Have you replaced all the Jayco fasteners yet?

[2OLDMONKEYS]

go around the RV with a screw driver check all the screws and put a dab of silicone on all screw heads let it cure and you will not have screws backing out again.

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

4.5 years, 43,801 miles and lots and lots of new fasteners, hardware, and parts - all external and some internal stainless fasteners, all aluminum hardware and parts. I think our rig was built with nothing but 10,000 1.5 inch square-head screws and a power driver from Hades. However, the work I've done is mostly related to mods, not too many building flaws. I have never had a factory-made item break apart, but have carefully inspected and reinforced everything I can. Have never had a problem with stainless - aluminum corrosion and I use it a lot in wet West Michigan. Just like a car, trailer tires need to be balanced to avoid shimmying and shaking down the road.

[Poppyof5]

I get my trailer tires from American tire/discount tire ( same company) and I always take my 5th wheel in. They always have an area to pull it in to and they get right on them. .

[sasiki]

My kids were playing hide and seek and one fell through the bottom of a shelf. That’s the only thing I’ve had to fix in our 2017 267bhsw. I didn’t figure they’d warranty that :-)

We only use it about 7 times per year, mostly local. I’ve towed it probably only 5,000 miles but we haven’t had any issues with anything to speak of. Paid $17,800 out the door, with WDH so I can’t really complain about the minor things.

[thenne1713]

Originally Posted by Johnynorthland

The biggest,”ARE YOU KIDDING ME”, I had was the bottom, of the bottom kitchen sink cabinet shelf collapsed, as did my 2 wardrobe cabinet bottoms. It seems they don’t know BASIC construction or have BASIC common sense. They put 1x girts on top of a luan shelf and nailed it up from below with staples! GENIUS!

Fix, remove the 1x and put it under the shelf. VERY DIFFICULT to do! NOT!

(Most) have a (shelf/panel) on top and panel on bottom giving a hidden interstitial space for running wires? (Sounds like) (someone?) took out shelf to gain extra room above?

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by eow

At times I think they use whatever screw is in their fastener waist pouch at the time.

Like the regular sheet metal screws to install my shower door/curtain track. They are all rusty! I’m replacing curtain and I’ll reinstall SS screws! Oh ye, no calking under the track either!

[Johnynorthland]

Originally Posted by thenne1713

(Most) have a (shelf/panel) on top and panel on bottom giving a hidden interstitial space for running wires? (Sounds like) (someone?) took out shelf to gain extra room above?

I think your referring to the upper cabinets. My bottom Cabinet only had luan on the inside floor of the cabinet. I took out an outdoor speaker to put blocking underneath the luan for support.

[videoarizona]

Costco and Discount Tires sell, install and balance trailer tires.
Discount will even balance your original China Bombs... If you care to trust them on the road. Just make an appointment and drive in. They do all four tires right there.

BTW, add self tapping metal and wood screws to your must carry collection. They do come in handy...

[LoveMyCocker]

‘17 Seneca HJ, 31,000+ miles from south Florida to the top of Alaska and coast to coast in Canada. Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Glacier, Mount Rushmore and Rainer to name a few. Haven’t lost or replaced one fastener. Lucky I guess.

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by Phoenix PAL

I swear, every time we go out on one of our +/- 300 mi R/Trips (23 so far in 3 summers) something falls off the wall, shelves collapse, trim comes loose. Even a ceiling speaker fell out. Now the HVAC cover won't stay on and will need screws.
So... I always carry a drill, plenty of wood screws, and the OEM staples are slowly but surely all being replaced.
I assume I'm not alone...

I generally go one size up on fasteners--for better bite into what passes for wood in RVs--AND I add a bit of Gorilla Glue to the threads to hold them in much like LocTite does on nuts and bolts. An impact driver can easily remove glued in screws, but they tend to stay put.

I inventory only stainless fasteners, so they can be used anywhere...inside or out...and in aluminum when necessary. Stainless and aluminum are compatible. I carry a small plastic divided parts box to keep things organized, and I carry a full set of drill bits to allow upsizing on things like bolts or fasteners thru a metal flange.

