RV PRO continues its preview of the 2021 model year. For the entire 2021 Model Year Preview special section, see the September issue.
DRV / Cruiser RV
DRV Luxury Suites may not be introducing any new RVs, but the manufacturer is busy updating the interior and exterior of every unit in 2021.
“It’s been a long time since DRV has made this many drastic changes,” says Lesley Melvin, director of marketing, “and we are very excited to see both the dealer and retail customers’ reactions.”
All models will undergo revisions to the front and rear caps, as well as receive a fresh exterior paint scheme. However, the Full House luxury toy hauler and Mobile Suites luxury fifth wheel are front and center for modernization.
Melvin says both models stretch 41 feet in length and highlight the brand’s premium residential amenities: solid cherry and maple wood finishes, high-end appliances, custom hand-laid backsplashes and plank flooring.
“While the new units maintain the integrity of the brand,” says Melvin, “the Mobile Suites look like nothing we have ever produced before.”
Specific details remain under wraps, but this line will receive new wood colors “that create some beautiful pallets both together and on their own,” a modern island front, feature light and backsplash. Said updates will be carried through the fascia, headboard and passage doors, according to Melvin.
Additionally, DRV is unveiling two new floorplans. Its popular Mobile Suites 41RKDB with a rear kitchen now has a half-bath incorporated into the design.
“The additional bath space seems to be an important aspect to a lot of our customers, so we decided to offer this in one of our most exciting floorplans,” says Melvin.
The Mobile Suites 41FKMB, she adds, is a “unique and highly functional front-kitchen option,” providing generous storage space, a walk-in pantry, high-end appliances, as well as the look and feel of a gourmet kitchen.
Melvin underscores younger buyers as the inspiration for many of the new changes implemented across DRV’s line of luxury class fifth wheels.
“It’s important for us to remain open-minded in our offerings and focus on more modern appeal, while still maintaining our distinct brand identity across the product line,” she says.
Meanwhile, Cruiser RV will launch all-new exterior and interior décor for its ultra-light travel trailers. Function, features and flexibility are central to the 2021 product lineup, says Melvin, with 18 floorplans set to showcase the effort.
A bigger, brighter feel with modern touches, like new wood tone and flooring selections, cabinet handles, entertainment centers, exterior graphics and a king-size bed, come standard across the Cruiser RV lineup in 2021.
Select units include a California closet in the bedroom, which has extra drawers and wardrobe space typically not found in conventional travel trailers.
“As customers go on extended trips, they now have storage often only found in fifth wheels,” says Melvin.
Meanwhile, Radiance is set for “a complete interior overhaul that features woven flooring throughout and a bright, clean and modern feel that plays off some high-contrasting colors to create a really one-of-a-kind look,” Melvin says.
Noteworthy, Shadow Cruiser will be offering four new floorplans under 28 feet – “designed to hit a price point and weight for those who tow with SUVs,” she says. As such, the new models give Cruiser the flexibility to diversify itself to include travel trailer segments and extend the customer base for dealers, according to Melvin.
A fireplace and “Dream dinette” are standard in every Shadow Cruiser floorplan – the latter of which is a sturdy, legless table that provides more leg room and aims to facilitate an easier, smoother transition into a sleeping space.
Stryker “will showcase brighter, more dynamic interiors, seamless countertops throughout and a flexible table for the ever-changing toy hauler customer,” says Melvin.
As for MPG, one of the new models will unveil the company’s MEGA slide.
“It is a 25-foot floorplan where the sofa, dinette and refrigerator are in the slide. This opens the floorplan immensely and provides extra kitchen countertop space, which is unique in a floorplan this size,” says Melvin.
Aside from refreshed models, Cruiser RV is most excited to introduce two patent-pending features that “help the consumer maximize every inch of space inside their camper,” says Melvin.
First, the king bed slide “takes our standard king bed and allows the customer to push it to either side, which opens the bedroom for storage, getting dressed, pets, baby playpens, etc. It’s a smart way to increase your bedroom floor space,” she says.
