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Old 11-15-2013, 11:13 AM   #1
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Intro of Possible New Owner

Hi all,

Have been soaking up all of the information I can find on the Jayco hybrid trailers and would like to toss out a few questions if you would be so kind.

First a bit about me: I am an experienced RVer but not with a hybrid trailer. I am hoping in the next year to be rid of my big Class A and go back to a travel trailer. I owned two hardside trailers prior to my motorhome so I've pulled and driven about every type (my trailers were a 16' Scamp, a 19' Wildwood and my motorhome is a 34' Winnebego). I live in Montana and travel a great deal to dog shows as well as some offgrid camping. Before we get all tied up in tow capacity and all here is the skinny (and I'm still shopping to make sure I make the best choice) on that.

Have an 04 Toyota Tundra SR5 with tow package (yup the real deal with tran cooler and tow mode not just the hitch) - rated at 7000 pounds. I will NOT tow without a WD sway hitch (did that with the Scamp not going there again). I cannot leave home without going over at least one mountain pass (and if I want to go west any distance there are 3!). I am an extremely frugal packer and having RVd for so many years everything I use in the RV is lightweight. About the only weight we have is me and about 300 pounds of dogs and their paraphanelia. Yes I realize I may even have to look at smaller/lighter - leaving those options open at this point. LOL

Right now I'm looking at the x18d, x20e possibilities (okay and I'll admit I'm also considering a Roo 183). Why? Well I want to be able to turtle (I live in bear country) and have a place to sleep AND a spot that I can put the dog crates if we are turtled. Int he x18d I can do that in the corner by the back 2 bunks and in the x20e I can do it by the back wardrobes and still be able to get to the applicances. Do not want anything longer than the 20 either for convenience and ability to get into some of our state park campgrounds.

Now to my questions.

1. How many out there are single hybrid owners and how big of a pain is it to get those bunk ends in and out by yourself? Any hints or tips?

2. Anyone had issues with the front bunk leaking if you've been driving to a location in strong winds/rain?

3. If you have a slide (and this may be a super silly question) does it have the option of manually opening and closing it?


Oh and great to read on here about the pop up gizmos - that was new to me and looks like a great option as well.

Sherry in MT
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Old 11-15-2013, 12:00 PM   #2
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.........

Now to my questions.

1. How many out there are single hybrid owners and how big of a pain is it to get those bunk ends in and out by yourself? Any hints or tips?

2. Anyone had issues with the front bunk leaking if you've been driving to a location in strong winds/rain?

3. If you have a slide (and this may be a super silly question) does it have the option of manually opening and closing it?


Oh and great to read on here about the pop up gizmos - that was new to me and looks like a great option as well.

Sherry in MT
All good questions.

Reply #1; The wife and I open and close the bunk ends by ourselves all the time. She finds it a little harder than me as she is 5’3” tall. So if one end of the trailer is higher off the ground (unlevel spot) she has a good reach. I do carry a small step stool to clean the top of the slide, that I could use if I ever had to. Surprisingly the bunks do not feel very heavy. The front one is a little more challenging to close do the tongue. But I just tuck in the fabric on the end and one side, push it closed, and walk to the other side and pull it out a bit and finish tucking it in. then latch it secure.

Reply #2; the seal on the bunk ends are really good. I did have an issue with the back bunk once (luckily I caught it before it rained), and it was my fault. When I closed the bunk I had the skirt sticking out of the top of the seal just a little bit, and I could not see it from the ground. I have never had any leaking from the bunks, and have been in a lot of bad rain storms both while sitting closed, on the road driving and while setup.

Reply #3; Regarding the slide out, Yes, you can open and close them with out power but it requires a wrench. I have never tried it. I would think a socket wrench would be ideal. It is done from inside the HTT under the sofa at the mechanism. The owner’s manual does talk about it. If you go to Jayco’s website, you can download a generic owner’s manual and read about everything.

As for turtling, it is one of the reasons why we picked the 23B, we did it in Yellowstone this summer,in a Walmart parking lot and even a KOA that we unfortunately rolled in at 1 am (my brother had a mechanical issue with is old PU in route that night). The ability to turtle is great.

As for the mountain passes, and I am quite sure you are more familiar than most of us. We did it this summer, slow and steady going up, and take it really easy coming down.
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Old 11-15-2013, 12:57 PM   #3
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We hated our first camper, a hybrid. I am 6 feet tall and found the rear bunk, if your site dipped down, a bear to close without a step ladder or stool. We had the pugs gizmos both inside and outside ones and liked how it kept the camper dark in the morning and help control temps but also a pain to set up and needed a ladder to get the outside ones set up. Also our front bunk must have been leaking (never seen water) because the front bunk door was delaminating after less than a year. It should be said it was a Forest river and not a Jayco.

