rear kitchen

We have a Coleman 268RK and the floor plan suits us wonderfully. We have never had problems with shifting in the cabinets but we keep things secure in bins, baskets and other containers. That's something we have always done anyway. The only time we had a problem was when some impatient driver behind us thought we were the cork in the bottle and passed us, just to stop short on us when he couldn't get by the truck in front of us going slow. I had to stop rather abruptly to keep from going into his bumper.

I do make it a point to drain the kitchen grey tank before we leave any campground due to the added and unwanted weight. The trailer will pull a bit squirley if the tongue gets light. The separate kitchen grey tank requires added lengths of sewer hose to be on hand.

Find the floor plan that suits you best, then make it yours.

camperforlife.
we too love our RK.
but your statement
"If a RK was as bad as some make them out to be, there would't be so many floor plans offering them"
as discussed so many times, the manufactures should have to live in them for 45 days to evaluate them before putting on market. so many stupid ideas that never work.
2 of my cabinet doors cant be opened if ceiling fan is running. if they had moved it just 1" further it would be OK. cad drawings make it look good, but not in real life.

The real answer is "it depends". I've owned two mid kitchen trailers and I just traded a rear kitchen for another rear kitchen. My last RK only had a little over 8% tongue weight and towed squirrely unless I had a full tank of fresh water which was in the front of the trailer.

The current RK has nearly 13% tongue weight and tows just fine. We have never noticed any more movement of dishes in either rear kitchen but the first one had the EZ-Flex suspension and the new one has MorRyde.

If a RK was as bad as some make them out to be, there would't be so many floor plans offering them. I even had someone tell me once how badly my trailer was designed because it had a door near the back and close to the rear kitchen and I would never be able to keep my stove lit. I can say we had that trailer for 6 years and not once did the stove blow out or even become difficult to light. I just scratch my head with comments from experts who never owned one.

The bottom line is make sure there is adequate tongue weight of at least 10%+ of total weight which holds true for any trailer. Beyond that, get the floor plan you want.

I would also agree that a rear kitchen design could lighten the tongue weight.
If that's the case with the model you choose, pack heavier items in front storage compartments or add a second battery on the tongue etc .

One other thing to consider. If the model you choose has a fridge located on the rear wall, then the leveling of the trailer from side to side will be more important than a floorplan with the fridge located on a sidewall. (read the 3 vs 6 degree leveling rule ) .
Its easier to make a TT level using the front to rear elec. tongue jack opposed to placing boards under tires.
It is also a factor, if your travel style involves parking your TV/trailer combo in parking lots while you sightsee or eat.
Some people find it easier to shut the fridge off for those periods of time, things will remain cold as long as you do not open the door and you won't have to level the rig.

ex. of the 3/6 degree rule in modern rv absorbtion fridges.
leveling the fridge forum post

fla-gypsy wrote:
I've had both and there is a difference. The rear kitchen will put more weight in the back which lightens the tongue and depending on the trailer can make it a bit less stable. In addition the back end always moves more and can cause disruption to cabinet and refrig contents.

We currently have a short couple's trailer in which the galley is located over the axles but the fridge is along the rear wall of the trailer. We never have problems with any of the galley cabinet contents getting tossed around but the fridge is a different story and we often do find it's contents in disarray unless we're careful to pack things tightly so they can't shift. My gross tongue weight is also less than I would prefer, no doubt due to the heavy fridge being located so far aft of the axles, so despite the attraction of a rear kitchen floor plan I doubt I could ever persuaded to buy one.

I've had both and there is a difference. The rear kitchen will put more weight in the back which lightens the tongue and depending on the trailer can make it a bit less stable. In addition the back end always moves more and can cause disruption to cabinet and refrig contents.

Od Duck
are you saying you think there is a difference.

"but truthfully ours have been an issue"

we have a rear kitchen, and my wife does pack using some paper towels to help stabilize.
we love the rear kitchen.

Surveyor 264RK. Love it. No problems. We put our food items in baskets in rear cupboard for less movement. Much nicer setup than our last trailer with mid kitchen. Wouldn't buy anything but RK now.

I've had two and can't tell a difference. If you can find one where the fridge is on the side wall it will help but truthfully ours have been an issue on bounce. Shocks IMO are a must and both have had the,

Might break a few plates...