Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Jayco RV Owners Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 05-31-2016, 09:16 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
koko's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Southwest Wyoming
Posts: 453
2017 Melbourne owners

We just picked up our Melbourne 24k last Friday. We only had the bare necessities with us, but we spent three days in it on our way home (200 miles from the dealer). We are very pleased so far-only a couple of issues. One thing we really like is the bed. Our last two campers had really uncomfortable beds, but this one is a firm memory foam that is quite nice. We usually seem to purchase at the end of the camping season, so we're thrilled that this time we're at the beginning!
koko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 05-31-2016, 09:23 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Peachtree City
Posts: 1,129
Welcome from a fellow Melborne owner. We bought a bed extension for ours because at 6'5" the bed was a little short but we like the overall firmness and comfort.
Pfflyer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2016, 10:04 AM   #3
Senior Member
 
koko's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Southwest Wyoming
Posts: 453
Thank you for the welcome. The bed in our Bullet Premier was a short queen also, but it was so uncomfortable that it seemed even shorter. Have you enjoyed your Melbourne so far? We purchased this as a leap of faith. We knew nothing about the Melbourne and have had no prior experience with Jayco. We had been looking for Winnebago View motor homes for a couple of years, but this seemed to fit us perfectly. Although there are a few things that lack what the View has, there are also features in this motor home that we like even better. Everything in life has its trade-offs.
koko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2016, 11:54 AM   #4
Senior Member
 
robkelly's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Duxbury
Posts: 7,113
Congratulations!
__________________
Rob & Kelly, Bella & Brady (Miniature Schnauzers)
2022 Eagle HT 28.5RSTS
2017 RAM 3500 SRW CTD/AISIN CC LB
robkelly is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2016, 12:38 PM   #5
Site Team
 
norty1's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: James Island, SC
Posts: 22,753
Welcome to JOF and congratulations on the new rig.

I'm using your experiences and input to help me decide what my next rig will be.
__________________
Moderator
2011- 351RLTS Eagle, MorRyde suspension/pin box,
2017- F350 6.7 PSD Lariat FX4,SRW, SB,CC
Hughes PWD SP-50A, TST TPMS
Gator roll-up bed cover
B&W Turnover ball, Companion Std hitch
Can't find what you're looking on JOF? Try Jayco Owners Forum Custom Google Search
norty1 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-01-2016, 03:42 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Peachtree City
Posts: 1,129
Quote:
Originally Posted by koko View Post
Thank you for the welcome. The bed in our Bullet Premier was a short queen also, but it was so uncomfortable that it seemed even shorter. Have you enjoyed your Melbourne so far? We purchased this as a leap of faith. We knew nothing about the Melbourne and have had no prior experience with Jayco. We had been looking for Winnebago View motor homes for a couple of years, but this seemed to fit us perfectly. Although there are a few things that lack what the View has, there are also features in this motor home that we like even better. Everything in life has its trade-offs.
I looked to see if the 17 was still a Mercedes but they only list 16 on the Jayco website. We have really enjoyed ours but only have 4 nights so far. We are planning a 7-8 day trip around 4k miles I think, later this month. We are stepping up from a Sprinter van that I use for work but could convert to a camper in about an hour. Here is a link to my build and an excellent website for any questions you might have if you have the Mercedes chassis. A convertible Sprinter - Sprinter-Forum
I wasn't sure the wife was going to like camping so the convertible work van was a good way to get our foot in the door for long weekend trips. We both wanted to take longer trips and to be able to take warm showers while traveling. I too have looked at the View and also Leisure Travel van among others. Jayco is not on the same build quality as far as cabinets go but they seem to use quality components for mechanical items. Talking to a couple LTV owners and they said you can make a whole lot of upgrades with the Jayco or less expensive models and still come out less expensive than a LTV. I stumbled upon the Melbourne when at the dealers parts store and was surprised at the price. Asked the wife if she wanted to look at it and next thing I know we are driving off the lot. Cant wait for our first long trip.
Pfflyer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-05-2016, 10:19 AM   #7
Senior Member
 
