How many factory water leaks are to many?

ibcrwln · 05-31-2016, 02:35 PM

I purchased a 2016 Jay Flight SLX 174BH at a winter show in January. I picked up the trailer in the middle of February from the dealer and had my first attempt at going camping April 2. I put water in the fresh water tank and turn on the pump to fill the hot water heater. I ran into the house for a couple of things and when I returned a few minute later there was water running out the front door and from underneath the trailer. I found that a plastic tee next to the water heater was broken. I took it back to dealer and they replaced the tee.

About 3 weeks later I went camping and during the middle of the night I heard the water pump kick on every 10 minutes. The next morning I inspect the outside of the trailer and there was water dripping by the water heater.

So I return the camper to the dealer again. This time I was present when they inspected the camper to find the water leak. The Tech found 2 more water leaks. All 3 were factory defects and the insulation under the floor was completely soak with water.

I have learned that before taking possession of the RV, to completely inspect everything and make sure it is working properly.

I have worked with the dealer and purchase a different trailer. I also have contacted Jayco to discuss having 3 water leaks on a brand new trailer is unacceptable in my option. The customer service reps told me that they could not do anything about it. The regional sales rep said that water leaks happen in a manufacturing process.

It seems to me that Jayco is skirting there responsibility to deliver a defect free RV to their consumers. Jayco fixed all of the water leaks under warranty, but I have owned used RV before and had to deal with wood rot. That is why I purchase a brand new trailer so I did not have to deal with that.

So buyers beware and make sure there are water leaks before picking up your new RV.

Lady Fitzgerald · 05-31-2016, 03:00 PM

As far as I'm concerned, no leaks are acceptable. The reason manufacturers get away with putting out poor quality products is too many of us are willing to put up with it rather than go to the hassle of doing something about it. Had a manufacturer rep told me what Jayco's told you, I would have gone to jail for practicing proctology without a license after I got through ripping him a new one. That trailer never should have left the factory without making sure everything was in perfect condition.

DanNJanice · 05-31-2016, 03:09 PM

My trailer has not had any leaks, but I watch it like a hawk! If I hear ANY water pump cycling, I start looking.
The sad thing is that water damage may take time to show up, even if the leak if fixed right away. Then the consumer gets left holding the bag for a repair that might cost $$$$.

sailor · 05-31-2016, 03:17 PM

Checking for leaks should be part of the dealer prep. Our local dealer does pressurize the system with water and lets it set for a few hours. It is full of water under pressure when the customer arrives for delivery.

ibcrwln · 05-31-2016, 03:39 PM

I agree all dealer should do that, in my case it was winter time and the trailer had been winterized. I should of made the dealer check the water system more closely.

But my issue is that the manufacture ships out a product that has 3 different water leaks, then when I contact them about it they tell me there is nothing they can do or it is part of the manufacturing process.

As stated above water leak issue do not show up until a lot later and the owner is stuck hold the bag.

Grumpy · 05-31-2016, 04:08 PM

Winter or not our dealer puts every sold unit in a heated building and fills the tanks and pressurizes the water system. Then before the customer leaves it is winterized again. Dealer "fail" again.

wags999 · 05-31-2016, 04:19 PM

Exactly what do you want Jayco to do ? They repaired it under warranty, not sure what else they could do. Shooting the person that installed it is against the law last time I checked. As long as humans are part of the building process I expect some mistakes to happen, I know I'm not perfect as much as I strive for perfection. Are you sure it wasn't a poor winterizing issue? Was it the guy that installed it, or, someone after him that broke the fitting?

Our PDI was wet and under pressure, plus, (since we picked it up in Middlebury) we stayed two days two miles away from the dealer, to make sure everything worked. Which it did and a year later still does. I still do a walk around when I hook up to water and electric, no telling what may of happened in transit.

Lesson learned, never take for granted everything will work perfectly all the time. Check and recheck, each time you enter or leave your rig..

Good Luck in the future.

ibcrwln · 05-31-2016, 04:30 PM

At a minim I would expect them to own up to the defective manufacturing process when producing defective trailers and work on a process so it does not happen to other customers, instead of acting like it is no big deal to have water damage in a brand new trailer. You are the one that mention shooting somebody, I am not sure where that came from.

wags999 · 05-31-2016, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibcrwln

At a minim I would expect them to own up to the defective manufacturing process when producing defective trailers and work on a process so it does not happen to other customers, instead of acting like it is no big deal to have water damage in a brand new trailer. You are the one that mention shooting somebody, I am not sure where that came from.

By covering it under warranty they are stepping up. And they do track warranty issues. What else would you like them to do?

ibcrwln · 05-31-2016, 04:39 PM

When I purchase the brand new trailer my expectation was to have a trailer without water damage. What I received was a trailer that had 3 manufacturing water leaks. If I want a trailer that had water damage, I would of purchase a used trailer for a lot less money.

