

[Bug Out]

also consider...

The last two 5ths I had, 1 was a Jayco rear kit unit(293RKS) and the new one mid kitchen Alpenlite stonecreek 36 RL.



Our consideration on the Jayco was kitchen access while on the road. Did not have to open slides to make sandwiches etc. Alpenlites is also easy access while on the road.



The rear window thing has never been an issue. If Somebody starts the peekaboo crap on me,I'll inform them of proper camping rules. .

 

[klenger]

Here's our rear kitchen floorplan We have had no problem with dishes or anything bouncing around. We stack our dishes between the rubber mat stuff sold at Camping World. Everthing stays put. We also used it to line the shelves. With the rear kitchen, our model also has two 39 gal. gray tanks. I really like that as we dry camp a lot.



Here are some additional pics of the camper

 

[Paul Somers]

We have a 30' rear kitchen Sunnybrook and love it. Friends have 31' Sunnybrook rear living with bay windows and every time we camp with them, wife comes home wanting to trade. Got to quit camping with them.

Have been camping since the 70s and have never seen an Artic Fox. Must be good units because every commit is positive. Guess We'll see one in July when we head toward Yellowstone.

Rear kitchen or rear living is a personal preference. It's your money, buy what you like best. I like things about both of them.

 

[RustyJC]

Our 1996 30' Jayco Designer was a single-slideout rear kitchen. It had lots of counter and storage space in the kitchen, but was short of windows and could get pretty claustrophobic! Also, going across Louisiana on I-10 was guaranteed to scramble things around in the kitchen cabinets.



While camping on Thanksgiving of 1999, my wife saw a 36' triple slide Jayco Designer with rear living area and large rear windows. You know how that goes - ours came in in March of 2000. We gave up some counter and storage space in the kitchen, but we have much more floorspace, an open living area and no more claustrophobia.



Ya pays yore money and ya takes yore choice.



Rusty

 

[LEEH]

Big Mike:



We prefer the RL arrangement, as we feel that there is less weight overhanging the rear axel. We have found that as we get older, we spend less time in the kitchen and enjoy the space in the living area more . The RK models feel much more confined in the living area to us. All boils down to personal preference.

I would also suggest looking at the Alpenlite factory in Yakima, not very far for you to travel, and they even have areas in the parking lot with electric hook ups to stay overnight while you are touring the factory. While you are there, I expect you will get the opportunity to visit with other Alpenlite owners or prespective owners to get their opinions on which model to look at.

We are on our second Alpenlite and are very pleased with the unit. We would only wish for that new large rear window treatment that seems to go floor to ceiling as we really like lots of light during the daylight hours. The large holding tanks Alpenlite puts in their RV's is a big plus since we like to boondock it as much as possible.

 

[Bill Stockard]

We've owned 7 travel trailers, of those 3 were 5th wheels and 1 with a rear kitchen. All were equipped with shocks, but that didn't help much. We broke dishes in the rear kitchen model that had been in our other trailers for hundreds of thousands of miles.



In our last rear living model we had with 2 rocking recliners in the rear, we had to tie the recliners together back to back to keep them from "walking" around and getting against a window on the rough roads.



If we ever buy another 5th wheel, it will have MOR/ryde suspension on it. The increasingly worse condition of the highways contribute to most of the problems. My big right foot too!!!



Bill

 

[pmartin]

Bounce

As I'm sure you know, Dodge rear springs, especially with camper overload springs, are firm. When your trailer bounces the trailer movement is subdued in front and amplified in the rear. What ever is in the rear, kitchen, bedroom or living room, will suffer the most severe bounce movements. So, what do you want to bounce, pots & pans or recliners? I've always avoided rear kitchens but a lot of owners do select them. With all the eletrical and plumbing connections and breakable dishes associated with kitchens, I think a mid-trailer location (over axles) is best. Our current trailer has mid-kitchen and rear bedroom. After experiencing a rough road we find kitchen items in place (including opened items in refrig) but usually must pick up our clothes from the bottom floor of the closet and hang them back up on clothing hanger rod (a lot of shaking has gone on). Our next trailer will have mid-kitchen and rear living room.