195RB Review

bigironcoder · 06-21-2018, 04:29 PM

Just got back from our first long trip (3,245 miles) with our 2018 Jay Flight SLX 195RB. We had taken a couple uneventful short trips before this trip.

Had a great time but had a few problems.

2nd day, the frig door popped open on its own and spilled stuff all over the inside. Used a spring clamp on the latch so it couldn't pop open again until I get home and come up with a better door latch.

3rd day, noticed kit sink was leaking where hoses connect to faucets. Fixed by tightening connector nuts.

5th day, noticed dinette side had pushed out at the bottom. All 4 staples had pulled loose. BTW, I weigh 175 lbs. Refastened with screws.

8th day, found WFCO converter hanging half way out of the cabinet. All 4 screws had stripped out of 1/8" plywood face plate. Refastened by angling longer screws into 1x2 backing. I'll reinforce the wood backing when I get home.

17th day, noticed trailer brakes not working. Found brake wires at trailer wheel had gotten pinched and cut in two by suspension. Reattached and taped.

None of this was any big deal and didn't affect our camping trip since I could fix it myself. I'll blame most of it on the rough interstates, especially in New York and Indiana. I suppose an Airstream would have fared better but at maybe 3x the cost.

I will say rough roads make these lightweight single axle trailers bounce a lot more than heavier two axle trailers.

ALJO · 06-21-2018, 04:36 PM

Glad you have the "knowledge" to do the repairs yourself, which makes RVing much more enjoyable. Bouncing down the road has an effect on anything in an RV.

RogerR · 06-21-2018, 04:57 PM

A lot of the items you have on yours have not happened on mine.

As we have been twice to the rockies from Illinois, once to Indiana, then Maryland to Niagara Falls to Maryland to home I estimate about 8,000 plus miles.

I had the Raineers at 50 PSI but have now purchased the Endurance at 65 PSI. So I wonder if the stiffer Endurance tires may be the culprit?

I leave my table up and it does tend to wander off the retainer bar a few inches. Otherwise very little movement inside.

The other item I have is an Andersen hitch that incorporates sway control and to a small amount bounce control.

Any idea where you are different, or maybe yours was just not so great out of the box. Except for the brakes none of your items were deadly so I till like the 195rb, but I will check my brake wires if it ever stops raining.

bigironcoder · 06-21-2018, 05:37 PM

I really have to blame the roads. We couldn't even keep the clothes hangers on the rods. It wasn't just the trailer. Our truck bounced a lot, too. My wife and I both felt like we had taken a beating by the end of the day. Then again, maybe we're just getting old.

New Hampshire to Missouri and back. On a scale of 1 - 10, I would give I-90 in Indiana a 3, I-70 in Indiana a 2, I-64 in Indiana a 5. I was on I-70 and I-64 in Illinois and would rate both a 6 or 7. I-44 in Missouri maybe a 5. I-90 and I-70 in Ohio seemed best of all I was on, really nice. Some parts of I-90 in NY were great, other parts the pits. VT and NH were just 2 lane smooth asphalt and relaxing.

Kim Gass · 06-21-2018, 06:32 PM

Yikes. We have the same unit and have pulled 40 000 miles. Much on dirt roads and not so much interstates. We don't have a Baja editionWe did have the dinette table trim pull off where it slides into the wall but replaced it with wood lath and its much more solid. We did break that silly dinette leg pin and replaced it with a bolt and always tow table down as it would be into sofa position now.

Oh the tires were the first to go.. Hasta La Vista.. good riddance.
It took a while but the faucets leaked at the connection to the sink.Isn't that annoying? We got a better faucet ( with a spigot you can get a pot under) at Home Depot.

The fridge has behaved for us and not spilled the beans so to speak.. You might address that under warranty..
The brake issue is scary.. That should be reimbursable.

Sorry But I can't blame the roads. Interstate travel where you were isn't that bad. And I note you did not travel my favorite Rt 2 in Vermont nor our frost heaved roads in Maine.

skids · 06-21-2018, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigironcoder

(snip)
17th day, noticed trailer brakes not working. Found brake wires at trailer wheel had gotten pinched and cut in two by suspension. Reattached and taped.

The wire loom for the brakes was not secured away from the suspension? I need to crawl under mine and take a good look. I noticed mine (SLX195RB) has a neutral white wire just hanging near the front of the trailer. I know that the wind will keep flopping the thing until repeated stress breaks the copper strands. I will fix that.

bigironcoder · 06-22-2018, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RogerR

I had the Raineers at 50 PSI but have now purchased the Endurance at 65 PSI. So I wonder if the stiffer Endurance tires may be the culprit?

I'm thinking about backing my Goodyear tires down to 50 psi to see if that helps on rough roads. I've always kept my tires at the max pressure as stated on the sidewall, but according to Goodyear's Load/Inflation table, it all depends on the load. 50 psi should be just fine on a fully loaded 195RB.