koko's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Southwest Wyoming
Posts: 453
When we picked it up, we only had a few essentials with us. We are just now loading everything that had been in our trailer. Our living room was packed with "stuff" since our son took away our Premier. Our trailer had a lot of storage space, but we're pleasantly surprised that most of what we had removed from the trailer now fits the motor home. We had to eliminate a few things, but mostly non-essentials. We actually like this better than the View. Just a few examples: The cost! We love the large entrance door window. We really like the cabinetry - the wood is a nice color and seems to be of good quality. We like the frameless windows (our Premier also had them). The View doesn't have as many windows in the slide bedroom area (we like light and lots of view points when we're in the mountains). Also, the Melbourne 24k has much larger storage spaces than the View 24g. They brag that their unit doesn't have a step-up into the bedroom, but because of that step-up in the Melbourne, it allows for storage all the way across the back. We towed our Jeep Wrangler, and it really tracked nicely. This thing is so easy to maneuver! The 2017 is the Mercedes Diesel - it was one of our must-haves. We had been looking at Views and had never heard of the Melbourne. We just happened upon it when we were at a dealership and bought it on the spot. We're off tomorrow for a few days, and we'll take it out the whole month of July. Can hardly wait.
__________________
2017 Melbourne 24k towing 2003 Jeep Wrangler
2013 Premier 19FBPR; 2013 Rpod 177 HRE
2011 Aliner Sport; 2008 Little Guy 5-Wide
1980 Shasta 21; 1981 Coleman Tent Trailer
1978 VW Westfalia; lots of tents
koko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2016, 09:28 AM   #8
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Waco
Posts: 34
We have a 2017 only 2 months old. Love it and love the bed. Sleeps better then home. Loved, Loved the View, but not the price! The coachmen were nice except for the cab. The Ford did not leave any foot room for the passenger side of the cab and with spending most of your time in the seat, it would have been uncomfortable. So much room in the Mercedes up front. I do not like the radio setup. Read the book and cant figure the whole thing out. Was told that you have a hard time finding something you love 100%, so shoot for 80%. We love our tiny home, except for the dining booth in the slide. We would like to take it out and put in a loveseat or 2 recliners. Any comments on this thought? Also we have already moved the TV over the doorway. With it located in the bunk area, only one person could see it while setting at the booth. Not very handy.
Attached Thumbnails
IMG_1520 (2).jpg  
LindaInTexas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2016, 05:41 PM   #9
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Peachtree City
Posts: 1,129
Quote:
Originally Posted by LindaInTexas View Post
We have a 2017 only 2 months old. Love it and love the bed. Sleeps better then home. Loved, Loved the View, but not the price! The coachmen were nice except for the cab. The Ford did not leave any foot room for the passenger side of the cab and with spending most of your time in the seat, it would have been uncomfortable. So much room in the Mercedes up front. I do not like the radio setup. Read the book and cant figure the whole thing out. Was told that you have a hard time finding something you love 100%, so shoot for 80%. We love our tiny home, except for the dining booth in the slide. We would like to take it out and put in a loveseat or 2 recliners. Any comments on this thought? Also we have already moved the TV over the doorway. With it located in the bunk area, only one person could see it while setting at the booth. Not very handy.
What don't you like about the radio? Was there a cabinet where you now have the TV? Looks like you have the front bunk. Ours is the entertainment center and I have never seen the bunk in person. We (I) thought about removing the dinette and adding a love seat as well but the wife likes the table to eat and I like it for working while on the road. At night when we watch TV we put the table down and make it into a "bed" that we use like a love seat with both of us facing forward. We carry along extra pillows and it works well.
Pfflyer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-08-2016, 06:32 PM   #10
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Waco
Posts: 34
Yes we have the 24k with bunk overhead. We took the door off and insert a piece of plywood and attached a flat tv holder It was orginally one of those arms you had to swing out. The radio is complicated to use.
LindaInTexas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-09-2016, 08:46 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
koko's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Southwest Wyoming
Posts: 453
Great idea putting the TV over the door where that little cabinet was! It is very hard to see the TV where it is now positioned, and it doesn't make much difference losing that little cabinet. How do you secure it when in transit?
The other day we felt drawn to go back into a View after being in ours for a few nights. We like our layout so much that we no longer have "View envy". Another thing we noticed while going through that View is that their refrigerator is tiny! We do like our booth seat, mainly because we love the way the table goes up and down and has no bar to restrict leg room. Also, the storage space is essential for us, because we go out for long periods of time. However, the tumble couch in the Winnebagos is really nice (but then you have to deal with storing the big table if you make it into a bed). It takes a rocket scientist to figure out the touch screen!
__________________
2017 Melbourne 24k towing 2003 Jeep Wrangler
2013 Premier 19FBPR; 2013 Rpod 177 HRE
2011 Aliner Sport; 2008 Little Guy 5-Wide
1980 Shasta 21; 1981 Coleman Tent Trailer
1978 VW Westfalia; lots of tents
koko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-22-2016, 09:16 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
koko's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Southwest Wyoming
Posts: 453
Dry camping

Now we've experienced dry camping. We live near the mountains and have a favorite spot. We spent four days there and everything worked well. We do have to be careful, because we go down some rocky roads, and the Melbourne (especially the step) is a lot lower than our past four trailers that were all very high off the ground. In the past few years we've spent more time on road trips than in the mountains anyway. Our daughter and her family came up with their camper, and one of our grand daughters even spent one night with us, sleeping in the booth bed. It was perfect! This little motor home is quite roomy, and the bedroom slideout feels like a little oasis. We love the ease of the motor home and have no regrets so far. All we can think about is our next adventure.
__________________
2017 Melbourne 24k towing 2003 Jeep Wrangler
2013 Premier 19FBPR; 2013 Rpod 177 HRE
2011 Aliner Sport; 2008 Little Guy 5-Wide
1980 Shasta 21; 1981 Coleman Tent Trailer
1978 VW Westfalia; lots of tents
koko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2016, 08:58 PM   #13
Junior Member
 
