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Old 10-15-2019, 10:21 AM   #1
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Off-roading with your Baja edtion

We own a 2019 145rb non Baja I am looking to go the path less traveled and hard surface optional. For the near future until the new Ranger finds its way into my driveway I will be limited to regional roads and National Forest trails and roads on the east coast mid Atlantic area The plan is to use our trailer out west and explore.

1. I want to know from the Baja owners out there how they rate their trailers when off-roading aka overlanding.

2.Any problems with the trailer off road, like things breaking from the vibration of driving a few hours on unimproved surfaces. i.e. cabinets falling off frames cracking that kind of stuff

3. Any improvements you made to help off road performance and wear and tear

Thanks Don and Debbie
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Old 10-15-2019, 11:06 AM   #2
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The only possible advantage on "off the beaten path" roadways, are the higher ground clearance from the "flipped" axles.

There is NO other OEM fortifications that would make these units able to withstand the lumps and bumps of a dirt/gravel road.

The cabinets use thin staples in many places. Those will pull out or loosen enough to leave gaps in the joined spaces.
Counter tops below the cabinets will have lots of saw dust on them.....from the vibration of rough driving surfaces.

If the shower has a door that is suspended by rollers in a track, they will bounce out and that door will fall.
It the shower/bedroom door is of the slider type and held shut with a snap, that snap will pull out and the door will end up against the far wall.



I am not sure of your Baja specific model, but on some, there are larger fresh water tanks, 30# vs 25# propane tanks and larger tires.

In a nutshell.....the term "Baja edition" is a marketing ploy to lead one to believe it can handle the rough roads in "Baja"......it cannot, vs. any other non Baja model.

I have replaced a bent axle twice and replaced flat springs twice.
The combo of potholes and a rough road surface took their toll.
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Old 10-15-2019, 02:06 PM   #3
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I have a 195RB Baja, live "out west" (Montana), and camp primarily at Forest Service CGs down moderately rough dirt/gravel roads.

Baja editions have a few advantages for this. The flipped axle does give more clearance for rocks and such in the road, it has additional rock guards and enclosed underbelly to help with rocks that get kicked up, bigger fresh water tank, and front stabilizers. Nothing inside is more secure or stronger than the non-Baja, so shaking and such will be just as bad. That said, I've had few issues to no issues going down these roads. I think the only example, we always put the table down, and once after a particularly bad pot holed road, the table bounced off and was on the floor (but we're really not sure we had it seated right).

Bottom line is that we take these roads just as slow and carefully as when we had a trailer without the Baja stuff, but it's nice to have clearance that is about the same as my tow vehicle (4Runner). The other stuff that comes with it doesn't really help on the roads, but I would want every one of them (larger fresh water and front stabilizers especially).

Now if you really want to go where my 4Runner and the like can go, check out Black Series trailers!
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Old 10-16-2019, 01:04 AM   #4
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We have a 145RB baja edition...
The plasticore underside cover is useless...It is a hanta hotel for rodents...Too many knife cuts and gaps from poor installation at factory. Yes I tried to fill all gaps and voids, just too many random opening to keep up with. I finally removed the plasticcore after the rodents ate through the black & gray tank sensor wiring along with the brake & tail light wiring. We live where packrats, mice and squirrels are plentiful & resourceful.
The off-road tires and the spring-over axle suspension are a definite plus because of the increased clearance. The front stabilizers are a great addition!
The added ground clearance made the 2 tread entry stairs too steep for us so I installed a 3 tread set of stairs.
After a 36 mile trek over a rough dirt road, one of the passenger side windows slid down in the wall opening so that a one inch open gap was at the top front corner of the window opening. I needed to remove & later re-install the interior window frame in order to move the window back up into the wall opening. On the same trip, the floor mounted storage cabinets flexed enough that numerous staples on the paneling and frame work came loose. I installed small wooden paneling strips cut to size as gussets and with my compressor and staple guns I re-inforced the cabinet framing.
The larger size propane tank is a good addition, but it is held in place with one 1/4-20 hex bolt & nut which made the tank bob n' weave going down the road. I installed a quarter inch steel base plate for the tank along with long "J" bolts to secure the tank.
The 12 volt & 120 volt wiring is located in the same floor mount cabinet as the on-board water tank. The wire management was a mass of spaghetti with loose wiring terminals, loose wire nuts, and not even one zip-tie for the spaghetti.
We still have the 2014 TT, but fortunately for us, I have most of the skills needed to keep up with the on-going unforseen challenges. I would have needed numerous trips to the dealer if I was not my own repair-tech.
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Old 10-16-2019, 07:19 AM   #5
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Baja.

