Avoid Jayco Precept 31 UL like the Plague

Extreme · 02-03-2019, 02:23 PM

In retrospect , I should have listened to the feedback posted on this forum to folks with actual driving experience with the Jayco Precept. It is just like they said: “A total piece of Junk” I never drove anything so horrible in my life. Took all suggestions and had everything done underneath on the chassis and after spending 5 k it did not do a bit of difference afterwards. We stopped at Safety Steer plus in Grants Pass, Oregon, and they took us for a ride with my wallet. Nothing helped. Track bars,sway bars, steering stabilizers, koni shocks you name it.
Talked to 4 FORD DEalers, made appointments , Sacramento, Bakersfield, Glendale,az. Showed them the video of steering play and handling, their answer: You are just gonna have to get used to driving it.
5000 miles later made it to Florida and going back west soon. Not looking forward to it. The Coach is constantly going right and left nonstop, more when trucks pass and even more when windy. Requires 100% attention span while driving. Forget cruising along.
A total disaster waiting to happen, dangerous to others as well . Plus I have a list of warranty items they could not fix. 6 week wait for warranty parts.
Pitted new windshield ,falling apart wipers,overhead bed fell down, had to put a 4 x4 under so it would not fall while driving. Rear AC blows warm,
Pretty much given up with warranty ,always nice but no resolve.
Take my word for it this is our 5 th motor home and the newest and the worst. DO NOT BUY a JAYCO PRECEPT 31UL, YOU WILL BE SORRY YOU DID. It looks great, the inside is nice but that is all ! The FORD F53 Châssis is the worst , it is a Garbage Truck Chassis and it rides like one.
Remember, once you buy it , you’re on your own no one will help you unless you got tons of Money and years of patience.

1955farm · 02-03-2019, 02:42 PM

We too have a 31UL, 2018 and have had some minor problems but nothing that has not been taken care of by Jaycos warranty. And we haven't done all the fixes you describe on the handling and it doesn't drive like you describe. Granted, it's not going to handle like a Porsche but it's not nearly like you describe. Maybe you need to find a new warranty center and contact Jayco warranty directly. They've been very helpful and accommodating to us.

Extreme · 02-03-2019, 02:54 PM

JAYCO says it is FORD problem, and Ford says it is a LIPPERT conversion problem and they re not responsible.
I was warned by folks who had the same problem in the thread:
To buy or not to buy 2017 JAYCO Precept 31 UL, I DID NOT LISTEN and I should have. Now I am paying the price.
Everywhere we go we get compliments on the looks and FULL BODY paint job.
It tell all RV ers the truth : stay away from it when they ask how I like it.
and I will continue to do so. I am Jayco s worst advertisement because I am driving around the whole country passing the word.

Jday7757 · 02-03-2019, 03:02 PM

I'm not sure which 2017 Precept 31UL you have (some have the older smaller frame and some have the larger frame with the 22 1/5 inch tires). We have the 2017 31UL with the 22 1/2 tires and have not had any major problems with the exception of the windshield wiper issue. Jayco corrected that UNDER WARRANTY by replacing the entire wiper assembly/motors and the scratched windshield. Although I know others have had some handling problems but our 31UL handles very well (better than our previous motorhome). We have not done anything to augment the steering/handling and I have not had any issues with big rigs passing. I think the J Ride Plus really makes this handle better than some other motorhomes.

klspahr · 02-03-2019, 03:14 PM

There was a time when people cared about the companies they ran, and in turn, their customers and products. Maybe because their name was on the company. Now they’re ran by people who only care about their next bonus and future stock options. If the company craps out they’ll just move on to another company and continue to pad their bank accounts at the expense of the customers’ satisfaction and product quality.

I think “two year warranty” means you need let it sit at the dealership for two years till they get around to working on it.

I had an Apple laptop that started having problems, it was five years old. Took it to the apple store, they determined it was a factory flaw, in a week I had a laptop that had everything inside replaced - for FREE! They even replaced some damaged parts on the outside that had nothing to do with the problem. I did not have any extended warranty on it either. Guess what my next laptop will be...

