kandj
Newbie RV’er
Posts: 8
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Post by kandj on Mar 6, 2018 11:43:51 GMT -5
Hello to the KZ family. My husband and I are getting ready to retire fulltime in a fifth wheel later this year. We are interested in the Durango Gold, the 366FBT and the 384RLT. For those of you who have either of these models, are you pulling with a DRW or an SRW? We will be purchasing a 3500 truck and are debating the wheels.
Also for those with the 384RLT, it looks like you can't get to the bathroom and bedroom when traveling unless you open a slide. Looks like my only drawback to this floor plan...
Any dealer recommendations near or in PA?
Looking forward to learning from all of you!
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Post by Chuck on Mar 6, 2018 13:03:43 GMT -5
kandj Welcome to the form  We have the Durango Gold an really, really love it, tons of room once the slides are open, tons an I mean tons of storage thought out the trailer an in the storage ares under the trailer ... You are able to get to the bathroom, frig, dinning room table, pantry an bed in the bedroom thought the hall door or bathroom door. If you roll over the bed you can get to the walk-in closet but not to any of the draws at the end of the bed do to the fact the bed is snug up against the cabinet when the slide is closed ... As far as pulling it with a single wheel I believe 3/4 ton truck jetzen who has the same trailer a G384RLT seems to have no problems pulling his(i'm sure he will pipe an comment), we have a dual wheel long bed 1 ton F350 Ford which we pull our 5th wheel with an it pulls just fine ... What I will say an some may agree an some not but the dual wheel setup to be is more stable in the wind an I believe it provides a better platform for pulling a larger 5th wheel... You can also haul more weight with a dual wheel 1 ton setup than a single wheel 3/4 ton setup by a few thousand pounds an thus worry about being over weight with a heavy trailer (we are talking pin an overall weights)... Remember you can pull almost anything with just about any truck within reason, the issue here is can you pull it safely an stop, an when I mean stop can you stop such in a reasonable distance in a emergency or panic stop ... As far as dealers in PA, the seems to be a great dealer from what I have read on here in Eastern Western PA or North Eastern Ohio next to the border of such (again I'm sure jetzen or someone will pipe in on such) Welcome to the form an if you do get you Kz 5th wheel don't forget about the Kz National Rally in August, there is only a few spots left an we would be glad to see your new Durango Gold no matter what model you have  I almost forgot, check out the Durango folder as well on the form for lots of comments regarding Durango Golds an different models Safe Travels Chuck |
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Post by lynnmor on Mar 6, 2018 15:13:08 GMT -5
Hello,
I have heard good reports on a dealer in the far north eastern part of PA. My experiences with a dealer in east central PA and one in north central MD were extremely bad. I won’t discuss much of it on the forum, it likely would just lead to hard feelings. Where do you live in PA?
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Post by jetzen on Mar 6, 2018 16:18:16 GMT -5
Hi kandj and welcome to the forum. The Durango Gold G384RLT is a great choice. Everything is accessible with the slides closed. The bathroom, bedroom, fridge, pantry, living room are all accessible. The bedroom cabinets and drawers are also accessible if you lift the bed platform.As far as towing I tow mine with a 2500 Ram. It has a 3100 pound cargo and 210000 GCWR. The pin weight of my trailer as loaded is 2850 and my trailer weighs in at 13510. Weight on the trailer axles as I have it loaded is 10660. My gross combination as loaded is 19973.
As far as dealers there are 2 that I know of Hufnagle/Majors in Zeleinople Pa. Which is in SW Pa. Or there is Hartville RV which is in Hartville Ohio which is close to Akron.
