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Old 11-07-2014, 07:41 PM   #1
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Jayco Greyhawk vs Sunseeker/forester

I have been looking at the Greyhawk 29 and 31 models and started talking to folks about weights and tow weights.. From what I guess is the Jayco has the standard 5,000lb hitch correct? In looking at the FR Sunseeker and Forester they have models based on the Ford chassis but have a 7500lb tow capacity.

My wife wants a MH that we can tow our horse tralier and horses and were right at 5500 to 6,000 lbs Dealers have said you can add a larger hitch to the Jayco but others advise against it... and in most cases shops that install hitches look up the Mfg specs and will not go about that.... The FR has air bags on the rear I am wondering if that brings the capacity up?

I have not driven either yet.. so if any of you that have bought the Greyhawk if you looked at the 2014 or 2015 FR product what else did you find different in the manufacturers?

Hope this isn't an out of line question, we can't go to a Super C it is way out of our budget unfortunately...

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and i'm not posting this to start a brand war, just good solid information...
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Old 11-07-2014, 08:06 PM   #2
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One thing i know is that the forest river has a fiberglass roof which is a huge plus. I would narrow it down to what layout works better for you. And also check the occc of the model. Gray hawks can have low occc left over but i have seen a few forest rivers that were even less.
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Old 11-07-2014, 08:43 PM   #3
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I guess I didn't think about the rubber vs fiberglass roof..good point... Also, is the Greyhawk a wood frame or a aluminum frame? I have searched the Jayco website and brochures they don't put much info on the internet.. I'd like to know the R factors, if thermal windows are available and or the Polar pack that they offered on some trailers. We would like to use our until a little longer in the year ..were in Tennessee it doesn't get killer cold but it does get on the "More than Chilly" side.
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Old 11-07-2014, 09:02 PM   #4
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As far as i know nobody builds motorhomes with wood framing. My greyhawk has tank heaters only which dosent help much with the exposed plumbing. I read in a forest river brochure that their sewer outlet pipe is enclosed and heated which might be a plus.
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Old 11-07-2014, 09:07 PM   #5
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One other thing i rember about the forest rivers was they were having a problem with their frames twisting when using the big foot levelers. Definatly research on their forum board as well.

Also i think they have the old 6 gal water heater as opposed to greyhawks ondemand water heater
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Old 11-08-2014, 06:56 AM   #6
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Greyhawk01, thanks for the info and suggestions.. I'll check in to your items for sure.. I did sign up to the FR forums to ask questions. I find by asking folks like yourself that have units and probably have searched others before buying that I get great feedback and things to look for. About the only thing that is a stickler for us is the 7500lb tow weight and that is because of our horses... but I may have talked my wife in to driving our truck with the Horse trailer while I drive the MH.. that gives us the best of 2 worlds with the truck at the campground we now have a Toad... and although we burn more gas it's cheaper than getting a rental for a week. The good thing is we probably would not travel more than 100 miles if we were to go "Horse Camping" ... so, were giving that some serious thought. I just want to find the right floor plan and a reliable coach... so, my due diligence is more than paying off for me.
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Old 11-08-2014, 07:07 AM   #7
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What decided us was two things... One was seeing the hail damage to two units in the campground that we were in, that had fiberglass roofs. The hail just bounced off the rubber roofs. Our only damage was to one of the MaxxAir roof vent covers.

The other issue was the warranty. We started thinking that if a company doesn't have enough confidence in their products to offer a two year warranty, that's a major red flag.
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Old 11-08-2014, 08:18 AM   #8
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The Logans, thanks for that TIP... what kind of damage was done to the roof? That must have been some huge hale to cause that kind of damage..

I don't know of any other manufacturer that provides a 2 year warranty... it is nice that Jayco has that.
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Old 11-08-2014, 09:25 AM   #9
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Hail damage

The National Weather Service said that it could be up to dime size hail, but what we saw on the ground was from BB size up to some marble size mixed in. It also broke a few windshields. The two fiberglass roofs that I got up on the ladders and looked at had dents with cracks radiating out from them, and one had a spot where the fiberglass was shattered in an area about 3 inches across.

