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Old 09-16-2013, 11:57 AM   #1
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Are Jayco Swift SLX trailers good trailers?

Hi, my wife and I are considering buying our first ever travel trailer. We like the Swift SLX 184 BH a lot because of its layout, light weight, full features, and comparatively low price.

However, I am nervous about buying any trailer because I hear so many horror stories about leaks, and trailers that are just pieces of junk. I've heard that trailers will not leak, and will last, if you do regular maintenance, check seals, etc.. Would you Jayco owners say the SLX trailers are a good buy? How would it compare to other inexpensive light trailers?

We actually have to buy a tow vehicle as well, so a heavier trailer may be an option if they are far superior to the light weight ones.

Any advice would be really appreciated!
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Old 09-16-2013, 06:15 PM   #2
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We have the Swift SLX 154BH and we are very happy with it. (2) minor warranty issues.....dealer has taken good care of us.

Good luck with your shopping.
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Old 09-16-2013, 06:58 PM   #3
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Its all about proper care/maintenace and general up keep on it since the initial purchase (new) from the dealer. Keep up on the seals, sealants etc and you should be OK in the long haul no matter what brand you decide to purchase. I prefer Jayco due to the better overall construction and higher re-sale over the others I've seen.
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Old 09-16-2013, 07:29 PM   #4
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I have been pretty happy with my Swift SLX 184.

Make sure that you get one that has the larger AC. Some had a 5000 btu and some have a 8000 btu AC. Make sure that they run the AC and that it does not leak inside (big item that a lot of folks have needed to get fixed) . Other than that... Id buy it again.

I could use some better electrical outlet placement near the dinette. It should also have been made with a cable hookup but they left that out because it is a lower end camper. The tanks are small but manageable. Storage is good, but it could use a cabinet in the bathroom.

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Old 09-16-2013, 07:34 PM   #5
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bought our 184BH this spring, no issues so far
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Old 09-16-2013, 07:59 PM   #6
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We got a 2013 184BH (our first travel trailer) this year and couldn't be happier. I have an Xterra so my towing options were limited (5000 pound max). There are 3 in our family so this size works great.

Lots of people have talked about various issues but we have only had a small issue with a speaker, that I fixed in a few min. We have the smaller AC unit, and it seems to work fine for us.

Depending on the type of camping your are planning on (full hookup/boondock) you may want to look twice at tank capacity. My biggest issue is the size of the Black and Gray tanks on the 184BH. I wish they were about double the size so we could go a few more days without dumping.

I would also look into having the dealer flip the leaf springs to get additional clearance. The 184BH is quite low to the ground and we have scraped a few times.

Would I buy a 184BH again? In a heart beat!
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Old 09-16-2013, 10:07 PM   #7
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Thanks very much everybody for your responses. It's a lot for us to think about, especially since we have to buy the tow vehicle too!
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Old 09-16-2013, 11:16 PM   #8
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got our 184BH last April and have done 5 camping this year (just winterized the baby and put it in storage ), we originally bought the 184BH to be pulled by our old minivan but the "BOSS" is not comfortable on the old minivan as it's old and might break down somewhere and be a hassle LOL ended up replacing it with a truck.

as other have been saying, wish the tanks are a bit bigger but still managable (we usually try to have full hookup when we camp). wished they have move the AC outlet in the dinnette to a location that it will be useful when the table are in the the bed position LOL (hard to get into it).

dont have the leak on the AC (but my friend had it in his 184BH, dealership fixed it). wished we had the 8000BTU (only 5K on ours) but in our area, we don't use AC much, only once in a while.

not sure about the newer model of 184BH, but on ours, the TV outlet with 12V port is located just below the radio with no 110V AC nearby. If we decided to mount a TV on that location, we will need to either wire a 110 V from the inverter underneath the sofa or from the bed on the other side of the wall.

