Greyhawk Underbed Electrical Mess

[Harvey the RV]

Hey folks,
Like you I was not happy when I lifted the bed. I was there to do some upgrades and was so glad I decided to clean things up. The automatic switch (black box) was a thing I could remove along with my stock charger. The news Aims 2000 watt inverter/charger has one built in but I wasn't sure I wanted to.
. When I pulled to lid to see the what crap they did inside I found a severely charred wire on the AC input terminal. This wire was blackened about 2 inches. I pulled that entire wire from the switch to the AC side of the panel and replaced it.
I was adding 2 Battle Born lithium batteries and the Aims with bigger smart charger in that phase of upgrades and will add a little over 600 watts of solar (and charger controller etc) this month so I just bit down hard on the "clean up their crap bullet" and it sucked to say the least.
In the end though, we didn't catch on fire while we slept! And now I have 200 amp hours of usable power, a rapid charge smart system and Victron management system all coupled to a custom battery bay I build in the rear bay below the bed.
As mentioned by others the grounding done by the factory is a problem just waiting to happen so I replaced all of those with bus bars and solid frame mounts along with up-sizing their wires.
This was a week long project and I have the ADHD thing so everywhere I looked I ended up pulling their crap out, replacing/labeling/properly securing the systems. I'm not a wire head and that probably added time to my follies but fixing it now and becoming very familiar with this thing is a million times easier in the driveway(and cheaper) than doing it on the road.
Good luck to ya. Btw mine is a 2015 29MV and other than build quality we have really enjoyed our time in it... Knock on wood. ��

[Sbrinson]

Last Fall we were readying our 2016 rig for a weekend excursion, when I discovered none of
the lights were working. No markers, no tail lights, no brake lights and no turn signals.
Finally traced the problem back to a junction box (double handy-box) mounted on the
tongue, near one of the afore-mentioned bolted-to-the-frame chassis grounds. The ground
wire led into the box, where I discovered multiple ground wires crammed into a too-small
wirenut. I soldered them together and then applied a properly-sized wirenut as an insulator.
The rest of the wiring in the tongue mounted battery area was a rats-nest, though not as much
as JDPEagle’s situation. I went ahead and revamped it all, regardless of warranty concerns.

Eventually I joked to DW that we had apparently purchased an “RV Kit”. Over a period of
several weeks I discovered a plethora of other problems:

1. The rear sliding window wouldn’t open, I eventually discovered whoever installed
the window had driven one of the self-tapping screws (used to mount the window in
the wall) through the sliding window frame.
2. All of the interior light fixtures were full of sawdust.
3. The mounting brackets for the furnace were still in a ziplock bag zip-tied to the
Furnace...which was sitting in the cabinet with no mounting whatsoever. StarCraft
eventually issued a re-call on this dangerous situation.
4. Also within the furbnace cabinet, the wiring for the furnace, and for the slideout
controller was another rats nest, and the cabinet had about ¼” of sawdust in it.
5, The diamond-plate stone shield mounted to the front of the TT had 7 of the mounting
screws driven in at an angle so the screw shafts completely missed the frame member
to which they should have been mounted.
6, In an earlier post I detailed how the control wiring for the slideout motors had been
routed directly above a wheel, which eventually abraded the wire and caused the
slideout system to fail.
7. The drain hose connected to the water pump was just lying on the floor behind the
kitchen counter. A hole had been punched in the floor, but the hose wasn’t inserted
into it.
8. A rear cargo hatch that was shown on the demonstration model at the RV Show we
attended, was missing on the unit that was delivered. The only explanation from
Starcraft/Jaco Customer Relations was that “we used to intall them, then we didn’t,
but now we do again.”
9. On our first outing with our TT, we discovered that two of the four lugs on the
sewer connector were broken off. The sewer outlet fitting looked as if it had been
previously used on another unit. That required a trip back to the dealer.
10. Rear support brackets for kitchen drawers were mounted so that screws went into
knot holes, allowing the back end of the drawer tracks to come loose and drop.

The industry in general appears to have a serious problem with supervision of assembly
line labor...and a correspondingly bad problem with quality-control. The problems that
seem to be epidemic—judging from the myriad of complaints posted in this and other
forums-- apparently result from a self-regulated industry that simply doesn’t really care
about the build quality of its products. They will promote their product’s availability with
the latest electronic gadgetry, or the lightest framework, or the newest insulation, or the
neatest appliances....without ever making sure that all of this stuff is properly installed.
Sloppy wiring can be hazardous. Excessivly large holes provide entrance for vermin.
Improperly connected plumbing can result in hidden damage to structure.

[ImageryOne]

Yes. I purchased a new 2011 and discovered the "pit" after the electrical system failed on the initial long trip. Upon arriving in Myrtle Beach from Dallas, I found many loose wires had not been secured by tie wraps or tie-downs. Sadly the Jayco tech support had no clue how to find/fix the problem. However, after re-connecting 6 plugs & wires, tie-wrapping, and securing the wire assemblies, I haven't had any other problems. I called Jayco after applying the fix, but they didn't seem very interested. Sounds like they never addressed the problem in future 'builds'.
J Gilbert Richardson, TX

[Bendmac]

For any of you who have dealt with old Brit cars, you'll be familiar with Lucas electronics...aka "The Prince of Darkness"! 🤣

Bad grounds, crappy connectors/connections, corrosion, less than high quality wiring. I treated my 2016 FBS (as well as two prior Jayco models) just like my 1970 MGB GT...I went through the trailer, front to back, checking all the grounds and connections that I could reach, cutting excess wiring out and attaching new connectors, cable tieing or using flexy conduit where needed...yeah, it took some time but I've had zero issues and if I DO have to chase any electrical gremlins, it'll be a whole easier.

