2015 x18d - All three beds leaked at dealer

5swigerts · 04-03-2015, 06:12 PM

I hope that this thread will have a happy ending. I apologize for venting here, but I need to type this out somewhere:

Just got our Jayco x18d home. During our walk-through, dealer had rear bed open, as there was mold/mildew/water stains on it. Detailing tried to clean, but to no avail. So they wanted us to know that a replacement will be ordered. Fine, I can deal with that.

The other two beds were not opened.. and maybe I should have known better to ask them to be opened (despite it being cold outside).

Brought the trailer home, and found mildew and water stains on all three canvasses and mattresses.

(Also found the stereo screws MISSED the wood on right side, and furnace isn't quite flush). We tried to remember to inspect things, but being our first trailer, we paid a lot of attention to "where stuff was" and "how you operate it."

I typically don't buy new. This purchase was a BIG splurge for us. I'm hoping that buying "new with warranty" will now prove itself & these issues will be fixed.

But... with the dealership closed for the day & no one to ask, I'm wondering now if these were closed improperly over the winter, or if they are more problematic than my Internet searches led me to believe.

This was to be a VERY long-term trailer for us. I hope that still proves to be the case. Updates to follow...

JayC · 04-03-2015, 06:27 PM

All three canvases on our 2015 X18D also leaked on our very first night using it. We had a huge thunderstorm and all night rain. The water was dripping like crazy from each of the top seams on each bed. The mattresses got soaked and ended up stained when we got them dried out.
I had taken pics with my phone and sent them to the dealer. Because it was new canvas they told me to water treat the canvas and then wax the seams. This involved wetting each canvas then letting them dry on the warm sun. Do this three times. Then take some paraffin wax and run it along all the seams. The canvas will shrink and tighten up on the threads in the seams. The canvas has not leaked since we did that.
Jayco also replaced the mattresses under the warranty for us.

Hattie · 04-03-2015, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JayC

Because it was new canvas they told me to water treat the canvas and then wax the seams. This involved wetting each canvas then letting them dry on the warm sun. Do this three times. Then take some paraffin wax and run it along all the seams. The canvas will shrink and tighten up on the threads in the seams. The canvas has not leaked since we did that.

OMG and ouch - I can't believe the new owner has to do all this ... seems to me this sort of stuff should be done as part of the manufacturing process, and ultimately cheaper for Jayco as they wouldn't have to replace mattresses or canvas and address mildew and mold that could result in health issues! Never did we have to do this sort of stuff to our Coleman.

JayC · 04-04-2015, 06:57 AM

I agree Hattie, the manufacturer should be doing this. I actually found where it recommends doing the "water treating" of new canvas, if it leaks, in my owners manual. I questioned my dealer why it isn't done before delivery, they said the leaks like this do not happen very often but sometimes it happens and this procedure usually takes care of it.
It wasn't a lot of work. I set it up in my driveway, soaked the canvas with water using the garden hose, let it dry for about 2 hrs, then repeated it two more times. I can vouch 100% that it has not leaked again. We even got lucky enough to get caught camping in another huge downpour and thunderstorm, not a drop of water came in.
I felt my dealer was super nice. They did say they would replace the canvas if it continued to leak.

Jagiven · 04-04-2015, 07:50 AM

Screws get missed, you probably will find a few inside cabinets over the years.

As for the mold you should not have any! In the owners manual it will tell you to lightly spray the canvas a few time with water to swell the sticking. Mold it from it being closed up wet or a leak from the seals and not being able to dry out. If I was a betting man the dealer had it on the lot opened up, they closed it up wet and it was never opened back up to dry out. So it sat wet all winter wet/moist, allowing the mold to grow. Insist that they replace all the canvas.

If you are out camping and have to come it up wet, make sure to open it up within a few day to fully dry.

As for leaks, when closed up, I have had 1.5 incidences. You must ensure you tuck the skirting in and it is not between the seal and hatch. That has happened to me twice. First time, I saw the fabric sticking out the top of the hatch from our bedroom window. I could not see it from the ground. Second time was caused by the dealer. They did some warranty work and did not close it up correctly, and I drove through a nasty rain storm, when we got home there was about a half gallon of water trapped in the canvas, none of the water went any where else. I had a chat with the dealership service manager.

Good luck, hopefully this will not put a damper on your first tt experience.

gvn71 · 04-04-2015, 07:55 AM

Wow! I'm surprised and am sorry that you are dealing with these problems. We have a 2014 x18d and have never seen a drop of water in our bunks (except for condensation). We didn't really do the canvas break-in treatment thing either, and have camped in some real downpours. I wonder if there was some change at the factory in manufacturing the 2015's? Did they switch fabric manufacturers or something that might cause you to be having these problems. I would definitely take it back to the dealer and demand they fix/replace any stained bunk ends.

I am surprised also that the dealer let you take it home without first opening all the bunk ends. We picked up our 2014 last year around this time of year (first week of April) and it was equally cold. Not only were all the bunk ends open, we had to sign a JAYCO form that we had personally inspected the tent ends for any signs of leakage or defect. They even told us to wet them down with a hose in the next few weeks and if there were any leaks to bring the trailer back.

We only had some minor finish issues inside that had to be dealt with but we waited until the end of the season and the dealer fixed them promptly.

Hope everything works out for you. I'd hold the dealers feet to the fire to get everything fixed. We love our x18d!

