If you’ve been visiting another planet, you may not know that RV sales are on fire here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. While that’s not news, the reaction of RV companies is certainly interesting. Since that’s where I focus my attention, I like seeing the differences in how things are done.
A number of companies have just taken the opportunity to turn the production knob to 11 and put up their feet and lit a cigar. That’s certainly one way of handling things. But another way is to use the attention being paid to the RV space to show off some new and exciting models.
I’m going to put the folks at Jayco into the pool of people taking the opportunity to do new things. One example of that is a new, large fifth wheel in the form of the Jayco North Point 380RKGS.
North Point 380RKGS
The Jayco North Point 380RKGS is a large fifth wheel featuring the kitchen at the back and the main bedroom up front. We’ve looked at higher-end fifth wheels that have rear kitchens in the past, including the Riverstone Reserve 3860RK, the Grand Design Solitude 390RK-R and the Heartland Big Country 3703RK.
We’ve also talked about nuances in the past—that’s what can make the difference between one model and something that is similar.
The devil is in the details
One of the complaints I’ve heard about these rear kitchen models is the lack of a dining table. While I would be fine without this feature, I’m also not the person who’s going to buy one of these for myself.
So Jayco has a pull-out island in the kitchen that, in turn, has a pull-out extension. This could be used to dramatically increase the amount of prep space. Or you could also use the included chairs to make this into a dining area.
This section effectively pulls out in two pieces. The main portion has the same solid counter tops as the rest of the kitchen and matches that. The second extension on an extension features a butcher block top.
Of course, this is where you could do food prep, naturally. But this whole piece could also serve as a dining table. You could also leave the main section in and just use the butcher block section if that’s what you need. Or you could leave the whole thing in and just have an open dance floor upstairs, created by the opposing slides in the kitchen.
This is a large space
It’s quite a large space, indeed. If you just have two folks who are enjoying a meal, then they could also use the permanent breakfast bar that lords over the main living space of this fifth wheel.
As you would expect in a more premium fifth wheel, this one has all the features for making meal prep as much like being in a house as possible. These features include a large four-burner Insignia stove, 30” convection microwave, plenty of counter prep space with premium countertops and a residential fridge.
But I like how flexible this space is. You can use it with the extension in and still have a huge amount of counter space. Or you can extend that and get either additional eating space or prep space.
Front living in the middle
The living space in this trailer is much like you might expect in a front living model, except it’s in the middle. What I mean by that is that there are dual opposing sofas, each of which is in a slide. Of course, these also fold out to become beds for two. Theater seats sit directly opposite a large TV with an electric fireplace below that. Whoever made the color and material choices for this model really knocked it out of the park. At least to my taste.
To me this “well” kind of makes the trailer feel more luxurious like a house with a large TV and fireplace on a wall that’s the focal point of the space.
I mentioned how much I like the appearance of the interior, but there are two choices that Jayco offers: the “Classic Cottage” and “Modern Farmhouse.”
U win in the Jayco North Point 380RKGS
The back of the trailer is also raised like the front would be. The steps to get up into the rear of the trailer are just in from the entry door. I like that Jayco put a shoe garage under the steps.
Upstairs there’s a true queen-sized bed in a road-side slide which faces a large closet and a smaller one with drawers underneath. There’s also a bench and a TV.
If you prefer there, is a king bed option on this.
The bathroom is what you’d expect in a premium fifth wheel with a long counter and surface-mounted bowl sink. There is a large shower here, too, with a flip-down seat/stand made of teak that Jayco states is good for 300 lbs. of capacity.
That brings up another point being that Jayco does warrant this trailer for full-time living with their two-year general and three-year structural warranty.
Outside
The exterior of this trailer bears mention, as well. One of the things that might be a “love it or leave it” situation is the outside kitchen, which is at the rear of the trailer.
That kitchen features a genuine Blackstone griddle on a sliding drawer. It has an extension that features a flat table. The whole drawer mechanism is metal, as is a drawer behind the Blackstone griddle—so you don’t have to worry about burning the surface.
There is also a small refrigerator (110 volt) and a proper sink with drain in the cabinet that holds the outdoor kitchen.
This is one of those fifth wheels where the rear deck is raised like the front of the trailer. This facilitates a lot of storage under the rear deck. In others like this, such as the Grand Design Solitude 390RK-R, this entire rear space is storage. We’ve seen this same kitchen in the Jayco North Point 382FLRB.
But in the Jayco, a chunk of this space is occupied by that kitchen. Let’s be honest. There is still quite a bit of space in the back of this fifth wheel but not as much as there could be if there weren’t a kitchen back here, obviously. So I can see some folks wishing for the storage rather than the kitchen.
I guess it all depends on how much stuff you’re bringing.
The Jayco North Point 380RKGS is fully functional in a large temperature range
I do like that there are two large awnings on this model as standard. As mentioned before, Jayco tests their trailers and certifies that they’re capable of being fully functional in temperatures from 0°-100°F. However, if you’re thinking of camping in that weather, there is an upgraded refrigerator designed to work well in the colder weather.
I also like that they’re using very high capacity Goodyear Eagle “Beast” trailer tires along with heavy duty suspension components. Jayco has also made quite a fuss about its roofing and wall construction—which makes sense.
Jayco also has features that I really like including their JaySMART™ lighting, which flashes marker lights when you use the turn signals. The company also has other qualitative features including their MagnaTruss roofing.
In summary
The only controversy I see is the outdoor kitchen just because I’ve seen trailers with this general floor plan with more storage. But life is all about weighing your priorities. If your priority is a great kitchen, this could be a great choice.
Now, what are you going to put in that five-gallon drinking jug that’s supposed to be for water with a tap in the kitchen?
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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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##RVT1035
I guess I’m one of the few who dislikes white interiors. I just can’t understand why someone would want that. Also, the absence of carpet- carpet feels good under your feet and takes no more care than a smooth floor. Just my opinions.
If this were mine, I’d get some large throw-rug type carpets. Though you might have to fold them over to close the slides.
We toured a Grand Design fiver a few years back. The owner said his biggest beef was that you couldn’t open one slide – or two. You could only open them all. All or nothing. I wonder how many of these big fivers suffer from this same problem.
There seems to be a lack of interior kitchen storage in this unit. With all this great kitchen detail there seems to be a lack of space to store your gourmet cooking utensils.
Having guests for dinner seems to be another problem. While you sit at the breakfast bar, it looks like your guests would be sitting behind you looking at your backs. There doesn’t seem to be room for opposite-facing chairs at the extendable cutting board area.
Also, no place next to the bed for bedside “stuff”.
The floor plan definitely shows bedside shelf. I wonder if the picture is of the King bed option?