Kimberly vs Odyssey Camper

Submitted: Saturday, Jan 08, 2005 at 20:18
ThreadID: 19184 Views:9216 Replies:5 FollowUps:10
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Has anyone had the ability/chance to compare the Kimberly Kamper and the Odessey Camper, as they seem so similar but for a few features. Similar suspension and operation and even looks. A hotwater system in the Odssey seems the main difference. I was wondering if anyone had the chance to compare the two, either mates owned or firsthand experince? There is a price difference and that is all it seems.
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Reply By: raazorj - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 07:01

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 07:01
David I am picking up an odyessey today from the gold coast the standard model
2nd hand approx 2.5 yrs old will let you know how it performs you can email me as I check it more often raygar@dodo.com.au saved $8500.00 off new price,got lucky this time.
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Follow Up By: david - Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 16:49

Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 16:49
thanks for the reply .. where did you find that one ?
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Reply By: Member - John C (QLD) - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:54

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 09:54
Hi David

We have an Odyssey ZR camper with the HWS. We didn’t go for the Export (top of the line) due to rear tyre swing-away (interferes with access to shower annex) and didn’t want a fridge on the drawbar (dust), and that saved a few $$.

Have had it for 6 months. We looked at most avlb in this price range but very closely at the KK. We bought the Odyssey for various reasons – preferred the kitchen setup (espec no leg support), bigger storage inside, seemed more spacious inside, dust sealing system, the way it’s built & build quality, everything is high grade stainless steel even the latches, I believed the weight balance was more thought out also, but mainly due to the service side of things.

You deal as direct as you can get - the maker, designer and distributor is the one person. A perfectionist and very professional. Odyssey owners are invited on company rallies. I thought, now that’s confidence in your product.

I tend to think KK relies heavily on a huge advertising budget and less on their product and service follow up, I know that’s a strong statement but I’m in sales and I got that feeling. If you can visit both it will make your decision easier.

There's an article by Roothy in Jan 4wd Mthly on the Odyssey ZR.

Hope that assists. Happy trails.

John C
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Follow Up By: david - Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 16:53

Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 16:53
thanks for the reply it is so frustrating that you can not hire one like yours and compare. Last year we hired a KK and I loved the way it towed but unsure about other points.
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Follow Up By: Dao - Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 18:07

Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 18:07
David,

Can you let us know what the other points were that you were unsure about with the KK. We are in the same position, so far we love the KK and are hoping to see an Export this weekend. We are in NSW, no dealers here, so will be seeing a customers one, should get good feedback, will let you know.

Dao.
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Follow Up By: david - Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 21:10

Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 21:10
A few of the things that I disliked were, clumsy to fill the water tank and its location had a lot of influence over the ball weight, because of it's location. The one that we hired also had a leaking tap, not a big problem if you like water in your pantry. One thing that was good was the fact that the stove is always connecteon the KK. The zippers on the awning were also not the best as they tried to derail often also. Maybe I am just getting picky by the price makes you that way.

David
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Reply By: GeoffMc - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 19:35

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 19:35
Hi David:
Unfortunately I can’t give you any comparison from a “users” perspective as we don’t take delivery of our new Odyssey ZR until mid next month. We did however look very closely at the KK as it was on our short list along with the Odyssey.

Our purchase decision was for many of the same reasons as John C’s, i.e. the kitchen, the extensive use of stainless, the amount of storage and just the overall fit and finish. I also like Steve’s (one of the owners) attitude towards trying to accommodate my need for a little customizing.

The only real negative I had with the KK was the underneath mounting of the spare and there was really very little difference in price when you sat down and compared “apples to apples”.

Hope this helps.

Geoff M
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Follow Up By: pjd - Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 20:25

Sunday, Jan 09, 2005 at 20:25
hi david & geoff
what size bearings & stub axles do the odyssey have compaired to a kk & can you access your internal storage with out opening the body & if they have more storage than a kk is the overall alot bigger& heavier thanks.
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Follow Up By: GeoffMc - Monday, Jan 10, 2005 at 10:19

Monday, Jan 10, 2005 at 10:19
Hi PDJ,
The Odyssey has a 1600 kg/50mm square tube axel with parallel bearings and I believe the KK has the same. The “storage” I referred to was inside the camper where you would normally put things like cloths and other personal items, so it wouldn’t have that much bearing on overall weight. The Odyssey weighs in at 950 kg and again from memory the KK Limited Edition is about the same.

