any tips on buying White Hawk or Jay Flight??

[Youngbucks1999]

New to forum and TT. Looking to buy White Hawk 27DSRL or the Jay Flight 26RLS. From what I can see, the Jay Flight has 1000lbs more GVWR and a bigger fresh water tank. Any tips or recommendations in either direction? Pulling TT with 2014 Toyota Tundra V8 5.7L (10,500 towing capacity). Also, I think we can get the Jay Flight about $3K less than the White Hawk? Thanks in advance, learning a lot from this forum.

[modmatt]

Not an easy decision and it really is a personal one that ultimately you guys need to make. We had a tough time deciding between the White hawk and Jay flight models in the same floor lay out and to be honest, would have been happy with either one as they are both a great choice (IMO). We took several trips to the dealer, spending time in both. There wasn't one thing, but a number of small things that tipped our decision to go with the Jay Flight as for us, the cost we received was the same. When we compared, on the Jay Flight there are side windows in the slide, higher ceiling height for more room in the bunks so the kids can sit up, more room in the bathroom (less in the double bunks though) to allow for easier clothing changes and traditional aluminum siding/construction were among some of the tipping points. When we tow, I wish we had gotten the White hawk however as i can feel the extra weight, but in actuality it tows well, just slow(er). The White hawk also has a better Aero shape for towing, but does intrude more in the front bedroom, so there is less storage above the bed. Hope some of those points help you in your decision.

[stjohneyre]

The White Hawk would be my choice. Lighter, easier to tow, walk through bathroom is ideal.

[Crabman]

Moved from site problems and suggestions forum.

[Camper_bob]

I own the same trailer as modmatt, and bought it for many of the same reasons; higher ceilings, aluminum siding, large bathroom, great bunk configuration. Looking at those two trailers, the only difference I see is the bathroom configuration, which is what led us away from either of those trailers. We just didn't like the walk-through bathroom, and the Flight bathroom was just too small for our liking, (we use the shower heavily while we're out).

I agree that it's an intensely personal decision, and to some extent you should go with what "feels" better. At some point logic limits out, and you have to deal with how you feel. In this case, assuming both are equal in your mind as far as your comfort, satisfaction with the floor plan, options, etc. I would choose the lighter one. Again, I agree with modmatt, I absolutely love our trailer when we're out in it, but while I'm towing it, sometimes I wish I had picked the lighter one... Also, if you can get the Flight for $3K less, you have to reconcile what you're spending that extra money for...

Either way, you'll be out there having fun in a great trailer! Good luck!

[gpmilliken]

Originally Posted by Youngbucks1999

New to forum and TT. Looking to buy White Hawk 27DSRL or the Jay Flight 26RLS. From what I can see, the Jay Flight has 1000lbs more GVWR and a bigger fresh water tank. Any tips or recommendations in either direction? Pulling TT with 2014 Toyota Tundra V8 5.7L (10,500 towing capacity). Also, I think we can get the Jay Flight about $3K less than the White Hawk? Thanks in advance, learning a lot from this forum.

Lie down in both beds and check the length of the bed. I have a 26 RLS ad my feet hang off a bit. If the nose was inclined more (isn't this the case with the WH?) then you end up scrunching down more, thus the bed will seem shorter. Depending on your height this might or might not matter.

I'm, no expert on WH but here some things about the RLS I now know:

• In general I am very happy with it
• I prefer the aluminum siding
• You can only access the water pump by removing two wood screws and a panel from under the fridge (i plan to make this a hinged cabinet this winter)
• You cannot access the bathroom or fridge with the slide retracted
• You cannot walk from living room to bedroom with slide retracted
• The automatic landing gear switches are flaky (warranty claim filed)
• The rocking chairs are un-usable, they recline so much they only work if you lean against a wall (removed them) (warranty claim filed)
• Stove is great
• Shower is fine (mini tub is only good for a toddler - wish I had a shower pan)
• Toilet fine
• Incandescent bulbs suck too much power (replacing with LED)
• Couch is great
• Booth is OK
• TV can only be viewed from a few seats in the dinette due to slide impeding view
• Sinks are great
• Heater good
• Storage - plenty
• Spare tire access is OK
• Bike rack is great
• Tows well behind my 2500 HD Ram - no complaints
• Bed seems short for a queen but this is par for the course
• Lighting is adequate to read in the places you need it. In general just fine.

So we're happy Jayco owners and can't wait for our next trip.

I'm OK with making some mods to address the items above; it's all part of the fun!

[Camper_bob]

Retaining the usefulness of the trailer with the slide in was a big deal for us. We got REALLY tired of hunting for a place to use the restroom. Now we just have to find a decent place to pull over and we're in business. Also, the primary functions of the trailer (all sleeping quarters, cooking, restroom) remain intact with the slide in which will make for a quick and easy Wally World stay on long journeys.

IMO, I wouldn't worry about the mattress. Even the best ones aren't very good. I knew I was going to spend some money on a memory foam topper when we bought ours (WalMart has the best deal going on those). The stock mattress didn't even enter the decision matrix. The length is another matter; if you're tall and not okay with your feet hanging off, or you can't easily put a longer bed in, that may be an issue. I don't mind my feet hanging off, but my neighbor couldn't stand it so it was a major factor when he bought his second trailer.

[gpmilliken]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

... I knew I was going to spend some money on a memory foam topper when we bought ours (WalMart has the best deal going on those)....

What exactly did you buy at Walmart? This sounds like it might be a good upgrade for us.