I also recommend to get the back flush thing (like this http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...5-degree/14496). we have that wand that we used in the first few camping, I saw from a friend that had one and how he used it. It's so easy to clean the tank LOL, dont have to bring the hose with the wand inside the RV to the toilet. using the flush king, I can see the stuff coming out until it's all clean. (can't believe how many times you need to flush the tank before it become clear LOL).

as always, Enjoy your RV
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Old 09-17-2013, 01:15 PM   #9
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We have owned our 2012 184BH since June 2012. We put about 2000 miles on it last year and about 3500 miles so far this year. I have had problems with keeping the refrigerator cold on days when it gets into the 90's but have pretty much solved that problem by installing a fan behind the refrigerator. The A/C on mine is the smaller 5000 size but it does keep the inside cool with a fan circulating air towards the back. The new models have the bigger A/C so that should not be an issue. There are 4 in our family (2 adults, 2 smaller kids) and we have actually had plenty of room and have made alot of fun memories in the year we have owned it. I have found that it is much easier for us to keep the front dinette made into a bed and then eat outside under the awning as much as possible. That also reminds me, one of the best purchases we made was a 3 inch memory foam breathable mattress topper for the front bed. This makes sleeping very comfortable. I have not had any issues with a the A/C leaking as other have had. The only thing that I have found lacking is the poorly installed fridge, but, that is solved with the $30 fan installed. I have not had any problem with the size of the tanks, but, I really watch the kids to make sure that they are not flushing too much water and too often as that seems to be fun for kids to do. I think the biggest thing holding me back from buying a travel trailer was the worry about putting so much money into something that is going to leak. I am over that now. I do look it over to make sure that the caulk all looks good still and will keep an eye on it, but, the times that we have enjoyed using the camper are well worth the money so far. Good luck with your decision.
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Old 09-17-2013, 08:19 PM   #10
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Thanks again for the feedback everyone. It's helping me feel more comfortable about possibly buying the 184. Thanks.
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Old 09-18-2013, 09:45 AM   #11
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Tips...

When flushing the black tank, I like to use the shower head and point it into the toilet while holding the flush open. It helps clean it out more than the 45 degree hose thing outside (although I still use that too).

I cut a queen size memory foam mattress and it works great on the dinette. The only time we change the dinette from a bed is in the rain or occasionally a game of monopoly or UNO inside.

I also sewed some custom mattress covers out of new sheets. I also made a big huge pillow case out of two full sized flat sheets for the 2 in memory foam mattress. Pain to put on, but very comfortable.

I also hung a 12 kitchen style TV that folds up under the cabinet next to the door under the cabinet.

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Old 09-18-2013, 08:49 PM   #12
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I have a 185rb, about 2 months old. I have to admit I was a bit shocked at some of the poor quality items I have seen. The bed broke immediately, it was serving as the front trunk cover, and was simply stiffened with 2 1x1+1/2 slats screwed from the top. These ripped out easily with me and my wife on the queen bed. I replaced them with slats that were tied to the trunk frame itself. It limits the size of items you can pass into the trunk from the inside, but this was a non-issue for me. I note that the diner seats did get crossed with slats by the factory.

There was sawdust and metal shavings everywhere inside the back of cabinets and in the heater and refrigerator compartments. I vacuumed it out, but some of the metal shavings are stuck into the spray in foam there.

The bath edge screws didn't look solid, so I went to tighten them, and sure enough, many were stripped. On taking them out, I found they were about 1 inch screws, but there was nothing back behind them to screw into, no stud surrounding the bath. They simply went through the bath surround and into the thin hollow wall, and were hanging off into space. Thus of course they were stripped. I took all of them out, calked them and replaced them, because frankly I was not real confident they had the entire tub watertight.

They missed the antenna boot with the roof sealant. As a result it was coming loose. I plan to fix that up this weekend.