gfisher100's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Lake Havasu City
Posts: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by koko View Post
Great idea putting the TV over the door where that little cabinet was! It is very hard to see the TV where it is now positioned, and it doesn't make much difference losing that little cabinet. How do you secure it when in transit?
The other day we felt drawn to go back into a View after being in ours for a few nights. We like our layout so much that we no longer have "View envy". Another thing we noticed while going through that View is that their refrigerator is tiny! We do like our booth seat, mainly because we love the way the table goes up and down and has no bar to restrict leg room. Also, the storage space is essential for us, because we go out for long periods of time. However, the tumble couch in the Winnebagos is really nice (but then you have to deal with storing the big table if you make it into a bed). It takes a rocket scientist to figure out the touch screen!
We will be picking up our Jayco Melbourne soon.
How is the gam mileage/
Also how does it handle in strong winds. Any trouble climbing mountains/
Thanks Garry
gfisher100 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-25-2016, 10:10 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Peachtree City
Posts: 1,129
Quote:
Originally Posted by gfisher100 View Post
We will be picking up our Jayco Melbourne soon.
How is the gam mileage/
Also how does it handle in strong winds. Any trouble climbing mountains/
Thanks Garry
I am getting 12-13 mpg keeping the most part around 65 mph. I installed a heavy duty sway bar and it handles much better than without. It handles hills well but sometimes you need to downshift manually. The computer downshifts better in this 2015 3500 chassis than my 2013 2500 Sprinter cargo. I am a little disappointed about the mileage but not too much. Other Sprinter class C's reports 15-17 mpg.
Pfflyer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 06-26-2016, 08:25 AM   #15
Senior Member
 
koko's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Southwest Wyoming
Posts: 453
We pull a Jeep Wrangler Sahara behind ours and are getting about 13-15 mpg, all in windy conditions. When we were pulling our 19 ft. Bullet Premier (same height- 11 ft. 5 in.) with our Dodge Durango V-8, we were getting 8-10 mpg. We haven't had the pleasure yet of traveling when it hasn't been ridiculously windy. In 35+ winds we can feel it, but that's even the case in a car. We have pulled up some really steep grades and have no problem at all. We keep it at between 60-65 mph.
__________________
2017 Melbourne 24k towing 2003 Jeep Wrangler
2013 Premier 19FBPR; 2013 Rpod 177 HRE
2011 Aliner Sport; 2008 Little Guy 5-Wide
1980 Shasta 21; 1981 Coleman Tent Trailer
1978 VW Westfalia; lots of tents
koko is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2016, 09:22 PM   #16
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Waco
Posts: 34
More changes to our Melbourne

We thought about it and hated to do it to a 3 mo old Rv, but we took out the dinette booth and added 2 low profile reclining chairs. We had already moved the TV over the door in front of the little cabinet. But still it was hard to see from the dinette booth. So we gently took the benches and tables out. we were afraid they might be glued to wall and take the wallpaper with it. But all the pieces came out with out breaking and if we want to re-install them, we can. See pictures. Discovered the plug and the usb plugs attached under the table to the bench! Big surprise! We found 2 low profile recliners (who backs come off and snap back on easily). We found some wood trim at a mobile home surplus place to place around the slide. The only part we could not fix was a small wallpaper covered molding in the slide corners where the benches were. But you really can't see them. Rewired the slide lights and the plugs and placed them on the wall between the chairs. Now they are easy to use. Our Recliners now face the TV. The 2017 has one of those tables on a pole that you are suppose to use with the cab chairs when you swivel them around. We removed the fittings and placed it on the slide between the chairs!. We also moved the short bunk drape from above the drivers head to the other side of the bunk where the TV WAS. Now it does not get caught in the slide anymore. The only problem that we have now is we only have seat belts for 2 people and not 6, but we probably won't have anyone with us anyway.

See attachments
Attached Files
File Type: pdf melbourne 2017.pdf (153.5 KB, 158 views)
LindaInTexas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2016, 05:41 AM   #17
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: Peachtree City
Posts: 1,129
Nice install. Your 2017 had seatbelts for 4 in the dinette? 2016 only had 1 each side.
Pfflyer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2016, 11:07 PM   #18
Junior Member
 
gfisher100's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Lake Havasu City
Posts: 10
Do you have any pictures of your changes?
Garry
gfisher100 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 08:25 AM   #19
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Waco
Posts: 34
Sorry, yes you are right, only 2 seat belts, but room for 4.
LindaInTexas is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-18-2016, 08:27 AM   #20
Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Waco
Posts: 34
Yes, I have pictures attached in my post. You just have to download them. I couldn't figure out how to post them in the post.
LindaInTexas is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Jayco, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:54 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2002-2016 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.