Most slides will go in and out manualy but I have read on here it takes a loooong time even with a ratchet..

We liked the concept of the Hybrid but for us it just didn't work. You may love it as I am sure many do..
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Old 11-15-2013, 01:17 PM   #4
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First and foremost, welcome to the JOF, mtwaggin. You will find answers and advice on any/all RV topics here from nice folks that love to camp. I have a 2013 X19H and I pull it with a 2013 Ford Explorer, so I believe that you will have enough TV for whichever HTT you go with. I find that the bunk ends are absolutely simple to open and close; the latches are not that high up and the bunks themselves are lightweight (FWIW I'm 5'10"). We haven't had any issues with leaks and we have camped in monsoons and driven through thunderstorms and a blizzard. Our TT does not have a slide so I can not offer you an opinion on that. Good luck with your purchase, whatever brand/model you choose, and have fun with it. We love ours and can't use it enough. Happy Camping!!
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Old 11-15-2013, 02:39 PM   #5
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I had read about the Roo's delaminating and leaking, kind of why I asked the question! LOL I'm haunting both forums for that reason. I also like that the warranty runs for 2 years vs. 1 even though I'm not sure if I'll be getting new or used.

The other requirement I didn't mention is that I also want a tandem axle trailer.

Thanks you guys - this is awesome!

Sherry
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Old 11-15-2013, 04:00 PM   #6
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I had read about the Roo's delaminating and leaking, kind of why I asked the question! LOL I'm haunting both forums for that reason. I also like that the warranty runs for 2 years vs. 1 even though I'm not sure if I'll be getting new or used.

The other requirement I didn't mention is that I also want a tandem axle trailer.

Thanks you guys - this is awesome!

Sherry
Sherry..... Jayco's 2 year warranty was a big selling point for me.
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Old 11-15-2013, 05:48 PM   #7
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Welcome Sherry! We show dogs too and dog shows were the first reason we bought our X17z.

The bunks are really easy to open, mot a problem at all for one person to do. We've never had an issue with leakage around the bunks, not while open or closed. I can't help you with the slide question as we don't have one.
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Old 11-15-2013, 09:54 PM   #8
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Welcome Sherry, we have the x20e and I have set it up on my own, very easy for one person. Agreed that the back bunk can be a bit difficult if the ground drops off the pad without a step stool. We liked the x20e for the dual axle and the ability to be comfortable turtled for the two of us (one on couch the other on the dinette table)if we go to bear country. Pulls really easy, the slide offers a bit more room inside, but it's not bad with the slide in. We have had a number of rainy days with no issues, including when your stuck inside, still plenty of room to stretch out and relax with a good book. We use one of the bunks for storage and the other for sleeping. AC and heat are great. No complaints with our x20e.

Obviously not sure you budget and situation, however IMHO buy the biggest you can afford. Very little heard "oh my TT is too big", most of the time it is "I wish we got the bigger one". For us the x20e has worked out very well.
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Old 11-16-2013, 05:22 PM   #9
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Something else we did not consider when we bought our first camper, a hybrid. Was the noise of neighbors when you are trying to sleep. I guess that depends on where you camp and how close the sites are but after tent camping for 25 plus years I did not remember nearly as many nights being kept awake by noise. Maybe its being closer to neighbors than tent sites or being higher off the ground but even people talking quietly was enough to keep us up. The hard sided unit solved that problem. Now for a better mattress !! Lol...
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Old 11-18-2013, 10:21 AM   #10
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I have an X20E and don't find it difficult to set up at all. Both my wife and I can do the whole set-up and tear-down by ourselves (though it's much faster when we work together). We travel with two Ridgebacks and the slide-out is a big help. We also removed the legs from the table and stow it when we are parked since we just use it for turtling. This really opens up the interior. We have turtled many nights at truck stops and been more than happy. The biggest issue is usually a hot trailer when turtling in the summer.

I agree with 33 RLDS above - there is additional noise in a hybrid. You can hear everything in the camp ground. My wife and I typically sleep with earplugs so it's not a big deal for us but it's something to keep in mind. Turning on the AC also helps drown out exterior sounds.
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Old 11-19-2013, 02:05 PM   #11
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I open/close the bunk ends myself all the time with no problems. If you think it's a concern I'd go to a Jayco dealer and try it out yourself to make sure.

Regarding the second question...No leaks anywhere in 4 years.

