Sometimes you’re really happy with your lot in life and everything seems hunky dory. Then you see something else and you realize that the thing that made you super thrilled could be improved upon. Darn it.
Such is the case with RVs. Just when I think I’ve seen the coolest thing ever, along comes something cooler and that first thing isn’t as cool. That’s what I was thinking when a reader asked me to take a look at the KZ RV Durango Gold G391RKQ.
The KZ RV Durango Gold 391RKQ a large fifth wheel with a rear kitchen and central living room. It’s a floor plan type that we’ve looked at before in things like the 2021 Riverstone Reserve 3850RK, Grand Design Solitude 390RK-R and Heartland Big Country 3703RK.
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Rear kitchen
One of the first things that people usually share in their comments about rear kitchen trailers is how the kitchen, behind the axles, is really shaken when going down the road. I was curious about this recently and put a couple of cans of carbonated water in the medicine cabinet of my own travel trailer to see what would happen when I rolled down the road.
The road I traveled was your typical U.S. road where the surface could seriously use some maintenance. I hesitantly opened the can of carbonated water after a few hours of driving and it didn’t do anything different than a can of carbonated water in the refrigerator in the middle of my trailer over the axle would do.
The next thing I should try is putting my GoPro in the back of the RV to see what all goes on when driving on those lousy roads we tend to find in our adventures. I’m still impressed every time I go anywhere that the cabinets on the walls of the trailer are still even up there.
Refrigerator
So, included in that discussion of things behind the axle has to be the refrigerator, which is only a GE residential model in this. What I was referring to when I said I came across something that changed my mind was the service access panel I saw in the Jayco 321RSTS. It made the whole idea of a residential refrigerator so much more palatable to me.
But I’m not opposed to the good old-fashioned gas-electric fridge. I really love the 12-volt fridges that are coming out now and are specifically designed for a mobile environment. This has neither of those as an option at this point.
Back to the kitchen in the KZ RV Durango Gold 391RKQ
There are a number of things I did really like in this kitchen. Those include the big four-burner Insignia stove with a real, residential-style oven, the 30” convection microwave, and the fact that all the cabinets are soft close. The doors in the cabinets also feature a magnetic latch so you get both sprung hinges and a magnetic latch.
Another nice touch in the kitchen is the garbage can on a drawer slide. I’m always happy to see a provision for things like shoes and trash, and this has the trash in a great place.
But the coolest thing in the kitchen was the large slide-out drawers in the counter “L” extension. There are long extension drawers in this counter space. Pretty slick.
Work or eat?
A lot of us have taken to working on the road, and this fifth wheel gives us a better option than sitting at the dining table to work. You can choose that dining table, but there’s also a desk available instead. Interestingly, this is referred to in company materials as the “Full Timer’s Desk Option.” So you folks who aren’t living in your rigs, you’re just not going to get any work done.
Seriously, though, on the subject of full-time RV living this rig, is warrantied for two years for any use including full-time living. If you didn’t know, some RVs’ warranty is denied if you use it for full-time living. So this makes a lot of sense. A rig this large might be more likely owned by someone who chooses to live in it.
The roof
Jayco makes a lot of noise with videos and pictures all over their website about how good their “Magnum Truss” roofing system is. This rig uses a laminated roof that incorporates aluminum trusses, which is actually my preference. We stopped using wood in the construction of cars about 70 years ago. I wouldn’t mind seeing wood disappear from the construction of RVs a few yesterdays ago. I’m sure there are plenty of people who are happy with it. I’m just not one of those, so I applaud KZ RV for the way they build this roof.
Upstairs in the KZ RV Durango Gold 391RKQ
There are a few things worth noting upstairs. Starting with the bathroom, it features a fairly large shower that incorporates a seat molded into the plastic enclosure. That has all the right functionality, but I really like the seat arrangement in the Riverstone, which has a flip-up teak seat.
The bedroom in this rig features a king-sized bed that incorporates a power lift mechanism to raise the head of the bed so you can sit up and read or watch TV. This is pretty slick. However, the switch is on the ceiling of the slide room. That means as you’re laying the bed flat, at some point you have to either stop pressing the button or you have to sit up.
That bed faces east-west so the entire nose cap is a closet in this rig. However, there is a section of the closet that is segregated out and could accommodate a stacking washer and dryer unit. I do like the shoe storage in the closet.
There’s also a laundry container in the bedroom upstairs. That is far better than “that green bag” that my wife and I use.
Storage
Storage in the front of this unit is pretty good, but it’s bested by the Grand Design where the rear floor is raised and there’s storage underneath which is accessible from the outside.
What’s the difference
How the heck does one decide which of these fairly similar rigs is the one for you? A few things I like about this are the soft-close cabinet doors, the frameless windows and the warranty that includes full-time living.
But now that I’ve seen an access panel on the Jayco to service the refrigerator, I’m going to judge others that don’t have this. Just as I saw the fire escape ladders built into the Tiffin motorhomes and think that should be standard.
Would I choose the KZ RV Durango Gold 391RKQ?
So which of these would you choose? I like some of the build thinking on this rig, particularly the ceiling. But I love the storage in the Grand Design and I also like the desk in the Riverstone. Since these rigs all offer the same floor plan and many of the same appliances, it would be a matter of stepping into the space and evaluating them with your own personal eye.
Tony comes to RVTravel having worked at an RV dealership and been a life long RV enthusiast. He also has written the syndicated Curbside column about cars. You can find his writing here and at StressLessCamping where he also has a podcast about the RV life with his wife.
These RV reviews are written based on information provided by the manufacturers along with our writer’s own research. We receive no money or other financial benefits from these reviews. They are intended only as a brief overview of the vehicle, not a comprehensive critique, which would require a thorough inspection and/or test drive.
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We have a KZ. Stoneridge 5th wheel. 38 foot/4. Slide. It is as big as a 1 bedroom apt. (small apt.) It is an amazing work of decor, design and neutral colors. We were looking to upgrade at precisely the moment it came in on trade for a toy hauler. The craftsmanship is very nice and a lot of details were applied. We’ve owned it 5 years. (Live in it). Small minor issues, spendy, but no different from stick and brick upkeep
Tony, as usual for you, this was an informative and interesting review of a rig and company about which I knew very little. This company apparently has been around a long time. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
I won’t be buying any 42′ fifth wheels for full-time RVing anytime soon. But, if I did, I would certainly prefer that the “full-timer” desk replace the curbside sofa in the living area than the dining table and chairs. What good does it do to have two queen-size sofa beds for guests if only two of the six people sleeping in the trailer can sit at the dinner table at any one time? Do they provide TV trays or airline-style pull-up tables for the other four diners? Or maybe eat in three shifts? I’m kidding, of course, but meal seating for four, combined with sleeping accommodations for four, would seem to be important to more RVers than dining for two and sleeping for six.
Good comment, Steve. We had friends who had a massive diesel pusher that sat two for dinner. Others had to sit with TV trays on the couch to eat. I thought that a bit odd for a coach costing north of $250k.
Totally.