Within the Jayco family which one is better ?

[jloco]

Originally Posted by Bobx2

How did I know that someone would get butt hurt over my post. I have owned Jayco, Keystone, Skamper and Heartland rv's. I wasn't putting anyone down, nor was I calling anyone perfect. Simply pointing out that every now and then one should do a little comparison shopping when there are many good options to look at and compare to. Pulling off the blinders and taking a fresh look around helps to assure you don't have regrets about your purchase.

x2.. You should always comparison shop when looking for a new trailer. I know I looked at several brands prior to picking my Jay Flight. When I began shopping, I had no brand loyalty whatsoever. It was only after looking at several brands/styles on many different dealer lots that I decided to go with my JF 38FDDS. It was the best layout to suit our needs, at a fair price. From what I researched, no brand has a trouble free reputation. It's the nature of the beast I guess. I liked the fit/finish best on the Jayco, so I bought one. Just as important is the fact that I really liked the local Jayco dealer, who BTW has been excellent.

[DanNJanice]

Well if you are really wanting something else I would put Northwood | Northwood Manufacturing and ORV | Outdoors RV Manufacturing on your list. I have never owned either of these brands, but have looked at both of them and they seem to be a cut above the Thor, Forest River monopoly products. Of course, they also both cost more than a similarly sized Jayco. So you have a chance to put your money where your mouth is, spend more on a possibly better product or stay in the cheap seats with rest of us.

[homer1959]

Originally Posted by DanNJanice

Well if you are really wanting something else I would put Northwood | Northwood Manufacturing and ORV | Outdoors RV Manufacturing on your list. I have never owned either of these brands, but have looked at both of them and they seem to be a cut above the Thor, Forest River monopoly products. Of course, they also both cost more than a similarly sized Jayco. So you have a chance to put your money where your mouth is, spend more on a possibly better product or stay in the cheap seats with rest of us.

While I thanks you for your suggestion spending more is far from insuring greater quality. I think we already paid enough money, its not a question of money at all , most of the problem are quality control and no or little consequence for the careless employees and managers. If you cant keep your promises dont make any.

We sometimes sounds like politician, for them you can fix everything with more money...and we know how true that is... anyway thats how it is ....

[clubhouse]

I've had two JayFlight alum sided trailer.

First -- only issue was the Jensen Stereo/DVD would freeze. Jayco replaced with no issue.

Second -- I'm the second owner, according to the original owner had to take in to better secure the FW holding tank. Said it didn't separate from the trailer, but was loose. Jayco repaired with no issue. I have had no additional issues.

[homer1959]

Originally Posted by clubhouse

I've had two JayFlight alum sided trailer.

First -- only issue was the Jensen Stereo/DVD would freeze. Jayco replaced with no issue.

Second -- I'm the second owner, according to the original owner had to take in to better secure the FW holding tank. Said it didn't separate from the trailer, but was loose. Jayco repaired with no issue. I have had no additional issues.

Wow !! Thats how it should be !!! Thanks for the positive note

[homer1959]

No wonder ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXMJrRQ3SVk

7 hours to build it ...40 to complete it at the dealership LOL

Lifes good anyway good week end to you all

[Crabman]

A few things about that video which has been used to bash Jayco many times since it came out several years ago:

Jayco obviously gave consent to have it done, so its not like someone snuck in the plant and caught them in the act.

The model being made is a uncomplicated no slide 26BH, and its hard to find a 26BH owner on the forum that is unhappy with their unit. IE member SmokerBill has been fulltiming in one for years. A larger, more complex multi slide unit would likely take longer to build.

The 7 hours is final assembly time. The cabinets, frame, roof trusses, walls, furniture, appliances, etc are all pre made thus increasing the overall assembly time.

The workers could be showing off for the camera. Would be difficult to maintain that pace all day, everyday I would think.

[homer1959]

Originally Posted by Crabman

snip...The workers could be showing off for the camera. Would be difficult to maintain that pace all day, everyday I would think.

Yes maybe :-) But maybe not since they are apparently allowed to run like rabbit to get the permission to leave as soon as the work is done.....for me its a good incentive to make me running , to let go defect under the blanket , but thats a way of life that I should also adopt its a good way to loose weight...
and I need it badly ...

[wags999]

Originally Posted by mike837go

Remember that all Jayco's are assembled at the same factory by the same people.


Fit and finish is pretty much the same across all lines.


Going with a simpler unit will definitely save you lots of headaches. But don't expect it to be better.


I love my Jayflight 19RD. Being that it is still a mechanical contrivance, there will always be issues.

Actually Jayco has I think it's 8 separate plants. with 1000's of employees. There are different products and quality for each product line. They do a great job at each price point. Are they perfect....what is ? AS to 7 hours to produce a unit, how many hours does it take to assemble a car or truck? It is called being efficient, which keeps the cost down. Is hand made one at a time better? Could be...but not necessarily, more expensive? Probably. You could build a truck by hand and make it perfect...and no one could afford it. the number of problems with almost all products today is well below historical averages. Real problem is unrealistic expectations... I dealt with a custom coach builder and for $1 million plus you can get almost anything you want and with close to perfection....they sold 10 to 15 units a year and did very well... many "stars" purchased or leased their coaches....

