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We are considering buying the Classic 14RB.  Does anybody have any complaints as far as workmanship?

CeeWoo said:

We're also considering a 14RB, and I'm wondering if anyone has the dimensions of the 'bed' when the dinette is in a sleeping configuration.  We're thinking that the way we camp, a full time bed setup might work for us as we can use the gaucho for sitting (it's just myself & my wife who will be camping)

I hope Tholland9 doesn't mind my asking here instead of starting my own thread for this, but I though this might be something he would appreciate knowing as well.

We bought a 14rb (our first camper) this summer and took it out four times, loved every minute of it. No issues with workmanship at all. It was a little squeaky to tow at slow speeds. Other than that, no issues at all. As for the dimensions, it's 75 inches long and width, though I don't know exactly, it's between a double and a queen. My wife and I slept very comfortably. In fact, I slept better in the camper than at home. We're not experts by any means but be sure to pack a couple of collapsible 5-gallon water jugs (available for $5 at Wal-Mart). They'll come in very handy for refilling the water tanks if you're at a site without city water. I was amazed at how well the digital antenna worked. We were 50 miles from the nearest city deep in the woods and it pulled in 13 channels, 4 of which were HD! We bought it thinking our 15-year-old son could sleep on the couch (I built a temporary extension to use at night) but it really wasn't wide enough. So we're going to upgrade to a 16bh, which is basically the same layout but with bunks in the back and room for your knees in the bathroom.

Well, just got back from the Seattle RV Show.  They only had 1 of the 14 ft units on display and it was the 14RK instead of the 14RB.  What I saw I liked—but I knew I would be unable to get any info from the dealer when the person that was 'helping' me told me that there is only 1 floorplan for the 14' units and this one had everything possible (I saw right away it had no air conditioner).  They also told me that it has a 20 gal freshwater tank (I'm pretty sure that the brochure is accurate when it says 10 gal)

The show special price was $8995 (seemed high from what I've seen on line, but I don't know how much I'll willing to spend in time & gas to drive half way across the country)

I think I'll wait till I can see what I'm after.  The wife was ready to make a down on the RK, but I still think we'd be more comfortable with the RB floorplan

From what I could tell of the workmanship–we've looked at some other smallish trailers and this seems more sound that the others I've seen

I have taken my 14RB on three trips since October (not including the long trip home from the dealership). I have the model with the bath and toilet all in the same little room (the toilet is IN the shower). Mostly I have been very pleased, but my future happiness with this camper will depend on how KZ handles my warranty repair. This past Saturday the middle section of the aluminum sidewall on the front left side peeled back as I drove home from a camping trip. Not the whole thing, just back to the window on that side by the bed/dinette. Kind of shocking to look at, but probably a simple repair….besides that, everything works fine.

Regarding bargaining for the price, I don't see why not! See if you can get the model with the propane and electric powered refrigerator and propane stove. These things can come in very handy! I got my unit from Vacationland RV in Big Rock, IL. They seemed to have the best prices around on these little trailers.

Post edited 1:59 am – March 3, 2010 by dallas214

Yes, the toilet is in the shower. (It is the 14RK model with the "full" bath) The whole space is the size of a closet. It works for me because I am very short. Anyone over 5'7″ would have to stoop to use the shower. You actually have to step up into it, so the ceiling is pretty close to your head. The bathroom with the toilet and tub separate is a more user-friendly arrangement. I liked the "wet-bath" set-up because it results in a layout with a lot of counter space. Regarding the 16 BH, another advantage would be that you could keep the dinette set up as a table and still have a place to sleep! I will let you know how the repair goes. So far I haven't heard back from the local dealer……

dallas214 said:

I'm happy to report that KZ is covering the repair under warranty: new metal, window and decals. To see a picture of the damage, go to: flickr.com/photos/hiramoto

The same weekend the KZ peeled apart the covered parking over my other trailer collapsed under the snow, smashing the AC and breaking through the roof…..oh well…

HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yikes I saw the pic. Thanks for the update.

The final decision by KZ regarding the repair (see below): "fixed" side will have 6 aluminum panels, other side will keep the original 4 aluminum panels. So it will be a little unbalanced looking, but I guess as long as it doesn't leak or peel off again it will be OK. In the few months that this trailer has been in production they switched from a sidewall construction of 4 panels to 6. They could have opted to replace the panels on both sides, but decided that this was adequate. At this point I will be happy if the sides stay attached to the trailer….

Post edited 8:12 pm – March 19, 2010 by dallas214

I don't actually know what caused the siding to peel back. I did notice from the beginning that it had a small bulge on that corner when towing, but I just thought that aluminum trailers did that kind of thing (my other trailer is fiberglass) and it didn't seem severe. I guess air was somehow getting underneath the siding, although I don't know how. Nothing about that corner seemed out of the ordinary when I looked at it while parked. So if you see a little bulging spot on your trailer while towing, have your dealer check it out!

The chief attraction of this trailer was its small size and low price (7k almost fully loaded — even got the front window; no furnace tho). As long as there aren't any more surprises, I still feel that it will be a good value for the type of camping I'd like to do. A Casita would have easily been twice as expensive and it may be built twice as well, but I just couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of dough on a little trailer.

Hello — to answer the two posts below: KZ sent the parts to the dealer and they did the repair. I think they did as good a job as possible and it looks pretty solid, but the panels are a little more "wavy" than I had hoped. However, that is a very small complaint on what looks like a very competent repair. No signs of it coming apart again so far!

Regarding towing with the Honda Ridgeline: the truck handles it very easily, although I had wished for a little better gas mileage. I seem to average around 12, although have gotten as good as 14 in light or no wind and as poor as 10 in a strong head wind. I don't use a weight distribution set-up with this as it is very small. My previous trailer was 25' long (fiberglass) and 4000lbs and I used at WD hitch for that one.