There was lots more stuff like that, screws that are crooked or not in completely, tie wraps not cut, wood members (for example in the trunk) that didn't meet straight (don't you guys use jigs?). Since I encountered a lot of this within the first few days after receiving the camper, I suppose I started off with a bad attitude about it. One difference perhaps between me and other owners is I look at EVERYTHING. I have already gone through all of the systems and wiring. I know what happens when each of the gray and black tanks overflow. I have looked into the black tank with a fibrescope camera, etc. You get the idea.

I think I have improved a bit now, as we have had a few outings, and I have fixed everything I felt was out of place or that I saw needed improvement. The roof looks really well sealed, which is one of my chief problems with such trailers, since my last trailer died from leaks.

I don't know about the A/C issue. The A/C outputs water that collects at the top of the window. I haven't seen any evidence of it coming inside, but I am watching it.

My mods (so far) are:

1. Quickie flush for the black tank.
2. Bought an external 30 gal tank to put in the back of the pickup so that I can dump graywater to that and go to the dumpsite without breaking down the trailer. That will help at state campsites.
3. Put a soap and shampoo wire holder in the tub. It would not hold with adhesive, so I used 1 inch hollow wall anchors and caulk. This is the shortest hollow wall anchors I can find, note the wall is about 1/8 fibreboard.
4. Macerator pump wired into 12v for home dumps.
5. I cut, stained and mounted a board above the nightstand that crossed two wall studs, then mounted a 12v HDTV. I didn't think mounting to one stud would be adequate, so the board spreads the force out over the two studs.
6. The diner table, sitting on a piece of aluminium channel, was walking back and forth on the road. I screwed lag bolts with lots of washers on the back of the table to block the movement. This still allows the removal of the table for conversion to a bed, which I don't think I will ever use.
7. Lots of adhesive hooks, in the bathroom and closet.
8. I got some screw up jacks to support the front as well as the factory installed jacks at the back. Its really an improvement, and I hope to put some jacks on permanently.
9. I got both camco blocks as well as a BAL single axle lifter. Technically it is for a smaller tire size, but it worked. The blocks are for backup and if the lifter breaks.
10. I put another battery in on the tongue. There is space for two batteries, but not for two battery holders. I had to modify the holders to take both batteries.
11. I took out the queen bed mattress and put in a high quality futon mattress. Big improvement.
12. Put some stackable drawer/boxes in the closet. The closet could take trench coats or full size dresses, and we didn't need it, and our stuff was piling up on the bottom.
13. Got lots of adhesive backed levels and put them on the trailer frame after leveling. The idea is that wherever you are performing a leveling operation, at the front, and at each side, there is a level to look at. This, along with the BAL lever, dramatically simplifies leveling the trailer.
14. Put both a pressure gauge and a tape level gauge on the LPG tank. The tape gauge (you pour hot water on it) gives you true gas level remaining. The pressure gauge has other uses, check for leaks, etc.
15. Put a cover on the spare.
16. Got a foot for the front jack as well as a factory wheel. The wheel has to be removed for travel, the foot does not, and I rarely feel the need to move the trailer around by hand.
17. Digital temp gauge for fridge.
18. Wireless weather monitor for the wall. Gives time, indoor and outdoor temps and pressure. Runs off its own batteries.

Mods I plan to do soon:

1. I have a set of vent covers coming. This is a tall cover that allows you to open the vents even in the rain. I liked the idea that you don't have to worry about shutting the vents in the rain. It does increase the height, but that was not a big concern for me.
2. I want to install cabinet locks on all cabinets. I have had them open up on the road.
3. Inverter.
4. Solar battery charger.
5. LED lighting.

My goal is to get to a reasonable dry camping arrangement. In california, none of the state parks have hookups.