1955farm · 02-03-2019, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Extreme

JAYCO says it is FORD problem, and Ford says it is a LIPPERT conversion problem and they re not responsible.
I was warned by folks who had the same problem in the thread:
To buy or not to buy 2017 JAYCO Precept 31 UL, I DID NOT LISTEN and I should have. Now I am paying the price.
Everywhere we go we get compliments on the looks and FULL BODY paint job.
It tell all RV ers the truth : stay away from it when they ask how I like it.
and I will continue to do so. I am Jayco s worst advertisement because I am driving around the whole country passing the word.

Keep on passing your word but it's not the gospel according to our unit. Maybe next time buy a Tiffin or Prevost! For our price point we actually are very pleased with the layout and performance. We couldn't find another unit anywhere close to the price we paid with the features ours has and handles the way it does which is good compared to others we have driven.

Grumpy · 02-03-2019, 04:17 PM

It also depends on how you have it loaded. That chassis is also used by many other brands so.........? And as other's have posted they don't have the same issues.

Heard similar complaints when we had our KODIAK based SENECA and I could drive our's with two fingers when trucks passed.

Extreme · 02-03-2019, 04:29 PM

Manyl folks I have talked to in RV parks had the same problem, but they had a bigger budget and simply traded in their coach for a real bus chassis after they got the runaround. If you start searching online for motorhome Ford F53 chassis steering/handling problems you d be amazed at how many articles you re gonna find. Hundreds... We have the J ride plus on top of everything else. 22.5 Michelin’s rv
Just keep looking , you will find horror stories in this regard.

Grumpy · 02-03-2019, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Extreme

If you start searching online for motorhome Ford F53 chassis steering/handling problems you d be amazed at how many articles you re gonna find. Hundreds... We have the J ride plus on top of everything else. 22.5 Michelin’s rv
Just keep looking , you will find horror stories in this regard.

If it's across all brands with the F53 then you need to BAD MOUTH FORD, not JAYCO since the only alternative is a diesel pusher.

1955farm · 02-03-2019, 05:04 PM

EXTREME...…..This is a post YOU did on 08-04-18....Seems like buyers remorse to me and now you are blaming Jayco....You said it handled well and now it doesn't??

We did purchase the unit. It does drive pretty well with one hand. Ocasinally i have felt it a little squirly when you ride the road ruts and when a sudden gust of wind hits you. I filled up the fresh water tank and noticed it is located behind the rear dual wheels as well as the gas tank. The tires on delivery were only inflated to 80psi all around. I am sure that with weight on the front axles it will ride smoother as well as proper inflation. Other than that it does seem to cruise good at 63 and very well at 55. It does have The 192” wheelbase but it get around tight spots in town quite well and parks very easily. The opposite slides in the living room makes this smaller coach quite roomy. We find it nice to have 3 slides in such a small unit.
Not sure I understand the gutters though which seem to drain right on the front windows and on the rear as well. Will gutter extensions work on that configuration.
Still in the process of checking everything. Thank you all for your feedback.

Extreme · 02-03-2019, 06:28 PM

Buyers remorse you bet ! , we spent the first two months trying to correct the problems, finally gave up. you don’t really know what it will handle like until you get on the road not a 15 mile ride.
As far as blame I paid Jayco not Ford or Lippert and I should have listened to the other threads. My bad indeed , I made the decision and I am very sorry I did.
It looks beautiful though.

Foretm · 02-03-2019, 07:53 PM

Just wondering if you ever had it weighed to see if you may be too light on the front axle? Also I never did hear which model you had, maybe I missed it. I can’t say I understand your frustration, because i’ve not walked a mile in your shoes, but i wonder if you’re open to suggestions or just want to vent? I think the folks here will do everything we can to help, but only if you’re interested.

If it’s not been weighed, I would do that to see what the relationship is front to rear axle weights. If y9u have too much weight rear of the back axle, then you may be unloading the front axle too much and making it difficult to control. FMCA recommends that the front axle weight be about 50% of the rear axle weight. I would err on the side of caution and want something higher, but it’s a place to start.

I’m sorry you’re having this much trouble with your rig. The F53 is not going to measure up to a diesel pusher chassis, so if that is your benchmark I don’t think you’ll ever get there and best to cut your losses and move on.

If we can help, please let us know and good luck to you.

