Would you do it again?

[Whatnext]

We are in the research phase of purchasing a Class A in the future. My wife and I have three kids and two dogs that will be joining us. We were usually camping mostly in campgrounds whether it was in state parks or privately owned at least once a month. We recently sold our 5th wheel and are looking for the change.

My daughter plays travel softball so the Class A will get used a little more because on the shorter tournaments that are only two or three days we will bring the camper with us and camp in the parking lot where they are allowed so it will need to be self contained.

My question to those who own them is, if you were about to buy a Class A, would you buy Jayco again or would you go to another brand? We are looking at the Alante 31R or Precept with similar floor plan, Winnebago Vista 31be, and the Fleetwood Flair 31p. They are all similar layouts and roughly the same price range. I don't want to go much bigger because I want to be able to fit in some of the parks and not take up a ton of room. I know I will already be taking up several spaces but some of the parks allow for campers to be there; however, I would still like to leave a relatively small footprint.

I am not sure if any of you have any experience with more than one of these brands but any advise would be helpful. They all seem to be comparable as far as floor plan, price, etc. The biggest issue would be quality control at this point and the fact Jayco has a 2 year warranty vs a 1 is great but not a deal breaker. Thank you in advance.

[WinnieView]

We have owned a few different brands and classes of motorhomes and are in the very early stages of 'looking' (maybe 5 years out) but are leaning towards Winnebago. And for us floor plan in number 1.

[HJ Rosch]

We have owned an Alante 31V for a year. Spent 50 days and 10,000 miles on the road last summer and love it. Spending 2 years researching, Winnebago seemed higher priced for a similar rig and Forest River and Thor appeared to have reduced quality. While maybe not a deal breaker I like the two year warranty as we have a 2 month plus trip to Alaska scheduled for next summer and am happy it will still be under warranty. We did do some upgrades to the suspension (CHF and steering stabilizer), added a water softener and a bedroom TV. Plan to swap out the couch for theater seats when in storage this winter. Our first year warranty issues have been minimal but taken care of swiftly. I would recommend Jayco.

[hawkster]

The rigs you mentioned are low end for class A's so I bet the quality or lack thereof is similar. If I had more money I would go with a Winnebago, newmar, or Fleetwood. Maybe get one a year or so old to match the new price of rigs you mentioned. The jayco warranty is great but remember you are the quality control.

[Rice1951]

Continue to do your research. Set your budget and find a floor plan you like and then start comparing features of similar models. It can make your head spin but don’t be swayed by a sales person who’s in it to make a buck. If possible, see the coaches in person whether at a dealer or an RV show and go for a test drive. Check out what each rig looks like with the slides in because that’s how much room you will have while going down the road. Most new RV’s come with a one year warranty while Jayco offers two years which gives you two full camping seasons (if you’re not fulltiming) to fix any bugs. A lot of folks will encourage you to buy used and there are also advantages to going that route. I bought new and purchased the previous model year and saved a ton of money and still got the 2 year warranty. My dealer was 5 hours away so I’ve never been back since I bought the coach. I’ve called Jayco Motorized CS directly for any issues, had them taken care of locally and received reimbursement from Jayco. I did go to Middlebury for one issue that I only wanted them to take care of and they were super to work with and I can’t say enough good things about that experience.
We travel to softball tournaments with our grandkids and the washer/dryer combo is very handy for washing uniforms overnight and not having to go to a laundromat. We’ve been to tennis meets and other events and a MH provides a great place to hang out in between games. When you swivel the front seats around you turn the area into a great sitting room. You can relax, eat, nap or even watch TV. It’s a fun lifestyle. Good luck in your search as only you and your family can decide what’s best for you. And to answer your question, yes, we would do it again.

[NickM]

If I were doing it again, knowing what I know now I would likely look at a Tiffin Class A coach, about 36'. Would prefer diesel but gas is more affordable.

The thing about Jayco, the 2 year warranty made things worth while for us. Each person has different needs and Newmar level of coach isn't something I need. Our Precept 35S has been totally acceptable with convenience and room. We don't travel a lot, 3 months in FL, occasional trips around the southeast and Michigan. There may be a trip out West in the next year or so.

The ability to live in our coach for long periods of time is the clincher for us.

[Graunke]

We purchased a 2017 Alante 31V at the beginning of that model year. It is our first 'new' motorhome, and our first Class A. We had some bugs and kinks that Jayco and our Dealer gladly attacked for us, and our dealer has been stellar throughout the process. We made a few minor adjustments to the suspension/steeering like most do, and overall we are extremely happy with out decision.

We are considering our next purchase (precept or embark), as we have found features we don't have and would like, and features we do have that we don't need. Our next rig will most likely be our forever rig and because of the quality of service, and quality of rig, we will most likely purchase Jayco again so that we can stay with the brand, and the dealer.