Cheers,

Scott
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Old 09-19-2013, 12:27 AM   #13
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I don't have a 184 bh but I just wanted to say something about them. It was the first trailer we looked at when we decided to purchase. 4 months and many trailers later it was the trailer we wanted but the last one the dealer had. It already had an offer. The dealer wasnt getting any till late winter so I looked at many dealers far and away but ended up getting a 197. I really like our trailer, but every time I see a 184 go past, I kind of wish it was mine. I think the DW now wants to go bigger not smaller, so it looks like the only way I'm getting the 184 is if I leave her...but then I probably couldn't afford it anyway. So, I'm sticking with the trailer and the DW. Good luck with your decision!
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Old 09-19-2013, 06:16 AM   #14
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What are your future plans? I see you are married...kids? What tow vehicle are you looking at? How many nights are you gonna camp each year?

If it was me and I was buying a 1/2 ton truck or bigger, I would go straight to a Jay Flight. You could look at a 19RD, 22FB, or a 26BH. These have MUCH larger holding tanks, ducted A/C and heat plus a real porcelain toilet! They are also 8" higher inside so if you are around 6' tall you won't feel like you are in a cave!
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Old 09-19-2013, 11:47 AM   #15
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geez, Scott, do you regret buying it? sorry for all your troubles! j
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Old 09-19-2013, 11:58 AM   #16
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LiftedAWDAstro have some good points too. it's all depends on those variable.

when we made an offer to our dealer for 184BH, we originally have our minivan to tow it so we are restricted to the weight. when we are about to pick it up, we already switch the vehicle to a bigger one.

We looked at the next level jay flight 26BH and liked that layout/bigger tanks too. but after asking for the total price (almost 10K difference as we are not able to negotiate much compared to the original 184BH) and weighing everything (kid are on the senior high and junior high now LOL, after few more years they will be on their own, price, storage-It's being stored at a friend backyard for the moment, etc.), we will be on our own and I think it will be too big for us and have to find a new storage.

still ended up with the 184BH and happy
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Old 09-19-2013, 02:25 PM   #17
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too address your, OP, question...yes they are a good trailer for two or a family w/ two very young children up to 8-10 yrs old at most. my opinion.
as all entry level trailers, corners are cut, options are limited and leaves a lot of room for owner improvements/mods...that doesn't make them a bad trailer.
price doesn't necessary reflect poorly built trailers....check out the high dollar trailer forums, lots of complaints about build quality. as you can read from previous comments on this thread, your direct question was skirted by most but also you can read that the opportunities are endless to make the 184bh personal w/your own mods...if you buy, have problems, large or small; that's what the warranty is for. however, I seriously doubt this option will come into play....JMTCW
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Old 09-19-2013, 06:24 PM   #18
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geez, Scott, do you regret buying it? sorry for all your troubles! j
Like I say I feel better about it now that I have everything running the way I want. I like the basic layout of the 185rb for me and my wife, and the RV systems are simple and just make sense. A good example was when I overflowed the gray tank. I was wondering what would happen, but it became obvious when it did happen, which was it backed up into the tub. So there you are, a few more gallons of gray water overflow, an *obvious* indication that it occurred, and a non-catastrophic outcome.

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Old 09-19-2013, 06:30 PM   #19
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PS. For my 185rb, weight was not the factor, size was. My model ranger could pull 5000lbs, but 20-21 feet is the maximum length that fits in my front driveway, and I don't have backyard access more than about 4-5 feet on the sides.

Here in my home town, $50 is about minimum for RV storage/month, so I'm saving $600 or more a year by NOT storing it. There's also a lot of advantages to having it available right in front.
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Old 09-19-2013, 08:54 PM   #20
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Thanks again for all the replies, much appreciated.

We have 1 young child. We'll camp 30-45 nights per year, hopefully more if the tt works out. I looked at something heavier like the 19rd, but around here they're listed for $20,000, or 50% more than the 184, and that would really over stretch our budget given that we also have to buy a tow vehicle. Twenty feet is about the max we can get into our parking spot too.

It also seems like a shorter, narrower tt would be better for fuel economy, but I don't know if this is a significant issue.

But thanks again, everybody, for taking time to answer. All comments, and any future ones, are much appreciated! j
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