Fifth wheels have a distinct shape because of the way that they need to be connected to the bed of pick up trucks. There is a characteristic rise or prominent overhang to the front of the fifth wheel which is above the tow truck bed. This section is oftentimes used as the main bedroom which frees up the rest of the camper for your living area.
But more recently, there is an increasing trend for this particular portion of the fifth wheel, the front overhang to be used for different purposes such as a kitchen. Front kitchen fifth wheel gives owners the opportunity to have their master bedroom at the main living area of the camper where it is closer to the bathroom and other amenities.
Front kitchen fifth wheel campers reconfigure the floorplan to cater to the particular needs and preferences of owners. This is important so that you can truly feel at comfortable in your camper.
However, front kitchen fifth wheel trailers are not yet that common in the RV market. That’s why we’re here to help you find the best fifth wheels with front kitchen if this is more to your liking. So, read on and find out more about this particular set up of fifth wheels.
Reviews of the 6 Best Fifth Wheels With Front Kitchen
For easy reference, here’s a list of our top 6 front kitchen fifth wheels from our trusted RV manufacturers in the industry.
- Palomino Columbus Fifth Wheel
- Forest River Sierra Fifth Wheel 38FKOK
- 2021 Forest River RV Cedar Creek Champagne Edition 38EFK
- Jayco North Point 383FKWS Fifth Wheel
- 2021 Heartland Big Country BC 3895 FK Fifth Wheel
- Forest River Cardinal 402FKLE
Now here are our reviews about each front kitchen fifth wheel so that you can see for yourself how amazing these campers are!
Palomino Columbus Fifth Wheel
The Palomino Columbus Fifth Wheel has a full kitchen in the front portion of its camper. You can cook your favorite meals in its 24″ free standing range and there’s a 30″ residential microwave to help you heat or defrost your food. Their kitchen also has a 20 cu ft residential refrigerator with inverter and ice. This is perfect for those hot summer days when everyone wants to have an ice cold drink all the time.
There’s no need to worry about stuffy air and odors when cooking because it has a Maxx fan with rain hood. This kitchen also has a large single bowl stainless steel sink and single lever faucet with pull out sprayer. You can store your food items in the pull out pantry and there is also a residential under counter storage area. The Palomino Columbus’ kitchen is not just about function. It’s also mindful of the details. Check out their residential backsplash, additional lighting above the sink, and they even included a trash can with a dedicated storage area.
The bedroom, bathroom, furniture and appliances in this fifth wheel camper will surely make you feel at home all throughout your travel.
Key Specs and Features:
- Hitch Weight: 2350 lb.
- GVWR: 16,709 lb.
- UVW: 13,709 lb.
- CCC: 3,000 lb.
- Exterior Length: 41′ 2″
- Exterior Height: 13′ 6″
- Exterior Width: 101″
- Fresh Water: 75.00 gal.
- Gray Water: 75.00 gal.
- Black Water: 39.00 gal.
- Awning Size: 18’6″
Forest River Sierra Fifth Wheel 38FKOK
The Forest River Sierra Fifth Wheel 38FKOK is a great option for those who love cooking while traveling. It features a deluxe kitchen set up complete with a 3 burner high output free standing range, a 22 cu ft residential refrigerator with 1000 watt inverter, a 30″ stainless microwave, and a stainless steel sink. Food preparation is made easy with its spacious and solid surface countertops. There are also soft close cabinets and drawers for your storage solutions.
Aside from its ultimate interior kitchen package, you can also cook outdoors because this camper has a modern outside kitchen. You can grill burgers, sausages, and steak while taking pleasure in the verdant outdoors.
Key Specs:
- Hitch Weight: 2,256 lb.
- GVWR: 15,823 lb.
- UVW: 12,823 lb.
- CCC: 3,000 lb.
- Exterior Length: 41′ 9″
- Exterior Height: 13′ 5″
- Exterior Width: 96“
- Fresh Water: 50 gal.
- Gray Water: 134 gal.
- Black Water: 52 gal.
- Awning Size: 20′
2021 Forest River RV Cedar Creek Champagne Edition 38EFK
The Forest River RV Cedar Creek Champagne Edition 38EFK is another dealer stock only. This is why front kitchen fifth wheels are still rare up to now.
Looking at the floor plan, you can see that it’s a dream kitchen for gourmet cooks and simple cooks alike. The raised kitchen has an Insignia 24” freestanding gas range, Furrion oven, 20 cu ft electric refrigerator with an icemaker, and a 30″ microwave. You can cook a variety of meals from simple to gourmet with this kitchen set up.
The bedroom, bathroom, and living area are also full of amenities that will ensure your comfort and luxury on the road from the king bed to the fiberglass shower, theater seating, Hide-A-Bed Sofas, and entertainment system.
Key Specs:
- Hitch Weight: 2700 lb.
- GVWR: 18,000 lb.
- UVW: 14,354 lb.
- CCC: 3,646 lb.
