Jayco's Best vs. Arctic Fox Silver Editions

[FeatherFam]

I am wondering what you think about Jayco's top line travel trailers and fivers versus Arctic Fox's (Northwood Manufacturing) silver editions. I am mainly interested in your views on quality of design, parts, and assembly. Pricing, amenities, and warranty matters are not a concern.

Is a high sticker Jayco priced higher because of the bells and whistles, or does Jayco actually significantly step up the quality of the parts and construction of their top dollar units? If so, would you please elaborate?

Northwood does not have a unit that approaches Jayco's "top of the line" when it comes to pricing and bling (like a Pinnacle or Designer fiver). But what are these "pricier" Jaycos, really?

For travel trailers, how does the Eagle line compare to the Arctic Fox Silver line? Does an Eagle have quality in its construction and/or parts that a Jay Flight does not? Is an Eagle a more refined (appointed) Jay Flight in a fiberglass dress?

All of the Arctic Fox products pretty much share the same parts and "build quality." I see a wide range of "quality" in Jayco's products - understanding of course that "quality" is a highly erroneous term for the RV industry.

Has anyone done their own similar research on Jaycos and Arctic Foxes, or owned an Arctic Fox?

[Midnightmoon]

I can't comment on the new Northwood products. But, we had a 2006 Nash that we purchased gently used in 2008. The fit and finish of that trailer was excellent from front to back. The cabinet work and interior materials were still in excellent shape when we sold it. It was a very heavy trailer for its size.

Our closest Northwood is now over 4 hours away compared to 1/2 hour when I first got in to the Nash/Arctic Fox line. Which, eliminated them from consideration this time around. If a dealer was closer, I would probably have purchased another one. It was that good of a unit.

With all that said, I have no Idea how they are constructed now. If they are still of the quality as they were 10+ years ago, I'd recommend them without hesitation. However, I'd want to consult with someone who has owned one a little newer before making that recommendation on a new one.

[spoon059]

I had a 1998 Nash before my Jayco. The Nash was heavier and more solid than the Jayco. While I haven't directly compared an Arctic Fox to a Pinnacle, I can tell you that Northwoods makes a VERY good product. Its not just bling and fancy stuff, it is well made components that will last. From what I have seen from higher end Jayco's, the price reflects more " stuff", not necessarily a better product.

[FeatherFam]

Yes, I looked hard at the Nash before our Jay Feather purchase. The timing was not right for us to make a cross country purchase. Down in the South, the Northwood and Outdoor RV products are scarce, and there are no dealers for them. We are thinking that we could make it work when we retire as we would be out west a good bit.

I have not put my hands on an Arctic Fox. On our next trip west, we plan on looking at them a lot, as well as the Outdoor RV models (Timber Ridge and Blackstone). I think Northwood bought Outdoor. They are both made in Oregon in very similar ways. I keep hearing excellent things about them. They appear to be better designed and constructed than Jayco, et al. However, I cannot say for sure. They really do not sticker much more that Jaycos. Due to their lower production numbers, their "discounted pricing" is not as drastic as Jaycos and other brands, but their MSRP is in the same range as "high-end" Jayco, Open Range, Winnebago, Grand Design, Forest River, and Keystone (etc.) products.

[Timber]

I did a little looking at the arctic fox last year for a friend, I thought they were built a little better than my eagle. I did join their forum for the free trail period and heard that the owner had to retire for health reasons and that they were starting let the standards slip verses build a better trailer make a little less money. Hope this helps some.

[Doubleheader]

The Northwood 27-5L was the 5'r I had my eye on for over a year. The lack of a dealer network in the east is really the only thing that kept me from buying one. That said, I do feel our 2018 Eagle 293RKDS compares quite favorably, and arguably better in some areas. OAL of both is 35' with the Eagle being 8' wide vs 8'6" for the NW. Both are rear kitchen units. IMHO the Eagle has a few more creature comforts and the Northwood build quality is slightly superior. We are very pleased with our new Eagle, but only time will tell if our unit is everything we believe it to be.


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[ETCrockett]

The wife and I bought a 2016 Jayco Pinnacle 38FLSA in January this year. Good price in 2017 for 2016 still in dealer inventory. I researched several years before settling on the Jayco unit. I can't say the Arctic Fox was one I considered. I can say we have never been happier with any RV we have owned than this Jayco. We have found no issues with the craftsmanship inside or outside on the unit. With any manufactured product, there are going to be units that will have issues but overall most Jayco owners I have encountered have been pleased and would buy another one. Sometimes these forums just bring out the complainers and people who have issues looking for solutions. Solving issues is a great use of these forums (so don't get me wrong). I just think the folks who are have great experiences with their RV regardless of their brand don't make as many posts on here. For Jayco units, go to the Jayco website and view their video of how the units are built. It will show you how the trailers are built from the ground up.

Enjoy your RV what ever you buy!

[t18skyguy]

The Acrtic Fox Silver edition is a quality rig, at least it use to be. One way to separate them out is compare the weight of both units. Heavier usually translates to better quality. I had a shot at a used Silver Edition but had to pass cause it was too heavy for the half ton I had at the time.