I'm happy with my JayFlight, we use it about 4 -6 months a year and have had no issues since purchasing it early last year. Will it work for everyone equally as well ? most likely not, we all use our RV in different ways and with different expectations. Whats the old saying, you can have it cheap, you can have it fast or you can have it perfect....just not all three.

[motorbreath]

Agreed, I had tons of problems with my Jay flight the first year, but with them fixed it has been solid this whole second year.

Originally Posted by Crabman

In my humble opinion if you want the one least likely to have issues go with the Jayflight with aluminum siding. I`m basing this on 6 years of observation on what is posted on this forum and the fact that Jayflight owners outnumber all others here by a wide margin, yet seem to complain the least about their units. Other then hail damage how many complaints do you hear about aluminum sided trailers here? And the floors are rock solid. Initial quality, fit and finish however would be the same crapshoot as any other RV.

[dalej1]

I agree with Crabman on this..

We bought our latest Jayco in 2014 [a 2015 model], originally we had a few issues but they were with some of the finishes which they promptly fixed..after a fair amount of trips we started to have issues with the Dometic Awning and a Stabilizer where a bolt almost fell out. The bolt hole was stripped and the dealership corrected it after a second visit.

The latest issue was with a shelf in the closet which failed [wife noticed], in my opinion the method of which they installed it was not correct and if it went in for repair it would not last, so we fixed it and made it to last.

We were getting very upset with all the issues since we have had many slide on campers with hardly an issue. But after a couple of years I have come to realize that we are not alone. This seems to be more normal than not...and I am not just talking about Jayco either after speaking with other RVrs.

Proper care and going through the rig on a routine basis doing an inspection would be a good idea..we love our rig be it small.

We could move up to a Bigfoot or equivalent but not into shelling out 65,000

You may have a lemon, hard to say... but if they are small I would fix them myself.

[secal48]

Originally Posted by homer1959

Well I'm screw then..... LOL I'll have to throw another 15 grand in the air and hope to see it landing on the right side.... and I know , its not a whole lot better when builded within the Thor family in a different barn under a different name .........gee where to go ? Lance ? Grand design ?? Im not asking for a lot, all I want is ONE trip with no problem ONE...

I'll second the earlier statement about looking at the Starcraft line. Same and/or similar floor plans and we liked the trim and amenities better. And we owned 2 Jayco's first. We picked up a new 2017 in April, went out for a couple of weekends for shakedown, then back to dealer with a short punch list of tweaks to be done, and since then no problems. We took a week and went from chicago to Mount Rushmore, no problems. Last month spent a long week touring Michigan, still no problems. And a host of weekend trips without problems. We love our Launch.

[jaycojay]

I am by far the biggest Jayflight fan on this site. Back in 2002 i purchased my 1st one, the original year. At that time, i was on rv.org, and stated after a year of using it, the Jayflight was the best bang for your buck on the market. 3 more later, actually 4, because the 2003 1/2 qwest 324w was the last qwest, and all Jayflight, before being discontinued (hence lastqwest2003@yahoo.ca). I can still say today, they are still the best bang for your buck. Perfect they are not,but it is nice to have a 2 year warranty if needed. As for good ole aluminum and wood, i'll take it any day over delaminated fiberglass .....it has stood the test of time!

[Northern Jay]

The only issues with our 28BHBE have been minor. A cabinet over the sofa was pulling apart a bit, a couple dings in the lino, scratched T-molding on counter and trim under main door not straight. Those were fixed right away within first month. This summer whole doing a roof inspection I found the upper slide seal had a small tear. That part is on order and will be fixed during off season. We are very happy with our unit. We also looked at other manufacturers with same or very similar floor plan and we're not impressed with some of the little things (bunk ladder was dowel instead of steps, door trims etc. Just little stuff.) Our local Jayco dealer has been fabulous to work with. When in for the warranty work I have only been without the unit for 2 days each time. Hasn't interfered with our camping trips at all.
Happy Camping

[homer1959]

Originally Posted by jaycojay

I am by far the biggest Jayflight fan on this site. Back in 2002 i purchased my 1st one, the original year. At that time, i was on rv.org, and stated after a year of using it, the Jayflight was the best bang for your buck on the market. 3 more later, actually 4, because the 2003 1/2 qwest 324w was the last qwest, and all Jayflight, before being discontinued (hence lastqwest2003@yahoo.ca). I can still say today, they are still the best bang for your buck. Perfect they are not,but it is nice to have a 2 year warranty if needed. As for good ole aluminum and wood, i'll take it any day over delaminated fiberglass .....it has stood the test of time!

