First Impressions 2015 29MV

[Scratch47]

We picked up our new Greyhawk last Thursday and following an evening in the dealer's RV park, brought it home and parked it on the pad.

Using a scale of 1 (poor) to 10 (almost perfect), the following are my first impressions after spending a few days with the coach. Although this is our first class c rig, we've owned two class A motorhomes, two travel trailers, a fifth wheel and a pop up over the years since we started camping 35 years ago. We purchased the Greyhawk after deciding that our class A motorhome was bigger than what we actually need. We're also seeking a more comfortable, nimble ride...

Warranty: 10

We've never owned a rig with a standard two-year warranty. This was one of the main reasons we selected Jayco.

Design/Engineering: 5

The 29MV layout closely mirrors our recent class A which fits us to a 'T'. Lots of bedroom storage cabinets & drawers. The master bed lifts up to expose the left rear basement storage cubicle. Not sure why they didn't put flooring under the bed. Kinda strange.

Pull-out kitchen island: Awesome The additional counter top space is a very nice bonus. Cabinets and counter tops are attractive; no loose or mis-aligned drawers/doors. We miss the pull out pantry shelves.

The only electrical outlet in the living area (not counting kitchen) is located on a wall where it is of very limited use. This rig has the fewest outlets of any rig we've owned.

No cup holders or shelf space near the couch. Guess you put your drink/snacks on the floor or use a folding table? You can always move to the dinette, of course, but this should be a no-brainer for a design team. Again, our only rig without this comfort feature.

A small shelf/nightstand is located on each side of the master bed. That's nice...

Storage is what you'd expect on a class C. We're downsizing and therefore adjusting.

Both TVs are oddly placed. The one in the coach, located in the overcab loft, can be horizontally (but not vertically) moved into position with a button. The TV in the MB can be viewed sitting up in bed, but can't be adjusted to a position where it can be viewed laying down. The picture is very shadowy. I'll find an adjustable bracket to correct this issue myself. Nice storage area behind the BR TV.

The tankless HW system is a nice idea, but it is not well designed/engineered. The technician stated this system is the number one customer complaint.

Interior & exterior LED lighting: Great!!!

Audio/Video: Runs off the truck radio system. Haven't figured out how to balance the speakers yet. The Nav/GPS/Bluetooth system is a very nice addition.

Driveability: 10

The Ford Triton V10 has lots of spunk/torque and the rig handles similar to a large SUV. Outstanding suspension. Best driving rig we've ever owned.

Jayco Craftsmanship: 5

I expected better: Almost all exterior storage bay latches need adjusting. Very few lights in the exterior storage areas. Just one marine battery carries the load for the coach! A battery operated keycode entry module on the entry door doesn't work. No instructions come with it. The PDI technician says he has yet to see one that works. Really?

In summary: The minor issues will eventually be resolved. We've owned enough rigs to know they all have issues and it is a matter of patience; regardless of the brand. We're glad we made the switch. It is a pleasure to drive, park and set up. I'll update after our Maiden voyage later this month...

[GrayHawk51]

Damn Scratch, you sound like me ! Exact same evaluation and fixes on my 29MV.... LOL.

Rick

[Bikester]

Great write up. No one knows how to use the keypad door lock? I was really hoping to use that feature. Agree on storage doors, lights, etc. Thanks for sharing.

[Scratch47]

Have either of you fellas figured out how to adjust the speakers? They're blasting outside the coach when the radio is on inside and I can't find a way to adjust separation/balance.

When asked, the technician said "I'm not a radio mechanic"

Looking forward to taking the rig on the road next week. I need to get a rear rock guard as we'll be pulling our trike on an open air Kendon trailer. I envision kicking up a rock into the radiator. NOOOOO!

[busguy]

On our 31 DS the outside/inside speaker switch is down beside the battery shut off and electric awning switches just to the left side as you come in the entrance door.

[GrayHawk51]

Hey Scratch, on my 29mv the speaker switch is to your left wall near the steps as you come in. As for the electronic lock, it runs on 4 AA batteries. I downloaded the manual at Bauer Products - Bauer EM Manual or I can scan and send it to you. It unscrews from the back of the lock to install the batteries.

Hey, do you have a "blue light" in the MB TV when it's off? That thing bugs the heck out of me, I had to put tape on it so I could sleep!

[Scratch47]

Thanks fellas. Found that pesky speaker switch right there in plain sight!!!!

I loaded batteries in the key code thingie, but to no avail. Can't get it to do anything!

Yep on that blue light. Seems backwards eh?

Rock guard will be installed on Friday so hopefully no rocks in the radiator when we pull out on Monday...

[Shakedown St.]

