Do you have any Regrets? is the quality still there?

[ruswms]

spoon059 you hit on something I was wondering about."Now on to quality... unless you buy an Airstream you are buying a pile of crap." Airstreams are 90,000 dollar rigs but are they really worth it. They certainly appear to be built well and their resale value is much better than any other trailer. Is an Airstream a good investment for a retired couple. You can't take your money with you.

[DocBrown]

Originally Posted by ruswms

Airstreams are 90,000 dollar rigs but are they really worth it.

Are they? Yes, they are well built. I walk into them at every RV show. Very cool trailers, but for us they feel antiseptic and claustrophobic. I don't feel like I could relax in one. If I'm going to spend that kind of money, any kind of money really, I want to feel like I'm in my second home, not the doctor's office.

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by OhioRVMom

we are looking at this exact same unit. we have a Ford F150 so I am hoping it's going to be enough to pull it. on paper it is. but from what I am reading, that's not always enough. our tow limit is 7700 lbs. the 2016 elite is going to run us about 6700 or 6800 lbs so about a thousand to spare roughly. On paper. of course we'll be adding stuff to it, but not likely a thousand pounds worth. This is a far more stressful decision than I ever anticipated..

I'm going to go out on a limb here and predict that you will not be happy towing this trailer with that truck. It's really not a limb because I'm fairly confident in that assessment. If your tow limit is truly 7700 lbs (which is mostly meaningless in the world of RVs), then your payload is likely to be pretty low too; perhaps 1200-1400 lbs? Look in the door jamb to be sure. There are plenty of discussions on this forum about towing capacities (and the more important payload capacities) and figuring all of that out; I would start with the CAT scale if I were you.

All that being said, I'll reiterate; if you buy the 28BHBE, I'd bet my dinner (and I get downright unpleasant when I'm hangry) you'll be upgrading the truck fairly soon after. I've been there and done that. My truck had the capacity on paper, and I worried about it every day I hooked my trailer up to it. My GMC had 1500 lbs payload, 9600 lbs towing capacity, and I was at max capacity or slightly over on payload every time I towed it, and at the time my trailer weighed in at about 7600 lbs. That and the 5.3L engine with 6 spd transmission and HD towing package was ... well, let's just say it wasn't very confidence inspiring. I could tow it, and it was safe, but that was about it; I worried constantly about weights, and it was HARD on that truck.

Trust me when I say, you do not want to be operating at the maximum capacities. In my situation, we had a son, so the weight increased seemingly exponentially almost immediately. And there was my discomfort with operating on the margin when my entire world is riding around in that tin can with me.

I upgraded my truck, and now life is grand again!

[Camper_bob]

Originally Posted by DocBrown

Are they? Yes, they are well built. I walk into them at every RV show. Very cool trailers, but for us they feel antiseptic and claustrophobic. I don't feel like I could relax in one. If I'm going to spend that kind of money, any kind of money really, I want to feel like I'm in my second home, not the doctor's office.

+1

Couldn't agree more. I don't see the attraction for that money. They may be quality built trailers with absolutely excellent support, but they just feel ... wrong. If that makes sense ...

[The Logans]

Our only regret with the Jayco Jayflight was that I didn't upgrade from a F150 to a F250... going up hill at 45 mph was no fun! Oh well, live and learn!

The only "investment" involved with a RV is that you are investing in MEMORIES.

It will make you feel a LOT BETTER if you take the Jayco Factory Tour, and meet some of the great folks there. We've done it twice, once with the Jayflight trailer, and once with the Redhawk Motorhome.

Enjoy, and be safe!

[John K.]

In August 2014, we bought a used 2012 Jay Feather Ultralite x20e, which sleeps 8 if need be although it would be a bit cramped. I don't recall the previous owner saying he had any major problems with it during the 2-year warranty period. We've hauled the trailer to local parks a few times, a campground 2-3 hours away several times and a major 1100-mile trip in June, and we've had no problems with the trailer.

This is our first TT, so I can't compare its quality to older models. Friends who have been trailer camping for decades warned us before we bought that this would be a responsibility just like owning a home -- things need fixing every once in awhile.

People who would describe some of this trailer's construction as "cheap" are probably correct, but I don't believe these items are unsafe or unreliable. The plastic parts do look and feel cheap. For example, I was cleaning the trailer exterior and easily but unintentionally knocked off the plastic locking piece on the door to the sewer hose storage compartment, but I could reinstall it. The fresh water tank cap is plastic, not a metal, lockable piece, which seems an invitation to mischief. Also, the exterior, metal door for the water heater is held in place with a flimsy, flat metal tab that you turn to hold the door in place. I can correct all of these things if I want to. I'm glad, however, that these are not heavier, which would lower our gas mileage of about 9 mpg (we have a 2010 Chevy Suburban as a tow vehicle).

