23' 30Z review and FW Vs. C

[Cruzerdoc]

This is a review of our 2023 Jayco 30z. Also, some of you asked in my intro to compare this to our last rv which was a 2019 Montana 3790RD FW. Our tow vehicle was a 2015 Chevy Duramax 3500HD dually with crew cab and long bed. I’ll try to keep this short and concise. Ignore grammar please.


We picked up the 30z in May of last year. We have been out in it 9 times for stays between 4-7 days. We have been in everything from full hookups to boondocking in the Monongahela NF and no hookups in Smoky Mtns NP. We have put 3100+ miles on it. We have three dogs that go with us.


The good. We like the layout of the 30z. The bedroom is separate from the living rm which is separate from the kitchen dining area. Yes, they are very close together but still “separate”. We worried about not having enough space for us and dogs but that hasn’t been a problem really. We spend most of our time outside and during inclement weather we have plenty of room to chill. I have been able to stream TV from about everywhere we’ve been which has been handy. We kennel our dogs at night and have plenty of room for three kennels in the living area and under the dining rm table. The over cab bed is huge and we use it for storage. We can easily turn it into a bed in no time. We move the stuff off the bed and into the jeep if needed.
We were worried about storage with a class c. After going through the accumulation of junk in the 5th wheel we have plenty of room for what we need. The rear storage is just a plastic bin in a hole. I placed 1” angle irons under the tub for support and works well. We also use the toad for extra storage and bike rack. Tows the jeep with no issues. Our rv has the 7.3L Godzilla engine. Plenty of power and torque for a gas engine. Side mirror cameras are great for turning and parking.
All appliances, a/c (two units), heat, etc. worked as they are supposed to. Did have to replace front panel on frig but that was under warranty. Solar works well especially for boondocking. I replaced the deep cycle batteries with Renogy lithium batteries. A little work but well worth it. Only used generator to power up coffee maker. Did run gen to charge batteries on rainy days and when parked in the woods but only did that every other day.
Engine maintenance is easy.
The biggest advantage to this rv over a FW is getting a site. I can park this thing about anywhere and only need 30amp power (the power system works well on this). The big issue now is just picking one! Too many choices compared to what we were used to in the FW.
The wife can drive it! 😊 I don’t rest when she drives but at least I can take a break.


The bad. Had to replace both thermostats. The ones that came with it are junk. Replaced bathroom vent with maxxair fan. The one that came with it was worthless. Cabinet over coach area came off! Was held with two screws. Fortunately, no one was under it. Resecured to ceiling/wall with 14 cabinet screws. The huge window over the cab bed is horrible for climate control. I have a piece of thin insulation up there to keep temperature stable. The small lift up cabinet doors have springs to keep them open. They are strong springs and will quickly pull the small hinge screws out of the particle board cabinets. I replaced them with bolts and nuts. Work great now.
Would have loved to have a F450 cab vs. a E450 cab. You get no frills with the E450. The seats suck although they are better now that they are breaking in some. The front seats rotate to look back for guest seating but are a royal PITA to do it. If you get the additional cushions for indoor seating they are worthless.
This unit comes with the upgraded suspension. The Hellwig helper springs work when they are properly adjusted. THEY ARE NOT ADJUSTED PROPERLY BY JAYCO. Not only do they not work properly they actually make the ride worse. As the rv sways back and forth they act like crossbow limbs and sling you back the other direction. Makes for tough driving. Called Hellwig, got the correct adjustment and then adjusted the springs (not hard to do just takes some time). Made a world of difference. I now have control of the rv where I didn’t feel like I did before.


The ugly. Initially drove horribly. After adjusting Hellwig helper springs and getting some miles on it to break in the suspension and tires it drives pretty well. I can go 6-8 hours with no issues other than a tired back.
Warning: Wind is not your friend! You get a strong wind to the sides or front you are going to have to slow down and do some work to keep it in your lane.
Gas mileage is 9-11 without our toad (2020 Jeep wrangler unlimited) and 7-8 with the toad.
It is not as roomy as a large 5th wheel but, with the ease of finding and getting into sites it is well worth the trade-off IMHO.
The water valves are a bit of a pain especially if you forget to change them to the proper positions (spent 20 minutes on that one).
Leveling works well but the hydraulic jacks are short so you will need blocks under them to level in a lot of circumstances. They also hang low so they are easy to bottom out on.
Weight. Fully loaded (2 adults, 3 dogs, full gas) I am just below GVWR and GVAR. Add a tank of water and we are over about 250Lbs on GVWR.