- Exterior Length: 41′ 8″
- Exterior Height: 13′ 5″
- Exterior Width: 96“
- Fresh Water: 57 gal.
- Gray Water: 80 gal.
- Black Water: 40 gal.
- Awning Size: 16’& 21′
Jayco North Point 383FKWS Fifth Wheel
If you’re on the lookout for a great front kitchen fifth wheel, you should totally consider the Jayco North Point 383FKWS Fifth Wheel.
This fifth wheel camper has a raised front kitchen that features a stainless steel range with glass cover so you can see the progress of your cooking, a 21 cu ft residential refrigerator and 1200W pure sine wave inverter, a convection microwave, a stainless steel kitchen sink, and a residential grade pull-out kitchen faucet. There’s an abundant kitchen pantry and countertop space and a large L-shaped dinette seating so that you can all gather around and eat together.
Jayco also gives you lots of opportunity to upgrade your camper so that you can have a luxurious time on the road.
Key Specs:
- Hitch Weight: 3,105 lb.
- GVWR: 16,500 lb.
- UVW: 13,495 lb.
- CCC: 3,005 lb.
- Exterior Length: 43′ 7″
- Exterior Width: 8′
- Interior Height: 8’5″ (living area); 6’6″ (kitchen)
- Fresh Water: 75 gal.
- Gray Water: 37 gal.
- Black Water: 37 gal.
- Awning Size: 16′
2021 Heartland Big Country BC 3895 FK Fifth Wheel
The Heartland Big Country BC 3895 FK Fifth Wheel has everything you need in a kitchen. Its upgraded kitchen appliance package includes a residential oven with a 4 burner cooktop, a 30″microwave, residential French door style refrigerator, a full size pantry for storing your dry goods, and a recessed stainless steel farm style sink. Your kitchen working station features a solid surface countertop and there are cabinets and LED lighting throughout the area.
Other outstanding features of this fifth wheel camper are its modern woven flooring that’s easy to clean and maintain; a big and comfortable master suite with a king size bed, underbed storage, nightstands, and washer and dryer prep; and excellent climate control with the help of a 30,000 BTU A/C and improved insulation. Everything inside this front kitchen fifth wheel camper exudes a country home feel to make you feel comfortable on the road.
Key Specs:
- Hitch Weight: 2,907 lb.
- GVWR: 16,500 lb.
- UVW: 14,141 lb.
- CCC: 2,311 lb.
- Exterior Length: 43′ 3″
- Exterior Height: 13′ 3″
- Exterior Width: 8′
- Fresh Water: 65.00 gal.
- Gray Water: 90.00 gal.
- Black Water: 90.00 gal.
Forest River Cardinal 402FKLE
If you love to cook and value your cooking area, the Forest River Cardinal Limited 402FKLE model has a huge kitchen area at the front of these fifth wheels front kitchen.
The kitchen has a 6 cu. ft. residential refrigerator with a 1,000w invertor, a 2-in-1 21” range with oven, a 30″ microwave, a single bowl farm style black stainless steel sink, high rise, pull out kitchen faucet, and a power vent fan to keep the odors away when you’re cooking.
Storing your food items won’t be a problem as this front kitchen fifth wheel has a residential size pantry, cabinets, and spice racks. You will enjoy preparing food at their LG solid surface counter tops. There’s also a free standing dinette and 4 chairs that have flip up storage.
You also have to check out their bedroom, bathroom, and living area features. You can be sure that you’ve got everything you need while you’re on the road plus the amenities come in style and comfort. However, the Forest River Cardinal Limited 402FKLE model is a dealer stock only so you better check with your favorite dealers if they still have this.
Key Specs:
- Hitch Weight: 2,420 lb.
- GVWR: 15,500 lb.
- UVW: 12,329 lb.
- CCC: 3,171 lb.
- Exterior Length: 41′ 1″
- Exterior Height: 13′ 3″
- Exterior Width: 96“
- Fresh Water: 64.00 gal.
- Gray Water: 76.00 gal.
- Black Water: 29.00 gal.
- Awning Size: 10′ & 15′
Those are out top 6 best fifth wheel campers with front kitchens. We know that this kind of floor plan is not yet that common in the RV market so we’ve done the research for you to help you in choosing the best front kitchen fifth wheel camper.
Why should you choose a front kitchen fifth wheel?
Here are some of the benefits of having a front kitchen in your fifth wheel.
Rear master bedroom
It means that you can have your master bedroom at the back of your camper. If space and weight requirements will allow it, you can have an adjoining bathroom. This is so convenient as you don’t have to go up and down the cabover bed to go to the toilet or take a shower before you rest for the night.
Privacy
This is important for parents who are traveling with kids. With the main bedroom now at the rear of the camper, you have the privacy that you need when you want some time away from the kids. Oftentimes the master bedroom is separated from the rest of the living area so it will give you enough space for your quality time together.
More room in the kitchen
With the kitchen now separated from the rest of the living area, you have more room for cooking and storing your cookware and other kitchen stuff. The front overhang portion of the fifth wheel is entirely dedicated to the kitchen.