Though my Greyhawk is an FS, I can agree on roughly the same positives/negatives. A few things that bother me....
1) I wish they came standard with slide toppers. Level is very important bringing the slides in after a rain. I have soaked up puddles from both slides.
2) Would like to hear from others, but Jayco did a horrendous job of trimming out my interior. All the nail holes are visible on the wood paneling/trim due to an unmatched color putty they used. FIND ANOTHER WAY! I notice them, though some may not as easily.
3) The Clarion nav unit they put in mine is among the biggest piece of garbage I have ever attempted to use. I understand they probably got a good bulk deal on them, but they are junk. Google the model # and see what comes up lol!

All things considered, I found it amazing what you do get for the amount of money spent. An apples to oranges comparison of course, but take my new Ford 6.7 for example. Considering I got a steal on my GH due to a factory ordered color mistake, I only paid 9K more for my GH than my truck! The GH is a home on wheels, with far more systems/options than the truck. How the manufacturers can even turn a profit on these rigs is interesting. I could see if they were getting close to list, but then at that price would you be getting a quality product?

Bottom line is....IMO you do get what you pay for. For what you get, I think Jayco and the other builders do a pretty good job.

We are happy with our GH, and have loved every moment spent in it! Sorry for the long post.....

Ryan

[The Logans]

Agree... what you get for the money from Jayco is great, and we loved the layout, and the performance of the Ford V10. The 2 year warranty is the best, and the way the folks at the factory service center in Middlebury treated us is beyond great.

However, the quality control checks from the factory are non-existent. It was beyond belief that a unit left the factory in the condition that it was in. Oh well, after 2 trips to the factory, almost everything is done.

Thus the two year warranty... lol

[hoppers4]

Have to agree with all the posted complaints. Our first trip out find the same problems. Our first trip (this is our third MH, the first one being a small Jayco, second was a 30' Winnebago Class A) determined that the tankless water heater was unusable. We replaced it the next week with a standard DSI propane/electric water heater. Also noted the complete lack of outlets. We taped up the bedroom TV off light after the first night. Agree with the comments about driveability. Indeed it drives like a large SUV and doesn't bang along like our class A did (drove like a bread truck). This is one the wife will be able to drive also. Keypad door entry on ours works great and I really like being able to go to the MH and get in without keys. We got lucky I guess. Having only a single small battery is inadequate except for the shortest layovers. Fit and finish wasn't horrible but there was a lot of extra caulk smeared here and there that I had to clean up. As for the pantry and slide out shelves, that was one the first things the wife went out and found. Found a few gaps in some of the caulking that needed to be touched up. Nothing horrible, but if you aren't aware of the problems that can come with an RV, you could end up with some severe leak problems down the road. Replaced the bath fan (noisy, non-adjustable, and inadequate) with a Maxxair adjustable fan. Overall, I'm very pleased with the rig. I've almost got it to the place where we like it. Just have to finish washing and waxing and it'll be good for the year. Next project will probable be a porcelain toilet.
One thing that always concerned me with these long Class Cs was the CCC. Stopped by a weigh station to see how much weight allowance I had left after a complete load out. With the wife and I in the rig and loaded with about 15 gallons of water, I still had about 900 pounds to go to reach max. Front left was almost maxed out so I'd have to be a bit careful there. Right rear still had 350 pounds to go to reach max. Put the kids and grandkids in the rig and I'll probably be a bit overweight here and there, but nothing to lose any sleep over.

[Scratch47]

Originally Posted by hoppers4

Have to agree with all the posted complaints. Our first trip out find the same problems. Our first trip (this is our third MH, the first one being a small Jayco, second was a 30' Winnebago Class A) determined that the tankless water heater was unusable. We replaced it the next week with a standard DSI propane/electric water heater. Also noted the complete lack of outlets. We taped up the bedroom TV off light after the first night. Agree with the comments about driveability. Indeed it drives like a large SUV and doesn't bang along like our class A did (drove like a bread truck). This is one the wife will be able to drive also. Keypad door entry on ours works great and I really like being able to go to the MH and get in without keys. We got lucky I guess. Having only a single small battery is inadequate except for the shortest layovers. Fit and finish wasn't horrible but there was a lot of extra caulk smeared here and there that I had to clean up. As for the pantry and slide out shelves, that was one the first things the wife went out and found. Found a few gaps in some of the caulking that needed to be touched up. Nothing horrible, but if you aren't aware of the problems that can come with an RV, you could end up with some severe leak problems down the road. Replaced the bath fan (noisy, non-adjustable, and inadequate) with a Maxxair adjustable fan. Overall, I'm very pleased with the rig. I've almost got it to the place where we like it. Just have to finish washing and waxing and it'll be good for the year. Next project will probable be a porcelain toilet.
One thing that always concerned me with these long Class Cs was the CCC. Stopped by a weigh station to see how much weight allowance I had left after a complete load out. With the wife and I in the rig and loaded with about 15 gallons of water, I still had about 900 pounds to go to reach max. Front left was almost maxed out so I'd have to be a bit careful there. Right rear still had 350 pounds to go to reach max. Put the kids and grandkids in the rig and I'll probably be a bit overweight here and there, but nothing to lose any sleep over.