Just to clarify when we are taking about “off roading” we really mean dirt roads. Not many opportunities to off-road legally in the US. We have the 174 Baja. For us the added ground clearance was essential. Our TV is a Tundra with a 6” lift on 35s and we had to get a rise tow bar to get it level because the Baja is so high. I’ve see the non bajas and the black & grey drains are so low I’d tear them off for sure. Not so much just driving but getting in and out of some sites. We typically drive 25 - 50 miles one way on FS or BLM roads to camp and we have had no issues. The larger tires are also a bonus but we do air down for long dirt roads. The bigger fresh water tank is important to us since water limits how long we can stay out. Maybe we got lucky but the build quality on our trailer was excellent.
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Old 10-21-2019, 10:05 PM   #6
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I have a 174bh that my family and I have used almost exclusively for boondocking and off- road camping. I'd wager I've taken the trailer down some roads that most people would feel uncomfortable just driving down in a 4WD vehicle.

The only issues I've had as far as poor build quality goes, was on a particularly bad road the pantry door opened and I walked into a pile of broken coffee cups, pots, pans, and various spices and snack foods on the floor by the bunks. I solved that by putting magnetic child safety door latches on both pantry doors.

My attached pictures don't really do any justice to the roads we took to get there but each had their challenges. The beach picture I dealt with foot deep soft sand and ruts. The woods picture, the road had been badly rutted out from people driving on the roads when very muddy. That road was also littered with rocks ranging from bowling ball size to twice that large. The snow picture was two feet of fresh powder with a couple of inches of solid ice underneath. The challenge was leaving in the morning at the end of the trip and dragging the trailer over the now 2' solid ice wall that my tracks had made.

The ground clearance has been invaluable for our style of camping and I honestly love this trailer and wouldn't hesitate to buy another one and use it the same way.
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Old 11-13-2019, 10:24 AM   #7
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We just bought the 16mrb this year with Baja package. I fully agree with what has been said. We live in Colorado and have used it exclusively for BLM roads etc. Washboard can beat you up more than 4WD sometimes. Biggest problem so far for us is that sliding door. It will fall off. I am installing some security straps to keep it from moving. That or take it off. Just my wife and I the only time it gets used is at night if you want to block any night light, etc. I also carefully check the plumbing when we get to the destination. One last item, remember off road use voids the warranty. I believe they classify that as off of paved road. I haven’t tested that yet. And I don’t plan on doing so.
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Old 12-18-2019, 11:08 AM   #8
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This is all good info. I'm wondering about all these stapled together cabinets... Screw and glue is my preference. I suppose i'll have to take it on some trips and find out how it all holds together. Secretly, i'm hoping that it rattles apart so I have justification to rebuild all the cabinets with actual wood and properly constructed, and a better color. I'm thinking a nice redish stain will brighten the place up nicely...

Regarding the under pan plastiboard stuff. I expect it is good for gravel kick up and that is about it. One strangeness that I'm trying to wrap my head around is the propane line. On my rig, it is fastened (poorly) to the underside of the pan and hangs somewhat. I can easily attach more guides to keep it out of harms way, but i'm wondering why it is external in the first place? Makes more sense to me to have it safely tucked under the protective paneling to avoid chips or snags. Am I missing something?
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Old 07-05-2020, 03:41 PM   #9
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New Jayco 224BH baja rocky mountain edition

Hello all,

Bought a brand new 224BH baja. Took it on 55 km round trip on unpaved gravel road - fairly well graded but with some pot holes and a few spots with waterboard type bumps.

Well, after the trip the shelf in the outdoor kitchen hanging half way off since the staples came out of the brace, the read outdoor fridge ripped out from its mount screws and started sliding around and banging against the hot water heater (which fortunately appears ok), the inside of the trailer floor and counters were covered with sawdust and metal shavings, and the towel bar in the bathroom worked its way out of the wall. I was pretty unhappy at first but after reading these comments it seems this is what is to be expected with these trailers. I consider myself lucky that none of the major systems were affected and the shelves didn't fall onto the ground.

Would love to learn more from others re: what they have done to reinforce some key components like the cabinets etc. -- being here in BC and having the ground clearance we love with this trailer, we definitely want to be able to take the odd dirt road with confidence!
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Old 07-05-2020, 05:24 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PoulsboJohnny View Post
I can easily attach more guides to keep it out of harms way, but i'm wondering why it is external in the first place? Makes more sense to me to have it safely tucked under the protective paneling to avoid chips or snags. Am I missing something?
All I can think of is the danger of leaks in an enclosed space.

