Rear Kitchen - good idea or bad idea?

[Lonnie07]

Hi all,

I am very interested in the Highland Ridge Open Range 2804RK, so I asked my local dealer about it. He said that Open Range has discontinued this model because rear kitchens take a beating during towing due to the bounce effect.

This was surprising since I still see it this model on the Highland Ridge website, but whatever - there are some used ones available, so I thought I’d check here.

Can people with rear kitchens please comment? Do you love your RK? Hate it?

Thank you!

[ScottG]

kellem wrote:
Your local dealer is a fruit cake as he/she wants you to buy what floorplan they have in stock.
Get the trailer you desire and suits your needs.

I actually left a solo cup of wine in the rear of our 30 ft trailer and found it sitting upright apon arriving home.

Come to think of it, I left a glass coffee pot on the counter back there and it was still sitting there when we got home.
The wheel position of a trailer is not like a vehicle so I suspect that's why it isn't as bad as a bus or van.

[larry_barnhart]

We really liked our RK alpenlite it was perfect for our 19 winters in Az. Now we have a not so perfect TT for maybe our last winter season coming up. chevman

[SDcampowneroper]

The back seat in a bus is the roughest ride. Do you want windows looking out the back or out the left into your neighbors site? Kitchens are the heaviest part of a unit. Best over axles.

[LVJJJ]

We have a 2005 Trail Cruiser 27 RKS, (rear kitchen slide). Got lots of miles on it, no problem with any part of the kitchen, we love it, best place for it. That salesman is nuts.

Note, our personal facts at the bottom of this post are wrong, we no longer have the 26 foot Trail Cruiser, but I don't know how to change it. Note, also we got rid of the 26 footer and bought the same year 27 because we liked the rear kitchen and floor plan so much better. The 27 has a rear entry right thru the kitchen, saves lots of room in the rest of the TT. Makes it seem so much bigger. Also like it cause it weighs only 4100 lbs partially loaded. Pretty good for a 27' 11" trailer.

[HappyKayakers]

I have a 3X388RKS (rear kitchen). I have not seen the results of excessive bouncing in the cabinets, just normal stuff. My bigger concern is it's hard to get to with all the slides in.

[ktmrfs]

If a rear kitchen is what you want, go ahead and get one. We know several folks that have rear kitchens and have no issues with them, it's what they want and like.

IMHO the dealer is trying to sell you what he has on the lot, not what you want.

[kellem]

Your local dealer is a fruit cake as he/she wants you to buy what floorplan they have in stock.
Get the trailer you desire and suits your needs.

I actually left a solo cup of wine in the rear of our 30 ft trailer and found it sitting upright apon arriving home.

[Artum_Snowbird]

Although I have not had a rear kitchen, I really like to have my big window there, and chairs to look out from. I enjoy being on the outside edge of a campsite, and looking away, rather than sideways.

[ScottG]

Our last trailer had a RK, new one has mid kitchen. We see no difference at all in how much things move around and we would happily get another rear kitchen if the rest of the floor plan met our needs.