KZ Connect vs Jay Flight and Transcend
Most people who walk our lots with a notepad have the same three names on it: the KZ Connect, the Jayco Jay Flight, and the Grand Design Transcend Xplor. They are all half ton friendly travel trailers, they all come in bunk layouts and couples layouts, and on a quick walkthrough they can blur together. So let me slow it down and go point by point on the places where the Connect either matches these two or comes out ahead, using what each brand puts in print. We stock the KZ Connect at both stores, ten units between them, five in Spanish Fork and five in Millcreek.
Where the KZ Connect and Jayco Jay Flight line up on build
Start underneath, because that is what decides whether a trailer is comfortable in October at Flaming Gorge or just in July at Bear Lake. Every KZ Connect comes with a fully enclosed, insulated, and heated underbelly, which protects the tanks and pipes from road spray and cold air. On the Jay Flight page, an enclosed underbelly appears in the optional Baja package for select western built single axle units. Same idea, different place on the order sheet, and on the Connect you are not adding a package to get it.
The insulation numbers are worth writing down. The Connect is built with R-9 sidewalls, an R-20 roof, and an R-24 floor. Grand Design publishes R-9 residential insulated walls on the Transcend Xplor, so the sidewalls are an even match, and an insulated floor and enclosed underbelly at R-11. That R-24 floor is the one to notice, because floor insulation is what you feel through your socks on a cold morning and it is what buys your plumbing time before anything freezes.
Two smaller things on the same theme. The Connect uses a friction hinged entry door with a grab bar and a screen shot feature, so the door quits slamming in the wind and you have something solid to hold while you step up. Jayco lists a large folding entry door grab handle, so you get a handhold either way, and the friction hinge is the part that keeps the door where you put it. The Connect also comes with a lighted tongue jack, which is a real help when you are hitching or dropping in the dark, and the Jay Flight Sport Edition package lists a front tongue jack.
Solar, power, and keeping cool
The Connect's optional Off the Grid Solar Package includes two 110 watt flexible solar panels, a 30 amp MPPT controller, and a 1,200 watt pure sine wave inverter. That is 220 watts of panel feeding an MPPT controller, with an inverter included so household style items have clean power when you are off hookups. Jayco's Overlander I Solar Package is listed as one 200 watt solar panel with a 30 amp digital controller. The controllers are the same amperage, and the Connect's package brings a little more panel to the roof plus that inverter.
The Connect also includes the KZ Engage Package powered by One Control, which monitors battery, controls slides, leveling, awnings, and lighting, and includes TPMS prep. In plain terms, the setup chores you used to walk around the trailer for happen from one spot. Add the RV Airflow System, which increases air conditioning airflow by an average of 40 percent, improves performance, speeds up cooling, and cuts noise. In August at Sand Hollow, that is the difference between an air conditioner that keeps up and one that just runs.
Kitchens, storage, and sleeping space
On floorplans that offer it, the Connect's outdoor kitchen includes a griddle and a refrigerator, so burgers and the drinks that go with them both stay outside. Jayco lists an outside griddle as an option on single and double axle models, so outdoor cooking is on the table with either one. Inside, the Connect's kitchen gives you the counter run and the residential feel buyers ask about, with interior heights in our in stock units running up to 6 feet 10 inches.
Storage is where families end up making the call. The Connect has exterior pass through storage for chairs, hoses, and the tote bin of firewood you always forget to unload, plus an exterior docking station and enclosed dump valves. Cargo capacities on our in stock units run 1,230, 1,322, and 1,640 pounds depending on the floorplan, so there is real room to load before you are near the limit.
In the bedroom you get his and hers full length closets, so two people each have hanging space instead of splitting one rod. Bedroom LED lighting and pleated night shades are standard, and Jayco lists blackout night shades on the Jay Flight, so both brands expect you to want a dark room. The lightest dry weight among our in stock Connects is 3,980 pounds, while the lightest unloaded vehicle weight Grand Design publishes across the Transcend Xplor line is 4,961 pounds, so if your tow vehicle is the limiting factor, the Connect gives you a lighter starting point.
The points both brands put in print
| Point | KZ Connect | Rival spec |
|---|---|---|
| Sidewall insulation | R-9 | Transcend Xplor R-9 |
| Floor insulation | R-24 floor | Transcend Xplor insulated floor and enclosed underbelly, R-11 |
| Solar panel wattage, optional package | Two 110W panels, 220W total | Jay Flight Overlander I, one 200W panel |
| Solar controller | 30 amp MPPT | Jay Flight Overlander I, 30 amp digital |
| Entry door grab handle | Grab bar with friction hinged door | Jay Flight large folding entry door grab handle |
| Night shades | Pleated night shades | Jay Flight blackout night shades |
Specs only take you so far. Sit in the dinette, open the closets, climb into the bunk, and see whether the floorplan fits how your family actually camps. Come see a KZ Connect in person in Millcreek or Spanish Fork and we will walk you through all of it, including the floorplans we have on the ground today.
Frequently asked questions
Which KZ Connect floorplans do you have in Utah right now?
We have ten KZ Connects in stock, five at the Spanish Fork store and five at the Millcreek location in the Salt Lake Valley. They range from 22.08 feet to 36.33 feet long and sleep anywhere from three to nine, so there is everything from a couples trailer to a bunk model that handles the whole crew and a couple of cousins. Call ahead and we can have the ones that match your list opened up and ready when you arrive.
Can I tow a KZ Connect with what I already own?
There is a good chance, but it depends on your vehicle's ratings. Across our in stock Connects, dry weights run from 3,980 to 8,680 pounds, hitch weights run from 550 to 1,090 pounds, and GVWRs run from 4,140 to 8,800 pounds. Those numbers vary floorplan by floorplan, so the one that matters is the set that belongs to the trailer you like. Bring your truck or SUV with you, or at least the tow rating out of the owner's manual, and we will match you to the floorplans that stay comfortably inside it rather than right at the edge.
How does KZ Connect insulation compare with the Grand Design Transcend Xplor?
On sidewalls they are even, with both brands publishing R-9. The floor is where the Connect pulls ahead, at R-24 compared with the R-11 insulated floor and enclosed underbelly Grand Design publishes for the Transcend Xplor. The Connect's underbelly is also fully enclosed, insulated, and heated from the factory, which protects the tanks and pipes on those shoulder season trips when the overnight low drops into the twenties in the Uintas.
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