23K a lightweight?

McMonk · 04-10-2010, 03:31 PM

Just got back from the dealer - wrote him a cheque for a JayFeather 23K, dropped off the old trailer, and made arrangements to pick-up the new one in a week...took nearly 3 weeks of negotiations to get the price where I wanted it but it was worth it!

So - does the 23K qualify as a lightweight?

Had been tossing the idea around of upgrading the old 21RDB AeroLite for some time now as it was 10 years old. Still looked new but the quality of the build had me worried. That, and our backs couldn't handle sleeping on the dinette any more!

am new to the Forum - started camping as a kid (6 of us in a '71 starcraft pop-up) and have never stopped...Have now gone through our own two tent-trailers and the AeroLite. Never owned a Jayco, but can't seem to find too many complaints about them...have not been happy with the dealer so far, but I did push him a bit to get the price down. Hopefully this'll be the last trailer for awhile!

Texas Sam · 04-10-2010, 03:55 PM

McMonk, welcome to the Jayco Owners' Forum and congratualtions on your new Jayflight 23K.

In answer to your question, yes your Jayfeather is a lightweight. It differs from the heavier Jayflight trailers in that the sidewall and roof supports are constructed of aluminum rather than wood. There are other weight-saving features as well. You will be able to tow it with a smaller vehicle than you would need for the heavier Jayflight travel trailers.

Happy camping!

Denise · 04-13-2010, 09:34 PM

Hiya McMonk and welcome to the Jayco Owners Forum! You didn't say why you were unhappy with the dealer, but hopefully he will honor warranty visits with a smile! Remember you always have the backing of the Jayco company if not

McMonk · 04-14-2010, 01:51 PM

They'd be great in the used-car business; not necessarily so good in the RV business. It's a long story I may share once the trailer's in my driveway...

McMonk · 04-19-2010, 06:49 PM

Just took delivery!

Got the unit in the driveway (whew...it fits!) and started loading it up with all our gear.

Fired up everything I could think of; fridge kept my beer cold, furnace kicked in as expected, oven heated up, toilet flushed and just to prove it was new, when the A/C blew air, shot a whack of sawdust out of one of the vents (guess that wasn't tested during PDI)!

Kids came home from school & before they could jump off their bikes were yelling "WhooHoo!". They decided 'helping' me put things away was more important than homework (go figure...).

Only disappointment was some minor fit & finish inside. The panelling behind the headboard of the bed is loose and needs attention. The dealer will fix that one.

The Envoy pulled the 23K through the city like it was a marriage made in heaven & I'm exceedingly happy the way the WD hitch made the trailer feel like it was all part of one single vehicle. Parking it in the driveway was a breeze - glad I remembered to pull the sway-bar off as it was a tight turn in. It took a bit of fiddling to unhitch but with practice I'm sure it'll go just fine.

So ... if you can't sense the excitement let me assure you it's there! Going to be tough seeing the trailer in the driveway knowing we can't get 'out there' for a few more weeks! Wife, kids and I are all eager to try her out for real!

Gone Camping · 04-20-2010, 01:48 PM

Congrats on your new purchase.

McMonk · 06-23-2010, 06:19 PM

A neighbour wandered over this afternoon with a vent-cover he bought but couldn't use. I grabbed the ladder (because my 23k doesn't have a ladder) and hopped on the roof to explore the intricacies involved in installing one of these things... 'lo & behold, what did I find...a seam between the rubber roof and the front wall of the trailer had let go.

Clearly, I'm a fool, as I didn't insist on going on the roof during the purchase inspection. I now have what looks a well-placed drain for all water to travel from the roof of the trailer, down the front wall (inside) with (hopefully) an exit somewhere down below.

We've used the trailer twice, have had it in the driveway for 2 months now and it's seen lots of rain. Haven't noticed any water inside, but I'm concerned.

Called the dealer - they'll look at it this week. I'm hopeful that damage, if any, isn't extensive. The problem with this sort of thing is that the real damage (rot) won't show up for a few years......

I got a baaad feeling......

McMonk · 06-23-2010, 06:28 PM

Here's what I found:

McMonk · 06-23-2010, 06:30 PM

Denise · 06-23-2010, 09:28 PM

Holy Cow! I'm so sorry you are having to deal with that. But, it is a new Jayco and you have a two year warranty. But soooooo sorry you have to deal with that! Of course, you would have found that later months down the road when you did the "once over" that we have to do every year. It's really nice you could find it now! Let us know how it turns out (btw - good picture... Jayco loves good pics of issues to be dealt with!)