Next is the “full belly storage”, which creates a secondary compartment space in the basement pass-through stowage area. The recessed metal box sports a folding lid, allowing customers to store, what Melvin calls, those “just-in-case items,” such as beach chairs, tables or coolers.
From the company to the product line, Melvin says Cruiser RV has gone through a total rebranding.
KZ / Venture RV
For 2021, all travel trailers across the KZ and Venture RV product lines will receive a “complete makeover,” with dozens of new or revised floorplans on the docket that emphasize a comfortable residential feel, according to Brent Froman, KZ general manager. Dealers can expect a number of upgrades from the Escape, such as an automotive front windshield, 78-inch interior ceiling height, a larger stainless-steel sink area and an outside
kitchen (on select models). Additionally, an all-new off- grid/off-road package is available. The package features extra ground clearance, mud tires, a bike rack, a Furrion “Lit” Bluetooth speaker, a 100-watt roof-mounted solar panel, a 1,000-watt inverter and solar controller, as well as electric-controlled heated tanks.
Of the two new floorplans for Escape, KZ Product Manager Nick Francis points to E17HATCH as an innovative option that “brings the outdoors in.” At 21 feet, 10 inches, the removeable rear dinette is situated near a large hatch door, similar to a cargo door on struts.
“It’s just a really big, open feel and, with the screen, there’s nice airflow just like tent camping,” says Francis.
Connect – set to debut a new luxury edition – will offer an upgraded stabilizer system, an accessory hitch, a fiberglass front cap with automotive front windshield, two-tone cabinetry and wood accents, solid-surface counter-tops, live edge dinette tabletop, stainless-steel appliances with a 21-inch range, frameless windows, an 82-inch ceiling height, an electric fireplace and a Serta king mattress.
In addition, Connect, Connect SE and Sportster feature OneControl from Lippert, which monitors and/or controls tank and battery levels, slide-outs, awning(s), indoor/outdoor lighting, and the leveling system.
The KZ Classic now offers an 8-cubic-foot, 12-volt refrigerator as standard equipment – an option Francis says differentiates the brand.
On the fifth wheel side, a washer-dryer hookup was added to the Durango Half-Ton. “That’s an industry first in the half-ton price point and something we can’t wait to kick out to our dealers,” says Froman.
The Durango Gold – built for full-time living – upgrades to a 24-inch four-burner range and on-demand tankless water heater, the latter of which is in the Venom and Venom V-Series, too.
Froman says select fifth wheels will introduce an off-grid system powered by Xantrex, complete with two 110-watt solar panels, a 30-amp MPPT solar charge controller with a MPPT remote panel (designed to be 70 percent more efficient than a PWM controller), a 2,000-watt pure sine wave inverter and a patented 125AH hour battery featuring Bluetooth app controls with a safety shutdown at 10 percent.
KZ is set to release many new floorplans across its product line. While the Durango Half-Ton D230RKD highlights a rear-kitchen layout with a wardrobe slide-out in the bedroom, the D290RLT has opposing slides with theater seating and a 65-inch LED TV on the rear wall, as well as a wardrobe slide in the bedroom.
The Durango D343MBQ is a popular mid-bunk model that offers queen-over-queen bunk beds (whereas a HAB sofa and twin bunk bed are the industry standard), while Durango Gold G383RLT now includes a dresser slide-out in the bedroom.
A “modern, rustic design” that features white glazed kitchen cabinet is carried throughout the Durango Half-Ton, Durango, Durango Gold, Venom V-Series and Venom models, says Froman.
Overall, woven vinyl flooring, comfort foam queen and king mattresses, soft close drawers, metal latches on baggage doors, TPMS system prep (standard on all fifth wheels), plug- and-play safety features and a lithium battery setup have been added across the KZ product lineup.
Meanwhile, Venture RV (a division of KZ) is building upon the excitement of its award-winning Sonic X.
