A couple questions

mobil · 03-31-2016, 08:04 AM

Hi, we're new to these forums and don't yet own a Jayco product. Our current fifth wheel is less than a year old and is plagued by an rv industrywide problem; rushed and shoddy workmanship. We may trade it in after another year or two. The Pinnacle 36FBTS is on top of our short list. We have a few questions that don't just pertain to the Pinnacle line. For anyone that has gone from the Lippert hydraulic LevelUp system to the electric version 6pt. leveling system used by Jayco; do you like it as well? Is the only difference being it takes a little longer to operate as the electric system is slower than the hydraulic or is there no issues? (Lippert Components has come out with a self contained hydraulic level up system, a pump on each jack, no hydraulic lines to run or leak. Maybe Jayco is considering this "Evolution" on future models)?,,,, For those who have the residential fridge, we have one on our current fifth wheel and love the extra space it gives us. It has it's own dedicated inverter(I think 1000w) and a bank of (4) 6v batteries wired in series/parallel. It came from the factory rigged as such and works very well. Does Jayco set theirs up the same? That's it for now. Thanks in advance for any and all responses.

Fingerlakes · 03-31-2016, 01:57 PM

Mobil,
We have a 2016 36FBTS with the residential refer. Your dealer will most likely install the batteries so you will need to get with them and work out what you want. The battery storage area is quite large so there is room for 4 batteries easily and I have seen on this forum that someone has 6 installed-we have 6v batteries in ours and have had no problems running the fridge while traveling 10 hour days with it. We don't boondock so I can't tell you how long the batts. would last in that scenario. As far as the leveling system goes, I can't compare as this is the first unit we have had with this type of system. It is slow but not so much that it's annoying. It takes some getting used to so that it works right the first time- ie: understanding when to put a block under the jacks so you don't get a stroke error. But after a couple times you'll know what needs to be done. Overall we love our unit but we have had a number of problems as have others. Everything has been taken care of by our dealer but it's a pain sometimes to have to haul it back in to them. A couple more things- if you order it be sure and get the tire upgrade. We had trouble with the Rainiers right from day one and upgraded within two weeks of owning ours. Also, get the second air in the bedroom. One a/c will not cool the entire unit on a hot humid day. We've seen several folks that wish they had 2. Good luck with your endeavors!

mobil · 03-31-2016, 09:16 PM

Thanks for the info. Good advise on the tires and second air. The "G" rated tires came standard on our current rig, tho they're not Goodyear's. On our last rig we added the G614's after we had a blowout on a factory supplied tire. Good advise on the second air. I might add that the heat pump is a good option as well. We winter in Florida and the heat pump works well enough that we don't run the furnace at all. It's nice not having to use our propane for heat. One option we kinda wanted but didn't get was the thermopane windows. It seemed like there were problems with the seals leaking and fogging up the windows. An expensive repair bill if not under warranty. Don't know if that's still the case. All in all, the Jayco's look like a pretty solid unit, at least the ones we've seen previously. We're waiting for a local dealer to get one in stock to see it in person. Jayco has a loyal following and as far as I know is still family owned and run(?). We do love the floorplan of our current rig and would like to keep it for several years but if it continues down the present path our confidence will erode as well. Our frustration with the quality control(if they had any), not to mention the difficulty getting repairs at a dealer when on the road is taking it's toll. I know Jayco is not immune to some quality control issues as well but at least they back it up for 2 years.

bethcb · 04-02-2016, 06:59 PM

We absolutely love our 2015 36FBTS! Installing 4-6V batteries and solar panels allows dry camping, although we have not tested it for longevity yet. We will be adding a 2nd awning, and wish we had ordered that to start. We also converted the front sofa to the sleeper folding sofa w ottoman. When guests stay over, we put a 3 inch memory foam and that helps a lot. Store the memory foam under master bed (all rolled up). We also ordered the theater seating. The best addition we did, was the washer/dryer. Jayco installed it at factory and it is included in the 2 year warranty. 2nd AC is a must, as 1 AC is just not adequate. Queen bed is nice as it gives you room on each side and nightstands.
Overall, the quality of our Pinnacle seems far superior to other TTs we have owned.

klassic · 04-03-2016, 07:31 AM

Mobil.. If you aren't in a rush to order, either wait until you can find the 2017 Pinnacle upgrades (I'm sure someone will post it soon) or call Jayco or get your dealer to find out if they are going to switch to the new self contained hydraulic levelling.
Although the electric isn't all that bad, it really shouldn't be electric and the hydraulic self contained system sounds like the ticket. It can't be any worse.

You need to know that they aren't going to switch to hydraulic mid 2017 model and you just needed to wait a couple months.
I had an early 2016 build and missed out on a couple things they added to the NorthPoint mid season.

mobil · 04-04-2016, 06:06 AM

Thanks. We're not in a hurry to order. Our '16 model(sob) still has problems and it has been frustrating getting all the issues resolved. Eventually everything will get taken care of even if I have to do the work myself. But we've lost confidence in the rig and wonder what else will pop up. We'll probably wait another year or two before ordering. In the meantime, we'll try to learn as much as we can about the rigs we're considering.... But, anyway, another question or two; on the rear accessory hitch, I had one fabricated on our current rig(2" receiver, hd) and have a modified hitch haul that my generator(70lbs) is bolted to and cable locked to, a 43gl blue portable dump tank that's strapped to it, and a Swagman 2 bike carrier that's attached to the 2" receiver hitch on the hitch haul. Since I've yet to do a walk thru on a Pinnacle, the pics I've seen looks like the Jayco supplied rear hitch is 2". Is it capable of supporting a couple hundred pounds or is it a flimsy hitch not to be trusted with even a couple of bicycles?... The residential fridge looks like the doors have lock to keep them closed while traveling. That would be much better than just a strap to keep them closed like what we now have.

Fingerlakes · 04-04-2016, 08:11 AM

Mobil, Ours is a 2" hitch receiver that is supposed to be rated to carry 200lbs. (per Jayco). We haven't used it yet but it looks to be fairly sturdy and not flimsy. There was a post on this forum about someone's breaking off but I'm pretty sure that was on a TT and not a 5'er. The fridge does have a pretty good locking latch on the doors for travel. We have the heat pump and the thermo pane windows as you mentioned in an earlier post. The heat pump works extremely well as does the elec. fireplace. We are amazed how much heat the fireplace puts out! We are patiently waiting for good weather to get ours uncovered and get camping again! We got 6" of snow last night and it is snowing right now. Gotta love central NY weather!

klassic · 04-04-2016, 02:27 PM

Like Fingerlakes said the fridge lock is well made. And you can flip it with one finger when opening the door. It has green for open and red for lock.
Once I forgot to lock it and nothing fell out but a bottle of soda pop.

I thought I read the hitch was rated for 300lbs. Anyway, it is not flimsy at all. Probably the best welded thing on the frame.

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