Jayco vs. Lance vs. CampLite

[Chris8]

Hi all,
I am looking for a light weight travel trailer that can be pulled by a 2011 Toyota 4 Runner with a 5000 towing capacity. I find some of the weights, tongue weights, etc. confusing. It seems a TT dealership will tell you that you can tow more that you really can. So, I have been looking at the 3500 pound trailers for Jayco, Lance and Camplite. I would like to know why you selected Jayco over the other brands.
Thank you for your help!
Chris

[bansai]

More important than your towing capacity, which I assume is your taco's GCWR. Find out what your payload capacity is. It's usually on a sticker somewhere in a door jam. Start with that number - subtract the weight of everything in your truck (passengers, gear, dogs, toys, stuff you've added since it was stock, etc). This new number represents the maximum weight you can put on the hitch of your truck before you exceed your payload rating. If you end up with 300 lbs to spare, figure that 10 to 15 percent of the weight of your camper - if properly loaded - will be on your hitch.

If your camper weighs 3000 pounds (wet) you are at, or over your limit in that scenario. It sounds complex, but it's not that hard to figure out when you focus on the numbers you are most concerned with. I guess the point is you want to focus on what your truck can pull of course, but the number you will exceed first in most cases is how much weight your truck can actually support on itself.

[oldmanAZ]

Chris: Welcome to the forum and happy trailer shopping.

[ttavasc]

Originally Posted by Chris8

Hi all,
I am looking for a light weight travel trailer that can be pulled by a 2011 Toyota 4 Runner with a 5000 towing capacity. I find some of the weights, tongue weights, etc. confusing. It seems a TT dealership will tell you that you can tow more that you really can. So, I have been looking at the 3500 pound trailers for Jayco, Lance and Camplite. I would like to know why you selected Jayco over the other brands.
Thank you for your help!
Chris

First off - welcome to the forum. Lots of great folks here so I'm sure you'll get some good feed back.

To answer your question as to why we picked Jayco - there are a few reasons. There is a Jayco-only dealer just a few miles away from us so very convenient in terms of after-sales support and service if needed. The 2-year warranty also moved things in favor of Jayco as well as price. After two full seasons we have only had a couple of minor items repaired under warranty.

We also had a requirement that whatever we got we would be able to store at the house. That meant we needed something with better than average clearance to deal with the inclined driveway and a 7' width to ensure it fit safely through the gate to the back. The Baja option provided us with the flip-axle from the factory which addressed the clearance issue. Most everything else we looked at just sat too low.

[Chris8]

Thank you for your feedback. Sounds like I'm going to need more research regarding the weight. I'm still wondering why Jayco over the other brands. Lance and Camp Lite advertise as having more aluminum for a lighter weight. I have read that Jayco has vacuumed sealed walls which is a benefit. Lance and Camp Lite seem to be a little more costly but not by too much in the lower weight TT.
So, I'm wondering what else attracted people to Jayco.
Thank you!

[glsimms]

Originally Posted by Chris8

Thank you for your feedback. Sounds like I'm going to need more research regarding the weight. I'm still wondering why Jayco over the other brands. Lance and Camp Lite advertise as having more aluminum for a lighter weight. I have read that Jayco has vacuumed sealed walls which is a benefit. Lance and Camp Lite seem to be a little more costly but not by too much in the lower weight TT.
So, I'm wondering what else attracted people to Jayco.
Thank you!

Easy.... 2 year warranty.....

[WVDusty]

Originally Posted by glsimms

Easy.... 2 year warranty.....

/\This/\


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[Rustysocket]

Local Dealer with excellent reputation...

I would likely purchase whatever he was selling Jayco or otherwise. I do appreciate the fact that Jayco offers a two-year warranty, but I believe at any given price point you are going to find comparable products and similar construction. Every one of them use components that are all sourced from the same major manufacturers and they all have their issues. Jayco included.

The relationship with the dealer is the single most important interface between you and the manufacturer.

That's my take anyway.

[DanNJanice]

Having never looked at Jayco smaller trailers, but for the larger trailer I bought my decision was based on:

1) Best floor plan and features I was able to find.
2) Two year warranty and generally good warranty service.
3) Competitive pricing.

Now, you are looking at a different size trailer and will have different feature preferences, so Jayco may not be the best option for you.

[jsallman1]

The warranty was a big item. Knowing they guarantee their stuff for 2 years vs the standard 1 says a lot.

I also looked around at lightly used resale values online and was happy with Jayco (in case we found we didn't use it enough as a family, has not been the case so far).

I also did some research into the construction and was pleased with Jayco's larger header beams, superior roofs, etc (which all probably add weight). My thought, if you build a house with 2x6 framing on the outside walls vs 2x4, is stronger, right (and heavier)? What do you want to drag at 65MPH down the road repeatedly and last a long time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgmts9CVzGw

is 1 example I recollect seeing before purchase. I read up on some competing brands I was looking at that didn't use plywood but particle board for the roof, which didn't impress me. This being said, I have read good things about aluminum and composite (non wood) frames as well, but I was concerned about the cheaper wood construction models.