[LongIslandCamper]

There are pluses and minuses with each unit. My brother bought a 28 DSBH White Hawk. My parents very nearly purchased a 27 DSRL for themselves but they went with the 26 RLS instead. I've camped a considerable amount of time in BOTH campers and I prefer the 26RLS.

Both our 26 RLS and the 28 DSBH have a stab jack in each corner as well as the bal x chocks between the tires. For whatever reason, the 26RLS feels SO much more stable inside. I don't know if it's the difference in the camper length, the difference in the axle spacing, or what. The Jay Flight is just a lot more stable.

I can't comment specifically on the 27DSRL because we didn't buy it but I assume the build is just about identical to our 28DSBH. I will say we really didn't like the pass through bathroom. Sure, you get a bigger bathroom but it makes the living room area seem a lot smaller. Also, our 28DSBH doesn't have nightstands so I assume the 27DSRL doesn't either. Our 26RLS does which makes it great for putting an alarm clock, glasses, a bottle of water, a book, etc..... Other than that, here are my feelings of the 27DSRL vs. 26 RLS.

26RLS
Pros
3" more headroom inside
U shaped dinette which folds into a larger bed then 27DSRL dinette
Night stands
All the windows open.
Ceiling vent in living room and bathroom
Larger freshwater tank
Options for larger fridge, pillowtop mattress, and bike rack
Extra dresser cabinet in bedroom
Hidden pull out seating on each side of dinette
Window on each side of slide out
I think the rear window is larger then 27DSRL
The power tongue jack that came with it is MUCH faster

Cons
Heavier
No outdoor fridge
Smaller passthrough storage
I assume a smaller shower then 27DSRL but we have no problem with it.


27DSRL (seen through the eyes of our 28DSBH White Hawk but it's probably comparable)
Pros
Lighter
Outdoor fridge
Larger passthrough storage
I assume a larger shower then 26RLS

Cons
3" less headroom
No windows in slide out sides
Many windows don't open
Smaller fridge
We didn't like passthrough bathroom
No option for larger fridge, bike rack or pillowtop mattress.
I believe a smaller rear window
Smaller freshwater tank
Smaller dinette with no hidden seats which makes into a much smaller bed.
The stock power tongue jack is MUCH slower


The bike rack on the Jay Flight is great to have and shouldn't be overlooked. Not at the same time, but we've carried our 35 gallon water tote, 4 bikes, generator and gas can, firewood, rugs and more. Also, the pillowtop mattress on the Jay Flight is SO much more comfortable then the cheap mattress on the 27DSRL.
There may be a few things I'm leaving out but this is what I came up with off the top of my head. The clear choice for us was the 26RLS over the 27DSRL.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by gpmilliken

What exactly did you buy at Walmart? This sounds like it might be a good upgrade for us.

I think we bought this one:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Spa-Sensat...-Sizes/4569413

I can't be sure, we went to our local store and bought the 4" memory foam dual layer topper and paid like $129 for it. Made all the difference in the world. We have a foam mattress at home and LOVE it, and this approximates that experience. It is a bit soft, but it's galaxies better than the mattress alone.

[Whitehawkmn]

We were also torn between the Jay Flight and the Whitehawk, but we were looking at the 28DSBH and Jay Flight equivalent. The thing that really tipped us was the fiberglass walls on the Whitehawk, but now you can get the same thing on the Jay Flight. Another was the weight, we were pretty concerned with the towing weight, but we're pulling with a F150 ecoboost, not a 3/4 ton. I loved the higher walls on the Flight but LOVED the outside fridge and extra storage on the Whitehawk. It is a really difficult choice for a family to make, but they are both great units, good luck.

[Nighthawk 96]

We went thru the same deliberation that you are.

White Hawk pros:

Lighter
Bigger storage space under front. Front fridge will make up for loss of smaller main fridge
Entertainment center better position and possibly holds a bigger TV (We have 39" Visio)
Bigger bath. We like the fact that the bedroom is isolated from the living area, noise wise, from the living room
Bath acts as a buffer. Big closet in bath
Wanted stand alone table and chairs - not available in Jay Flight

Cons:

Has no bedside tables under wardrobes, which I really miss.
In the 26BH we had you could put a waste basket under the sink, not so in White Hawk
Tanks a tad smaller. Wish we had about 45 gal grey tank.

Other factors:

Lack of windows in the ends of slide not a problem. Back window is quite large and so is window over table
Lower ceiling height does not bother me. I am 6'. Actually better for DW who is only 5"1" for light switches on ceiling.
New White Hawks have higher ceilings, comparable to Jay Flight.
We bought a Sleepnumber bed for our 26BH and transferred it to the White Hawk.
We got the added insulation package and 15,000 btu a/c - both good choices
Other posters have complained about the amount of flex in the White Hawk floors vs the Jay Flight.
Given the extra weight of he Jay Flight, it probably has a heavier duty construction.

All in all we are quite happy with the White Hawk and would change very little about it.

[lsttype]

As the previous owner of a jayflight 26 bh and now the current owner of a whitehawk 28dsbh, I can say that they must be built at completely different assembly plants. The jayflight is hands down built better IMHO. Never had a single issue with our jayflight. Yes our whitehawk has more features and we do like the camper however it feels cheap compared to our jayflight. It has about half the water pressure and the dealers just blame the camp sights even though we are going to the same camp sights we went to with our jayflight. We've had many water leaks, the electric stabilizers go up on there own (bad switches), caulking issues, and now a heating issue. There is NO heating duct in the forward bedroom. We pretty much just froze in our bed while the rest of the camper received heat. I could go on and on about fit and finish but you get the idea.