The trailer exterior, cabinets, sofa and foldout tent beds at each end, however, are solid enough to be safe.

While towing a trailer as a "test drive" might not be practical, you can examine the trailer thoroughly before buying. There are plenty of online checklists to guide you in scoping out a trailer's quality and making sure everything works. Operate the slideouts. Open the drawers and cabinets. Open faucets and windows. Set up bedding and dining areas. Look inside everything. Examine caulking/sealant/joints. And if no new trailer meets your quality standards, then maybe an older one would be better for you.

If we buy another trailer, I'll be starting with Jayco.

Good luck!

[milw156]

We have an Eagle version of the BHBE. We love it, but it's not perfect. I see many fit and finish items that I'll have to redo. But I'm handy enough and really enjoy working on the trailer, so with good guidance on forums like these and some skills along the way, we are working to make the coach perfect for our family.

[Murff]

Our 2015 Whitehawk 20MRB is our first Jayco but not our first trailer, we have had trailers of one kind or another since 1983. So far, the 20MRB has been a great rig, not without little problems but the dealer has handled all with a smile.

We pulled it from Seattle to your state and back, Ohiomom, 5400 miles and really, no problems. What we do like,, as has been mentioned here, is the two year warranty that Jayco offers.

Hope this helps in your decisions.

Murff

[ninjahbob]

Well said spoon059!! We had a bad one and now we have good one sort of Luck of the draw.

[WhiteHawk]

I bought new in 2014 (White Hawk 27RBOK - Summit & Glacier package) and thus far I'm happy with it. I've experienced a few problems but I think it's to be expected with any brand. Overall, the craftsmanship (fit & finish) and comfort is very good compared to four other brands I looked at during my research within my price range.

I did take it back to the dealership for warranty work within four months as the DVD player stopped working and there was a recall on the axles. This year in June, I noticed the outdoor fridge stopped working and the outdoor stereo speakers fell apart. Everything was fixed but it took several weeks.

[Crabman]

Have a 2010 we bought new, I would buy another one. Keep in mind there are thousands of happy, satisfied owners out there that never post on forums about their units, simply because their units are performing as expected.

[North of 49°]

We've had ours since May and have gone on half a dozen trips with it already. We had a few minor warranty issues which the dealer dealt with satisfactorily -- we only had a delay of a few weeks while they ordered a part in, but it wasn't something that would have prevented us from using the trailer. We originally wanted a White Hawk 24RBS, but the price difference between that and the Jay Flight 24FBS was pretty significant, so much so that we decided we could be a little more flexible with our choice.

Our previous trailer was a 2005 Starcraft hybrid and we were happy with the quality of that unit, and before that we had a Dutchmen pop-up which was complete junk. But when the time comes to replace our 24FBS, another Jayco trailer would definitely be on our short list.

[motorbreath]

Originally Posted by OhioRVMom

we bought a camper in May, had it for a little over a month and realized we both LOVED it for what it did for us, but also hated that it was too small to bring any other family or daughters friends along. we sold it - it was a solid unit in good shape but we wanted to upgrade. It was built in 1991 and now i am wondering if we should have kept it. 2 months in and it has been sold. we need to buy, and I'm scared to death of getting junk.

My wife and I bought our first travel trailer in February, we had been looking for one since December and are completely new to this scene. I was shocked almost every time I walked into a TT, we were focusing on the value-oriented bunk house models so I did not run across Northwood Mfg., Mobile Suites, Lance, Airstream units which I have now seen during my travels and are awesome (and $$$). Most of the value-oriented trailers I saw were terrible, poor materials, poor build quality, and poor design/engineering.

Jayco/Starcraft seemed somewhat better, plus the two year warranty is reassuring. That being said, after taking delivery of my 2015 Jay Flight 28BHBE it has been back to the dealer 3x since the beginning of April and has broken in some significant way on each trip (slide, water pump, door locking mechanism, and tons of minor things). I would not say that it has been a horror story, my dealer and Jayco have fixed everything quickly and without hassle. I think that for the price I have a very nice trailer for my family, it is just disappointing that Jayco used me for quality control instead of hiring a few more people at the factory!