The Odyssey does not have the rear access that the KK has and that was a real plus in its favour, but it didn’t outweigh the other positives of the Odyssey that I referred to earlier.

One thing that was a clear negative on the KK was the dust sealing. We saw one at the dealer that had just come back from rental and before it had been cleaned. When I opened up the kitchen there was a LOT of dust inside and the salesman told us that it was because it was an older model and the newer ones didn’t have that problem. It certainly looked just like the ones on the showroom floor to me!

Now please understand that I’m not trying to do a “mine’s better than yours” thing. Just giving you our honest opinion as to why we spent our $30K+ the way we did. The best advice I can give is to go look at both of them a couple of times each and make notes to compare when you get back home.

Cheers ….. Geoff M
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Follow Up By: david - Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 21:14

Tuesday, Jan 11, 2005 at 21:14
Thanks for the reply also, I was amazed at the forum that I have started . But atleast it answers a a question for what seems a few of us (un sure ones).
David
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Follow Up By: Member - Landie - Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 08:35

Tuesday, Jan 18, 2005 at 08:35
Hi Geoff

Just noticed your comment regarding dust in the kitchen area of the KK.

We have a KK (2003 model) and it does get small quanities of dust in the kitchen area. However, this is due to a gas vent (hole) where the gas line run from the bottle to the stove. Some seal this to prevent the dust, we have left ours the way it is as it is there for a reason - to prevent a gas build up in case of a leak. In fact I think it is a requirement to have it.

As far as the main area of the KK goes we have not experienced any dust problems at all, any dust in it is usually brought in our the soles of our shoes/feet.

Regards
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Reply By: raazorj - Sunday, Jan 16, 2005 at 22:54

Sunday, Jan 16, 2005 at 22:54
David we towed the odessey home from the gold coast to gympie apart from a food stop at burpengary and two intersections the hdt didn't leave fifth gear,and could accelerate up hills even with no electric brakes hooked up at the time we hardly knew it was behind the vehicle.does any body know where to look up wiring diagrams for 80 series.
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Follow Up By: david - Monday, Jan 17, 2005 at 18:06

Monday, Jan 17, 2005 at 18:06
So it appears that you are very happy with the new trailer and now for the big test a camping trip. Where do you intend to use it for touring or just weekends? Please let me know how it all pans out.Thanks
David
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Reply By: Dao - Monday, Jan 17, 2005 at 22:39

Monday, Jan 17, 2005 at 22:39
David,

Had a look at the export yesterday and it is a hard choice but we have decided to go with the KK. Both look well built and strong but we think the KK might just have the edge (only time and rough roads will tell!). Also, we like the kitchen area better with the gullwing box, there is more pantry storage and we like the slide access for the fridge rather than the lift up box (especially as we will use ours in the car for day trips). The support legs for the sink only take a second to push down or click back and with little kids it should help remind them that it is there so they walk around it and not into it.

The storage space under the bed in the oddy is great but will you overpack it? The water tank comes standard as poly protected by metal, we like the stainless on the KK better.

The other main difference is the brakes. The KK is hydraulic disc and the Oddy is electric drum, that is another debate.

We like the rear access, there is always something you need to get or forgot to pack, hopefully it should not be a problem with dust.

We were also impressed with the gang at 5star, Swansea. There is no dealer in NSW for the Oddy which makes things a bit harder, the owner who showed us his unit was fantastic and full of praise all round but we doubt he would want to be doing warranty work on ours if it was needed!

As for price, we think they are pretty on par if you compare apples for apples.

Dao

AnswerID: 93687

Follow Up By: 10 Para (Qld) - Friday, Jan 21, 2005 at 11:21

Friday, Jan 21, 2005 at 11:21
Hi Dao,
We have the first Export and can only sing its praises we have taken it to New Zealand twice now and accross Australia last year in all we have spent close on 12 Months living in the camper and would not swap it for any KK we have seen plenty on the road.

Regards
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