Azdusty
Newbie RV’er
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Posts: 4
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Post by Azdusty on Sept 15, 2020 6:55:30 GMT -5
Hey all, so we were all jazzed to get a Vanleigh Pinecrest at the Phoenix show last week but, as fate would have it the quality was just a bit off. We have owned everything from a slide in truck camper to a Class C. And are tired of the quality being below what we would consider standards. So I have had the DG on my radar since we decided to switch from bumper pull to 5th wheel. I do have a few questions.
The “residential fridge” does it come with an ice maker with preference of through door?
Just how good of what we call “Fit and Finish” is the DG?
Does the DG come in the white cabinets that are starting to populate the market?
oh and probably a good question to ask, will my 2018 Ram 2500 4x4 6.7 turbo pull it
thanks ahead of time
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Post by chulavista on Sept 15, 2020 9:38:42 GMT -5
Hi AZdusty! I have a lot of the same questions you do about the same trailer. I do know the GVWR on this trailer tops out at 16,000 lbs. Hitch weight (specs say) are around 2150, but I'd bet it's closer to 3,000 lbs. We have a ford f250 superduty we're not going to use to pull this trailer with - we're going to pull it with a dually.
Specialty RV in Mesa carries the Durango Gold, and they are the only dealer in AZ. You can walk through other trailers, they don't currently have the 382mbq on the lot. I've asked. LOL! BUT, you can look at other Durango Golds they do have and get a good feel for the fit and finish.
As for the white cabinets, the lightest they had available last I looked was a grey color. I haven't found any pics or specs for the 2021 yet. Good luck! Anything I find I'll share with you! Kathy
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Post by laknox on Sept 15, 2020 10:41:04 GMT -5
Hey all, so we were all jazzed to get a Vanleigh Pinecrest at the Phoenix show last week but, as fate would have it the quality was just a bit off. We have owned everything from a slide in truck camper to a Class C. And are tired of the quality being below what we would consider standards. So I have had the DG on my radar since we decided to switch from bumper pull to 5th wheel. I do have a few questions. The “residential fridge” does it come with an ice maker with preference of through door? Just how good of what we call “Fit and Finish” is the DG? Does the DG come in the white cabinets that are starting to populate the market? oh and probably a good question to ask, will my 2018 Ram 2500 4x4 6.7 turbo pull it thanks ahead of time Golds are way out of my wants/needs, so I've never looked at them. That said, from what I've read here the past couple years, I'd say that, at their price point, they seem to be pretty good quality. I know our '17 277RLT is decent, though there are a couple nagging issues, the biggest being that the kitchen island is about 1-2" too close to the outside wall, meaning that the kitchen slide actually hits it when retracted (the base of the slide hits the bottom of the island) and the slide is actually adjusted somewhat cock-eyed when closed to take this into account. No leaks, touch wood, but then I've also never towed it in a heavy rain storm. AFAIK, what you see on KZ's web site is what they offer, so if there's no white wood interiors, then they don't offer them. That being said, who knows if they might not do a custom job...for a price. On your truck, sure, it'll TOW it, but I seriously doubt it will CARRY it. Remember, with a fifth wheel, it's not what you can tow, it's what you can CARRY. With a GVW of 16k lbs, you're looking at a pin weight of +/- 3,500 lbs that sits right on the rear axle. You need to check the door sticker on your truck to see what your actual payload is. Typically, trucks' payload is calc'd with a 150 lb driver and full fuel, then options are subtracted from that base number. The diesel will cost you close to 1,000 lbs off the base payload. Deduct passengers, hitch, pets, "stuff" carried in the truck, and you'll get a net payload that you can carry. All that being said, are their people that would hitch that bad boy up and fly down the freeway? Sure, and they're the ones that would likely be flying by you at 75 and you see them a couple hours later changing tires on the side of the road and bitching about it. IMO, anything > about 14k GVW is firmly in 1t territory and 16k is marginal for a single rear wheel 1t. I'm a GM guy, so know zero about Ford or RAM. Lyle
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Post by midlotexan on Sept 15, 2020 11:26:33 GMT -5
We looked inside that model at our dealer. They only had the one is stock. It was like ours a dark Walnut, (RV Brown). I have yet to see a white cabinet KZ. As far as quality, we have pulled our trailer about 9000 miles this year. Most of our issues were simple. The biggest was a faulty brake wire last week, but they are reimbursing me for that. We looked at alot of brands, felt the Gold gave us most bang for the buck. Good luck and safe travels Kirt
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Post by Chuck on Sept 15, 2020 18:11:24 GMT -5
chulavista, Azdusty Please read my post about the DW an I looing at an then buying a Durango Gold G384RLT ...
