1st Time Seneca

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by MD3

I'm disappointed with the towing on the Seneca. I hate being a rolling roadblock in the hills. I've had the transmission retune done and still not impressed. I'd be happy with 45-50 mph on the hills but 35-40 sucks, no way to sugar coat it.


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oh I did not know you were from my old home town.... I grew up in 92804

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by tomden2

OK, so today my wife and I looked at the unit for the first time. There is obvious caulking problems on the roof, plus other items. Will meet again tomorrow with a mobile RV tech to really check it out. My question is on the microwave oven. It is listed in the spec sheets as a convection unit. I saw nothing on the control panel to indicate this. Is this normal? Also, on the bottom of the unit there is normally on both undersides, a woven silver filter installed. On this unit, there were only 2 openings. We were told that there never was anything there. Is this normal?

Thanks

Tom

If you look at some of the experiences we have been thru... a 2015 will NEED attention to the roof, especially in the seam between the fiberglass cap in the front / back to the main roof. This area has a lot of flex and the original caulk was pretty much cracked and weather-beaten..... right before a torrential storm that rained so hard we had an awning arm fail over the weight of the water.

Here is a pic of our Convection / Microwave... I took more if you want to PM me to get the others. Our Convection oven is new to us as it was a change from the old propane oven... but we have learned to use it... have made some pretty awesome "Stouffers Family Size Lasagna" and home made corn-bread in it. It does work as advertised!!! as long as you run the Generator / are plugged in.

[Dustdevil]

The GVWR is the total allowable weight of the motorhome itself, fully loaded, full load of fuel and water, people, clothing, food, dog, cat, whatever, without any toad. You can't exceed that before hitching any toad or trailer. GCVW is the combined allowable weight of the entire vehicle WITH the toad or trailer attached. The difference between the GVWR and GCWR is your allowable toad/trailer weight, assuming you haven't exceeded the hitch rating (yours is 10k lbs it sounds) and haven't exceeded the tongue weight (usually about 15% of total toad weight is recommended, but variable depending on how you load a trailer) The yellow sticker on your vehicle, like the one posted above, will have its own values for your particular unit. That is the definitive document for the particular unit you have in mind. You can learn a lot by weighing the vehicle, and I recommend that you do to get loaded weight on all four corners, as well as the toad.

For example: I happen to know that my unit is 19980 loaded with a 22,000 GVWR, and a total actual GCW of 24180 of 26000 allowable GCWRating with the Jeep hooked up and flat towed. Although I have a Class 4 hitch on it, I can only tow 4000 lbs if my motorhome was the full 22,000 lbs loaded (26,000 - 22,000 = 4,000). But since it's only 19,980 loaded, I can tow the difference between 19980 and 26,000 because my hitch rating will exceed the actual 4200 lb weight of the Jeep by a significant amount, and I am still well below the GCWR. Since there is almost zero tongue weight with flat towing, that isn't a concern.

Before buying, you can get a decent picture of what your limits are using the yellow sticker and the tare weight of the vehicle, to determine how much load the unit itself is designed for, and the difference between GCWR and GVWR.

[johnd]

AS a former owner of a 2015 Seneca 37TS and many prior diesel pushers as well as a 2016 Winnebago Aspect 30J I had to make that decision as I wanted a Super C again.
I considered the new smaller Ford based and Ram based Super C's as well as the Seneca.
On my 2015 Seneca 37TS (that I liked a lot) I had several issues. I could only put 42 gallons in my 70 plus gallon saddle tanks, I did not like the lack of curtains in the cab area. Quality of build and materials were an issue. Rattles squeaks etc were louder than I thought they should be. The 2015 did not have air brakes, the arm rests fell off the on captains chairs, rear TV was set at an angle that could not be viewed from the bed and the paper wood grain trim failed (came loose in many locations). I still liked the super C if not totally happy with the Jayco quality or factory support.
Long story short I bought a 2018 Renegade Valencia 38RW. I bought it for $176K with a lot of options. Washer dryer, AC-DC Fridge, full vinyl floor to bedroom, power water hose, in motion SAT and several more extras, $239K list. A similar Equipped Seneca would list at $250K. I have now driven 2300 miles and spent maybe 6 nights in the coach.
The truth is at every level and every detail Seneca does not compare.
This coach has the new freightliner RV chassis and it is a big upgrade.
One trip inside The Renegade will be enough for most to make a choice. There is a big difference in quality of materials and build. Before you decide see both as the price will be about the same if you do a good job shopping. I expect the Renegade prices to climb as others see the differences as they a big.

