Mods vs. warranty

[Homersimpson]

I just got my new SLX 145RB, and I already have ideas for many mods. By the way, I have reviewed all of the threads in the Jayco Mods forum and added to my to-do list. First, my wife has difficulty climbing into our trailer, so I intend to replace the single step with a twin step. Second, I want to separate the under bench storage into one section for inside access and another for outside access only. Third, I would replace the thin plywood under the seat cushions with thicker plywood, then reuse the thin wood to line the storage area(s) against shifting cargo. An extra AC outlet and a dedicated USB charger outlet would be nice. I really want to install a tub surround before water ruins the exposed wall panels. And what is in the wasted space under the furnace? My question is: How much of this would void my 2-year warranty?

[BigJohnD]

Welcome to the forum Homersimpson. With a good dealer or service place, you'll probably be fine with all you mentioned. I've welded receiver hitches under several of ours, done electrical mods and all kinds of other stuff. If you have a good dealer, they make money off of the warranty work and will look over stuff (ignore the mods), at least in our case they always did. Heck I've even had a dealer claim warranty on stuff, send the parts to my house for me to fix, and them claim the time. That made it easier on me as I didn't have to tow the thing in. A win win for both of us. Every dealer / service place is different. If dealing directly with Jayco, you might get varying results. I think as long as your not modifying major structure, you'll be fine.

We've mostly ignored warranty and what will void it since we pretty much do all of our own repairs, better than any dealer (saves us time and money doing it in our own shop). Most things that will break have their own warranty anyway, like the fridge, furnace, AC, etc. You can deal with the OEM of each piece in that case if need be.

[Lady Fitzgerald]

Look up the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act. In a nutshell, a manufacturer or its representative can't void a warranty just by the presence of a modification or aftermarket parts unless it can be demonstrated the changes were the cause of the failure. That doesn't mean a manufacturer or dealer won't try to do that but, at least, you would have the law on your side when you fight it.

[Homersimpson]

Thank you. I needed to hear both of those viewpoints before starting.

And I forgot to mention replacing the 13-inch wheels with 14-inch if they will fit.

[DHH57]

Originally Posted by Homersimpson

Thank you. I needed to hear both of those viewpoints before starting.

And I forgot to mention replacing the 13-inch wheels with 14-inch if they will fit.

That could present a problem. Increasing the outer diameter could cause the tire to hit and damage the wheel well and would not be covered under warranty.

[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by Homersimpson

And I forgot to mention replacing the 13-inch wheels with 14-inch if they will fit.

I'm curious to know what problem you are trying to fix by putting 14" tires on?

[Homersimpson]

The ST175/80R13 LRC tires are rated at 1360# each, or 2720# for two. The GVWR of the 145RB is 2950#. I know the argument that the tongue weight is 230#, but that leaves no margin for shifting load center, etc.

On the other hand, the ST205/75R14 LRC tires are rated at 1760# each, or 3520# for two. Where I work, "defense in depth" is a virtue. So if they fit in the fenders, the tire rating over the GVWR would ease my mind on the road.

[ranchosinvacas]

I have read several posts on this board about wheel and tire size changes.
The wheel well size issue can be solved by performing what is generally called an axle flip. There are pros & cons about the idea. The Jayco Baja SLX models have truck tires from the factory.

[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by Homersimpson

The ST175/80R13 LRC tires are rated at 1360# each, or 2720# for two. The GVWR of the 145RB is 2950#. I know the argument that the tongue weight is 230#, but that leaves no margin for shifting load center, etc.

On the other hand, the ST205/75R14 LRC tires are rated at 1760# each, or 3520# for two. Where I work, "defense in depth" is a virtue. So if they fit in the fenders, the tire rating over the GVWR would ease my mind on the road.

If you do this, keep in mind that the axle ratings stay the same and will still be the limiting factor. There is a stamping somewhere on the axle that tells you what it is. I don't want to see you having false sense of security just by putting tires on with a higher load rating.

[Homersimpson]

Please do not misunderstand. I am not trying to increase the TT capacity by swapping tires. I just want some peace of mind. No one has ever had an axle sidewall blowout or an axle tread separated.