I have had dual rear wheel 3500 trucks in the past and have not noticed any difference in stability towing a 5th wheel. Some people like the fact that there is a precieved safety factor having extra wheels/tires on the rear. |
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Post by Chuck on Mar 6, 2018 18:34:18 GMT -5
One thing I forgot to add was that you can not get into the kitchen drawers when the slides are closed on our G384RLT, so what we do is one of two things, open the slide enough to get the silverware draw open or use silverware that we have put in the pantry so we do not have to open the slides ... Of course to avoid either stopping at a Cracker Barrel or truck stop to eat is always an option Safe Travels an again welcoem to the form Chuck |
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Post by mtcowgirl on Mar 6, 2018 21:31:30 GMT -5
We have a 366 gold. It has two bathrooms and the half bath is totally accessible with slides in. You cannot get to frig, but you can get to pantry. We don't mind having to open the slide partway to get to the frig. We have the RV frig and love it. We dry camp a lot and the residential frig just wouldn't work for us. Love having the two bathrooms too. It's amazing how much they get used at the same time! Also love the large front bathroom and huge closet. It's just the two of us and our dog so we have plenty of room. We both cook so having the island for prep space is great. Love our Gold!! We tow with a 5500 Ram yes not a typo a 5500 2-ton Ram. As you can imagine handles the trailer great. Our previous tow vehicle was dually gas Chevy. Loved that truck but it worked hard to pull our previous 5er. Handled the load fine. But the stopping power of the diesel with the exhaust brake and tow haul mode can't be beat in my opinion.
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Post by rvdude on Mar 6, 2018 23:59:19 GMT -5
Good luck with your decision and purchase. One thing to think about, since you will be full timing in the one you buy, is the washer and dryer location. The 366 has the washer on one side of the bedroom closet and the dryer on the other side of the bedroom closet. The 384 has a separate closet downstairs for the washer and dryer, therefore you do not have to give up closet space and fight the clothes in the closet to get your laundry done. That's just my opinion and it may not be an issue for you. I just wanted to point that out just in case. Better to think of things like that before purchase instead of when it's too late.
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Post by johnr on Mar 7, 2018 7:40:44 GMT -5
Hi, welcome to the group!
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Post by spadoctor2 on Mar 7, 2018 8:58:40 GMT -5
I have purchased a Durango and a Spree from CNEER RV in Equinunk PA...just north of Honesdale. Chuck and Audrey are the best dealer I have ever done business with since buying my first rv in 1983.
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Post by Chuck on Mar 7, 2018 12:46:23 GMT -5
Good luck with your decision and purchase. One thing to think about, since you will be full timing in the one you buy, is the washer and dryer location. The 366 has the washer on one side of the bedroom closet and the dryer on the other side of the bedroom closet. The 384 has a separate closet downstairs for the washer and dryer, therefore you do not have to give up closet space and fight the clothes in the closet to get your laundry done. That's just my opinion and it may not be an issue for you. I just wanted to point that out just in case. Better to think of things like that before purchase instead of when it's too late. What rvdude means is the washer an dryer are off the main living space, once entering the trailer if you look to you right you will see the pantry door on the left (has glass in it) an another solid door on the right, that is were the washer an dryer go. Many trailers have them in the bedroom walk-in an takes up space, Kz was smart enough to see that an changed it around in the 384's ... I will say when the slides are closed you can not get into the washer an dryer closet Oh yes, one other thing, we all have had a steep learning curve on the leveling system on the Durango Golds no matter what model. when doing you PDI make sure that the RV Tech explains this system in detail an has you not him operate it six or seven times an take lots of notes ... It's not a bad system but it has allot of functions that can be used in lower an raising all the jacks ... The is a pretty large discussion in the Durango Gold folder here on the form about such ... As well Light switchs, gray an black water tank indicators, awning lights, inside lights, stove oven lighting which brings up the subject ... Your oven is self light, no matches needed, it take a bit to learn (at least for us) an jetzen had a class on such at the rally last year on how to do this in our trailer... So if you buy the 384 come to the rally an jetzen I'm sure will give another class on such, but if not make sure when doing you PDI the RV Tech shows how to do such Oh an one other thing is that at least in our 384 an I believe in jetzen 384 there is no CD player, the DW like to watch movies at times in the evening or if it's raining during the day ... Thus we had to buy a CD player to do such, this may be a chance to jab the dealer a little (not a deal beaker) for a CD installed in your trailer on their dime as a perk for buying such  Again Safe Travels an welcome to the form Chuck |
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Post by jetzen on Mar 7, 2018 13:38:57 GMT -5
CD/DVD players are standart equipment again. Seems only the 2017 and early 2018 didn't have them. Sucks to be us. LOL
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Post by Chuck on Mar 7, 2018 14:14:01 GMT -5
Well maybe if we hold are mouth right at the rally an beg allot on hands an knees an  we could get such Safe travel my friend Chuck |
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Post by Edd505 on Mar 10, 2018 21:08:04 GMT -5
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