2016 Precept 35S

[Rice1951]

My DW and I decided to take the plunge. I have been doing a ton of research (bought the RV Motorhome Comparison Guide, etc), done lots of reading on various RV forums and was considering a 2017 Alante 31V or 32N. I found a 2017 35S Precept that I really liked but it was outside the budget level that I had set. We currently have a 2015 Coachmen Freelander which we purchased thinking we would do more camping and traveling with my daughter's family. We do some of that but we realize now it's going to be mostly me and the Mrs. I took the RVReviews.net advice and looked at the 2016 35S Precept versus the 2017 model and found we could save over $20k with only minor cosmetic changes. We attended the Wisconsin RV Super Show a week ago in Milwaukee, WI and looked at the unit I had found on line. It was a lot of bang for the buck and we decided to go for it.
We live in the UP of Michigan and being so remote a good warranty was important to us and Jayco's 2 years is double everyone else. It is a 5 hour drive one way to Milwaukee and the Jayco dealer closest to us is 75 miles away but doesn't sell motorhomes. I contacted them and they will do warranty work.
The 2016 Precept 35S has a rear ladder which was important to me. Some items in the 2017 model but not in our 2016 model include stainless steel sinks, night stand ledges in the bedroom, 35,000 btu furnace vs 31,000 btu and driver/passenger cockpit table. These are not deal breakers.
Other units I considered included Coachmen Mirada, Fleetwood Storm, Forest River Georgetown FR3, Newmar Bay Star 3333, Nexus Maybach 37M, Thor ACE 30.4, Thor Hurricane 35M, Thor Miramar 37.1, Thor Windsport 34P, Tiffin Allegro Open Road and Winnebago Vista 30XT. They were either cost prohibitive, didn't match up feature-wise or I received negative feedback. I have never owned a vehicle with a diesel engine and we do not plan on full timing so I never seriously considered a diesel rig due to the increased cost. All of the units I listed have only a 1 year warranty and some are built on a 18,000 lb. chassis.
The features of the Precept 35S compare favorably with a lot of higher priced units. For example, padded ceiling, king bed, tons of storage, LED lighting, power step, inverter for outlets and TV, front OH bunk with 750 lb. rating, frameless windows, two AC units, 12 cu-ft gas/electric fridge and washer/dryer combo. The outdoor storage compartments are all hinged on the side and Jayco has made very efficient use of the available space. Some other manufacturers install various items or equipment in some of the outdoor storage compartments which limits space for personal use.
One of the things I learned at the RV show was that many new models have a residential fridge but they only operate on 120v. This means that some of the units list an inverter as one of their features but what they don't tell you is that the inverter is solely for the fridge. Whereas the Precept has a 1000 watt inverter which is for designated outlets and TV and can be used without the generator even while going down the road.
Because of all the snow we have (normal for us) we won't do our PDI for awhile and will plan to pick the unit up in April. We are looking forward to getting a lot of use out of our new motorhome and maybe we'll see some of you folks out on the open road.
I really appreciate this forum as I have spent many hours reading up on all the topics that get brought up. Hopefully I will be able to contribute going forward.

[abarkl]

Welcome to JOF. The best site on the Internet. We are glad you decided to join us.
We look forward to hearing about your many adventures.

[Allen_C]

Congrats on the new Precept! We too saved thousands by buying a new 2016 Alante 31V instead of the 2017. Differences were cosmetic and a larger awning. Hope you enjoy the new coach after you pick it up in April!

[Vicr]

Welcome to the forum and the 35S family, we love ours. Let me know if you have any questions, we took ownership in April and have logged 2000 miles.

[JacqueTanis]

We went to hobby lobby and purchased 12" plate shelves that fit perfectly under the window in the bedroom and now have, while not large, a small area next to each side of the bed for water, phone, clock, etc. etc.

We had a major problem with the couch being comfortable when unfolded and put together as a bed ... super uncomfortable for guests so we purchased a 3" memory foam mattress topper with 1" mattress cover and it's now very comfortable to sleep on.

[oldmanAZ]

Congratulations on the Precept and welcome to the forum.

[Coachhark]

Would love to see a photo of the shelves if possible.

[Rice1951]

Thanks for the tip. I too would like to see a photo of the shelves you installed. That was one of the things Jayco added in the 2017 model.

[jimclawson]

To Vicr:

We are looking a great deal on a new 2016 35s, but are concerned about engine performance on this size MH with a tow. How does yours perform, especially on hills?