[johnd]

My new 2018 Renegade Valencia 38RW

I guess I need to learn again how to attach pics???

[GuitarDisciple]

Originally Posted by johnd

AS a former owner of a 2015 Seneca 37TS and many prior diesel pushers as well as a 2016 Winnebago Aspect 30J I had to make that decision as I wanted a Super C again.
I considered the new smaller Ford based and Ram based Super C's as well as the Seneca.
On my 2015 Seneca 37TS (that I liked a lot) I had several issues. I could only put 42 gallons in my 70 plus gallon saddle tanks, I did not like the lack of curtains in the cab area. Quality of build and materials were an issue. Rattles squeaks etc were louder than I thought they should be. The 2015 did not have air brakes, the arm rests fell off the on captains chairs, rear TV was set at an angle that could not be viewed from the bed and the paper wood grain trim failed (came loose in many locations). I still liked the super C if not totally happy with the Jayco quality or factory support.
Long story short I bought a 2018 Renegade Valencia 38RW. I bought it for $176K with a lot of options. Washer dryer, AC-DC Fridge, full vinyl floor to bedroom, power water hose, in motion SAT and several more extras, $239K list. A similar Equipped Seneca would list at $250K. I have now driven 2300 miles and spent maybe 6 nights in the coach.
The truth is at every level and every detail Seneca does not compare.
This coach has the new freightliner RV chassis and it is a big upgrade.
One trip inside The Renegade will be enough for most to make a choice. There is a big difference in quality of materials and build. Before you decide see both as the price will be about the same if you do a good job shopping. I expect the Renegade prices to climb as others see the differences as they a big.

Hello,

I am new to this forum.Infact this is my first post. I am in a similar position, John. Except, I made one mistake and don’t want to make another. Last Fall we purchased a 2018 Winnebago 24J and have since decided that we want something much bigger. We looked at the 2019 Dynamax Isata 5 (Dodge) but decided we will go with a Freightliner based unit. Like the Dynamax Force, but very unhappy with the dealership local to us that carries it. Unfortunately, the same dealership is the only one that carries Renegade. So we have been looking at the 2018 Seneca with its upgrades, which we really like, but your post has given me pause.

Can you elaborate on the challenges you had with your Seneca? For example, how long did you own it and why did you get rid of it? Did you have a need for a lot of repairs? Thank you in advance.

[johnd]

Originally Posted by GuitarDisciple

Hello,

I am new to this forum.Infact this is my first post. I am in a similar position, John. Except, I made one mistake and don’t want to make another. Last Fall we purchased a 2018 Winnebago 24J and have since decided that we want something much bigger. We looked at the 2019 Dynamax Isata 5 (Dodge) but decided we will go with a Freightliner based unit. Like the Dynamax Force, but very unhappy with the dealership local to us that carries it. Unfortunately, the same dealership is the only one that carries Renegade. So we have been looking at the 2018 Seneca with its upgrades, which we really like, but your post has given me pause.

Can you elaborate on the challenges you had with your Seneca? For example, how long did you own it and why did you get rid of it? Did you have a need for a lot of repairs? Thank you in advance.

The new RV chassis will fix many of my issues. Quality and floor plan, along with fit and finish are something you need to check out for yourself. You can talk to the Renegade factory and if needed you can get service in Bristol In. That was important to me a dealers are the last place I want to take a RV. J have talked to the same guy three times with zero wait time on line. He is the Valencia tech. Nice guy very helpful. The Renegade is (I think) a much smarter coach.
PS it has a very nice curtain in a slide track to close off cab. Seneca failed here, maybe they fixed this. You do need to take a hard look at both. 15000 miles about two seasons.
Thanks
johnd

[memphis02]

We have a '14 Seneca and have begun discussing our next coach (Thinking about 3-5 years out) but based on stories we've heard about the late 15 and models and newer, has steered us toward renegade, too.

