Looking for reviews/feedback on the 17Z

[mgdrouin]

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in purchasing a 17Z. We currently own a Jayco J-Series 1207 pop-up. Anyone have any feedback about this camper? Any info is appreciated.

Thanks,

Marg

[campingdog]

We had it and traded up. It is a great camper if you are looking for a tent like or pop-up fell but honestly, it had severe storage issues. We felt like we were constantly living out of the back of our F150 because of the weight limits. The reason we moved to the 17Z was so we wouldn't have to do that. So, we left it after 1 year.

As a side note, I keep seeing many posts on here with people tying to pull the 17Z or similar models with vehicles that really are not equipped to tow a camper of this size. You can meet all of the #s required but people need to focus on the reality. People, dogs, food, linens, cooking pans, food, and so on and so on all add lots of weight very fast. The only way you will know if you can safely tow is to go to a CAT scale with a fully loaded camper and TV (all family members included in that TV weight) and get your real numbers. Many camper sales folks will tell you what you want to hear to get the camper sold. I would do extensive research about camper/TV before making any decisions about purchase. Just my 2 cents.

[LongIslandCamper]

That was a great post and I whole heartedly agree.

We got the x17z in September of 2011. By the fall of 2012 the camper was used close to 100 nights by various family members. Everyone had the same complaints though. Very little storage capacity. The cabinets over and below the sink housed our plates, bowls, cups, etc..... The cabinets over the couch held our food. Our clothes were kept in duffle bags on the beds that we had to put on the couch when sleeping.

With that said, we still loved the 17z and are sad to see it go. We look at it as a stepping stone because that's what got us hooked on camping again. It's funny because we sold it to a local camper and we've already seen it at a local campground a few times this year. :-)

I also agree about the vehicle issues. We towed with a 5,000 rated 4Runner. Sure, it did the job but I know at least one towing figure was exceeded. We were probably over the cargo capacity of the camper and probably over the gross weight rating of the 4runner. Don't always listen to the dealers. They wanted to setup out Rav4 to tow the x17z.

What tow vehicle do you have?

[amabee]

I am going to agree that it is a great little camper, but the low CCC get's to be a pain after a short while. We've been doing ok, but a few times have had to "remove" this to "add" that, if you know what I mean.
It really depends on your needs, how many people etc. We still have 2 kids at home plus we have grandkids that are starting to go with us, so we are upgrading to a larger hybrid, with a higher CCC and a LOT more storage locations.

[Crabman]

Welcome to the user friendly Jayco Owners forum! Our members just love to answer questions or help out other members when possible and have fun sharing their experiences . They also love pictures of your RV, tow vehicles, and campsites!! So do not hesitate to post pics of your Jayco in the "Pics of your Jayco forum" and pics of your tow vehicle in the "Tow Vehicle forum".

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