We do pull our DG with a F350 dually 1ton not a SW 3/4 or 1 ton, but owners on the form do pull some of the Golds with such ... I believe the dually give me more stability in the wind an gives a better ride, I also have air bags on the truck an installed a chip to very the preformace with or without the trailer ...
Our trailer now has over 20k on it an has little problems as far as structure other than what I have do to it such bending the back ladder (backing into Tractor Shop), bending entry steps again my fault (Ugh) ... We did have a rear outside seal leaking a year after we got the trailer an it was fixed by dealer an then re-repaired by Kz at the factory ... We also though to have some flex in the nose, Kz an LCI took the front end off the trailer an found it to be withing the standard, but I had them add an extra stut under the nose just to make sure down the road it wouldn't need work after warranty
Over all I along with many of the Durango Gold owners on this form are happy with the Kz product, yes like any other 5th wheel you will have some problems, but Kz has stepped up to the plate time after time to make sure owners are happy with their product ....
Drop over to the Durango Thread an you can read many remarks about all the DG models, Many good an some not so good, as well there is tons of support from members on this form ... members here do not!!! talk down to others, yes they may disagree on some topics but the never belittle you for ask a question that may have been ask a number of times, they will do there darn-est to answer the question an smile while doing it
Safe Travels
Chuck
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Post by johnr on Sept 16, 2020 6:29:12 GMT -5
In my opinion, towing is not about what you can get rolling. Even a small half ton truck will get that RV rolling down the road. Rather, it's about what you can STOP. The truck you drive needs to be up to the challenge of being able to stop that rig in an emergency.
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 16, 2020 19:15:43 GMT -5
I looked at a Vanleigh & Jayco North Point before buying my DG. The fit & finish is just as good as any and the KZ had a floor plan we liked, I checked every box we wanted. This being our 3rd 5W we had a list of what we want in the next. We have up graded, suspension, brakes, and added day/night shades to eliminate the mini blinds.
Yes you can get an ice maker in the residential, not sure where it delivers. I use a table top ice maker with an RV fridge. The fridge stays on all the time, powered up at home & even towing.
Look at the door post in your truck for max tow rating, each trucks different by wheel base, bed length, and accessories. I pull my DG with the truck in my signature.
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Post by laknox on Sept 17, 2020 11:05:35 GMT -5
In my opinion, towing is not about what you can get rolling. Even a small half ton truck will get that RV rolling down the road. Rather, it's about what you can STOP. The truck you drive needs to be up to the challenge of being able to stop that rig in an emergency. And the trailer doesn't have brakes? The truck stops itself and the trailer stops itself, including in an emergency. If brakes are lost, you're SOL...period; doesn't matter what the truck is. Ask any OTR trucker what happens when the "safety" brakes fail in an emergency; if you're lucky, a jackknife is what you end up with. Not lucky, well, use your imagination. About the only time you really do get lucky is if you're on flat ground with little to no traffic and you can coast to a stop via engine braking. Lyle
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 17, 2020 16:56:04 GMT -5
Trailer Brakes required in every state, check yours here. link
Requirements are different by state but generally require brakes on any trailer over 3000-5000lbs gross weight.
