Post by stroker07 on Aug 21, 2012 18:15:38 GMT -5
We decided on this trailer because we really liked the floor plan and had heard good things about KZ in the past.
This is our 3rd RV so we’re no strangers to the RV community. We have experienced more problems with this RV then our previous two RVs combined. Here’s a list of the major problems:
1. No outside storage—the only area to store anything externally is a small area in the front compartment that houses the generator. There is ample room for external storage underneath the unit between the outside of the frame and the side skirt. KZ should have thought about this at the time. However, it appears the newer models do have external storage.
2. Fuel gauge—the fuel gauge is located in the cargo area and in order to read the fuel level in the fuel tank you have to go outside, turn on the fuel pump and go back inside to read the gauge. I simply rewired the gauge and added a toggle switch located next to it to eliminate this inconvenience. Not sure if the newer models have the same problem but, KZ should have thought about this at the time.
3. First trip out in the Spring of 2009—when we arrived at our camp site we noticed that the carpet was soaked with water in the area right behind the slide out. It had been raining on the trip and I assumed water was being thrown up from the rear tires and gaining access through a hole in the cheap sealing material just behind the rear tire. I sealed it as best I could when we returned home and this problem has not returned so I believe it’s solved. During this same trip the kitchen faucet broke spaying water all over the interior of the unit. I sealed it with some duct tape to get us through the trip and replaced the faucet when we got home, as I had no desire to take the 150 mile trip to Idaho for warranty service. Additionally, during the same trip, we noticed that we were almost out of water the first day. The RV has a fresh water capacity of 110 gallons so we knew we didn’t use that much water in one day. I surmised later that we were losing water through the overfill lines on the fresh water tank. I now cap these lines before we head out on the road. Seems to me KZ could have come up with a better way to engineer this.
4. Tires—I noticed abnormal wear of the right rear tire during the first season of use. Upon examining the tire I noticed tread separation and quickly replaced it. I had to replace another tire the following year and the other two the year after because I noticed that they were beginning to exhibit the same problem and I just didn’t trust them. I did not contact KZ because after having researched the problem on various web sites, I learned that the tires were manufactured in China, under the brand name Milestar and that KZ was aware of this problem and refused to do anything about it, referring complaints to the tire importer. I did not want to go through such a laborious process and replaced all tires out of pocket.
5. Battery compartment—this compartment is too small. It’s extremely hard to remove/install the batteries for winter storage. At the beginning of this year the original batteries were not holding a charge so I decided to upgrade them to a more heavy duty type. But to my discouragement I found that the battery compartment was too small to accept a larger size battery. The compartment had to be enlarged in order for me to upgrade to better batteries. Seems to me KZ should have planned for this.
6. Grey water capacity—for the four years we’ve owned this unit we’ve thought it peculiar that the galley gray water holding tank would fill up in about a day or two. Wondering if there was a clog somewhere, I lowered the under-panel in the area of the tank and found that it was completely undersized. This tank can be no bigger than 7 to 10 gallons! Not sure if this is a cost-cutting measure or not. I can hardly believe it could be a weight issue.
7. Slide out—during our second trip of this season, while packing up to leave we could not get the slide to retract all the way in. The gears seemed to be slipping and the manual crank would not work either. We had to manually push the slide in and cargo strap it to the frame so it would not slide out during transit. I finally found a dealer close to home that services KZ (Access RV in Salt Lake City) and took it into them for repair. It was July 27th when I took the unit in for repair. It is now August 21st and the unit is still not repaired. We’ve had to cancel two outings because our trailer is in the shop. It seems the dealer is having trouble locating parts for the slide mechanism. The dealer claims he has contacted KZ and they could not determine who the slide manufacturer was. Finally, after two weeks of emails and phone calls between KZ and the dealer the correct manufacturer has been found, only to backorder the needed parts.
8. Brakes and wheel bearings—while the RV is waiting repair of the slide-out, I had the dealership look at the axle alignment because one of the new tires I had to purchase is exhibiting abnormal wear as well. They told me there is nothing wrong with the axle alignment and that the tire in question is the problem, which I find hard to believe. They did, however, tell me that the brake assemblies needed to be replaced because they were covered in grease due to what they called “use of wheel buddies” lubrication fittings. They informed me that these components do not lubricate “pack” the wheel bearings and should only be used to prevent moisture from entering the bearing assemblies, e.g., boat trailers. Why do RV manufacturers (KZ) install these on over-the-road RVs when they serve no functional purpose and will damage the brake assemblies if used?
Our experience with this RV has been anything but satisfactory. Customer service is horrible from both KZ and their limited dealerships/service centers. The overall quality of the unit itself in subpar. Moldings are coming off, nails are popping through, and cabinet seems are coming apart. The shower surround leaks through to the underlayment and water can be seen dripping on the ground anytime someone is using the shower. Tie-downs in the cargo area are not adequate or functionally placed. The slide out side window guides and locking mechanisms are non-functional and cheaply manufactured. Moreover, there is a general lack of craftsmanship throughout.
It may appear, and I can only hope, that KZ has corrected these issues with their later models, but that doesn’t benefit the owners of previous models who have paid, or still owe a lot of money and can’t afford to upgrade to a newer model.
P.S.
We have established an RV-type club with friends and family here in Utah. Most of the members have toy haulers, but a few are looking to upgrade to a toy hauler so they won't have to "double haul" there ATV trailers. I find it discomforting that I can't in good conscience recommend a KZ product to them due to the problems and the quality issues that I've experienced.
