2017 Precept 35S issues and disappointment

[GMA385]

Man that really sucks. Hopefully your dealer will fix all the issues. Keep us posted.


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[dlibson]

Will do.

Sadly it gets worse today. Found water on the passenger side window after some rain. Then water damage inside under the dash. Upon inspecting outside for leak point, noticed there was delamination. On my brand new unit...

[twoflamingos]

Hello all, just brought our 2017 Alante 31v in for some warranty repairs, including front end vibration still (another story) and some parts needed to be ordered should be in about a week. After telling me this RV One Tampa told me I had to come pick the coach up and bring it back when the parts came in. Any one ever heard anything like this ? And we're 100 mi away.

[GJB]

Yes the one in Orlando tried to pull that same stunt on me. When I wouldn't pick it up they stalled on all warranty work and ended up keeping couch for 9 weeks blaming Jayco for the delays. Found out they never ordered the parts until I called Jayco. When I finally got it back they had run up 40 hrs on generator and burned 1/2 a tank of gas. I will not have any dealings with them and would advise you call Jayco direct. They are well aware of RV Ones issues.

[Farris7]

I have a Jayco Precept 31UL- the only major items I noted during our trip to Alaska was:
1. The wind- what a squirrelly monster- we added stablizers to the front that seemed to help a bit, going to add on the rear and see if that works better. Anyone out there already try this?
2. The shelf in the head- serious design flaw- as long as we use the ultra thin RV paper and flush with a full bowl of water it doesn't dam up (found that out the hard way).
3. Had the LP refrigerator throw an error- using the magnet trick worked great.
4. Had to reset the flow switch on the instant Heater. No problems after that.

Other than that we are dry and comfortable- going to head back from Alaska to Tennessee in August.

More to follow:

Vince and Sue

[Palms]

Originally Posted by Farris7

I have a Jayco Precept 31UL- the only major items I noted during our trip to Alaska was:

1. The wind- what a squirrelly monster- we added stablizers to the front that seemed to help a bit, going to add on the rear and see if that works better. Anyone out there already try this?

2. The shelf in the head- serious design flaw- as long as we use the ultra thin RV paper and flush with a full bowl of water it doesn't dam up (found that out the hard way).

3. Had the LP refrigerator throw an error- using the magnet trick worked great.

4. Had to reset the flow switch on the instant Heater. No problems after that.



Other than that we are dry and comfortable- going to head back from Alaska to Tennessee in August.



More to follow:



Vince and Sue

What is the magnet trick for the fridge? Our 35s won't work on Lp after being fixed 2x and working when fixed but next use, won't work again[emoji35]


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[Farris7]

What error code are you seeing? Mine was LI OP- here is the link that I found for the fix- if you need more information or pictures just let me know https://heartlandowners.org/showthre...Code-Quick-Fix

[Eric and Barb]

Hi Nick,
Took your advice and called Jayco Customer Service Dept this morning. Joyce Skinner was away, but got to talk to Forrest.--- Our service guy at Langley Traveland told us that our fridge freezer was running fine, and so could do nothing about our complaints of the freezer not working , and the fridge freezing things.!!!( We had to buy a small freezer the third day of our holidays, so all our food did not go bad.)
After four weeks in the dealership for this problem , they tell us nothing is wrong.
After speaking with Jayco, Forrest called us back, and Traveland will be putting in a new fridge motherboard today, ready for our holidays in 10days.
We know what to do in future when the dealership gives us the run-around.
Thank you so much for your advice. As we are in Vancouver, B.C. we have to rely on dealerships up here.
Barb

[Farris7]

Have you tried sending this list to Jayco sales? Tell them now would be a good time to swap you out for a unit that wasn't built on a Friday.

[dlibson]

I have sent my list in. Yep, they are working with my dealer.

[dlibson]

Well, dropped the Precept off today. When doing the walkthrough with the service rep he noticed the floor looked weird at the front of the lr slide, behind the drivers seat. It's all rotted out there. He wasn't sure how they would proceed, but gave me a time line of a few months. MONTHS. Slide will need to come out. Exterior wall replaced on the passenger side. New laminate floor, plus all the other stuff. Hoping Jayco steps up and either does a complete overhaul, or replacement. Multiple water damages places are not cool...