The only time this has ever failed was on a single large cabinet door's hinges. We overland a lot, and we travel down some horrible dirt roads. The ride is so rough that one of the hinges actually broke (I carry spare hinges, too). I had to be very careful upsizing the hinge screws, because bigger screws might damage or penetrate the face frames, so I had to repeat that repair once in 7 seasons.

NO staples. I always replace anything stapled with small screws...glued in. Staples are quick during manufacture, but they are pretty much useless as fasteners go.

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by Phoenix PAL

I swear, every time we go out on one of our +/- 300 mi R/Trips (23 so far in 3 summers) something falls off the wall, shelves collapse, trim comes loose. Even a ceiling speaker fell out. Now the HVAC cover won't stay on and will need screws.
So... I always carry a drill, plenty of wood screws, and the OEM staples are slowly but surely all being replaced.
I assume I'm not alone...

It's not just Jayco. I have had three different brands of RVs and they have all had similar quality problems. The furnishing inside look great but are made of cheap materials. Maybe the @300K+ rigs like Tiffan are different but I doubt it.

[spluce]

Yea, have had the same problem. One of the light fixtures over the dinning table fell of and scratched the table, the bath room mirror has fallen off twice, second time schadded tn a hundred pieces, one shelf in the pantry collapsed on our last trip. our door came open a coup[le of times going down the road. Their quality control is non-existent and their dealers suck at repairs and their warranty isn't worth the paper its written on.

[spluce]

Yea, have had the same problem. One of the light fixtures over the dinning table fell of and scratched the table, the bath room mirror has fallen off twice, second time schadded tn a hundred pieces, one shelf in the pantry collapsed on our last trip. our door came open a coup[le of times going down the road. Their quality control is non-existent and their dealers suck at repairs and their warranty isn't worth the paper its written on. our trailer is a 2018 bought at the end of the year, so only really 2 years old.

[jimmoore13]

Originally Posted by hikerjohn7

It's not just Jayco. I have had three different brands of RVs and they have all had similar quality problems. The furnishing inside look great but are made of cheap materials. Maybe the @300K+ rigs like Tiffan are different but I doubt it.

My views on this have evolved over time.

I start with this premise:
I have a home on wheels (and X213 in my case) that also has:
~ King bed in a slide no less;
~ Double door fridge;
~ Stove with oven;
~ Microwave;
~ Double-bowl kitchen sink;
~ Hot water heater - dual fuel in my case;
~ Air Conditioning;
~ Ducted air furnace;
~ Electric awning;
~ Full bathroom with flush toilet, shower, vanity sink;
~ Fold down sofa;
~ Fold down dinette;
~ Fold away bunk area that is also a "toy garage" that can hold my Weber Grill, generator and chain with two locks, 30' thirty-amp power cord, 10'x10' canopy, folding picnic table, 2 chairs, Anderson levelers, stabilizer jacks to support the slide, charcoal grill and charcoal, 5 gallon bucket, step ladder and a few more small items;
~ Storage area for jack pads, power drill and bits, freshwater support system including 2 drinking water hoses, various fittings, etc., endless detritus to anchor the awning, guy the canopy against winds off a lake, gloves, knee pads, and, and, and;
~ Full dual voltage power system (12 DC and 120 AC) along with a battery (I've upgraded mine), prewired for solar (I installed 400 watts for about $650);
~ Road-worthy running gear with brakes, stab jacks, tongue jack, DOT-legal lighting;
~ Fold-away stairs;
~ Onboard water supply and holding tanks for black and grey water, complete with easy systems for dumping and cleaning those tanks;
~ And so on....hell, it even has a license plate bracket.

All of this is a package that weighs less than 6000 pounds fully loaded, and that my half-ton pickup can tow down an ATV trail to get to a remote boondocking site in the middle of the Pike National Forest (image).

This complete home on wheels costs 10% or less than my "bricks and mortar" home, and my residence can't go anywhere.

Yes, comparing your RV to your home is apples and oranges in many ways, but your RV can basically do everything your house can do, PLUS it can go virtually anywhere.