Overall the switch for us was a good call. We use it and are much more comfortable maneuvering and parking. I will give the overall quality of the 30Z a B-. If Jayco would do better QC it could easily be an A. Not holding my breath on that one. Hope this helps.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Cruzerdoc

Warning: Wind is not your friend! You get a strong wind to the sides or front you are going to have to slow down and do some work to keep it in your lane.

A strong wind gust pushed us into the ditch in Wyoming.
Wife driving, 45-50ish.

Pure miracle she kept us upright.

[Cruzerdoc]

Same thing happened to us on I-80 while pulling our TT. Somehow kept us alive but have PTSD from it! :-)

[Rock]

I just added a heavy duty front sway bar and Safety plus steering stabilizer. Had alignment done and 2 degree caster bushings put in. Hugh improvement but passing trucks move it around. Just ordered super steer track bar which will fix that problem. I have to pay for the install since MH has to be lifted by the tires for install. I have no way to do that and just not enough room underneath while on the ground.

[dwaynebmsg]

I would check with
https://www.safe-t-plus.com and see if they have a location near you. They are experts at installation.

[Rock]

Originally Posted by dwaynebmsg

I would check with
https://www.safe-t-plus.com and see if they have a location near you. They are experts at installation.

I did the sway bar and safety steer myself. It is the super steer rear track bar I cannot do without a complete tire lift.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Cruzerdoc

Same thing happened to us on I-80 while pulling our TT. Somehow kept us alive but have PTSD from it! :-)

We were on I-25 heading up to I-80.
We too have PTSD.

That's why I wrote my own app to check NOAA for weather alerts every 15 minutes based on my location. I'll still be glued to Windy.com, but having automated alerts come in will make me feel a tiny bit better.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Rock

I did the sway bar and safety steer myself. It is the super steer rear track bar I cannot do without a complete tire lift.

Didn't even think of that as an issue.

Can you just drive the rears up on blocks? I mean, you shouldn't need THAT much lift, right?

I'm planning to do this install eventually myself, so these little pearls are helpful for planning.

BTW, good job OP, that was a great, concise writeup. And it mirrors my experience and thoughts pretty well. Though I was coming from a long TT, not a 5er.

[Cruzerdoc]

Appreciate it. May do a new front sway upgrade but have an upgraded rear sway bar. Don't know how much that will help.

[Cruzerdoc]

I'm just going to avoid Wyoming! :-)

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by Cruzerdoc

Appreciate it. May do a new front sway upgrade but have an upgraded rear sway bar. Don't know how much that will help.

OEM vs Upgrade. Certainly can't hurt!!

[Michael Francois]

Originally Posted by Cruzerdoc

I'm just going to avoid Wyoming! :-)

Well, that would be an extreme missed opportunity. :-) Wyoming winds are not a myth, but you just have to watch the weather reports, the WYDOT warnings, and mostly the terrain. When you are caught by surprise in a high wind warning area, and you're coming up on deep draws and canyons, slow down and hang on -- those are wind tunnels in disguise!

[Cruzerdoc]

We'll go back one day. Another couple 100 therapy visits and I should be good to go! :-]

[Rock]

Originally Posted by Cruzerdoc

Appreciate it. May do a new front sway upgrade but have an upgraded rear sway bar. Don't know how much that will help.

Front sway bar made a difference. Easy install just lift the front with hyd jacks and then use jack stands. Found a truck shop who will install rear track bar on Wednesday. Lifting up the MH by the rear wheels some and squeezing in they’re just not worth it. And I am not sure if just lifting the back will move the suspension a bit more than lifting by all wheel's keeping it level. The bar from frame to axle brackets has to be adjusted to fit sitting on all wheels for proper adjustment. Anyone installing a rear track bar you should first adjust the hellwig springs 2.5 to 3 inches to set the rear suspension. They are not adjusted from the factory. I have mine set to 2 3/4 inch. Hellwig tech said no more than 2.5 inch. I am still amazed at how much a passing 18 wheeler on the interstate pushes the 30Z around. Everyone who has a rear sway bar says wow now just a shutter and not all over.

[pconroy]

Originally Posted by Cruzerdoc

We'll go back one day. Another couple 100 therapy visits and I should be good to go! :-]

We go back, if for nothing else, we load up on Fireworks off Exit 2...

Seriously, if the skies are grey, we slow waaaaaaaaaaaaay down now. And I've got my NOAA weather forecast and alerts coming in every fifteen minutes now.