This is our 3rd RV so we’re no strangers to the RV community. We have experienced more problems with this RV then our previous two RVs combined. Here’s a list of the major problems:
1. No outside storage—the only area to store anything externally is a small area in the front compartment that houses the generator. There is ample room for external storage underneath the unit between the outside of the frame and the side skirt. KZ should have thought about this at the time. However, it appears the newer models do have external storage.
2. Fuel gauge—the fuel gauge is located in the cargo area and in order to read the fuel level in the fuel tank you have to go outside, turn on the fuel pump and go back inside to read the gauge. I simply rewired the gauge and added a toggle switch located next to it to eliminate this inconvenience. Not sure if the newer models have the same problem but, KZ should have thought about this at the time.
3. First trip out in the Spring of 2009—when we arrived at our camp site we noticed that the carpet was soaked with water in the area right behind the slide out. It had been raining on the trip and I assumed water was being thrown up from the rear tires and gaining access through a hole in the cheap sealing material just behind the rear tire. I sealed it as best I could when we returned home and this problem has not returned so I believe it’s solved. During this same trip the kitchen faucet broke spaying water all over the interior of the unit. I sealed it with some duct tape to get us through the trip and replaced the faucet when we got home, as I had no desire to take the 150 mile trip to Idaho for warranty service. Additionally, during the same trip, we noticed that we were almost out of water the first day. The RV has a fresh water capacity of 110 gallons so we knew we didn’t use that much water in one day. I surmised later that we were losing water through the overfill lines on the fresh water tank. I now cap these lines before we head out on the road. Seems to me KZ could have come up with a better way to engineer this.
4. Tires—I noticed abnormal wear of the right rear tire during the first season of use. Upon examining the tire I noticed tread separation and quickly replaced it. I had to replace another tire the following year and the other two the year after because I noticed that they were beginning to exhibit the same problem and I just didn’t trust them. I did not contact KZ because after having researched the problem on various web sites, I learned that the tires were manufactured in China, under the brand name Milestar and that KZ was aware of this problem and refused to do anything about it, referring complaints to the tire importer. I did not want to go through such a laborious process and replaced all tires out of pocket.
5. Battery compartment—this compartment is too small. It’s extremely hard to remove/install the batteries for winter storage. At the beginning of this year the original batteries were not holding a charge so I decided to upgrade them to a more heavy duty type. But to my discouragement I found that the battery compartment was too small to accept a larger size battery. The compartment had to be enlarged in order for me to upgrade to better batteries. Seems to me KZ should have planned for this.
6. Grey water capacity—for the four years we’ve owned this unit we’ve thought it peculiar that the galley gray water holding tank would fill up in about a day or two. Wondering if there was a clog somewhere, I lowered the under-panel in the area of the tank and found that it was completely undersized. This tank can be no bigger than 7 to 10 gallons! Not sure if this is a cost-cutting measure or not. I can hardly believe it could be a weight issue.
7. Slide out—during our second trip of this season, while packing up to leave we could not get the slide to retract all the way in. The gears seemed to be slipping and the manual crank would not work either. We had to manually push the slide in and cargo strap it to the frame so it would not slide out during transit. I finally found a dealer close to home that services KZ (Access RV in Salt Lake City) and took it into them for repair. It was July 27th when I took the unit in for repair. It is now August 21st and the unit is still not repaired. We’ve had to cancel two outings because our trailer is in the shop. It seems the dealer is having trouble locating parts for the slide mechanism. The dealer claims he has contacted KZ and they could not determine who the slide manufacturer was. Finally, after two weeks of emails and phone calls between KZ and the dealer the correct manufacturer has been found, only to backorder the needed parts.
8. Brakes and wheel bearings—while the RV is waiting repair of the slide-out, I had the dealership look at the axle alignment because one of the new tires I had to purchase is exhibiting abnormal wear as well. They told me there is nothing wrong with the axle alignment and that the tire in question is the problem, which I find hard to believe. They did, however, tell me that the brake assemblies needed to be replaced because they were covered in grease due to what they called “use of wheel buddies” lubrication fittings. They informed me that these components do not lubricate “pack” the wheel bearings and should only be used to prevent moisture from entering the bearing assemblies, e.g., boat trailers. Why do RV manufacturers (KZ) install these on over-the-road RVs when they serve no functional purpose and will damage the brake assemblies if used?
Our experience with this RV has been anything but satisfactory. Customer service is horrible from both KZ and their limited dealerships/service centers. The overall quality of the unit itself in subpar. Moldings are coming off, nails are popping through, and cabinet seems are coming apart. The shower surround leaks through to the underlayment and water can be seen dripping on the ground anytime someone is using the shower. Tie-downs in the cargo area are not adequate or functionally placed. The slide out side window guides and locking mechanisms are non-functional and cheaply manufactured. Moreover, there is a general lack of craftsmanship throughout.
It may appear, and I can only hope, that KZ has corrected these issues with their later models, but that doesn’t benefit the owners of previous models who have paid, or still owe a lot of money and can’t afford to upgrade to a newer model.
P.S.
We have established an RV-type club with friends and family here in Utah. Most of the members have toy haulers, but a few are looking to upgrade to a toy hauler so they won't have to "double haul" there ATV trailers. I find it discomforting that I can't in good conscience recommend a KZ product to them due to the problems and the quality issues that I've experienced.