Any trouble replacing/fitting the water heater?

[hoppers4]

I'm not up to that big of a job so I farmed it out. The best replacement was a SW6DE 6 gal Suburban gas/electric as it fit the best. I personally prefer the Atwood water heaters as they don't require an anode rod, but this was best choice for the fit. Took them 4 hours as I also wanted an internal gas/electric switch hanging on the wall so I'm glad I didn't do it. I used the power source feeding the inverter as that's something I don't plan on using much. The inverter was on a dedicated circuit so if I really did need it some day, I could make sure the water heater was off.

[Scratch47]

Thanks for the info. I'm not that great of a handy man, so, I'll also farm out. Did your dealer do the install?

I was able to get the keyless entry working today, although it won't accept my new code. Works fine with the factory-installed code; however.

Spent four hours this afternoon repairing the LR cargo bay door latches which would not open. Wound up crawling under the bed to unscrew the backs of the latches, then filed down the striker plates which were mounted too high. The ole arthritic shoulders are talking to me this evening...

Certainly lots of room for improvement in Jayco's QC function (if they have one).

[hoppers4]

I didn't use my dealer because there were some things said during the PDI that made me skeptical about employing them. I did, however, include them in the request for a bid of the changeout. I never heard from them so it made my choice very easy. There's a repair shop about 40 miles away that I've used in the past that did excellent work (not cheap) so I hired them instead. The end result was $1200 which I thought was way outta line. I priced the water heater on-line at $322 and they charged me $609. Had it to do over, I'd bring the water heater to them and to heck with any warranty. Their biggest problem was that they overcharged me for other parts too. So it goes. At least I can take a shower now without going from freezing to scalding. And I can use the parks energy (electric) instead of my own energy if I'm hooked up. And I believe it to be more reliable because if the electric fails I can use propane and vice versa.
Instructions for changing the door code were behind the battery cover plate on mine. Don't remember them off the top of my head but I'll go look for you if you don't have those instructions.
All in all, I feel like I got a lot bang for the buck on this Jayco so I'm not really sore about the water heater not working right. They do have some quality control issues but nothing that's a show stopper.

[Mnxtrik8r]

It is interesting the things stated above.My wife and I have put a deposit on a 2015 29mv and during our initial walk around I noticed the excess caulk film around every compartment door. Can I asked what you used to remove it? I was thinking of a wax and grease remover just prior to rewaxing it. We will hopefully sign the final paperwork Friday. All in all we felt it was a nice unit for the money and we look forward to many years of use. This is a great forum and it's good to see the exchange of ideas and information.

[Scratch47]

Originally Posted by Mnxtrik8r

It is interesting the things stated above.My wife and I have put a deposit on a 2015 29mv and during our initial walk around I noticed the excess caulk film around every compartment door. Can I asked what you used to remove it? I was thinking of a wax and grease remover just prior to rewaxing it. We will hopefully sign the final paperwork Friday. All in all we felt it was a nice unit for the money and we look forward to many years of use. This is a great forum and it's good to see the exchange of ideas and information.

Nice to have another 29MV owner aboard.

Forums like this one remind us we're not in it by ourselves. When all is said and done; the minor irritations are just part of the learning process. RVing is a unique bond and we're blessed to be able to comfortably travel the country and take in sights in a way that many others dream of.

Have fun and keep us posted on your experiences.

[hoppers4]

Well said Scratch! We have it soooo good here in this country!

Mineral spirits will remove excess caulk quite nicely.

[GrayHawk51]

Ditto...from what Scratch said

Rick

[Bikester]

I'm excited to try out our tankless water heater next week. I've seen good and bad things on it, but I can't imagine yanking it out and putting in a 6gal. I'm told that the one on my unit is a "second generation" and it's supposed to be much better than gen1. We will see.

[The Logans]

The generation 6 tank-less water is supposed to be great! Of course, we're only on generation 2...

Of the three folks we know that have them, two have replaced them with standard tank models, and the third one will do so as soon as they can afford it. There is a great deal of discussion about it at the campgrounds... the majorly of the folks seem to dislike them intensely.

The reasons seem to be:

* They have a high failure rate.
* They go from freezing folks to scalding them.
* They are very effected by changes in the pressure and temperature of the water coming into the system.
* Most folk who pay for electric at campgrounds like to keep the water heaters on electric, rather than use their own propane.
* A lot of water is wasted trying to get the thing to get to and maintain a comfortable temperature.

One of our friends was scalded when the water temperature went up by itself.

All in all, it just doesn't appear that the technology is there yet for the RV tank-less water heaters.

Just my opinion.