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Post by johnr on Sept 18, 2020 6:27:53 GMT -5
In my opinion, towing is not about what you can get rolling. Even a small half ton truck will get that RV rolling down the road. Rather, it's about what you can STOP. The truck you drive needs to be up to the challenge of being able to stop that rig in an emergency. And the trailer doesn't have brakes? The truck stops itself and the trailer stops itself, including in an emergency. If brakes are lost, you're SOL...period; doesn't matter what the truck is. Ask any OTR trucker what happens when the "safety" brakes fail in an emergency; if you're lucky, a jackknife is what you end up with. Not lucky, well, use your imagination. About the only time you really do get lucky is if you're on flat ground with little to no traffic and you can coast to a stop via engine braking. Lyle I feel that there's a HUGE difference between OTR trucks which use air brake systems and have multiple layers built in for brake failure versus the little electric brakes on 99.9% of RVs out there. Is the brake controller set properly? Plug comes loose in transit and your trailer battery is dead? Most RV towers are not OTR truck drivers, they don't have the same training. I'd venture to say that most RV owners don't maintain their own braking systems and thus rely on their dealer to tell them if something is wrong. Who knows if dealers even check the braking system during routine inspection? When was the last time you adjusted your brake controller?
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Post by laknox on Sept 18, 2020 9:24:21 GMT -5
And the trailer doesn't have brakes? The truck stops itself and the trailer stops itself, including in an emergency. If brakes are lost, you're SOL...period; doesn't matter what the truck is. Ask any OTR trucker what happens when the "safety" brakes fail in an emergency; if you're lucky, a jackknife is what you end up with. Not lucky, well, use your imagination. About the only time you really do get lucky is if you're on flat ground with little to no traffic and you can coast to a stop via engine braking. Lyle I feel that there's a HUGE difference between OTR trucks which use air brake systems and have multiple layers built in for brake failure versus the little electric brakes on 99.9% of RVs out there. Is the brake controller set properly? Plug comes loose in transit and your trailer battery is dead? Most RV towers are not OTR truck drivers, they don't have the same training. I'd venture to say that most RV owners don't maintain their own braking systems and thus rely on their dealer to tell them if something is wrong. Who knows if dealers even check the braking system during routine inspection? When was the last time you adjusted your brake controller? Well, my brakes are NOT maintained by a stealer, but by an independent shop. Anybody towing with electric/hydraulic brakes and can't tell if they've lost trailer braking, shouldn't be on the road, IMO. Even an average RVer would most likely pull over and check WTF happened which is, as you say, most likely a cord that's not making contact. Personally, I glance down every so often at my controller and if I don't see a big green "C" (for "connected"), then I pull over and check. It =has= happened as my in-bed plug is =very= tight and it takes some effort to get the plug fully seated and that last 1/8" is what makes or breaks the connection. As for adjusting my controller, I did so the last time I towed my FW, about a month ago. John, my point in these discussions is that each part is supposed to stop itself, so people that say that you need more "stopping power" to justify a larger truck, really make little sense. I can just about guarantee that even if you're towing with a Class 8 and you lose your trailer brakes and have to stop hard, you're probably going to jackknife. You're towing and, even with everything working perfectly, it's almost certainly going to take you longer to stop...period, we just need to always be aware of that and plan accordingly. My other point is that, if you lose your brakes and find yourself in an emergency, you're simply SOL and there ain't nuttin' you can do about it. Sorta like global warming... :-) Lyle
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Post by Chuck on Sept 18, 2020 15:23:20 GMT -5
1st of all as stated anything can pull a learge trailer or 5th wheel even a 1/2ton pickup, but when it comes to stopping that's a different story... I drive at a safe spped an try to keep a distance between me an the back side of the other person in front of me ... Sometimes I feel as I am going backwards do to people thinking they need to be 1st or in front of me when they are just getting off the next exit a 1/2 mile away Ugh !!!! I just back off an let them go an shake my head an wish I could ask them why they did such putting my DW an I in unsafe postion as well as themsleves ...
I use to tell the girls at the coffee shop I stopped at, my semi weights in at 78000pds, your car weights in at possibly 3500, do the math, if you do a panic stop, blow a tire hit something in the road in front of me who is going to win !!!!
in a Jack knife the trailer pushs on the tow vehicle, thus a say 10,000pd trailer towed by a say 7,000pd tow vehicle were the trailer looses it's brakes are going to push the tow vehicle pretty had when having to make a panic stop or going down a long grad ...