I agree with the other comments regarding the noise that infiltrates through the tent ends. Most of the time we run the A/C fan to drown out the noise. Another thing that bothers my wife is having the kids sleeping out on the bunkend during a storm. She's afraid a tree or limb is going to fall through. Probably for these two reasons, our next RV will be hard-sided.
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Old 11-19-2013, 02:57 PM   #12
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Hi Sherry,

My wife and I have an X18D and the beds are no problem at all when it comes to weight or ease of use. Step stool is handy when your not on level ground. We pull ours with a 2004 Toyota 4Runner V6 version no towing package. Last summer we took a 10 day trip that took us from WI to PA to NY and back to WI. We encountered some really severe weather on the way to our site by Niagara Falls. Pouring rain so hard even the bravest (or crazy drivers) had to pull over for a while. We had no issues with water getting into the camper and while there were times I wished for a little more power, we had no towing issues. Your Tundra will do fine with these campers.

The layout of the 18 makes for very easy access to everything while it is closed up. And when the beds are open this small camper seem huge. The only thing that we really miss with the 18 is a little more counter space and a double sink.

My only other comment would be that the table on the X18D will be a smaller bed than in the 20. If your short no problem, but it's something to really consider if you plan to turtle in bear country.

Good Luck
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Old 11-19-2013, 04:27 PM   #13
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ID:	10641We love our 2011 x23j and feel lucky we found it. The layout works best for us. As for noise, I don't mind it much. Most of the time we were sited with hardsides so it wasn't an issue. I worry more that my wife likes to fall asleep with the tv on and turned to the bunk end. I wonder how much the sound travels out.
This is our first trailer, owned a popup for years, rented 30' motorhomes a few times so this "turtling" is new to me. Sounds........ interesting! Might try it out this winter..... out in the yard!!
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Old 11-19-2013, 04:55 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by mtwaggin View Post

1. How many out there are single hybrid owners and how big of a pain is it to get those bunk ends in and out by yourself? Any hints or tips?

2. Anyone had issues with the front bunk leaking if you've been driving to a location in strong winds/rain?

3. If you have a slide (and this may be a super silly question) does it have the option of manually opening and closing it?


Oh and great to read on here about the pop up gizmos - that was new to me and looks like a great option as well.

Sherry in MT
We have a hybrid (19h) and a 5 year old so when we finish backing in my wife heads to the park with our son and I set up by myself. It's quite simple. I've never had a leak. I don't have a slide so I can't help much there.

There's a new member forum where you should introduce yourself: http://www.jaycoowners.com/forumdisp...-Members-Forum

Tom
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Old 11-20-2013, 11:44 AM   #15
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Our 2013 X20E is our second hybrid. Our first was an '03 Jayco Kiwi 17a (the "ancestor" to the X17A & Z). We bought it new and traded it for the X20E after 10 years of nearly flawless usage. Never leaked save for a small one after roof seam that dried out after about the first 7 years. That's just normal for any trailer, and it was an easy fix with Eternabond tape. We towed the Kiwi in many storms, and camped on many wet weekends. We had a lot of rain this past summer with the X20E, including towing for 3 hours in pouring rain, and no leaks.

My wife does most of the inside stuff except for the TV, I do the outside setup. The beds are REALLY easy. Our old hybrid had support bars like popups used to have. And you had to snap the canvas down around the wall. A bit of a pain. The new hybrids you just drop the bed down, put in the shepherds pole and you are done. I will warn you that the X20E's rear bed is a bit hard only because there is not a lot of room to maneuver the mattress to get the shepherds pole in. Once you get a "system" though its not bad.

I'm an average height guy and I have always carried some sort of step stool. It comes in handy for more than just closing the beds. More important you will need one anyway with the X20E to be able to clean the top of the slide before closing it.

We have never felt the need to use the pop-up "gizmos". They seem like a hassle and I like things simple. We have camped in 100 degree heat in the desert, and mid 20s in Montana. Never felt too hot, never felt too cold. Yes, the A/C or heat will run more, but it all keeps up just fine.

I will also say this. Hybrid trailers are not everyone's cup of tea. If you have never had a pop-up or tent, you may not like hearing the neighbors or outside noises at night or any other time.

Your Tundra will have no trouble towing an X20E with everything you want to put in it.

Have fun!
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Old 11-20-2013, 12:11 PM   #16
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You all rock! Thanks for the information and I am a step stool toting camper. Having the motorhome I have a tall step stool so I can snap on the outside window cover. I did tent camp back in the day but mostly out in the boonies so didn't have to worry much about noise, my consideration will be the noise MY dogs might make more than noise coming in! LOL

Sherry
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