Extreme · 02-03-2019, 08:45 PM

Thanks for your suggestion, I will try shifting some heavy stuff up front when we head back.
I had 2 big rig Truck experts do a front axle diagnostic at my expense. They both mentioned an issue with the front axles Springs Bushing made of soft rubber which seem to compress and move the axle from side to side . I mentioned it at a Ford truck repair and they said it was a Jayco upgrade for ride comfort not endorsed by Ford. I asked another shop if they would change the bushings and they wouldn’t due to liability & Warranty issues.
I had computer alignments and caster and camber checks , all within specs for proper handling.
I have been willing to pay truck shops to make this coach handle properly but no one seems to wants the job. I even inquired about upgrade steering box and springs at my expense to no avail.
The latest, a Jayco dealer said our unit was under a serious Ford recall for crankshaft bolts , contacted Ford immediately, they assured us of No such recall. I triple checked with both Ford and Jayco 3 times, same answer.
My wife and I are done with the spin. This was all supposed to be fun retirement and it has been too stressful , it has been a scary trip and we are done. Heading back west in March.

fizikpal · 02-04-2019, 08:14 AM

Extreme,

Sorry you are having this experience. WE LOVE OUR 31UL 2018. Perhaps you got the one built the day after Superbowl Sunday.

Foretm · 02-04-2019, 08:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Extreme

Thanks for your suggestion, I will try shifting some heavy stuff up front when we head back.

I would also consider having all tanks empty if possible and maybe running 1/2 a tank of fuel. The fuel tank is the furtherst back and at 80 gallons, it generates about 500lbs of weight a good 5-7' behind the rear axle. going with a half tank would reduce that to 250lb. Combine those with shifting as much weight forward as you can and I think if nothing else it may make the trip tolerable until you can get home and regroup.

Again, sorry you're having these issues and I wish your experience was different. Good luck and be safe.

MikeThompson · 02-04-2019, 09:24 AM

I think all the problems with handling can be corrected with proper loading. We picked up our 2018 Precept 35S in May of 2017, loaded it up and started driving. Went through some pretty stiff winds and got blown around pretty good. When we stopped for a few nights I moved some things around, tried again when we left, and kept moving things till I had a good ride. We now have just over 34,000 miles, went through west Texas into New Mexico yesterday and according to the weather channel, winds were 20-25 mph with gusts up to 40. I drove with one hand on the wheel and never had a problem with the wind or with trucks passing. The only thing I've done since we bought it was up the pressure in the tires to 95psi. No expensive suspension upgrades or anything. Try moving some weight around and see if it helps.

Scott_Trailer_Newbe · 02-04-2019, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Extreme

JAYCO says it is FORD problem, and Ford says it is a LIPPERT conversion problem and they re not responsible.
I was warned by folks who had the same problem in the thread:
To buy or not to buy 2017 JAYCO Precept 31 UL, I DID NOT LISTEN and I should have. Now I am paying the price.
Everywhere we go we get compliments on the looks and FULL BODY paint job.
It tell all RV ers the truth : stay away from it when they ask how I like it.
and I will continue to do so. I am Jayco s worst advertisement because I am driving around the whole country passing the word.

This sounds like a warranty provider problem. A good warranty center does not go down this road with the customer. If there truly was an issue, Jayco nor Ford want anything to do with getting a bad reputation. This is also the case even if there was no problem other than operator error.

A qualified warranty center should be able to address your issues and make the ride better.

Grumpy · 02-04-2019, 04:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Extreme

JAYCO says it is FORD problem, and Ford says it is a LIPPERT conversion problem and they re not responsible.

Unless there's been a major change, MorRyde does the chassis stretches and upgrades. Also everything they do is based on FORD APPROVED after market specs and procedures. Same applies to the E-450 used for the class "c"s. Been that way for decades.

Too many FORD dealers just don't know how to work on an RV chassis.

Vicr · 02-04-2019, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Grumpy

Unless there's been a major change, MorRyde does the chassis stretches and upgrades. Also everything they do is based on FORD APPROVED after market specs and procedures. Same applies to the E-450 used for the class "c"s. Been that way for decades.

Too many FORD dealers just don't know how to work on an RV chassis.

For Ford warranty work the coach needs to go to a Ford TRUCK center not a Ford dealer. (some Ford dealers may have a truck center but most do not)

Flyrotor · 02-04-2019, 11:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Extreme

I am Jayco s worst advertisement because I am driving around the whole country passing the word.

So why don’t you just cut your losses, move on, find something that makes you happy, it’s like anything else in life, happiness is a result of your perception, and we get it, your perception is your reality, just channel all that energy into something where you can be happy!

Happy motoring, and May your RV’ing days get better.

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