When you see more than often is owners an even truck drivers miss adjusting their breakes an thus the trailer pushes the tow vehicle ... Out West there are places before a long down hill grade were it states that truckes need to check an or adjust their brakes before proceding down the grade... it's aways a good idea you as a RV owner to heed these warning an pull in an check your plug, tires, feel your axles an then go down the hill at the speed or a little slower than what you came up the hill in ....
I will say that every time I hook-up to our trailer I do three things, 1st - connect my trailer plug, 2nd - once connected to the trailer give the pull test to make sure I am hooked 3rd - get out check my pin handle to make sure it is all the way closed 4th - ( I lyed) put a lock on the pin handle to make sure no one can pull it if stopped for lunch or fuel etc
As far a residential fridge having an ice make I believe some do, we have a RV frig an use ice trays an like Edd505 we leave ours on all the time under way or parked ...
As with others I have not seen a DG with white cbinets, but as laknox stated if you have the money I'm almost sure you could get what ever you want, I personnel hate whit in a tailer, Coachmen Chaperrels has a series of theit trailers with wite inside an I oftern though why of course if that's what you like it's your trailer an not mine, I like along with the DW ligh colors which we have in our DG
Safe Travles an please remember it's not about just you when going down the road, it's about the safety of others all around you no matter how stupid they get .... As I said sometimes you may feel like your going backwards but in the end you an your family will always get there, maybe a few minutes later but you will be alive an we get to talk to you not about you !!!!
Chuck
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 18, 2020 20:45:51 GMT -5
I feel that there's a HUGE difference between OTR trucks which use air brake systems and have multiple layers built in for brake failure versus the little electric brakes on 99.9% of RVs out there. Is the brake controller set properly? Plug comes loose in transit and your trailer battery is dead? Most RV towers are not OTR truck drivers, they don't have the same training. I'd venture to say that most RV owners don't maintain their own braking systems and thus rely on their dealer to tell them if something is wrong. Who knows if dealers even check the braking system during routine inspection? When was the last time you adjusted your brake controller? I only did 750K in my class 8 and chuck did more, there is one air system not multi, and the only warning is an alarm that you are loosing air pressure. (you should hear that leak in the dash valves before the alarm) Educate us on the multi layer brakes on an OTR rig.
BTW I just installed disk brakes on my KZ, post earlier and many here do their own work so we don't pay $130 an hr to so RV shop.
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Post by Chuck on Sept 19, 2020 14:09:43 GMT -5
Adding a few notes here
In the past one of our members on the form had his residential fridge put back into place an locked down along with trim repaired because to came loose an slid out ... I believe there was a report of another owner on this form stating the same thing, their frig came loose an slid out... So when doing your PDI I would check closely an make sure your frig is nice an tight an what ever holds it is place is ok, not some cheap snaps ....
On the Air brakes I have not heard of any multiple layers air brake system, only the red knob for truck brakes, the yellow knob for trailer brakes ... As stated when you start to hear air releasing from either of those knobs you already in deep do-do an hope that your close or off the side of the road because your soon to be out of air an all your brakes are going to lock up Ugh !!!! With as you should know electic brakes your just S#%T out of luck if your brake heat up an faul, there is no lockup just that Holy S#$T I'm going to crash !!!!
What has happened in the past few years is that the major truck builders have stated to install anti sway controls in their trucks along with side detect alarms ... The anti sway function slow trucks down in curves automatically if the truck is going to fast in a curve so to prevent a rollover ... As more than likely many of you have seen they are also installing mirrors on the fenders now for many years were in the post it was an option ...
So here I am again making a short story long Ugh !!!!
Safe Travels
Chuck
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Post by johnr on Sept 22, 2020 6:23:53 GMT -5
I feel that there's a HUGE difference between OTR trucks which use air brake systems and have multiple layers built in for brake failure versus the little electric brakes on 99.9% of RVs out there. Is the brake controller set properly? Plug comes loose in transit and your trailer battery is dead? Most RV towers are not OTR truck drivers, they don't have the same training. I'd venture to say that most RV owners don't maintain their own braking systems and thus rely on their dealer to tell them if something is wrong. Who knows if dealers even check the braking system during routine inspection? When was the last time you adjusted your brake controller? I only did 750K in my class 8 and chuck did more, there is one air system not multi, and the only warning is an alarm that you are loosing air pressure. (you should hear that leak in the dash valves before the alarm) Educate us on the multi layer brakes on an OTR rig.