Smoother ride
Having a front kitchen helps ensure that you have a smoother ride on the road even along uneven terrains. This is great because you can expect to experience less swaying while traveling.
These are just some of the main advantages of having a front kitchen which would also explain the growing demand for front kitchen fifth wheel.
What to look for in a Front Kitchen in a Fifth Wheel Camper
For those who enjoy cooking when you’re out camping, the front kitchen fifth wheel is a great choice for you. You will have an entire portion of the camper dedicated for your cooking needs. And since you’re cooking your own meals, you can save a lot of money and ensure the cleanliness and safety of the food that you’re eating.
To help you further in finding the best front kitchen fifth wheel, here’s our buyer’s guide. We’ll discuss the important factors that you need to consider so that you will be happy with your front kitchen fifth wheel.
Size and Type of Refrigerator
Check the size and type of the refrigerator that comes with the kitchen package of your fifth wheel. Is the size enough for storing your ingredients and food items? If you’re going to cook all of your meals while camping, you need a full size refrigerator.
This is true especially if you’re camping with your family or friends. You’re going to bring a lot of food with you for sure so you need a refrigerator with a lot of room for storage. It should have a volume rating of at least 16 gallons.
Keep in mind also the type of refrigerator that they’re offering. Electric refrigerators with compressor systems, like the ones we use at home, are recommended for those who prefer to stay in RV parks and campgrounds where the terrain is even and there are electric hookups.
RV absorption refrigerators are better suited for those who love boondocking or camping in remote areas with rough terrains. These are more durable and will run on electricity or propane. So even if there aren’t any electric hook ups, you can still continue to enjoy the services of your refrigerator as long as you have a full tank of propane.
Check the details provided by the RV manufacturer. If no details are provided, better inquire regarding the specifications of their refrigerator so that you’ll know if it’s sufficient for your needs.
Size of the Stove and Oven
Having a stove and oven will help you in cooking different meals for your troop. There can be variety so that your food is always appetizing and interesting. This is important especially if you have kids or picky eaters.
Most front kitchen fifth wheel campers come with a three burner stove. This is already connected to the rig’s internal propane system. If you’re cooking for two or a small family of 4 then this would be fine. But if you’re usually camping with a larger group, it is better to have a four burner stove. It will help you get done with your cooking faster.
It follows also that four burner range tops have a bigger oven than three burner stoves. A bigger oven is convenient if you’re a fan of roasting meat, baking cakes or big batches of cookies for everyone.
Additional Appliances
Sure a full kitchen means having a stove with oven and a refrigerator. But you will also greatly benefit in having additional appliances in the kitchen that will help you with your cooking. These are accessory appliances that can make your kitchen life so much easier. This can be a microwave, coffee maker, or blender.
Check if the front kitchen fifth wheel comes with any of these accessory appliances. This will eliminate the need for you to have to buy these stuff separately.
But you also have to check if the kitchen appliances that they’re offering come in the right model and size that you need and preferably from well-known brands so that you can be sure of their durability. If not, you’re better off without them.
Dishwashers
There are some front kitchen fifth wheel campers that come with a built-in dishwater. It is also convenient to have an RV dishwasher to clean all those dishes and cookware that you used.
But understand that it will take up precious space in your kitchen. However, if you expect to be doing a lot of cooking on the road, it is worth having a dishwasher.
On the other hand, if you are only cooking for yourself or for two, then you can get by without one. It is better to hand wash the few pans and plates that you used. It’s more practical and economical. Just use the precious space instead for other important kitchen stuff or for your pantry.
Water And Wastewater Storage Tanks
If you’re going to cook full meals for your family, then you’re going to need a freshwater storage tank with a large capacity. This will be your source of clean water for food preparation and cooking.
If there are more people inside the camper, you also need a larger wastewater storage tank since more people are using the bathroom.
Having a big capacity for your freshwater and wastewater storage tanks would mean that you can be more flexible on the road. You are not limited to campgrounds that have hookups. You can go camping in the boondocks or somewhere off grid because you have adequate water supply. You also won’t have to dump your RV waste frequently since you have a holding tank.
Wrap up
Front kitchen fifth wheel campers are so well thought out. They are designed for people who love to cook and entertain others. It is like you’re bringing all the comforts of your home with you. You can cook delicious and sumptuous meals even when you’re on the road which you and your family will be able to enjoy.
However, since this arrangement is not yet commonly offered in the RV market, you can check out the models we’ve presented here together with our buyer’s guide so that you can choose the best front kitchen fifth wheel for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are front kitchen fifth wheel campers easy to tow?
Yes, this is one of the advantages of fifth wheels. They are easy and safer to tow. Since the weight is not concentrated at the back of the camper, you can tow it with ease. It also won’t sway as you’re driving your pick up truck. You just need go attach a fifth wheel hitch at the bed of your truck and make sure you have the necessary brake controls in place for your safety on the road.