The more likely answer, I think, is that Jayco created a typical cheap trailer as fast as possible on a flipped axle, added some black graphics, and called it a "Baja" trailer. Why put the hoses underneath the frame where they would be more protected for "Baja" conditions when it's easiest to just attach it underneath the frame with self-tapping screws that will eventually rust off and allow the manifold to fall like it did with mine? Heck, there are even two additional conduit holes in the front crossmember that could be used for this purpose with the appropriate conduit hole insert.
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Which means I have a good project for some point in the future.
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Old 07-06-2020, 07:09 AM   #11
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Hello out there.....

I too have a "Baja" edition.......245RLSW

The Baja name is marketing hype....intended to make one think that this model can withstand the punishment a Baja road can put out.

It can't. The only thing remotely "Baja" is the higher ground clearance and a larger tire, with some even "E" rated AT tires.

I had to use much larger, coarse threaded marine screws with the stainless molded washers for attaching the cabinet edges.
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Old 07-16-2020, 11:04 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by ciagw View Post
Hello all,

Bought a brand new 224BH baja. Took it on 55 km round trip on unpaved gravel road - fairly well graded but with some pot holes and a few spots with waterboard type bumps.

Well, after the trip the shelf in the outdoor kitchen hanging half way off since the staples came out of the brace, the read outdoor fridge ripped out from its mount screws and started sliding around and banging against the hot water heater (which fortunately appears ok), the inside of the trailer floor and counters were covered with sawdust and metal shavings, and the towel bar in the bathroom worked its way out of the wall. I was pretty unhappy at first but after reading these comments it seems this is what is to be expected with these trailers. I consider myself lucky that none of the major systems were affected and the shelves didn't fall onto the ground.

Would love to learn more from others re: what they have done to reinforce some key components like the cabinets etc. -- being here in BC and having the ground clearance we love with this trailer, we definitely want to be able to take the odd dirt road with confidence!



Hey I'm in BC as well. Bought a brand new 174bh baja a couple months ago. I've put approx 3500km on it and several 40-50km round trip on forest service roads, gravel + lots of potholes, and some really questionable narrow paths with even worse road (taking these at like 2 kmph haha).
Everything inside has held up but I developed a front window leak because some of the sealant on the outside came apart. I resealed it and no leaks.
No other damage so far! I count myself lucky, and maybe it also has to do with the sumosprings I put in the trailer leaf springs. It's supposed to help with bumps and I'd say its working.
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Old 07-22-2020, 08:08 PM   #13
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Can you elaborate on the sumo springs you put in leafs? Can’t find anything online
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Old 07-22-2020, 08:09 PM   #14
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Can you elaborate on the sumo springs you put in leafs? Can’t find anything online
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Old 07-22-2020, 11:47 PM   #15
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I bought the sumosprings here: https://www.supersprings.com/product...r-sumosprings/

This was the video that convinced me to buy them:
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Old 07-23-2020, 04:46 AM   #16
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Thx! Interesting
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Old 02-25-2022, 03:19 PM   #17
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2021 Jay Flight SLX8 Baja & Rocky Mountain Edition

I am looking for other Jayco JayFlight SLX8 Baja Edition owners.
My wife & I have been stranded in Baja Mexico for 2 weeks now with a bent Lippert Axle. No we are not overloaded nor did we hit any pot holes hard. 2 weeks of research & talking with Jayco, Lippert & numerous other axle manufactures & technicians it appears that Jayco does not put heavy enough axle's on this trailer. Lippert does not even sell a 3500lb axle with a 6 Lug wheel. Not to mention the 16" Offroad Goodyear tires. These axles are designed for a 5 Lug 14" wheel. Lippert only makes these for Jayco, not the general public. I am looking for other Jayco owners that have experienced any axle failures.
Waiting on axels in Baja,
Yes I know I could be in a worse place.
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Old 02-25-2022, 03:41 PM   #18
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I am looking for other Jayco JayFlight SLX8 Baja Edition owners.
My wife & I have been stranded in Baja Mexico for 2 weeks now with a bent Lippert Axle. No we are not overloaded nor did we hit any pot holes hard. 2 weeks of research & talking with Jayco, Lippert & numerous other axle manufactures & technicians it appears that Jayco does not put heavy enough axle's on this trailer. Lippert does not even sell a 3500lb axle with a 6 Lug wheel. Not to mention the 16" Offroad Goodyear tires. These axles are designed for a 5 Lug 14" wheel. Lippert only makes these for Jayco, not the general public. I am looking for other Jayco owners that have experienced any axle failures.
Waiting on axels in Baja,
Yes I know I could be in a worse place.

I have the 174bh Baja and I also bent my axle. Got it replaced locally with a custom made 5,600lb one with 6 lugs and bigger brakes. I don't know where yours failed but the whole axle tube actually bent. Instead of bowing up it bowed down and the tires were cambered out at the borrom.
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