3,750 GVWR minus 450 (hitch weight) = 3,300 or 1,650 per tire.

https://www.goodyearrvtires.com/pdfs/rv_inflation.pdf

Kim Gass · 06-22-2018, 03:36 PM

We run Carlisle with psi 65
On rough roads.
Why? The load is over GVWR when the unit bounces hard.

RogerR · 06-22-2018, 03:52 PM

[QUOTE=bigironcoder;654511]I'm thinking about backing my Goodyear tires down to 50 psi to see if that helps on rough roads. I've always kept my tires at the max pressure as stated on the sidewall, but according to Goodyear's Load/Inflation table, it all depends on the load. 50 psi should be just fine on a fully loaded 195RB.

On the Goodyear RV tire website it also mentions that for trailer tires it recommends the sidewall imprint to always be used for sidewall stress reduction.

I am going to start with 65 and if it shakes too bad I will possibly reduce the pressure a little.

BudMor · 06-24-2018, 10:56 AM

The lack of factory attention to the brake wiring was one of the first things I noticed after purchasing ours, One of the items I have yet to remedy. I have everything to do it just haven't got around to it yet.

We do not travel with anything that weighs allot or with drinks in the door of the fridge due to the lock of a positive latching mechanism on the door. Another item I have not remedied yet as well.

We have not had any issues with the dinette yet. But I will not be surprised when it happens.

I have to tap on my right side awning speaker to get it to work sometimes. One of these days I will take it apart and find where the connection isn't doing what it is supposed to do. Mentioned it to the dealer when we picked it up and they smeared so silicone on the wires in the arm and told me it was just the wires moving. Needless to say speaker still needs a good smack to get working after putting the awning out. Will fix myself.

We looked around for a few months at many different brands of trailer similar to the 195rb. Sure we could have got a much higher quality trailer but not for anywhere close to the money of the 195rb. Once we eliminated anything with laminated sides (I will never buy any trailer with laminated sides. I worked in the commercial over the road trailer industry and know better.) That only left a few brands and I also won't do fiberglass nose trailers so that eliminated a couple more. I would love an airstream but don't need my trailer to cost more than my tow vehicle.

All and all the only thing I have done to ours so far is reinforce the bed which I posted a thread on here about. For me and the wife I would say the 195RB is the perfect trailer for us.

bigironcoder · 06-25-2018, 06:04 AM

Having had several travel trailers, we knew what to expect as far as being cheaply made. It's one thing to spend $13K on one and have to constantly make repairs but quite another to spend $30K or more and do the same thing.

I kind of regard it as a do-it-yourself kit, haha... actually, I'm sure I couldn't build one just like it myself for $13K.

GypsyShelia · 02-27-2024, 11:05 AM

Can you tell me what is under the dinette set? Anything important? I'd like to remove it.

Also the bed. Wondering what is under it. Looking at one in my area to buy for full time living. Thanks.

RogerR · 02-27-2024, 12:31 PM

Both are made with thin plywood and 1 x 2 framing. My dinette seat was stapled to the wall and the staples started to pull out so reinforced with screws. The bed is held with a cheap hinge set. I replaced screws but still holding up. I reinforced the bed plywood with more 1/2s including the front edge. I added more to some of the bottom frame. You could feel the cold coming up through the plywood so I got some 3/4 inch foam board and glued it to the bottom of the bed and the sides.

Pretty small for full timing, not much storage, tiny fridge and tanks are small. We love it but it does have limitations.

BudMor · 02-27-2024, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GypsyShelia

Can you tell me what is under the dinette set? Anything important? I'd like to remove it.

Also the bed. Wondering what is under it. Looking at one in my area to buy for full time living. Thanks.

The floor and a fender well. You will also have to mount your co2 alarm thingy on the wall as its in the bench. I just used some industrial Velcro to put it on the wall and shoved the wire into the existing hole.
Took me about 5 minutes to remove all of it on mine.

GypsyShelia · 02-27-2024, 01:44 PM

Thanks. Limited on what I can spend by what I can pay cash for. Unless I want to work until I'm 95. :-)

RogerR · 02-27-2024, 02:22 PM

The bed lifts up and there is a storage area about 4 x6 feet. Currently my lithium and MPPT , tools, chairs, gas fire ring, more tools, fire starters, water hoses, spare drop cords. My water tank takes some area but is partioned off. As with many, I added pistons to lift bed.

greenlee99 · 04-15-2024, 06:59 AM

my brake wire broke too at the big E fair ,have to put new screws in dinette too

MrKABC · 04-19-2024, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BudMor

The floor and a fender well. You will also have to mount your co2 alarm thingy on the wall as its in the bench. I just used some industrial Velcro to put it on the wall and shoved the wire into the existing hole.
Took me about 5 minutes to remove all of it on mine.

@GypsySheila: Nothing under the dinette. I attached pix for reference. You will, however, have the boxed-in wheel well remaining that will intrude on whatever you want to put there in its place.

Nothing under the bed either. Pic attached.

Just curious, if you gut the bed and the dinette, what are you planning on replacing it with?

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