Newbie

[Czechmate]

Hello there everyone. To make it short my wife and I have finally decided on a rig. Precept 34G (2023). We've never owned one and it's a big investment for us. I'm looking for any advice or comments. Talk me into this class A or talk me out of it LOL. Either way information is power and I'm all ears. Thank you all for your time.

Mike and Kate

[Marcm157]

Welcome to the group and the lifestyle. It's a slippery slope for sure!

[JFlightRisk]

Welcome to the Forum from Western New York State!

If it's your dream, then go for it, but with an open mind. There may be issues you don't expect, so take them one at a time. Do a long and thorough PDI with it at the dealer before you sign anything, so anything that pops up then can be dealt with before you take it home. It's the best time to pick it apart.

Here's a PDI list.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...ted-36094.html

[Rice1951]

Welcome to the JOF.
Take it for a test drive before you commit to anything. It’s not the same as driving a car or pickup pulling a tow behind. If it has opposing slides then make sure you are satisfied with the amount of available interior space while on the road. Also, not knowing what your previous RV experience is, I will just say that most systems are very similar on all RV’s regardless of whether it’s a TT, 5’er or MH. The devil is in the details.
My DW and I purchased our coach new and went through some growing pains with some warranty issues. It is very likely this is the last RV we will ever own and we are completely satisfied with how things turned out. It is not luxurious but we think we got a lot of bang for our buck (and we looked at a lot of RV’s) and it fits our lifestyle. Normally it’s only the two of us doing some regional glamping but last year we traveled out to Yellowstone NP with our daughter, son-in-law and grandkids and had a blast.
You have an opportunity to make a lot of happy memories if you can get past any rough spots that might occur. If you are somewhat handy then that will make your life easier. If your dealer is dependable, reliable and accountable then that will also make your life easier. If not, then you will need to figure out a workaround. Jayco products come with a 2 year warranty. If the dealer tries to sell you additional insurance then buyer beware.
You have come to the right place to get answers to your questions so don’t be bashful. Most everyone here is tolerant of anything because we all had to start somewhere. Keep us up to speed on where you go from here and good luck.

[Jjk0091]

We had 2 problems that I didn't catch on the walk through. First, one of the slide outs didn't fit tightly to the coach wall on the outside when it was retracted. Now to get it fixed I have to leave it for who knows how long and they aren't sure if it can be fixed. Second was the inverter wouldn't start the fridge. They did show me the inverter works by unplugging from shore power and the fridge stayed running but I found that if the inverter is switched off before shore power is removed then powered on after, the fridge wont start and puts the inverter into error.

[Czechmate]

Thank you for your reply. Very much appreciated. Its definitely a dream, more specifically to take about 2 years and see North America from coast to coast as well as Baja to Alaska.

[Czechmate]

From reading some threads it appears that the ride of these rigs is pretty rough. Some individuals here are talking about 25K upgraded shock systems. I seems bit stiff price tag on top of a 200K for a new RV. Thoughts?

[Rice1951]

Many of the coaches that receive mods (including the cheap handling fix) have shorter wheelbases. The wheelbase on my coach is 228” and I am satisfied with how it rides and handles. Driving through eastern Montana last year I experienced some of the strongest winds I have ever driven in during my 56+ years of driving. Would I want to do that every day? Absolutely not. But I never felt uncomfortable or unsafe at any time during that drive. I have not spent a penny on any upgrades.
The wheelbase on the 2023 34G is listed at 238” so I would expect that it should ride pretty well right off the lot. Keep in mind it is not a car so if you are expecting that kind of a ride you will never be satisfied with any amount of upgrades except for maybe liquid springs. I would suggest you drive it for awhile to find out your comfort level before throwing any money at it. Wheelbase to length ratio is just one factor but generally speaking the higher the ratio the better it will ride/handle.

[Czechmate]

Thanks for your insight. Am I understanding this correctly. The longer the wheelbase the better?

[Rice1951]

Originally Posted by Czechmate

Thanks for your insight. Am I understanding this correctly. The longer the wheelbase the better?