If we based our decision off our 14 Seneca, however, we would buy another without a moment of pause. Ours has been exceptionally reliable and any issue we have had has been minor and could be easily attributed to wear and tear rather than shoddy workmanship.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by johnd

AS a former owner of a 2015 Seneca 37TS and many prior diesel pushers as well as a 2016 Winnebago Aspect 30J I had to make that decision as I wanted a Super C again.
I considered the new smaller Ford based and Ram based Super C's as well as the Seneca.
On my 2015 Seneca 37TS (that I liked a lot) I had several issues. I could only put 42 gallons in my 70 plus gallon saddle tanks, I did not like the lack of curtains in the cab area. Quality of build and materials were an issue. Rattles squeaks etc were louder than I thought they should be. The 2015 did not have air brakes, the arm rests fell off the on captains chairs, rear TV was set at an angle that could not be viewed from the bed and the paper wood grain trim failed (came loose in many locations). I still liked the super C if not totally happy with the Jayco quality or factory support.
Long story short I bought a 2018 Renegade Valencia 38RW. I bought it for $176K with a lot of options. Washer dryer, AC-DC Fridge, full vinyl floor to bedroom, power water hose, in motion SAT and several more extras, $239K list. A similar Equipped Seneca would list at $250K. I have now driven 2300 miles and spent maybe 6 nights in the coach.
The truth is at every level and every detail Seneca does not compare.
This coach has the new freightliner RV chassis and it is a big upgrade.
One trip inside The Renegade will be enough for most to make a choice. There is a big difference in quality of materials and build. Before you decide see both as the price will be about the same if you do a good job shopping. I expect the Renegade prices to climb as others see the differences as they a big.

Each has it's own ... I looked very hard at a lot of brand new Renegade models.. even the Ikon gave us a lot of interest. We walked through both Valencia models as they were about two miles south at another dealership from where the Seneca was... It came down to one simple and basic issue... We hate the Renegade floor plan! We walked in and right back out with a resounding NO.

Now fast forward two years, and Jayco has eliminated the FK floorplan too.

Guess we are going to keep our FK for a long time now

[GuitarDisciple]

Thank you everyone for the input so far.

Just curious, have you looked at the Dynamax line, specifically, the Force? Any thoughts in contrast to Renegade? What about the Nexus Wraith?

Thanks again!

[johnd]

Originally Posted by GuitarDisciple

Thank you everyone for the input so far.

Just curious, have you looked at the Dynamax line, specifically, the Force? Any thoughts in contrast to Renegade? What about the Nexus Wraith?

Thanks again!

I found Force to be higher priced, did not have a floor plan I liked. I would take Seneca over Force and I just bought Valencia at the Seneca price. Seneca has a lot of floor plans Valencia has two. I have now driven 2500 miles. Today i checked mileage for just under 500 miles at 70 mph plus and some city driving. It came out to 9.4 mpg, I can live with that. No dingy but 150 gallons of water. 7 days in coach and have used about 25 gallons fresh, 75 gallon black under 20 percent. 75 gallon fresh also under 20 percent. think 150 gallons could last maybe 3 weeks. The Valencia is kind of simple. You do not need the key on to do anything. Put jacks down or up, extend slides, bring slides in. Just go to switch and do what you want. I like that.

[Lunatic]

Originally Posted by SloPoke

Each has it's own ... I looked very hard at a lot of brand new Renegade models.. even the Ikon gave us a lot of interest. We walked through both Valencia models as they were about two miles south at another dealership from where the Seneca was... It came down to one simple and basic issue... We hate the Renegade floor plan! We walked in and right back out with a resounding NO.

Now fast forward two years, and Jayco has eliminated the FK floorplan too.