Having said that, a fiberglass roof is better able to resist a lateral impact (like from a tree branches), while a rubber roof stands up to vertical impact better. There are always plusses and minuses to everything.

I'm told that the rubber roofs weigh less, and I guess that it's better to have less of a weight load up high, for better stability.

Comes down to what you're comfortable with, and as I said before, the two year warranty was the tie breaker for us.

Whatever you decide, enjoy it and be safe!
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Old 11-08-2014, 04:13 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by The Logans View Post
There are always plusses and minuses to everything.
Rubber has a 12 yr warranty, the fiberglass warranty is no longer than the warranty that comes with the coach.
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Old 11-08-2014, 04:38 PM   #11
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Grumpy.. I tried to look up the FR warranty and could not find anything... I see your moving from your Seneca to a Pinnacle... what made that decision ?

I like the Jayco Greyhawk but finding information on it is like having to do so much reading and searching... for example... I have not yet found the R value of the walls, floor and ceiling... or if they have the polar package available .. We would like to use the coach longer in the year.. But I'm continuing to read and search.. Like I said what caught my eye on the FR was the 7500lb tow weight.... but it's becoming less and less of an issue I think...
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Old 11-08-2014, 05:50 PM   #12
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I would NOT recommend the Greyhawk especially for your application. The Ford E-450 chassis will go to 22,000# GCWR and Jayco has put the Federally required sticker stating such. However, since Jayco - really Mor-Ryde butt welded weak frame rail extensions onto the end of the Greyhawk Jayco only puts a 5,000# rated hitch. Many companies will do a "sub-frame" beef up and attach a hitch directly to the Ford frame via bolts (Per Ford specifications) and that will technically allow you to tow up to 7,500# within the law. That said however Jayco will VOID all warranties on your unit if you do this. The person in charge Celina Tyler has no mercy on this topic and does not RV. She will use guile and deception to get you to tell her what has been done and then drop the bomb on you. It doesn't matter that the Jayco sticker states 22,000# GCWR. Many other manufacturers have in fact upped the tow rating for their E-450 based units without requiring hitch modifications. While no motorhome or RV is without issues I strongly recommend against any Jayco product. PM me if you want more information.
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Old 11-08-2014, 08:30 PM   #13
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Not sure which I'd pick if we were to get a class c again. We owned a 2013 Forester 3121 for almost a year. It was no better than a Jayco really. A few features that are nicer than the Jayco yes, but nothing that just puts it over the edge. FR calls it a fiberglass roof, but it's really not what you or I would think of as "fiberglass". Think, gas station bathroom wall, or that white pebble finish stuff for bathrooms at lowes or home depot. Pretty much similar stuff, and pretty darn thin. It works, but there were several reports of cracking in some. Same issue with Tiffin. Had a 2012 35QBA, but it did in fact have a true fiberglass roof. Problem with there's was, it cracked too, mainly at the radius portion to the side wall. Not sure if they ever got that fixed, but they were repairing 3 a day at the factory for a LONG time. After owning those 2 with those roofs, I'm sticking to the almighty cheap rubber.

As for bigfoot levelers on the Forester, you can do what you want with them if not using the auto level feature. If you want 1 side to come up, 2 buttons, 1 jack, 1 button. You can twist it if you want being you can run each jack individually. I liked the HWH system better. Common sense has to come into the equation somewhere.
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Old 11-08-2014, 11:25 PM   #14
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I'm fairly certain that the Greyhawk's roof is wood. I saw a YouTube video at some point. Forest River I believe is one of the manufacturers that allow a 7500# tow rating from the Factory.
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Old 11-09-2014, 12:19 PM   #15
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Hi DavidKI

If you're anywhere close to Middlebury Indiana, go take the factory tour, and talk to the folks at Jayco. We've been there 3 times now with 2 different Jayco units, to get minor work done. We COULD have taken it to the dealer, but they would have had it several months, because they are very busy, and because they have to wait for parts.