McMonk · 06-24-2010, 04:21 PM

Ran the Rig to the dealer ... not much they could do apparently. They jammed another screw through the aluminium & caulked it after taking pictures of it themselves. They told me that they'd register the issue with Jayco.

Naturally, it poured cats & dogs today.

When I asked about any residual water in the wall and possible rot down-the-road they told me I'd know in about 7 months if there was going to be a problem (I'd 'smell' it first, they said!). So long as this was registered with Jayco I was told they'd honour any issues related to this, such as replacing walls/roof/floor/etc. etc......

Keep your fingers crossed. And for good measure, throw a prayer out there that my lotto ticket matches numbers.....

McMonk · 06-26-2010, 03:01 PM

I'm not so impressed...here's what the dealer did:

McMonk · 06-26-2010, 03:05 PM

...however, I guess there really isn't much else they can do. At least it stopped raining for a bit! I'll likely be sending Jayco an e-mail to make sure this issue is on record in case I have problems in the future.... 'tis a shame.

dj'stoy · 08-04-2010, 08:00 PM

you got me thinking maybe I should pull out the ladder and have a look, everything on my 23k was almost perfect, couple small thing the dealer said would be fixed as soon as I can bring her in. Man that's crazy size hole, hope they have a better fix in the future.

mtkeg15 · 09-08-2010, 03:52 AM

I am so sorry to hear of the problem- but......as I see it, I think the rubber on the bottom is /was high enough to direct the rain/water away. Some rain might have gotten in but my guess is that it was not enough to "ruin" things. If you delay more in getting it fixed, use some soft/flexible cualk for the time being and that will do the trick. In fact for a used unit, for someone not wanting to invest money right off, I would bank on that being a good moderate term fix.

As for dealer, we got the same song and dance- probably like you did. I even told the sales man during the negotiations process- that EVERYONE claims they clean it thoroughly and test everything before it leaves. Well, the 2011 StarCraft EXP 237 CKS was picked up on Friday, still had some wire pieces laying in the closet (where they were before) smudges on the window....etc. I was not impressed with the panels, where the finishing nails were, had wood putty smears- and I even asked that they wipe it down to get rid of them. Worse- the full test of the unit? Yeah, right. No harm done but- They took it out of winter mood and never swithed the pump settings to fresh water mode. Not a a big deal but just the same old song and dance.

Otherwise, I know we all like tinkering with new trailers, so I took care of everything.

I know you and I will be keeping an eagle eye on everything in the warranty period.

Good luck on the repair, everything will work out just fine! Congrats!

MTKEG

McMonk · 09-08-2010, 10:00 PM

Repair was sufficient and yes, at this point I agree that any moisture that got in there was pretty minimal. There's no smell, soft spots or indications of problems yet. The dealer 'repaired' it the day after I found the opening - and although he wasn't too happy at least I have a receipt that shows they did the repair. Any future problems associated with it should be covered by the warranty.

I really wasn't happy with the dealer & noted it when I received the Jayco survey after I bought it. Now I'm on the hunt for a new service centre, 5000km from where I bought the unit!

McMonk · 06-29-2011, 10:25 PM

A year later - and all repaired.

I haven't posted for a long-while but...just got the trailer back from its last warranty work. The roof was replaced. Partially because of the aluminum strip, partly because of the initial repair, and partly because when it was inspected tears were noted on the rubber. There's more to the story, but bottom line: Jayco honored its warranty. I'm happy.

nathanchev · 06-30-2011, 07:21 AM

Glad it all worked out and Jayco honoured the warranty!

We're leaving on a 2 week trip to PEI and NS tomorrow! Hope all goes well and that the Explorer tows it well!

**Crabman** · 06-30-2011, 05:20 PM

Good to hear they took care of you. Was there any interior water damage?

McMonk · 07-04-2011, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crabman

Good to hear they took care of you. Was there any interior water damage?

None, thankfully. The RV shop made a close inspection and told me everything was dry. So far, no smell, no lumps or sweating ceiling. Glad it's done & very glad to be rid of that aluminum strip!

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