5swigerts · 04-04-2015, 07:57 AM

Received an email from the dealership this morning, 30 minutes before they opened. All three canvas ends and mattresses have been ordered, no questions asked.

My guess is it was put away wet at the dealership last fall and the moisture settled into the folds of the mattresses (where the only stains are). But the mildew is all over the inside... so in my eyes it has to go. Tour guide wouldn't tell me how long the camper had been sitting there.

We were told this dealership exceeds at making things right. Here's hoping it'll be right before our maiden voyage on Mothers Day weekend.

(And Hi Hartford, CT! From Hartford, Wisconsin)

5swigerts · 04-14-2015, 05:56 PM

One week after ordering, our canvas ends are in.

5swigerts · 04-22-2015, 08:35 PM

Updating... Drove trailer to our dealership with about 4 hours warning. (I live 58 miles from dealership). White-knuckled through rush hour Milwaukee traffic to get there.

Even though I arrived after service center was closed, desk helped me get paperwork linked up with my keys & got the ball rolling.

Found out that repairs began on the trailer the very next morning!

While I'm still unsure our trailer was ever detailed, I DO have to give a shoutout to Burlington RV for being extremely accommodating in the service area. I actually feel they are embarrassed by the situation. If I come out of this with a trailer that looks like new, I will remain a happy customer.

Murff · 04-22-2015, 09:14 PM

Sounds like a five star dealer!

Good luck and let us know how it ends!

Murff

Jagiven · 04-22-2015, 09:27 PM

Good news. Sounds like they are trying to make things right.

tbwill · 04-22-2015, 10:02 PM

Here's another vote for "seasoning" the tent ends as soon as you have the trailer and it's a nice warm/hot day. I did this three times as recommended and the ends have remained dry through some serious rainstorms. I also agree with the other poster who cautioned about making sure the tent end fabric is not pinched between the the seal and door.

dhinkle57 · 04-23-2015, 06:27 AM

Being a long time tent camper you learn that periodic maintenance includes sealing the seams. Fabric and thread dries out and shrinks causing the needle holes to leak. Once a year or every other year is all it takes to prevent these leaks. Now, if I can only figure out the caulking

5swigerts · 04-23-2015, 08:08 AM

I will definitely season the ends. Unfortunately this was a case of mother nature "seasoning" them over the winter before the trailer was sold.

My guess is the dealer pinched some canvas when closing. Some ends were worse than others, but all three had mildew stains & significant water stains in the mattress folds.

(A gas card or surge protector would be adequate compensation, don't you think)

5swigerts · 04-30-2015, 06:35 PM

Long story short: Picked up trailer as new on April 3. All three ends had mold & water damage. Since trailer has 4/14 date on it, I'm guessing it was packed up poorly at the dealership at some point last year.

Two weeks after deliver, three new mattresses & three canvas ends arrived. Dealer installed them within a week.

I think we're FINALLY ready for a shakeout trip!

amac0714 · 07-31-2015, 01:14 PM

We bought a Jayfeather X18D year, 2014, brand new from the dealer. Used it 4 times last year and twice this year. No problems until our last trip. It rained the last night, when we woke up ALL 3 beds were wet in the 6 corners. It was seems to be leaking in through the seam where the front of the bunks on the lower corner by the side windows. I brought it to the dealership, they were very good, check it all and found it was leaking, took pictures, and sent them to Jayco. Jayco finally responded and said that there was nothing they would do, that I could try seam sealer myself. Now like I said this was purchased brand new, I followed all the instructions about "seasoning" the canvas, and have been diligent about cleaning it properly using oxy-clean as was suggested. I could see if it was just one corner maybe, but all 6, this does not sound correct to me. Has anyone else had this problem

DocBrown · 07-31-2015, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5swigerts

Long story short: Picked up trailer as new on April 3. All three ends had mold & water damage. Since trailer has 4/14 date on it, I'm guessing it was packed up poorly at the dealership at some point last year.

Two weeks after deliver, three new mattresses & three canvas ends arrived. Dealer installed them within a week.

I think we're FINALLY ready for a shakeout trip!

Great news and congratulations! I can tell by the photos who your dealer is. We've purchased 3 Jaycos from them between 1993 and 2013. BTW, the parts/service department is always happy to answer questions if you need to call them.

My wife got a kick out of finding our delivery photo on the board during a followup for accessories!

5swigerts · 08-02-2015, 07:24 AM

No secret, I guess. Burlington has been VERY good to us post delivery. After our maiden, our bathroom light went out. They were ready to send a tech more than 70 miles to my house to figure it out before our next trip. No mileage charge, just his time on site. (Thankfully, I got smart & pulled the switch & found one of the wires had popped off the post)

Four trips down, zero issues. Three more scheduled for August! This thing is too much fun!!

DocBrown · 08-05-2015, 10:51 AM

Does your Envoy have the I6 or 5.3 V8? We had a Trailblazer EXT with the I6. Our X20E is similar in size and weight to the X18D. It towed OK, but not great. Since it had 160k on it we decided to sell and buy a bigger truck. Man, what a difference!

5swigerts · 08-06-2015, 06:25 AM

We have the I6. About 140k on it at the moment. Hope to run it into the ground because I really like the vehicle.

I've never pulled anything this large before, so I don't know any different. That said, I am avoiding any long range trips until we have a bigger motor to haul with.

For tripping around Wisconsin, we've been comfortable hauling it around. We'll see how the transmission likes me by next season.

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