I agree that while these trailers are "mass produced" assembly-line style, the eye for quality and pride in the finished product is definitely lacking!

[RetiredLEO]

I know most of the posts have been about the sloppy (no) workmanship in TT's Is construction quality any better in Class C's that is what we will probably buy instead of a TT due to my physical limitations.
Thanks ya'll

[GrayHawk]

I have found in my 2017 Jayco Gray Hawk DS31, just some of the worst work I have ever seen...….. I like the Jayco, but with the Lack of any Quality Control, I will never spend the money on another on. Yours looks 10 times worse than mine I have to say.

Originally Posted by JDPEagle

Happy Labor Day weekend, campers!

In the process of spelunking my 2018 29MV, I came across the "snake pit' that is under the master bed. I was alarmed to see the gross inaccessibility of the schwintek slide control box (in the event it is ever needed) and the loose wiring strewn about.

Has anyone undertaken the task of organizing or modifying the components in this location, or do you just close it back up and "hope for the best?"

Note: No snakes, boxes of spaghetti or Jayco employees were harmed in the creation of this post.

Images attached.

[John from Central Florida]

Originally Posted by JDPEagle

Happy Labor Day weekend, campers!

In the process of spelunking my 2018 29MV, I came across the "snake pit' that is under the master bed. I was alarmed to see the gross inaccessibility of the schwintek slide control box (in the event it is ever needed) and the loose wiring strewn about.

Hey, at least you found your Schwintek slide control!

[RetiredLEO]

This is a great video of a Phoenix Cruiser being built.......check out their electrical
https://www.phoenixusarv.com/construction/

[Jimmyd]

Retired Leo, I asked a question of a person who writes for FMCA magazine concerning Pheonix Cruiser last year and his answer was very enlightening.
He said just go to the factory and watch the builds. Then go into the waiting area and talk with the folks who own them. He told me that their workmanship and follow up is one of the best. They still take pride in their work. I spoken to owners recently who are on their second and third Cruisers and they seem to be very happy with the finished product.
Hope this helps.

[ALJO]

Customized companies cannot be compared to mass production companies. I'm sure it will also show in the price difference.

[RetiredLEO]

Wish I could afford one. Out of my price range. They are a well crafted machine. Nice to see quality work in a industry that has of late has earned such a bad reputation. It does show though that it can be done.

[RetiredLEO]

I saw somewhere not too long ago that PC has new owners. Hope it doesn't affect their quality.

[Jimmyd]

ALJO, I won’t disagree with you on the pricing but I do think that all companies should be held to a standard on wiring. I owned companies that were covered under the Underwriters Label and the CSA Label. The inspections at our factories weekly were very strict to insure the safety of the public.
I believe the RV Industry needs to get with the program. My Opinion.
I owned 2 previous Busses that were very expensive and had similar issues with hidden wiring. Both units were built by very reputable companies, we thought. Again, only my two cents.

[Jimmyd]

Originally Posted by RetiredLEO

I saw somewhere not too long ago that PC has new owners. Hope it doesn't affect their quality.

Didn’t hear about the new owners. That may explain why their inventory on the internet hasn’t been updated for a while. Hope they keep up their high standards going forward.

[viking42]

I have a Jayco Alante and the first time I looked under the bed I couldn’t believe the electrical nightmare. I dread having to ever figure out a problem. I’ve owned numerous sailboats and their electrical plans were always well thought out. They could definitely do a better job.

[Mike P.]

We were having electrical problems and thought it was something we could fix and opened up under the bed and couldn’t believe the mess! Since we were still under warranty it went back to the dealer. What the dealer told us was that they hire Amish workers and that they get paid by the piece. Even if that’s the case you would think there would be training, supervision and quality control.

[Forwardever]

Just to add to the discussion about wiring and quality control. This picture is the "situation" under the bed in our 2018 Melbourne 24L. The potable water tank is under the bed, also.

[bababooey]

Maybe they can call it 3.63 seasons now. Dont have to worry about the fw tank freezing.

I do give them credit in finding very creative ways to split and splice wire. The Romex work is... creative.

I Invision a giant bin of random wires and guys just running between the bin and the rv while wiring it, grabbing hand full of crimp connectors on the way.

[Jimmyd]

Originally Posted by Forwardever

Just to add to the discussion about wiring and quality control. This picture is the "situation" under the bed in our 2018 Melbourne 24L. The potable water tank is under the bed, also.

This could bring new meaning to a waterbed. I hope the tank never Springs a leak. If you own an infrared gun take a reading of that black box where all the wires are. If it’s the breaker box like mine it gets up to approximately 156 degrees before the cooling fan kicks on. I vented that compartment on our 29 MV to keep it cool then insulated the bed platform.

[Love To Travel 2]

Originally Posted by Bendmac

For any of you who have dealt with old Brit cars, you'll be familiar with Lucas electronics...aka "The Prince of Darkness"! 🤣

Bad grounds, crappy connectors/connections, corrosion, less than high quality wiring. I treated my 2016 FBS (as well as two prior Jayco models) just like my 1970 MGB GT.

Bendmac, same with my '69 B Roadster!