I have a solid steel axle rated at 3000# bolted to two Chinese rubber tires rated at 2720# on a TT with a GVWR at 2950#. The tires are the weakest link.

14 inch tires have a 1" larger overall radius than the 13 inch tires that have 4" clearance at rest. Does anybody know whether 3" clearance is enough?

[Homersimpson]

Although they are harder to find, I have learned that ST185/80R13 LRD tires are rated for 1710# each, or 3420 for two. If I mount those, I can get the added security of increased rating without notable increase in overall dimension. The wheel well clearance should not be affected, and the TT will not ride any higher. Success!!!

[DustyGeek]

I forget the specifics, but I did pretty much the exact same thing with a Fleetwood high wall popup we used to own. The secondary reason was that the tires that were on it were a hard to find size, so I changed it up to a larger rim size, only increasing the diameter by 1" overall, but gaining a lot of spare (peace of mind) capacity at a lower pressure.

I moved the spring down to the lower shackle mount hole to give some additional vertical clearance, but there was plenty of clearance front, back and sides.

[Homersimpson]

Originally Posted by Homersimpson

I just got my new SLX 145RB, and I already have ideas for many mods. By the way, I have reviewed all of the threads in the Jayco Mods forum and added to my to-do list. First, my wife has difficulty climbing into our trailer, so I intend to replace the single step with a twin step. Second, I want to separate the under bench storage into one section for inside access and another for outside access only. Third, I would replace the thin plywood under the seat cushions with thicker plywood, then reuse the thin wood to line the storage area(s) against shifting cargo. An extra AC outlet and a dedicated USB charger outlet would be nice. I really want to install a tub surround before water ruins the exposed wall panels. And what is in the wasted space under the furnace? My question is: How much of this would void my 2-year warranty?

Well, I tried the twin step, but she actually preferred a simple step stool instead, saving me $100. I have divided the under bench storage and started lining the storage area. The additional AC outlet is also done, still GFCI protected. I just bought a Vortex fan to put in the bathroom ceiling vent. My fun has begun!

[Homersimpson]

The plywood under the seats is now 3/8" rather than 1/8", and screwed down except for the door to the inside storage section. In the bathroom are two Command hooks for towels and two wire shelves to hold things. The shower is recaulked with silicone.

[Homersimpson]

Vortex fan is installed in the bathroom vent. Got 12 volt power from a nearby ceiling light. Works great!

[Homersimpson]

I also strengthened the benches and the support that holds the table to convert the dinette into a bed. It creaked a lot when we slept on our initial outing.
The sheets and blanket are made up on a 3" memory foam pad that we lay over the dinette cushions. Quite comfortable. Then when not in use, the foam pad with bedding is folded in fours and just fits into that mini-closet in my SLX 145RB. The pillows hide on the closet shelf above. Out of sight during the day and ready to use again on the next night.

[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by Homersimpson

Although they are harder to find, I have learned that ST185/80R13 LRD tires are rated for 1710# each, or 3420 for two. If I mount those, I can get the added security of increased rating without notable increase in overall dimension. The wheel well clearance should not be affected, and the TT will not ride any higher. Success!!!

Glad you found a solution that you can live with. I will say that I've had two trailers over 13 seasons that had/have 13" tires. I've towed one of those trailers on a 6k mile, and a 3k mile trip on the same tires over the first 6 years we had it. Unless you are over loading or leaving your tires underinflated you shouldn't have any problems.

[Homersimpson]

Thanks, Doc. I will watch the pressures closely. The load range C tires have max rating at 50 psi, while the load range D tires max out at 65 psi. Underinflated tires generate excessive heat resulting in tire failure.
I will be okay with the 13" wheels. I really was less worried about the size than I was about the tire rating being 230# less than the GVWR. And I am sure that none of my mods so far have actually overloaded anything.

[dspeers]

It occurred to me that part of the assumption here is that some of the weight is on the hitch so who the whole vehicle and cargo weight are not completely on the axles.

[Homersimpson]

Yes, that was the Jayco explanation I saw in an older thread. But some tire companies recommend getting tires with capacity that is 10%greater than GVWR, not 10%less. And I would prefer the added safety factor, regardless of what tires came standard on the TT.