About to buy a Jayco TT - Help

[Kamakazi]

Hi,

New to the RV world (Previously owned a Popup trailer) and trying to make the right decision for the family. Live in central Texas and want a trailer that can be safely towed while being large enough for a 7+ mix up adult children, grand kids and friends. The more the merrier. Am looking at the new 2015 Jayco lines which are not very documented. A local dealer has a couple that look right up our alley.

2015 Jayco Jay Flight 264BHW which is cheaper new than anything I have seen used in the 26bh line. It can safely be hauled (6,500 GVWR versus 7,200 capable)

2015 Jayco Jay Flight 287BHSW which has a slide and is rated slightly higher than the max on my vehicle (7,500 versus 7,200). It is also $5,000 more expensive but has more interior room.

2015 Jayco Jay Feather 26BHSW which is one we are leaning towards (Only one I have seen anywhere) which is the same price as the one above, is fiberglass on all sides and is lighter than the others with a small slide.

These seem to all be great trailers and simply would love to hear your wisdom on fiberglass versus aluminum, GVWR max versus real world hauling and any thought you may have that may help in my decision. Thanks in advance for any advice you current owners can provide.

[Crabman]

Welcome to the forum. Personally I would not let siding type influence my purchase decision, but others feel differently. Below is a recent discussion on aluminum vs fiberglass siding with links also to other threads, and a poll. After reading all those threads you will still likely have no definitive answer what to get. How close you come to GVWR depends on how much CCC (cargo carrying capacity) the unit has and how heavy you load it. Some trailers have a large CCC that you may never approach, and others especially light weights have a small CCC that can be easily exceeded. IMO 7 people in a 26BH or similar floorplan would be a bit tight, especially in bad weather.

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/sh...ighlight=sided

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/sh...ighlight=sided

[Tunce the traveler]

With that many you need a slide-out for sure! Next time you go looking take some people with you and spend some time in it and play house. Pretend your making breakfast, lunch or dinner. Got a silverware drawer? Room for plates,cups,glasses,coffee,sugar,flower and other dry goods. Room to prep and room next to the sink for dirty dishes. Room for mixing bowls for a pasta salad and a salad. You all got clothes and towels,shoes,iPads. Where's the TV located for viewing.

[mike hill]

I agree with crabman and tunce. Just bought 26bhw this year love the trailer. I have 3 boys and wife so trailer is perfect for us. But i would definitly opt for a slide at the very least. Would be tight with seven for sure in bad weather

[Kamakazi]

Thanks for the advice about needing more space via a slide. My only concern about one with a slide is the extra weight. My tow vehicle is rated at 7,200 lbs

The following Jay Flight TT's have these weights.

26BH is rated at 7,000 total with 2,635 cargo - Just under max
26BHS is rated at 7,750 total with 2,280 cargo - 550 more than tow vehicle

This one is surprising since it is 2 feet larger and has slide
28BHS is rated at 7,250 total with 2,360 cargo which is just slightly over max.

So, can I go over max? Should I be conservative since I am new to hauling a larger trailer? If I purchase a better hitch, does that make a real difference? We don't plan on going over about 3 hours away on mostly flat roads (No steep mountains) although hill country in Texas is up and down but not treacherous. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[clubhouse]

IMHO I think you should spend some time reading up on how much you can really tow before you fall in love with a specific floor plan.

You make several references to the tow vehicles 7200 tow rating, however its very rare that you can actually tow up to that rating without first exceeding one or more other ratings. Typically the "actual tow rating" is limited by the tow vehicles available payload capacity.

[Harleyman]

We love our 287BSW. We did upgrade the Jbed to a fold out full size. We sleep 9 easy and my kids are tall. It did pull ok with our 1500 Suburban but it pulls awesome with our 3/4 ton Suburban. Only thing that I don't like is it did not come with a Cable TV hookup on the outside.

[Harleyman]

We have a Jay flight 287BHSW SLX to correct my above statement. Yes my 1500 Suburban pulled it but it was under powered and swayed. It also was too bouncy. My 3/4 ton is perfect.

[Nighthawk 96]

If you are going to put 7 people in your TV you will use up a lot of your available payload. Look at the info in the towing section of this forum to get a better idea what you can really tow with your vehicle.

A 26BH will be pretty tight for 7 people. A bunkhouse floor plan with 4 beds in the bunk part might be what you will need. It will probably be too heavy for your truck.

Welcome to the JOF!