[RWK]

Originally Posted by dlibson

I haven't involved Jayco quite yet. But I likely will be. Giving the dealer the opportunity first. Problem is I want to know who will cover my payments while it sits? I was told 2-3 months for my list to be handled.

Inside tires are at 100, with extenders and TPMS as well.

Unfortunately, no one covers the down time. 5 months out of it's first 11 mine spent in service. But when you really to Fleetwood it Thor owners it's even worse.........

[Jacobsnc]

Your rig has to go back to the factory. No way any dealer is going to fix all the slide and water issues you have correctly. We had major issues with our first 31ul, got out of it into a 35un. So far with a couple of Ford issues it's been great.

[dlibson]

Yeah, it is going back to Jayco next week. I sincerly hope they get it all fixed. I'd really prefer to get out of it. But, $$$

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by dlibson

So I have had my Precept 35s for about 4 months now. Have used it a bit locally to work out the bugs. Dealer had it for 3 weeks to fix a few things before a long trip. Some they got done. The rest, was not easy and involved missing a trip we couldn't.

Issue list:

1. Radio does not work right, was not the advertised radio with the advertised features. Has a JBL CP100 which is not actually available. (Being replaced with proper Pioneer)

2. Rear view camera does not function most times. Sometimes it works, but hit a bump and it is out. Side views function fine. Most of the time it has a blue, green, ot no screen. (No solution)

3. One speaker doesn't work, no wiring problems. (New speaker ordered)

4. Wiper do not wipe windshield. Skip 1/2 of it. Hit lower trim and pull it out of windshield and scratch the paint below. (Have adjusted and still do it after a while)

5. Couch/Dinette slide rubbing floor going in and out, has lifted and damaged floor. Dinette adjusted to stop rubbing. Worked good two times in and out. Need floor replaced but, Jayco denied until there is a hole.

6. Multiple exterior storage doors rubbing when closed removing paint from door and body. Dealer adjusted doors, Jayco didn't want to repair paint.

7. Headlights vibrate badly driving down the road. This is a build issue. There is no support to hold the housings from moving around.

8. Headlights not properly aimed, and cannot be properly aimed due to design.

9. Passenger side headlight fell out going down road. Factory used to large of nuts on that side. They didn't actually hold the light to the body. Repaired enough to get be on the road side by borrowing nuts from the other side and replaced the rest after I got to where I was going.

10. Water intrusion from somewhere on the passenger side dash/window area. Water damage to wall, mold on front wall and carpet under dash. (no solution)

11. Major water leakage around bed slide. Floors get soaked during any amount of rain. (no solution)

12. Driving is near impossible over 50 MPH, or with any wind. Had alignment done out of my pocket, it was WAY off. Aired tires up to 100 PSI. Both helped some, but this thing is a handful and really not safe over 50 MPH. I just put 3,500 slow miles on it.

13. Paint quality. In general there are runs, missed spots, over spray areas and so on everywhere. It really needs to be completely repainted. (they laughed)

14. Entrance door is either producing a high pitch squeak, or is adjusted so tight you can barely open or close it. (no solution)

15. The dash makes so much rattle/squeak noise you can't hear the radio or person next to you talking. It is TERRIBLE. It is in between the firewall and dash wall. The dealer and Jayco both washed their hands of it and said see the chassis shop. (In Indiana)

16. Door handle keypad doesn't work. (New one ordered)

17. When getting to the third place we camped we only had partial power when plugged in. Full power on generator though. I had to dig and search myself and found a loose connection in the transfer switch from the power cord. It was arcing, too. Could have caused a fire.

18. Broken screws, or missing screws cause the drivers side inner fender section to fall down while driving. Had to stop roadside and find screws to fix it and keep going. On the side of I90, in the middle of the night.

There were a ton of minor issues as well, like all of them have too. The fog light switch was broken, one blinker lens was missing, one slide topper was damaged during delivery or lot time, and so on. There was some of this on the dealer, but most of it is on Jayco and shoddy craftsmanship. I've owned many campers/motor homes over the years. Some good, some bad. But so far, in 4 short months this on takes the cake for being bad.

I fully expect some issues on any new camper. I've never had a motor home be so hard to handle. Never had parts flying off going down the road in the first 2,500 miles. Never had water leakage or damage in the first few years of any unit. Pretty sure I am missing a few things, too. But this is the start of something bad I feel...