BTW I just installed disk brakes on my KZ, post earlier and many here do their own work so we don't pay $130 an hr to so RV shop.
I'm sorry, I meant multiple alerts for brakes, not multiple braking systems. You have the pressure gauge as well as the audible alarm and as you noted the sound of the leak in the dash valves. Your RV could come completely unhooked and unless you glance at your brake controller, you'll have no idea. That's one of the reasons that I always run with my lights on and it's habit for me to look for the side lights when I check my mirrors. I feel there's a world of difference between OTR and RV systems, just as there's a world of difference between professional drivers and the majority of RV drivers.
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 22, 2020 21:12:43 GMT -5
I only did 750K in my class 8 and chuck did more, there is one air system not multi, and the only warning is an alarm that you are loosing air pressure. (you should hear that leak in the dash valves before the alarm) Educate us on the multi layer brakes on an OTR rig.
BTW I just installed disk brakes on my KZ, post earlier and many here do their own work so we don't pay $130 an hr to so RV shop.
I'm sorry, I meant multiple alerts for brakes, not multiple braking systems. You have the pressure gauge as well as the audible alarm and as you noted the sound of the leak in the dash valves. Your RV could come completely unhooked and unless you glance at your brake controller, you'll have no idea. That's one of the reasons that I always run with my lights on and it's habit for me to look for the side lights when I check my mirrors. I feel there's a world of difference between OTR and RV systems, just as there's a world of difference between professional drivers and the majority of RV drivers. Some if the newer trucks show trailer disconnected in the dash display. It's a desert thing down here running lights in the day, lets you better judge distances. Like you I run with lights on and watch the marker lights, same on the 18 wheeler, good info for new people.
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Post by laknox on Sept 23, 2020 11:22:30 GMT -5
I'm sorry, I meant multiple alerts for brakes, not multiple braking systems. You have the pressure gauge as well as the audible alarm and as you noted the sound of the leak in the dash valves. Your RV could come completely unhooked and unless you glance at your brake controller, you'll have no idea. That's one of the reasons that I always run with my lights on and it's habit for me to look for the side lights when I check my mirrors. I feel there's a world of difference between OTR and RV systems, just as there's a world of difference between professional drivers and the majority of RV drivers. Some if the newer trucks show trailer disconnected in the dash display. It's a desert thing down here running lights in the day, lets you better judge distances. Like you I run with lights on and watch the marker lights, same on the 18 wheeler, good info for new people. My current truck has a P2 controller, and will immediately pop up an "NC" on the display if the connection goes bad. That's how I knew I was having connection issues when I first had the in-bed connector put in and before I realized just how tight it was to properly seat the plug the last 1/8" or so. It also does show "C" when properly connected. Besides the "NC" message, nearly running through a stop sign about 2 miles from my shop where I store my rig, was also a small clue. :-) Interesting in that the =lights= on the trailer were working, even without the plug fully seated, though. Lyle
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Post by Chuck on Sept 23, 2020 14:09:09 GMT -5
Lyle As you found out you can have lights with the plug partly in with some trucks, Ford I know has the braking on one of the pin's, GMC has the braking in the center of the plug, you can't mix the two an if you do you will destroy your brake controller ( don't ask me how I know ) Chuck
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Post by laknox on Sept 24, 2020 11:18:36 GMT -5
Lyle As you found out you can have lights with the plug partly in with some trucks, Ford I know has the braking on one of the pin's, GMC has the braking in the center of the plug, you can't mix the two an if you do you will destroy your brake controller ( don't ask me how I know ) Chuck I have all my controllers installed at the same shop that specializes in hitches and also does other light maintenance stuff, like brakes and bearings. Great people and reasonable prices. Anyone who is in the East Valley area of Metro Phoenix, and needs work, should look them up. Lewis Hitches in Chandler AZ. Big antique mall right across the street from them to wander through if it's a "wait-for" job, too. :-) Lyle
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Post by Edd505 on Sept 24, 2020 20:05:12 GMT -5
They do alignments Lyle?
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