Thanks,
Jim Clawson

[Vicr]

Jim, we live at the base of Stevens Pass US Hwy 2 and also travel over Snoqualmie Pass US I-90 and the coach performs quite well. US 2 just before the pass is very steep and we can cruise lightly loaded at 45-50 MPH. We haven't towed yet but the CRV is light and with the gearing and tow mode it shouldn't pose an issue. I've never "put my foot in it" while driving this grade so I could have gone faster if I had wished. We love our 35S and are really glad we bought our second motorhome first. I've had it up to 75 on the freeway with plenty of peddle left to go faster but there is no need to do higher speeds.

[oldmanAZ]

Jim, welcome to the forum.

[JacqueTanis]

We regularly paul a 16 covered trailer with a BMW R1100RS Motorcycle and a Can-Am Spyder, fully loaded with all of our gear. Travel all over the U.S. Flats, mountains, rolling hills, etc. No problems.

[jimclawson]

Originally Posted by Vicr

Jim, we live at the base of Stevens Pass US Hwy 2 and also travel over Snoqualmie Pass US I-90 and the coach performs quite well. US 2 just before the pass is very steep and we can cruise lightly loaded at 45-50 MPH. We haven't towed yet but the CRV is light and with the gearing and tow mode it shouldn't pose an issue. I've never "put my foot in it" while driving this grade so I could have gone faster if I had wished. We love our 35S and are really glad we bought our second motorhome first. I've had it up to 75 on the freeway with plenty of peddle left to go faster but there is no need to do higher speeds.

Thanks for your input regarding the 35s. We are going to test drive the 35S and the 31UL today. Still kinda of leaning to the smaller model, but the 35S is pretty nice and roomy. I don't want to regret my decision the first time we take a hill since we will be towing a Jeep Wrangler and I'm sure that will have a big impact on it's performance. By the way, we just moved here from Seattle, so we are familiar with Hwy. 2 and I-90

[NickM]

I pulled a 2007 Wrangler from Cincinnati to FL in January, worst hill was at the KY-TN border. Managed to stay ahead of the 18 wheelers at about 50 mph and 4500 rpm. This is the only spot where I would like a diesel, my F450 and fifth wheel made the same trip last year at 65 mph. Other wise I averaged 6.9 mpg with less than 2000 miles on the RV.

Since the v10 has significantly less torque than the 6.7 diesel it will run anywhere from 3500 to 4500 rpm on steep hills. Loaded weight without toad is about 22k. Not weighed with the wrangler yet but it should run about 4K or a bit less.

[Vicr]

Jim, we were dead set on buying a 31UL until we did a side by side comparison. I'm 6'2 so the king bed, bigger dinette and more comfortable couch made the decision for us. We also like to buy our second RV first as we did with our tent trailer and travel trailer. We thought of what we would want after we retire.

[Jacobsnc]

We originally had a 31ul, handled terribly and hard to get from the drivers seat to the door with the slides in. Traded for a 35un, love it. Get the 35, you won't regret it. We have more than enough power and we tow a Jeep.

[Arniesports60]

Jim,

Welcome to the Precept "family".

If not already, please sign up to the Jayco Precept Owners Group...

Also, we are having a Precept "rally/get-together" near Zion in October this year.
There is more info on the Precept Owners Group ...

Would love to have you join.

Mike

[preceptjoe]

We have had our 31ul for a year now and over 4000 miles. We pull a 2015 Ford Fiesta on a tow dolly. Long story over most that flat tow. Just finished a 330 mile trip and got 8.41 mpg. No hills in Florida. We love it with the big 50 inch TV directly across from the uncomfortable sofa (gotta replace that soon). Opted for the 31 over the 35 because the 35 would not fit some older state park sites. Just the wife and I and a cat.

[JacqueTanis]

Originally Posted by Coachhark

Would love to see a photo of the shelves if possible.

Our rig is in the shop now but when we get it back I'll post some pics of it installed but I have attached a picture of the shelf that I bought. The one I got is not black as shown. The brown wood matches closely the wood in our RV. The shelf fits perfectly right below the window seal, between and window upholstery thingamajigs LOL The Dimensions are:

Width: 12"
Projection (Including Plated Groove): 4"
Projection (Actual Display Space): 3 1/2"

[Coachhark]

Thanks. We need these so any pics or other details on installation would be appreciated.