Guess we are going to keep our FK for a long time now

Love the FK floorplan so far. Looked at all the other models and this was the one we liked the most by far. Was a great deal on the used low mileage 2014 we found. I also noticed the build quality was less than spectacular on the new models. Glad I found this one for sure.

[Crossingover]

What, no one has shopped the Haulmark Super C lol? The granddaddy of Super C opulence.

https://elliottscustomtrailers.com/2...2/Details.aspx

[MD3]

Originally Posted by johnd

The Valencia is kind of simple. You do not need the key on to do anything. Put jacks down or up, extend slides, bring slides in. Just go to switch and do what you want. I like that.

My Seneca is the same way.... no key needed for jacks, slides, cab windows, dash radio. Makes it simple and easy, I like it.


_

[RVermont]

Originally Posted by Crossingover

What, no one has shopped the Haulmark Super C lol? The granddaddy of Super C opulence.

https://elliottscustomtrailers.com/2...2/Details.aspx

Probably will pick one up so I can tow my seneca and a boat behind it as well. 40000 lbs towing should be more then enough.

[Crossingover]

Originally Posted by RVermont

Probably will pick one up so I can tow my seneca and a boat behind it as well. 40000 lbs towing should be more then enough.

That's what 2,050 lb-ft of TQ gets you in this class.

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by Crossingover

What, no one has shopped the Haulmark Super C lol? The granddaddy of Super C opulence.

https://elliottscustomtrailers.com/2...2/Details.aspx

We can say that we have walked through it and all around it. I especially like the AquaHot system and how they put it in. It truly makes the entire heating system run on diesel (or the chassis engine cooling system for reclaiming heat) Radiant heat in the floors and in the tank bays make it freeze-proof too.

But.. it still does not have the floor-plan that "We Wanted". Since we were upgrading from a standard C, we knew how we like to travel and had listed specific features that we had on our "no compromises list"
** Entry door in the center of the coach
** Bedroom slide on the passenger side only
** Any Drivers side slide that had to remain in - would allow liveability for 1-2 nights.
** Large fridge w/ Ice maker that is combo gas/electric
** Large bathroom with all the amenities in one place, we refuse having the bath split by the hallway.

[bmeaney]

We have a 2015 Seneca and tow a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4W Drive. We towed the Jeep in the Colorado mountains extensively last summer with no problems. Do you slow down on the long uphill grades? Yes, but not nearly as much as I anticipated.

Bill Meaney
Shreveport, LA

2015 Seneca

[SloPoke]

Originally Posted by bmeaney

We have a 2015 Seneca and tow a 2015 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4W Drive. We towed the Jeep in the Colorado mountains extensively last summer with no problems. Do you slow down on the long uphill grades? Yes, but not nearly as much as I anticipated.

Bill Meaney
Shreveport, LA

2015 Seneca

That looks like your first post on JOF(Jayco Owners Forum) and welcome from another '15 owner. We love the Utah and Colorado mountains, and the trails that are always waiting for exploring. We love the freedom we have to explore, and have a warm home waiting for us at the trailhead.

[rgolding]

We purchased our 2015/16 Seneca 37FS from Motor Homes to Go (MH2GO) in Grand Rapids, Michigan, October, 2015. Best price in the Country. Ask for Evan shepherd to see all the models. No regrets. Great company, great service!
.
Until March of 2018, we towed a 2016 Chevy Traverse. Still have it and still set up for towing. This March we purchased a 2018 Chevy Silverado 1500, for more carrying capacity and more room. With a camper shell, I can carry probably 1200 to 1500 pounds of Inch and a half of ride on model trains and support equipment, in the pickup and still have room to carry 5 people in the cab, when running around at our destinations. The reason for the change in vehicle being towed was to keep the dirt of the trains out of the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
.
Over 50K on the Seneca and now 5k towing the 4 wheel drive pickup, no regrets.
.
In the words of that great philosopher, Jimmy Buffett - "I'm growing older, but not up.
My metabolicall state has pleasantly stopped. Let the winds of time blow over my head, I'd drather die while I'm living, than live while I'm dead."