If they ruin the floor they are attempting to repair in my WH Im heading toward a JAYFLIGHT 28 RLS. I had no problem with the laminated wall other then having the slide out wall replaced due to a crack, however I am decided t o go with a more traditional trailer with aluminum. and wood stick......looks like they are mastering this construction and there is less room for problem with this type of construction. Fiberglass trailer looks better, for my taste , I dont know how hard or easy the alum.siding is to maintain compared to fiberglass but Ill take my chance

[FeatherFam]

Basically, nearly every RV brand is pretty much junk. The RVIA is an absolute joke. There are no regulatory standards that matter or are enforced. If we are committed to RV ownership, all we can do is shop for the models with the floorplans and pricing that meet our needs. We have spent a lot of money on "high-end," "top of the line" products, and we had tons of problems. Yes, we have been bamboozled by the "best"! Find a model that fits your needs and spend less than you can afford to purchase and afford to maintain. I will say that our Jay Feather is put together as well (and better in some respects) than much more expensive brands we have owned.

I like the design and aesthetics of the Northwoods Manufacturing products. We looked hard at the Nash and Arctic Fox, but we did not want to buy a trailer across the country. We have no dealer support (for what that is worth) in the Southeast. The Nash's pricing made it worth consideration, but the more expensive Arctic Fox was not worth the gamble. We have been in dozens of Lances and spoken to numerous Lance owners. In our opinion, they are way over-priced. No way I would give $18-20K more for a Lance (over a comparably designed and furnished Jayco). No way. Lances have plenty of flaws. We also liked the Grand Design Imagine, but they were priced much higher (+10K) than we wanted to spend on a "rolling earthquake."

I do often question how people treat their vehicles and their homes for that matter. Trailers definitely require kid-glove care and lots of TLC. Knowing how poorly it is built, we treat ours like a fragile bunny and hope for the best. We tread lightly: we do not "herk" on any handles or doors; we do not lean on or put weight on cabinetry or doors, nor do we or overload cabinets; we avoid water/liquid contact anywhere other than sinks, toilet, and shower; everything in storage compartments is insulated/wrapped to protect the compartment interior; windows, storage doors, and entry doors are eased open and closed gently, never slammed or hurried; we inspect pipes, fittings, interior and exterior joints and seams, water lines, exterior seals and molding, roof, chassis, and underbelly religiously; etc. . . . Kid gloves all the way. (People love buying our vehicles used from us.) Trailers are terribly made, like a $.99 balsa wood airplane. Can't slam it around like a late 60's Tonka. Gotta go into it with eyes wide open.

That said, the irony is: We still love it and enjoy it! Go figure.

[JetTech]

Any time a you purchase something that is mechanical in nature, you're going to have issues. Some show up right off the bat, some wait a few years. But most will have issues of some sort or the other. That thought process keeps me sane after my fifth visit to our dealer in two months! As frustrating as it is, it shouldn't come as a surprise to any of us.

If it helps, I've worked numerous brand new multi-million dollar aircraft (think $12M at the low end, $70 M at the upper!), every single one of them hand-built, that have issue after issue. Eventually, you'll work the bugs out of them! Same with these RV's! As Bon Jovi sang, Oh you gotta keep the faith!

[tdk2765]

This is as sensible a statement on this issue as I've read.

[Dropnaduece]

Originally Posted by dalej1

I agree with Crabman on this..

We bought our latest Jayco in 2014 [a 2015 model], originally we had a few issues but they were with some of the finishes which they promptly fixed..after a fair amount of trips we started to have issues with the Dometic Awning and a Stabilizer where a bolt almost fell out. The bolt hole was stripped and the dealership corrected it after a second visit.

The latest issue was with a shelf in the closet which failed [wife noticed], in my opinion the method of which they installed it was not correct and if it went in for repair it would not last, so we fixed it and made it to last.

We were getting very upset with all the issues since we have had many slide on campers with hardly an issue. But after a couple of years I have come to realize that we are not alone. This seems to be more normal than not...and I am not just talking about Jayco either after speaking with other RVrs.

Proper care and going through the rig on a routine basis doing an inspection would be a good idea..we love our rig be it small.

We could move up to a Bigfoot or equivalent but not into shelling out 65,000

You may have a lemon, hard to say... but if they are small I would fix them myself.

I have a Jayco WH 25BHS and I LOVE IT! Right now I'm hanging out in it dry camping in my driveway because power is out from a storm we're having in WA. I have it it for about 6 months with 1800 miles on it already. I have had some little problems here and there but nothing big. I agree that you do need to be well versed on how to own a trailer meaning know your trailer. I have done a lot of mods and doing so I have learned that I must tight screws or maybe strengthen a panel or something. Keeping an eye on those things ensures that stuff doesn't wiggle apart causing additional damage down the road. I do pre and post camping inspections every time. Doesn't take much time but well worth the effort. The MAJOR problem I had was with the dealer...they sucked and absolutely know nothing about the product or trailering. I had to switch dealers because the service department manager was a jerk but that is now the past and camping with a Jayco product is so far so good. If I had money to burn I would buy a Airstream or an Artic Fox. An Artic Fox is about 15k more and my neighbor just bought one and it is very nice but they have about half as much storage as I do. My WH has a ton of storage and I think Jayco uses the space very well not leaving much space un-used.

I'm already looking forward to the time I will need to move up to a Greyhawk or something. But till then I will soar with my white hawk