Forum Discussion

flash82's avatar
flash82
Explorer
Aug 27, 2013

Jayco 17z and Kodiak 172e

Hi. Looking to upgrade from our coleman popup. We have been inside a jayco x17z and like it. Just saw , in pictures only, the Kodiak 172. Can anyone comment on this unit.?

The jayco appears to have more inside storage but the Kodiak has more features at a cheaper price (lower quality). ie... larger awning (electric), shower surround, pass though storage. I just don't know enough about the brand.

Thanks
  • Campfire_Time's avatar
    Campfire_Time
    Explorer
    Aug 27, 2013
    Speaking of the low cargo capacity, back when HTTs were a pretty new concept, most if not all the 16/17 ft models were only 7ft wide and had wet baths instead of a bathroom, and small 3.5 cf fridges. Our old '03 Kiwi still had a cc of about 800# AFTER the options were added in. It had a GVWR of 3500# and a dry weight of 2300#. Now even the 17ft HTTs are 8 ft wide, have full bathrooms, 5-6 cf fridges, entertainment systems, etc. And they still only have a 3500# GVWR. I believe this is to maintain the illusion that they can be towed by a family of 4 with a mini-van.

    bikendan wrote:

    and i still don't get why so many don't carry at least some water.


    We never did because we never really saw a need to. Yes, I know, it can be convenient when making a "pit stop", but more often than not when we did travel far, we stopped at nicer places anyway. Now we're only making 4 hour trips at most and we usually have a city water when arriving.
  • bikendan's avatar
    bikendan
    Explorer
    Aug 27, 2013
    Campfire Time wrote:
    And they still only have a 3500# GVWR. I believe this is to maintain the illusion that they can be towed by a family of 4 with a mini-van.

    SO SO TRUE!

    bikendan wrote:

    and i still don't get why so many don't carry at least some water.


    We never did because we never really saw a need to. Yes, I know, it can be convenient when making a "pit stop", but more often than not when we did travel far, we stopped at nicer places anyway. Now we're only making 4 hour trips at most and we usually have a city water when arriving.
    our Calif. state parks have less than 1% of their campsites with hookups. so having a full tank of water is very necessary when you only have one water spigot for every 8 or so campsites.
  • RandK-M's avatar
    RandK-M
    Explorer
    Aug 28, 2013
    I guess the water thing depends a lot on where you live and what type of camping you do. Bikendan has lots of great parks in California. We have some in upstate NY, but not a lot. Promise Land Park in PA is nice too.

    I always camp at full hookup sites. Part of the reasons is because of health limitation issues, so the less work the better.

    We always have some water in the tank for the road and convenience, but rarely more than 1/3rd tank.

    I have the 17Z and the cargo capacity has never been an issue. It's only the two of us since our son passed, and we don't have a need for a lot of "stuff" when we camp. We love out little Mighty Mite Jayco 17Z. It has everything we need and even has a sofa and a dinette which many smaller ones don't have.

    I did replace the wheels and tires with 14" radials. My original tires had some cracks and the load range D 13" tires are special order and not stocked most places. The 14" are common and even have a few extra pounds capacity.

    Ray
  • flash82's avatar
    flash82
    Explorer
    Sep 01, 2013
    Thanks everyone.
    Looks like we might be getting a Starcraft 176rb. It has a bigger freezer, shower surround and weighs about 270lbs more then the Jayco. The GVWR is 3995. I still think if we don't carry water and pack light (have for the last 3 years)we should be Ok with our TV. Have a prodigy already and am getting a WDH.
  • bikendan's avatar
    bikendan
    Explorer
    Sep 01, 2013
    flash82 wrote:
    Thanks everyone.
    Looks like we might be getting a Starcraft 176rb. It has a bigger freezer, shower surround and weighs about 270lbs more then the Jayco. The GVWR is 3995.


    where did you get the GVWR of 3995lbs.?
    at Starcraft's website, the GVWR of the 176RB is 3500lbs.
    176RB specs
  • Padlin's avatar
    Padlin
    Explorer
    Sep 02, 2013
    FWIW, we have a CCC of just over 300 lbs. While certainly not desirable, it has not caused any issue or forced us to carry any less then we wish. I do try and not travel with full tanks but do on occasion. Not all CG's have dump stations which means after extended stays full waste tanks and partial fresh at times, maybe 400 lbs just in liquids. Ideal for the 2 of us would be more like 700lbs of CCC, but it is what it is. I was watching GVWR like many do to try buy a trailer to fit an existing too small TV. Didn't know about CCC, or much else at the time.

    At the start of a trip I have maybe 3 gallons in the black, nothing in the grey, and half a tank in the fresh. Roughly 15 gallons or 120 lbs. Once in a while if staying at a local state park the fresh will be full.

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