[Tunce the traveler]

I have a 2010 Hybrid with a super slide and it's been out 100s of times and not one problem that has interrupted my travels and everything is still original. Approximately 1/3 of it's life has been in service and on the road ,it's still going strong! At this point it owes me nothing and has given us years of enjoyment. It still looks new inside and out and believe me, I use it.
Tunce

[reneegavin]

We have a 2011 JayFlight Swift SLX 184BH. We knew going in that it wasnt the highest quality trailer out there, but the price was right, and we were going for the basics. It meets that for us. The only real issue we've had so far is our carbon monoxide detector. It beeps sporadically for no reason whatsoever. We've had it replaced and checked all of our lines at the dealer, but to no avail. We've removed it (not so thrilled with that, but we don't know what else to do)! That's really our only complaint. 4 years in, I do wish we had a separate table, because it is such a pain to set up the dinette that we haven't done it since the first year, but otherwise we are happy as can be!

[spoon059]

OP, between this thread and your other one, you are probably getting pretty frustrated. I would encourage you to take your time and do your research first. Perhaps you can rent an equal size/weight trailer and take it for a spin and see how it feels. Make sure that you LOAD IT UP though... don't just get an empty trailer and pull it. That won't give you an accurate picture.

I know you want to stay away from canvas... but growing up we had a pop-up and I loved it. Hybrids are the best of both worlds, in my opinion. You have the lighter trailer and smaller box when stored at home or scooting down the highway... but you also have a large footprint and lots of sleeping options when you get to set up camp. You have a real kitchen and bathroom with a hybrid, you have bump outs and slide outs to open up the space. Yes, you have canvass to deal with, but as long as you don't store it wet you should be fine. Even if it is raining when you are packing up to leave, you just need to open things back up when you get home and let it dry out. Its really not a terrible hassle at all.

You might be surprised at how nice a hybrid can be. Weights are super low, they can sleep TONS of people. Look at this model, 2015 Jay Feather Ultra Lite X23F | Jayco, Inc. fully loaded it maxes out at 6000 lbs. That is well within your tow ratings. It has 3 dedicated full length queen size beds, a dinette into a bed and a sofa that I believe folds into a bed. Sleeps up to 10 people.

[Lifespalette]

No regrets here, sure we've had little problems with quality items (bench seat collapsing, door cut out not square, furnace), but the dealer resolved the door issue....furnace is still pending. I fixed the collapsed bench seat myself even though it was still under warranty as it was easier and cheaper than hauling it to the dealer.....besides, at that time we were living in the Pup while the house was being renovated. The cold hard truth is that campers are luxury items, like boats and pools....and they are lousy investments. They require lots of maintenance and continuous upkeep to keep them in good working order. The more complex your unit is the more effort.......... I just consider it an investment in our personal happiness factor. There are few things better than waking up early in the morning watching the sun riser over a lake or the mountains with just enough chill in the air to see your breath. Feeling the quietness washing over you as you sip a steaming cup of coffee while watching a doe with her offspring slowly making their way out of the woods........in the words of the credit card commercial.... priceless. It's the cheapest attitude adjustment you can buy. Our only regrets are that we didn't make the jump sooner.....

[clubhouse]

Have owned (2) 2012 JayFlights; one purchased new and the other private party used. Neither had any "real issues"; the one purchased new need the Jensen Radio/CD/DVD to be replaced in month 14 and becasue of that I found some nit-pick fit and finish items I asked to be touched up. I would have never even dreamed of the fit and finish items being the reason to take a RV in the the shop, I would have fixed myself with no complaints, but since I needed a new Jensen I let them do it all.

On the unit I bought private party used, the previous owner claimed ZERO warranty work was required, and from what I have seen in the 18 months I have had it, I agree.

I would have no issue buying a Jayco all over.

In fact after seeing the dozens of issues on a friends brand new 2016 Forrest River TT, I think Jayco is doing a great job. My buddies issues have all be sloppy workmanship, and easy fixes, but he likely has 4-5 hours into making these fixes. Although he does have a warranty, he trusts his ability more than an RV tech at the dealership.

[TWP723]

No regrets here.

[Collinp]

At this point I have mixed feelings. 1st camper was a 2013 Jay Flight swift and it was very solid with normal RV quality cabinets etc... but no issues Current camper is a Whitehawk and it feels much less solid than the Jay Flight. Build quality of interior is a little bit worse than the Jay Flight but is not what I would consider bad. Am I comparing apples and orange because the Whitehawk is an ultralight? Maybe. I don't regret either camper