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Old 08-05-2015, 06:40 PM   #1
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decisions decisions

Howdy. We are looking at the aluminum Jayflight 28BHS vs. the fiberglass Jayfeather SLX 26 BHSW. Same floor plan and more or less same weights and length. Our locaL dealer has both and I am trying to come up with pros and cons. We had a 2007 Jayfeather 218 which never gave us a bit of trouble and I am sorry I sold but we outgrew it. Sure would appreciate any input. Thanks!
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Old 08-05-2015, 06:52 PM   #2
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Welcome to the forum. Could not find any Jayfeather vs Jayflight threads but here is one comparing the liteweight Whitehawk line to Jayflight. The comparisons would be similar, I would think. I can add that my 28BHS is nearly 6 years old now with no major issues.

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f7...ght-25686.html
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Old 08-05-2015, 07:20 PM   #3
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Thanks Crabman. Wife likes the kitchen configuration and it's her hot button. I looked at the link you provided and although the Whitehawk looks good (we initially looked at the Whitehawk RKS floorplan until we felt our 12 year old daughter would appreciate the BHS) there is no similar floorplan. RV Direct has the SLX model and i have heard they are good to work with as a bargaining chip with the dealer. Wife said we would drive to RVDirect in Des Moines to get the better price (we live in Salt Lake City) I would prefer to stay local. Guess it will boil down to price.
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Old 08-06-2015, 07:09 PM   #4
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We just bought a jay feather 26 slx bhsw last Friday. We will be taking our first trip tomorrow. We felt this was a tremendous value. Only drawback I see (vs jay flight) is small black water tank (22 gallon I believe) and lower ceiling height which doesn't bother us. Benefits of lighter weight (5000lbs), fiberglass exterior etc were appealing. We really liked the 2016 model which will add a door in the bathroom. However, we needed to a camper quickly and got a great deal on a 2015 model. I will post pictures and updates soon as I also found very little info on this model. Hope this helps!
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Old 08-06-2015, 07:26 PM   #5
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Hey Wings9 feedback is appreciated
Dealer has both models priced at around 25k. Vacation season coming to and end pretty quick here but if an opportunity comes up to buy we may take it
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Old 08-06-2015, 10:16 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by nephi007 View Post
Howdy. We are looking at the aluminum Jayflight 28BHS vs. the fiberglass Jayfeather SLX 26 BHSW. Same floor plan and more or less same weights and length. Our locaL dealer has both and I am trying to come up with pros and cons. We had a 2007 Jayfeather 218 which never gave us a bit of trouble and I am sorry I sold but we outgrew it. Sure would appreciate any input. Thanks!
One thing to consider is that wood construction TTs with fiberglass exteriors might not be as safe in storms as aluminum exteriors and/or aluminum construction. I have not found anything definitive, but I do know that it is discussed quite a bit lately on other forums. I bought a Jay Flight with an aluminum exterior because they seem to be easier to repair, but then ran across several discussions about the fiberglass/wood frame combo afterwards.

EDIT: When I say storms I mean lightning and the reason there might (not sure!) be an issue is because without some metal structure around you the Faraday Cage effect will not work, which is what keeps you safe in your car (but not a motorcycle or bike).
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Old 08-07-2015, 10:28 AM   #7
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Hello motorbreath. Yes I think i am tending toward the Jaylight for ease of repair should the necessity arise. If a smooth look is a hot button then the SLX wins that argument. Three of my neighbors have the Jayflight model so it must be the more popular of the two (at least around here) Are both models constructed with the same floor and roof material? Does anybody know?
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Old 08-07-2015, 11:27 AM   #8
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Floors are different. Jayflight uses 5/8 tongue and grove plywood with wooden joists 16" on center. Jayfeather uses a foam/luan sandwich floor with considerably less under support.
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Old 08-07-2015, 12:21 PM   #9
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Personally, I would not make the exterior construction my deciding point. Personally, I would first find a floor layout that you really like and can live with. Then if you have the choice of fiberglass or aluminum, then work on that decision. Personally I would find it hard to make that decision. Aluminum has lot of seams that potentially could leak. Hail loves to leave its mark. Fiberglass as long as you ensure you keep the few seams sealed will not show hail marks, it is easier to clean.
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Old 08-07-2015, 12:55 PM   #10
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Ok for sure it's going to be a tough decision. As i mentioned previously we had a Jayfeather 218 which was an awesome fun trailer so I am partial to the Jayfeather series but looks like construction is perhaps less resilient to wear and tear from the Jayflight. All further opinions are welcome!
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Old 08-07-2015, 06:10 PM   #11
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Hello motorbreath. Yes I think i am tending toward the Jaylight for ease of repair should the necessity arise. If a smooth look is a hot button then the SLX wins that argument. Three of my neighbors have the Jayflight model so it must be the more popular of the two (at least around here) Are both models constructed with the same floor and roof material? Does anybody know?
I was comparing three different models with the exact same floorplan (why do they use different acronyms?!):

1) White Hawk 28DSBH
2) Jay Flight SLX 287BHSW
3) Jay Flight 28BHBE

Initially I wanted the White Hawk because it looks great, but I am 6'4" and 270lb. I had about an inch of clearance and the floor seemed to be too compliant, although my wife did not have any issues. Also, the black tank is a bit small. One alarming thing I did see on two other White Hawk's was distortion of the aluminum framing, these were 23MBH units that I was originally interested in.

The SLX has a taller ceiling, but still did not feel sturdy as a walked around. Also, there were several cost-saving simplifications compared to the regular Jay Flight that I "must haves", the A/C unit does not use the thermostat and the cargo carrying capacity is much lower than the regular Jay Flight.

The regular Jay Flight model has a much more solid floor, but it is a bit deceiving since the flooring is not adhered like in house construction (to handle expansion/contraction)/ The Jay Flight has a massive cargo capacity, over 2400lb (after accessories) compared to the other two units. This is a big selling point for me, I do not plan on using this capacity but knowing that Jayco had to spec the frame, axles, and tires to this weight is re-assuring. From the forum and a few friends in the area I have heard some pretty scary stories about brand new TT's having blow-outs and other issues. Since I am nowhere near my cargo capacity I am hoping that with regular maintenance I never have a problem!
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Old 08-07-2015, 06:57 PM   #12
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Motorbreath your research is thorough and appreciated. A previous post seems to indicate that the floor construction of the Jayflight beats out the Whitehawk and the SLX for sturdiness.I am curious to know if the roof is TPO or EPDM on the Jayflight. Various comments seem to indicate TPO is the way to go.
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Old 08-07-2015, 07:14 PM   #13
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Motorbreath your research is thorough and appreciated. A previous post seems to indicate that the floor construction of the Jayflight beats out the Whitehawk and the SLX for sturdiness.I am curious to know if the roof is TPO or EPDM on the Jayflight. Various comments seem to indicate TPO is the way to go.
From all of the "research" I have done it seems that Jay Flights have TPO roof membranes.
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