Back kitchen

[Collex01]

Is a rear kitchen in a fifth wheel a problem? I have heard that they are good to have and others say to just pack them differently. We are first time RVers so trying to find the right one.

[fireman93514]

We thought about trading in on a 5er with a rear kitchen. like everyone says lots of counter space. Then we looked at rear lounge models with the large back windows. When you back into a space frequently the best view is out the back. In the long run we decided to keep the MH. It also has a big window in the back.

[jamway]

Yes we had a rear kitchen, our first and last. Sure you can pack every thing and not get much broke. Tie the doors and drawers where they don't come open and dump things on the floor.

Why would you want to do all that when you don't need to and you can't see out that big window at the back because it isn't there.

Now we just put things in the cabinets with out the padding and packing.

We don't have to put up all the packing and padding or get it out when we are ready to leave.

Just our take on the rear kitchen.

[Ex-Tech]

After owning a 31' Keystone with a rear kitchen I would never go back to a mid or front kitchen.
Having the living area open the entire width of the trailer plus the side-out, gave me a living room of nearly 12' wide.
Never an issue with breakage of any kind.

[ScottG]

We've had a rear kitchen TT for 10 years. Before that it was mid ship. I don't notice things moving around anymore on the rear configuration than we did on the mid and I would happily buy another rear galley unit if I liked it.

[AuntSmurf]

We recently went from a center kitchen in a TT to a 5'er RK. It was one of my "must haves" when we went looking for our 5'er. I don't pack any differently. Have always tucked extra towels, pillows, etc in the cabinets around any breakables. LOVE the more open floor plan that a RK tends to give you. We full-time, and I have glass glasses, Corelle dishes. Never a problem. Just take a couple extra minutes and pack a bit more carefully. And make sure your driver keeps a lookout for bumps in the road!

[rbp111]

I have a rear kitchen, specifically an Alpenlite Valhalla model. It is 11 years old, and is my second rear kitchen fifth-wheel. Friends that go rving with us, have Cardinal rear kitchen models.

We like our rear kitchens. Oh, there are things that broke when traveling. But after 11 years, we can count the number on our fingers. Bottom line is, when you have a rear kitchen model, you have to pack things carefully and cautiously. But it pays off in the long run.

I will say that I am a little miffed at manufacturers who don't make the rear kitchen anymore. Like Montanas or Cardinals. Oh they make them in the "lower models" but they no longer make them in their "better models".

[wannavolunteerF]

I am on my second rear kitchen TT. Love the counter space and available storage space. have not had a problem with cabinets/fridge coming open. The cabinet that I have the most trouble with is the one over my sofa in the slide-- running length wise of the TT and that is my fault. I have plastic dishes and tend not to pack that cabinet full, so stuff is light and tends to slide.

I am now looking for a med length class A for full timing and am having a hard time finding one that I like the kitchen as well as my RK TT.

[RollandB]

We love our rear kitchen 5er. Only wish we didn't have to move the slide to load the fridge, but really isn't a boggy.

[lizzie]

We recently bought a TT with a rear kitchen and so far we really like it. Last year in Alaska we met some folks that had a lot of stuff break in their fifth wheel (even Corelle) but she admitted that she had not packed well. We don't carry breakable dishes, glasses, etc. and our fridge has locks for the doors. It can happen of course, but I think the extra carefulness is worth it to get the big windows and space. We also have a door in the front. lizzie

[Go_Dogs]

O/T. We have a rear kitchen in our TT. We pack as we always have. I don't bring a lot of breakables anyway. I do use the oven for storage and Bungee it closed. The rear door is next to the fridge. That makes it real easy to load the food, and grab something from the fridge without having to go thru the whole trailer. The rear kitchen gives me a lot of counter space and I love it.

[WyoTraveler]

WHOA!!!! I read some previous posts several days ago that said that 5vers didn't move around at all on the highway. It was only TTs and MHs.:h

Sorry for being off subject.:B

[LakeN]

Had a rear kitchen in a 27' TT....loved it....no big problems with dishes, etc in cabinets. Seems that often you do have more counter space. We do enjoy having a rear living model with large window and 2 comfy chairs...the downside is smaller kitchen counter but worth the tradeoff.

[Red-Rover]

My last 5th wheel was a 30 foot model with rear kitchen and I did have problems at times with broken dishes. All depends upon roads traveled. I installed a key lock on the pantry door to contain contents which would routinely tumble out onto the floor the first time I opened. Even broke some Correll dishes on a Saskatchewan trip. That said, if I found a layout that I liked, I would go for it. Over 10 years and 60 thousand miles I only lost maybe 2 dozen pieces.

[DSDP_Don]

A lot of it depends on the length. With a rear kitchen you get a see saw motion. The shorter trailers do it more. Our friends had one and they just learned to pack glasses with foam and some other items.

Another thing to think about is that the kitchen is typically the busiest place in the RV as people are in and out getting drinks and food. The rear kitchen will have everyone traversing the length of the coach. Not a big issue, but something to consider.