At the factory, they have the parts, tools and expertise do to the work fast and right. We make the 7 hour drive, and spend 4 or 5 days playing tourist in the area. All manufacturers have issues with their products, but the difference is how they treat you, and how they handle those issues that sets one company apart from another.

They always treat us right at Jayco, and while the unit is there, they fix or adjust other items that need to be taken care of, that we didn't even know about.

There is a bunch of stuff to see and do in the area, like the largest (Amish) restaurant in the state, the camping museum, one of the largest flea markets in the US, water powered grist mills, etc.

It's a great experience, and the folks at the factory are friendly and easy to talk to. They have tour from the visitors center to see how the towables are made, and a by appointment tour of the motor coach assembly areas.

Check it out, if you get a chance.
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Old 11-09-2014, 07:35 PM   #16
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I think our Forester had a 5k rating on the hitch, but it wasn't an issue since our toad was a feather weight Honda Fit. Some were modifying and beefing the whole deal up, but everybody has their own comfort level in doing that. Off the record, a factory rep did say more could be towed, and a lot were doing so, but FR wouldn't endorse it. As always, liability.
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Old 11-09-2014, 07:59 PM   #17
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One possible issue that I have not seen addressed (unless I missed it) is tongue weight. On a loaded horse trailer, what is the tongue weight? I do not tow these trailers myself, but logically if you have that much weight in animals it would cause a fair amount of tongue weight and may be over the limit. Just a thought.

Oh, and on another note. It wasn't that many years ago that FR was a brand not associated with quality or longevity. The fact that they and Jayco are being discussed in the same post on a comparable level means (to me) that either FR's level has come way up, or Jayco's has gone down. Just an observation, and it's worth what you paid for it
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Old 11-09-2014, 08:04 PM   #18
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Maybe they met in the middle. Not sure. I wasn't enthused with either, but had to pick one like flipping a coin. Both have had their share of issues for sure.
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Old 11-09-2014, 08:16 PM   #19
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What about a smaller Class A? My parents just got a Winnebago Brave that is based on the Ford F 53 chassis. It has just one slide, a ton of room for the size (only 29-30 feet!), and good power, because it uses the uprated V10 at 362 horsepower. He drives school bus, and wanted a bigger chassis for distance trips. It seems something like this might fit your bill as well. I don't advocate any brand, that is just what they got and I was impressed at what they got in the size they got. They moved from a class C and are liking the ride on this one better. Don't mean to confuse the issue though (well, not too much ). Oh yeah, and the price was very competitive.
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Old 11-09-2014, 08:58 PM   #20
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The Logans, I sure wish we were closer up to the "RV Capital of Manufactures" LOL, but right now it is a bit of a drive and we have quite a bit scheduled before now and the end of the year but I love factory tours... so that is something to keep in mind... I have been through a variety of auto manufacturers including the Porsche factory in Germany :-)

I do not want a hitch that is not certified for the weight by the manufacturer and I would never take a chance pulling or using a higher weight .... In the past, every Class C I had seen has been 5k or below, it was not until I went to look at the Greyhawk and Forester in the last couple of weeks that the 7500 issue even came up. If you go to either of teh fR website you can pull down the 2014 brochures, look under the Ford chassis and you will see the weights stated there.

The comment about the Horse Trailer is a great comment, I'm going to have to check it out.. but I'm pretty sure it has a unloaded weight of about 3300 lbs and a 500 lb tongue weight. So, I'm good there. It is too bad you can't order the built in brake controller on the Ford like you can when you order a truck that would make things a bit easier.
r
I have not seen a Greyhawk in a year or so, our local dealer only has the Redhawk The only Greyhawks in the area are used ones. (another reason for the internet buy options)

djtho1, your question is a valid one and thanks for bringing it up... we have looked at quite a few of the Class A MH's and they all have a 5K or less rating. That new Brave does look quite spiffy though :-)

The question on the
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