Rustysocket · 05-31-2016, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibcrwln

At a minim I would expect them to own up to the defective manufacturing process when producing defective trailers and work on a process so it does not happen to other customers, instead of acting like it is no big deal to have water damage in a brand new trailer. You are the one that mention shooting somebody, I am not sure where that came from.

These are not made by a robot. They are plumbed by people, just like your house would be. An RV is not a stationary object, It is a house that travels down the road and flexes, bends, shakes and bumps. Dry the trailer out and you will not have water damage. Does your floor rot at home when a glass of water is spilled?

Jayco has a better warranty than most manufacturers out there, and anyone of them can have problems, and they all do.

As an owner you have to use a certain bit of common sense. I would never hook up a hose to a brand new RV and walk away from it. And when de-winterizing in the spring the same thing goes.

Good luck. RV's are not for everybody.

EDIT:

I didn't say that to be rude or harsh. It's just a fact. I understand being frustrated and I would be too. It's just that when you own an RV things like this are going to happen. It's also ok that you came here to vent. I think you will find that a lot of folks will have empathy for you situation and if you looking for help how to solve a problem you will find that as well.

But I also believe that you could pick any manufacturer on the market, including the hand build 500k-1m$ class A's and everyone of them is going to have a large group of people who love the product and a small but vocal group who would never buy another one.

Work with your dealer to get the defects resolved. Hopefully there is not permanent damage and no other issues and you can enjoy the camping season.

Iraqvet05 · 05-31-2016, 05:14 PM

I wonder what Jayco and my dealer did in the middle of winter to ensure my TT didn't have any leaks. I'm assuming the pressure part of the plumbing systems are not filled with water but pressure tested with air. I'd imagine Jayco doesn't have the time to fill every camper with water and ensure there no leaks and dealers in freeze zones can't run the risk of having the system freeze.

BuddyRay · 05-31-2016, 08:36 PM

I've learned over time that all RV factories have little to no Quality Assurance (QA) testing. They rely on the dealer to do this testing, build the cost into the dealer margin and expect to pay the dealer for a certain amount of warranty work.

The American auto industry used to work the same way until the Japanese auto industry taught us what real closed loop QA looked like.

I doubt the RV industry will change anytime soon unless a similar outside influence forces them to change. That's why it is so important to pick the right dealer.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ibcrwln · 06-01-2016, 10:52 AM

Thanks for all of the input.

I am not sure what I would want Jayco to do, but at a minimum they should own up to the issue by research why there were 3 leaks on one trailer and try to improve their build process to insure that it does not happen to some other person. I should of done a better job of QA when I picked the trailer up, but as far as I am concern, the leaks should have been found (and even better on have any leaks) long before it was put on the lot for sale.

I agree with BuddyRay that the manufacture do not have QA, and it will take some good competition to correct that.

Would be nice if they were proactive instead of reactive to these types of issues.

cekkk · 06-01-2016, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wags999

Exactly what do you want Jayco to do ? ... Are you sure it wasn't a poor winterizing issue? Was it the guy that installed it, or, someone after him that broke the fitting?

You may be right about things happening after it left the plant. However, the statement by the rep at Jayco, if the OP reported it accurately, would seem to affirm the problem was Jayco. That attitude coming from someone the company allows to speak to the customer may well indicate a "tough noogies" disposition has permeated the company now that sales have exploded in recent years. I heard an industry report today that Elkhart, IN., is paying $35/hr. and can't get enough new hires to satisfy demand.

Our TT was ordered in late 2010 and has continued to be practically without problems since. And it's been lived in a total of roughly 18 months during that time. Sales were down back then, quality was up, it seems.

Fire&Ice · 06-12-2016, 12:58 PM

ibcrwln, another bit of assurance I do when I leave my camper for the day at a campsite regarding water leaks, I shut off the city water or potable water to my camper. This way if something ruptures in the water system while you are away, hopefully this will minimize the damage.

cekkk · 06-12-2016, 05:22 PM

I haven't read very much of this thread, but I would say I would anticipate about as many water leaks in my new tens of thousands of dollars trailer as I would oil leaks in my new car.

tshirtman · 06-13-2016, 12:16 PM

We purchased a 2013 Jay Flight and have had no problems with any leaks. I think if there were any, the first owner got them all fixed as the trailer seems to have had excellent care from the original owners.
No soft spots in the floor

Robk77 · 06-13-2016, 01:38 PM

I've found that both fittings on my tub, bathroom sink and outdoor kitchen sink were loose and leaking slowly. Everything in the kitchen seems OK so far. I have to pull the panel and check out the fittings on the hot-water tank when I go back up Friday. I turn the water off when I leave my camp for the week, never had to worry about that with our old 97' Eagle. They just don't build them like they used to!

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