As a general rule, yes. A ratio of less than 50% will more often than not result in a very uncomfortable ride. There certainly are other factors to consider such as how much cargo weight you are carrying as well as how it is distributed. One of the negatives of longer wheelbases, though, is the increase of your turning radius so there are trade offs. It always comes down to personal preferences and finding a balance of what you are willing to live with. Good luck in finding something that suits your needs.

[Mike-NM]

If you have never driven an RV, bus or something over 30 feet I would suggest you google "Tail Swing of a Class A motorhome" and watch the video's........ might save you some serious headaches and money.

[Czechmate]

Ok I will. Thank you.

[Czechmate]

Ok another question. Decision is also between brand new and say 2 - 3 years old one. Still taking about the Class A 34G of course. Thoughts?

[Jjk0091]

Originally Posted by Czechmate

Ok another question. Decision is also between brand new and say 2 - 3 years old one. Still taking about the Class A 34G of course. Thoughts?

If this is your first RV, I would suggest buying used. You may find in a couple years it's not what you need then you'll most likely be upside down in the coach. A couple year old coach that's been kept up nice will have the new coach problems taken care of and they will eat the depreciation.

[Rice1951]

If you are seriously considering a used coach then do a search and find one that fits your wants. Then get someone to inspect it for you. There is no coach warranty on a used Jayco RV (unless a dealer offers something) so you will be on your own once it’s yours. As previously mentioned, hopefully all the bugs will have already been worked out. If you buy from a private party then you also need to make financial arrangements which may be more complicated than if you were working with a dealer.

[travelingjw]

Welcome to the forum. My action plan was to study this forum for months before I purchased any vehicle and it paid off. When we were ready to purchase a trailer I felt as though I had the foundational knowledge to understand the positives and negatives of owning an RV. My concern about Class A's is there is so much that can go wrong that has nothing to do with camping; all the bells and whistles. Horror stories about units being in the service center for months.

[Alante31V]

One thing to also know about new gas powered Class A’s, it is getting harder to find Ford places that will work on them with warranty other than Rush Trucking. Consider a used Class A DP or used Super C?

[Brians first rv]

Definitely do homework including test drives, walkthroughs etc. Ask the same question to multiple dealers and compare the answers. Definitely used vs .new for the cost issues. There are a lot of folks who bought during COVID and for whatever personal reasons have not used it as they thought they would. Bargains can be had if you are a little flexible on size/ floorplan.

[BobKantor]

Originally Posted by Czechmate

Hello there everyone. To make it short my wife and I have finally decided on a rig. Precept 34G (2023). We've never owned one and it's a big investment for us. I'm looking for any advice or comments. Talk me into this class A or talk me out of it LOL. Either way information is power and I'm all ears. Thank you all for your time.

Mike and Kate

I think this is a 34 ft gas-powered class A and not a diesel pusher. If I'm correct, then the biggest challenge you might have is getting in and out of gas stations, especially if you are also towing a car.

We had a 32 ft Tiffin gasser and sold it after 2 years for this very reason. The truck stops where you can easily pull a long rig thru the pump line only service diesel users. That leaves the retail pump lines for you, even at the big truck stops. Where you pull in parallel to the street and convenience store you will often be OK. But there are many gas stations today where you pull in perpendicular to the street and to the convenience store, and that's we you can get stuck. I.e., the convenience store is often too close to the pumps for you to make the 90-degree turn to exit the pump after filling the tank.

I never see this mentioned on any RV forums. But when we talked with other big rig gasser owners we got knowing looks from them. Go to a few gas stations and scope them out to get a better idea what I'm talking about here, keeping in mind what a large turning circle a 34 ft MH will have.

That said, good luck with your final decision!

[BobKantor]

Originally Posted by Alante31V

One thing to also know about new gas powered Class A’s, it is getting harder to find Ford places that will work on them with warranty other than Rush Trucking. Consider a used Class A DP or used Super C?

Great point about Ford dealers for chassis service. We have a Ford Transit diesel based 23 foot Class C and even have trouble finding a Ford dealer to do chassis warranty work on that. So it's not just their F53 units that are a challenge these days.