I will back, find a good dealer thats not too far away, you may have to take it back to them, you probably will have at least 1 warranty item you want fixed.

I would also encourage you to look into the payload comment mentioned above and try your best to understand what your getting into EXACTLY so you don't end up buying more than you can or want to tow. The advice regarding the weight on the tongue/vehicle being your limiting number is good advice. The tow capacity numbers, without a good understanding, can be deceiving, but there are MANY posts on this forum on payload/overweight issues to guide you.

[marbles]

I have a neighbor who replaces his trailer one every year or two at a profit. He buys another used one, sometimes the same day. He has found Jayco to be the best quality. Another neighbor is the Sales Manager at a local RV dealer. He would only buy Jayco for himself and highly recommend them for their better quality.

[homer1959]

Dont know if their trailer are much better but I know for sure how important it is to have a 2 years warranty.....second advice, buy what you want but run away from sandwich floor at all cost stay away from this disaster of engineering

[JFlightRisk]

Deciding factors were reputation, warranty, dealer nearby, dealer reputation, more solid construction, floor plan with tons of cabinets, 81" inside headroom, and I fit in the tub without my head IN the skylight.

[bansai]

While it's fairly rare to get a 2 year warranty, Lance has them too last time I checked.

The Lance crowd is easily as loyal to their campers as we all our to ours. They tend to have a lot more 'fan boys' that bash other products. I certainly wouldn't kick one off my driveway, but I'm happy with the Jayco for price / value. Honestly, I think all of the campers in this same basic price point are comparable.

[Chris8]

Thank you so much for everyone's feedback!! Since I know so little, this has been helpful.

[DocBrown]

At the end of the day the two most important things are a floor plan and decor that's livable for you and your family, and a dealer that you can depend on. Doesn't matter if you buy Jayco, Lance, or anyone else.

We're on our 3rd Jayco purchased new. A pop-up in '93, an '03 Kiwi 17a hybrid, and our current '13 X20E. All Jayco, all from the same dealer. When I had some minor warranty issues with our '03 Kiwi in the first few months and couldn't bring it in and they wouldn't send me the part, I ended up calling the president. He called me back and spoke with me personally. How many dealers do that? And they sent me the parts. And many of the same employees that were there 23 years ago still work there.

Over all I had some small issues with each trailer that I dealt with myself. But every one of these trailers has been solid, not one single major issue in 23 years of owning Jayco. No qualms here about buying "lightweight" or lower end. We've been very pleased and have had nothing but fun in our Jaycos.

[RedHorse1]

Originally Posted by bansai

More important than your towing capacity, which I assume is your taco's GCWR. Find out what your payload capacity is. It's usually on a sticker somewhere in a door jam. Start with that number - subtract the weight of everything in your truck (passengers, gear, dogs, toys, stuff you've added since it was stock, etc). This new number represents the maximum weight you can put on the hitch of your truck before you exceed your payload rating. If you end up with 300 lbs to spare, figure that 10 to 15 percent of the weight of your camper - if properly loaded - will be on your hitch.

If your camper weighs 3000 pounds (wet) you are at, or over your limit in that scenario. It sounds complex, but it's not that hard to figure out when you focus on the numbers you are most concerned with. I guess the point is you want to focus on what your truck can pull of course, but the number you will exceed first in most cases is how much weight your truck can actually support on itself.

Good advice.
The CAT Scale is your friend.

[FeatherFam]

Lances are way over priced. They are not built any better than Jaycos.

[Desert RVers]

When we were looking, we liked the Jayco and the Lance best. We drove up to Lancaster and took a tour of the Lance factory. That was my first RV factory tour and I really enjoyed it. The overall deciding factor for us was the price and headroom. I'm 6'4 and I don't have to worry about hitting my head in the Jayco (except going through a doorway). You're wise to be learning about all the weight restrictions of your tow vehicle here on the forum. Don't believe the sales person when it comes to most every thing they say. Have fun shopping and keep us posted.

[FeatherFam]

Outdoors RV Manufacturing is a company that does not get much attention, like Northwoods Manufacturing. Outdoors does not mass produce to the extent of most others, and their units are have a good bit more quality construction details in them. We would have gone for their Creekside 26rls or 23rbs, but the nearest dealer for us is 1,100 miles away in CO. They are primarily marketed in the West. We may pursue one as a "retirement" long-term stay model down the road. We especially think the 26rls would be a nice choice for us. They are priced comparable to Jayco Whitehawks. For the money, it is tough to beat the Jayco line up. Lance is priced high for the name on the cap.

Check out the Outdoors RV Manufacturing and Northwoods Manufacturing if you are close enough to a dealer. They both market and distribute in the West. We did not want to ship a unit or drive that far to make a deal at this point, but we probably will in the future.