I just bought a new 35S and had some problems but, you are right, your's are many more. All RVs are a pain but we are generally happy with our 2017. It's got a lot of pluses and drives better and has more power than my previous Georgetown. And mine has problems but not as bad as yours. They consist of the following:

1. Windshield fogs up with defrost setting and dash heat in cold weather.
2. A better quality door could have been provided.
3. Have yet to get the TV's to run off cable. Still studying it.
4. Masserator is quick but more work than conventional pipes.
5. Has a sub-sized propane tank.
6. Can't access the engine without major dash disassembly.
7. And the classic problem most motorhomes have and that is finding a method to install inner dual tire valve stem extensions so I can get to them to install my Tireminder pressure sensor without climbing under the rig. The RV industry just can't seem to recognize that this is a very irritating problem.

[anchorman]

It's a year later and our 35S went to Alaska and back. If you haven't made the trip, go for it!
The bus performed really well up and down all the mountains and there were a bunch of them. This is a stressful trip on the rig. Stuff happens. Worst things were windshield wipers flew off because they weren't properly tightened at the factory, burned out a wheel bearing (Ford problem), macerator hose split (very exciting when you are pumping), a couple minor drips, an ornery furnace, etc. JAYCO took care of everything. Probably have more stuff to tweak, but as I said, this was a very taxing voyage. My favorite quote is "If it rattled when you started, it fell off. If it didn't rattle when you started, it probably does now." No regrets about the trip though.
Despite all the build issues, we still love our 35S.

[KenAK]

Originally Posted by anchorman

Wow! What a litany of grief.
Item 14. Put some electric or duct tape on the 2 pins in the door latch. You have to renew it occasionally, but it kills the squirrel.


We have a 2016 35S. The initial PDI (pre delivery inspection) was a joke. Jayco missed a bunch of things and so did the dealer. We caught most of them and all seems to be fine now. I have dealt with customer service at Jayco and so far they are excellent. We are about to debark on a 12,000 mile odyssey to Alaska and back. Sure hope I haven't missed anything too serious. Good RVing to all.

Word of advice for trip to Alaska, don't be in a hurry on the Alcan. The frost heaves are hard to see and can do a lot of damage. Made the trip four times and it is beautiful.

[markhog]

Originally Posted by dlibson

So I have had my Precept 35s for about 4 months now. Have used it a bit locally to work out the bugs. Dealer had it for 3 weeks to fix a few things before a long trip. Some they got done. The rest, was not easy and involved missing a trip we couldn't.

Issue list:

1. Radio does not work right, was not the advertised radio with the advertised features. Has a JBL CP100 which is not actually available. (Being replaced with proper Pioneer)

2. Rear view camera does not function most times. Sometimes it works, but hit a bump and it is out. Side views function fine. Most of the time it has a blue, green, ot no screen. (No solution)

3. One speaker doesn't work, no wiring problems. (New speaker ordered)

4. Wiper do not wipe windshield. Skip 1/2 of it. Hit lower trim and pull it out of windshield and scratch the paint below. (Have adjusted and still do it after a while)

5. Couch/Dinette slide rubbing floor going in and out, has lifted and damaged floor. Dinette adjusted to stop rubbing. Worked good two times in and out. Need floor replaced but, Jayco denied until there is a hole.

6. Multiple exterior storage doors rubbing when closed removing paint from door and body. Dealer adjusted doors, Jayco didn't want to repair paint.

7. Headlights vibrate badly driving down the road. This is a build issue. There is no support to hold the housings from moving around.

8. Headlights not properly aimed, and cannot be properly aimed due to design.

9. Passenger side headlight fell out going down road. Factory used to large of nuts on that side. They didn't actually hold the light to the body. Repaired enough to get be on the road side by borrowing nuts from the other side and replaced the rest after I got to where I was going.

10. Water intrusion from somewhere on the passenger side dash/window area. Water damage to wall, mold on front wall and carpet under dash. (no solution)

11. Major water leakage around bed slide. Floors get soaked during any amount of rain. (no solution)

12. Driving is near impossible over 50 MPH, or with any wind. Had alignment done out of my pocket, it was WAY off. Aired tires up to 100 PSI. Both helped some, but this thing is a handful and really not safe over 50 MPH. I just put 3,500 slow miles on it.