“This model set the bar high. So much so, we decided to take solar a step further by offering an off-grid setup across our entire product lineup – customizable roof-mounted solar prep with the option of a 100-watt solar panel and controller,” says Dave Boggs, general manager. “Now, a dealer can add the solar option from Sonic Lite through Touring, which is going to expand our market reach and bring a lot more buyers into the fold.”
Moreover, the Stratus travel trailer is transformed for 2021. In addition to striking exterior graphics, says Boggs, the Stratus highlights a modern farmhouse style with off-white, hand- glazed, two-tone cabinetry, a 10-cubic-foot refrigerator, a larger oven, barn doors, expanded storage and a front window.
While a seemingly small improvement, Boggs says the addition of a 2-inch receiver hitch on the Stratus “allows customers to make the most of their camping experience, swapping out for a bike rack or something similar if need be.”
As an ultra-light travel trailer, “West Coast dealers can double haul them, and they hit a perfect price point and towing capacity for customers with a mid-size SUV or truck,” adds Boggs.
For SportTrek Touring, the company’s luxury travel trailer line, Venture RV expands the cargo capacity and exterior storage, plus adds two new floorplans. The couples’ coach 272VRK features a king bed slide, window seat and fireplace in the bedroom, while a rear kitchen showcases a modern farmhouse design, expansive countertop and ample storage, like a large walk-in pantry, explains Boggs.
Overall, Venture RV products now have a front window (allowing for new floorplan designs) and a 10-cubic-foot refrigerator, except for the Sonic line, which will receive an 8-cubic- foot refrigerator instead – an uncommon upgrade in a trailer this size, according to Boggs.
In total, Venture RV plans to launch 13 new floorplans in 2021. Notably, the Sonic Lite 160VBH has a non-slide bunk model with a twist, Boggs says.
“We have replaced the dinette with a sectional sofa and removable table. Now you can sleep four, dine four, as well as seat and relax four on the sectional sofa,” he adds.
It is uncommon to have a front kitchen in an ultra-lite floorplan at this price point, but the Sonic 241VFK accomplishes just that, Boggs says. Add a countertop that expands the entire width of the unit, and he assures “this will be a big hit this year.”
Meanwhile, SportTrek has five new floorplans of its own, including 291VRK. Boggs says, from a TV situated across comfortable theater-style seating and an outside kitchen under a 20-inch awning to a pantry, expansive countertops, expanded interior storage and a dresser in the bedroom, “this is a trailer that covers all customer needs.”
To see the DRV / Cruiser RV and KZ / Venture RV previews in RV PRO online, start here.
Previously:
Dutchmen preview here
Airstream and CrossRoads / Redwood previews here
Thor Motor Coach’s Class B Motorhomes, RUVs, Class C Motorhomes, Class A Gas Motorhomes and Class A Diesels previews here
Jayco’s Seismic, North Point, Pinnacle, Starcraft, Class A Motorhomes, Entegra Gas Products and Entegra Coach Luxury Diesel Products previews here
Forest River’s East to West, XLR and Columbus previews here
Forest River’s Sabre, Salem | Wildwood, Surveyor, Shasta, Berkshire previews here
Forest River’s Cardinal | Wildcat, Cherokee Wolf Pack, Cherokee Wolf Pup | Grey Wolf, and Sandpiper | Sierra | Cedar Creek | Riverstone previews here
Forest River’s Sunseeker | Forester, Dynamax, R-Pod, IBEX and NOBO previews here
Coachmen’s Class A’s, B’s and C’s previews here
Coachmen’s Spirit | Apex, Clipper | Viking, Catalina, and Fifth Wheels previews here
Renegade RV and REV RV Group previews here
Lance Camper and Midwest Automotive Designs previews here
Winnebago’s Travato, Revel and Solis previews here
Grand Design preview here
Newmar and Winnebago Towables preview here
inTech RV and Riverside RV previews here
Chinook RV and Gulf Stream Coach previews here
Roadtrek and Xtreme Outdoors previews here
TAXA Outdoors and the Vanleigh previews here
Alliance RV and Nexus previews here
nuCamp and Leisure Travel Vans previews here