I've adjusted my expectations substantially lately, and I also recognize that my stick-built home takes one helluva lot of work to maintain, too. Not just lawn mowing, but also failing lock hardware, dripping faucets, broken appliances, crappy cabinet hinges, and so on.

If you spend $30,000 on a car, what do you get? A Toyota RAV4 starts at $26,250, and you will be hard pressed to get one for that little.

Am I happy with the repairs I need to do? Of course not. But my perspective is that RVs are built to price, and they are built to be as light as possible. Tissue-paper thin paneling is there to save weight.

I have a feather-light home on wheels that can go pretty much anywhere my 4WD 4-door RAM-1500 can go, and I can live in it totally off the grid for about 4 days before I need to do ANYTHING to re-supply it...and then all it truly needs is a way to dump the black tank - I have a small tote for that. I can easily haul in more potable water and water the trees with my grey water. I've gone two weeks in the boonies with this rig.

Given the demands many RVs face, it's remarkable that they hold together as well as they do.

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by jimmoore13

My views on this have evolved over time.

I start with this premise:
I have a home on wheels (and X213 in my case) that also has:
~ King bed in a slide no less;
~ Double door fridge;
~ Stove with oven;
~ Microwave;
~ Double-bowl kitchen sink;
~ Hot water heater - dual fuel in my case;
~ Air Conditioning;
~ Ducted air furnace;
~ Electric awning;
~ Full bathroom with flush toilet, shower, vanity sink;
~ Fold down sofa;
~ Fold down dinette;
~ Fold away bunk area that is also a "toy garage" that can hold my Weber Grill, generator and chain with two locks, 30' thirty-amp power cord, 10'x10' canopy, folding picnic table, 2 chairs, Anderson levelers, stabilizer jacks to support the slide, charcoal grill and charcoal, 5 gallon bucket, step ladder and a few more small items;
~ Storage area for jack pads, power drill and bits, freshwater support system including 2 drinking water hoses, various fittings, etc., endless detritus to anchor the awning, guy the canopy against winds off a lake, gloves, knee pads, and, and, and;
~ Full dual voltage power system (12 DC and 120 AC) along with a battery (I've upgraded mine), prewired for solar (I installed 400 watts for about $650);
~ Road-worthy running gear with brakes, stab jacks, tongue jack, DOT-legal lighting;
~ Fold-away stairs;
~ Onboard water supply and holding tanks for black and grey water, complete with easy systems for dumping and cleaning those tanks;
~ And so on....hell, it even has a license plate bracket.

All of this is a package that weighs less than 6000 pounds fully loaded, and that my half-ton pickup can tow down an ATV trail to get to a remote boondocking site in the middle of the Pike National Forest (image).

This complete home on wheels costs 10% or less than my "bricks and mortar" home, and my residence can't go anywhere.

Yes, comparing your RV to your home is apples and oranges in many ways, but your RV can basically do everything your house can do, PLUS it can go virtually anywhere.

I've adjusted my expectations substantially lately, and I also recognize that my stick-built home takes one helluva lot of work to maintain, too. Not just lawn mowing, but also failing lock hardware, dripping faucets, broken appliances, crappy cabinet hinges, and so on.

If you spend $30,000 on a car, what do you get? A Toyota RAV4 starts at $26,250, and you will be hard pressed to get one for that little.

Am I happy with the repairs I need to do? Of course not. But my perspective is that RVs are built to price, and they are built to be as light as possible. Tissue-paper thin paneling is there to save weight.

I have a feather-light home on wheels that can go pretty much anywhere my 4WD 4-door RAM-1500 can go, and I can live in it totally off the grid for about 4 days before I need to do ANYTHING to re-supply it...and then all it truly needs is a way to dump the black tank - I have a small tote for that. I can easily haul in more potable water and water the trees with my grey water. I've gone two weeks in the boonies with this rig.

Given the demands many RVs face, it's remarkable that they hold together as well as they do.

Your are a true RV disciple. It's good to hear someone really loving how they are living. More power to you and keep up the faith.

[eow]

If you want a chance at quality, you need to buy a regular run product model. Those with low demand are hit and miss.

Quality comes in part from rhythm of assembly. Assemblers switching from one model to another will screw up.