13. Paint quality. In general there are runs, missed spots, over spray areas and so on everywhere. It really needs to be completely repainted. (they laughed)

14. Entrance door is either producing a high pitch squeak, or is adjusted so tight you can barely open or close it. (no solution)

15. The dash makes so much rattle/squeak noise you can't hear the radio or person next to you talking. It is TERRIBLE. It is in between the firewall and dash wall. The dealer and Jayco both washed their hands of it and said see the chassis shop. (In Indiana)

16. Door handle keypad doesn't work. (New one ordered)

17. When getting to the third place we camped we only had partial power when plugged in. Full power on generator though. I had to dig and search myself and found a loose connection in the transfer switch from the power cord. It was arcing, too. Could have caused a fire.

18. Broken screws, or missing screws cause the drivers side inner fender section to fall down while driving. Had to stop roadside and find screws to fix it and keep going. On the side of I90, in the middle of the night.

There were a ton of minor issues as well, like all of them have too. The fog light switch was broken, one blinker lens was missing, one slide topper was damaged during delivery or lot time, and so on. There was some of this on the dealer, but most of it is on Jayco and shoddy craftsmanship. I've owned many campers/motor homes over the years. Some good, some bad. But so far, in 4 short months this on takes the cake for being bad.

I fully expect some issues on any new camper. I've never had a motor home be so hard to handle. Never had parts flying off going down the road in the first 2,500 miles. Never had water leakage or damage in the first few years of any unit. Pretty sure I am missing a few things, too. But this is the start of something bad I feel...

We are having some of the same issues, we purchased a 2017 Precept 36 T the end of September. We have had nothing but problems, similar to your issues. Most of the issues we have had from the beginning were small. World Wide RV was the worst experience and they did more damage than repairs from our PDI. We now have a slide that will not work totally out of alignment. The frame is also bent in two locations which is causing a safety issue with driving it. Not sure how this can happen on a brand new unit. We have used it only 3 days and now owned it for 4 months. We have contacted Jayco over all of this but still can use with a bent frame. I owned a class C in the past from Jayco and wish we would of kept it.

Attached is all of our items we are dealing with.

[Cycledoc675]

This post is so tragic! My 2015 Precept 29UM was manufactured in September 2014. It has superseded all expectations and has been very reliable. Of course, much has changed in the past 3&1/2 years. The RV industry has taken off and demand is at an all time high. Therefore, manufacturers are under pressure to push them out the door as fast as possible at the expense of quality control and training. Anecdotally, it appears the cost of an equivalent Class A gas coach has increased $20-$25K over that time frame. Jayco is now owned by Thor, which is the Camping World/RVOne equivalent of motorhome manufacturers. Business administration and shareholders/boards are all focused on selling, selling, selling because that's what produces those nice short-term hefty dividends and administrator bonuses. Quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty are all long term strategies, but modern American business administrators aren't worried about that because they will already be at their next job when the chickens come home to roost. I am going to try to hold onto my current coach as long as I can because I may never find another one this capable in the entry level market.

You should settle for nothing less than an entirely new coach from Jayco, or better yet, your money back + the difference to buy a Newmar Baystar.

[KenAK]

Hate to hear about all the problems with your Precept. I would hope that Jayco steps up and treats you right.
We just got home with our new Alante 31V. Picked it up in North Carolina day before a snow storm. Spent three nights in the Teens but the unit kept us warm. In the trip from NC to Texas here are our issues. Had to adjust strike plate for door almost trapped inside. Emergency egress window in back would not stay closed due to poor design on latch. Used plastic bottle cap as wedge under latch to keep widow shut. Leak in bathroom vent due to gasket not attached completely. The Dash is a disaster Drivers side not attached to wall so every bump the whole thing bounces, there are three pieces all supported by the one wall section that only had top screws installed. A project to work on at home adding some support. Handling was far better than expected, yes it does like to shake around a bit behind semi trucks. We did have a steering stabilizer installed before the trip. This is our third class A, started with small gas unit, then 38 foot diesel pusher, and now back to a gas rig. I am very happy so far with this Alante, I really expected a lot more issues after reading the forum. I took an extra day at the dealer while they addressed PDI issues. We did spend a few days near the dealer just in case. Had a lot of people look at us in the RV parks, I'm sure because Jayco class A's are still new. Over all I am very happy and would do it again.