Is anyone happy with their unit

[Superseneca]

If I was a perspective buyer in the market for motor home, i would find it very difficult to sort thru all the complaints and negativity to find a unit that is not plagued with issues. I'm sure there are many happy rv owners that can share their experience with good units that have performed very well. This may guide a potential buyer in the right direction.

I own a 2007 seneca 34ss , and would not hesitate to buy another first generation seneca. The unit has a nice floor plan and is a pleasure to drive. Repairs are not exclusive, and I often hear from other first gen owners how happy they are. Just a start.

[2edgesword]

RV forums, especially brand specific forums are not the best places to access a brands reliability. Many people come to these forums to find solutions to problems so you're going to get a warped sense of reliability via reading these forums. Every brand has issues.

We have a Jayco 28RLS. We spent months researching what we wanted and could afford. We happy with the selection and reliability so far (three seasons and not major issues).

Find a floorplan you like, review the information on the forums to understand where the issues my resided and then do a thorough pre-buy inspection paying close attention to those issues.

[GeorgiaRV]

I am very happy with my 2017 Greyhawk 29MV. Bought it new, now has 48k miles on it been to 49 states with it and it has performed almost flawlessly. The only major issue I have had with it was the recall item for the leveling pump bracket. Mine did break but it was fixed under warranty with no issues. Sure there are minor issues that come up, all I have fixed myself. A lot of items I have found solutions to by reading thru this forum. When I was in the market for a rig I research for almost 2 yrs before buying mine, I comb thru many different forums. I also went to many many different RV shows visited all the dealers in the southeast, went thru all the different models and manufactures. I even visited the Jayco head quarters and toured the assembly line. I can tell you from my experience, at that time Jayco had them all beat. For Class C I still think they have the market beat.

[RFactor1]

We spent a couple of years looking. We looked at everything from toy haulers, bumper pullls & 5th wheels, to class A & C's. We finally decided upon a used 5th wheel that we liked, but knew it would only be for a short time. Well that short time ended up being just one season. Even though we had planned on using the it longer, we found a new 2020 jayco 317rlok at a local dealer at what appeared to be a good price. We went "just to look' on free afternoon, and bought it on the spot. We had spent enough time over the last three years or so, looking at every conceivable configuration, that when we saw this one, we knew it was exactly what we wanted. We were even able to negotiate the price down a bit. We used it last season, and absolutely love it. We did take it in at the end of the season for some very minor warranty work, but that is to be expected. We could not be happier with our choice.

[RV_tom1945]

Generally speaking, folks who are happy with their RV don’t post. Folks who are unhappy with their RV can be very vocal. I don’t put much weight in negative comments on RV forums.

[don_kleinschnitz]

I have a very different perspective:

We are happy with the RV as it is specified, perfect floor plan and nice amenities, I am not happy with its operational reliability.

Perhaps as an engineer, I am pickier than most but for the price of this vehicle, I expect much better design and workmanship.

We have very low miles on our 2019-20 and I have identified more issues than I would have expected. Many of these issues were found by me in the process of ensuring we don't get stuck on the road.

I should note that I subscribed to all the on-road assistance that was available.

The nature of many of the things I have found are such that an owner would not be impacted immediately but longer term, when the warranty is up.

That said my research suggests that most RV's would not meet my view of good workmanship and the excuse I am given that this has always been the nature of the industry.

BTW most of the things I have found could have been avoided by using good manufacturing practices and more careful design.

Some examples (I find more every time I open something up):

An overriding problem is poor documentation. The operator's manual is generic for the RV model and not specific to what is actually in your rig.

There is no specific maintenance & troubleshooting manual. When you have a problem you can get some docs straight from Jayco but they are not easy to use as they are mostly manufacturing information. Like harness manufacturing diagrams vs schematics.

If you are on the road and get stuck, good luck because the services that I subscribe to do not have the documentation either. As an example, I got snowed in on our first trip on the weekend and needed to winterize. Wouldnt suck up antifreeze. The support tech had no idea how the utility center worked as he had no info on that model/year. Turned out to be a bad valve. Later on, I found that the filter bypass was not a bypass but a shutoff. Mmm probably not a failed valve.

The dealer is overbooked these days and they also have little to no training nor documentation on new RV's. It took them months to find my lift system problem. In many cases, I know more about how this RV works than they do.

A secondary overriding problem is the marginal way this RV is wired. The undercarriage and dash have harnesses that are loose and hang down. Most everything is crimped, not tied and dressed properly, and left to vibrate.

Dangling and crimped wires that vibrate under the harsh conditions of an RV are a candidate for eventual failure. I already have had one failure and these kinds of problems are hard to find.
Cause: poor workmanship and harness design

The lift system was inop on our first trip.
Cause: wiring harness malfunction. Finding out how the parking break interlock was wired took weeks and the only documentation was a picture of the rat's nest under the driver's side access panel. The dealer replaced the controller 3 times.

The lift system control panel is blank intermittently but the lift system swtill works.
Cause: unknown as of yet

The back wall of the lower kitchen cabinet was broken down.
Cause: poor workmanship

The heater ducting was disconnected under the sink and the duct cutouts were loose in the cabinet. We had marginal heat the first night.
Cause: poor workmanship

The bed slide control is concealed in the bed's subframe. Can't get to it to manually slide the bed in or to see status codes.
Cause: poor placement design. I moved it.

Nearly every concealed area had loose materials in them:
Cause: poor workmanship

The lift pump has a marginal mount. Many have broken off. Mine is not a recall but it's clear it will break and I do not want this to happen on the road
Cause: poor design

The steps stopped working
Cause: the taped-on door sensor fell off
Cause: poor workmanship, I added screws

The stereo system has the worst User Interface I have ever used and the documentation for how it is interfaced with the RV is poor. Don't believe me? Search the forums to see people replacing it.
Cause: poor vendor selection

The shower door latch broke the second time out.
Cause: poor latch design

Helper springs not adjusted and doing nothing. The Jayco Ride Plus (extra cost) includes Hellwig springs but they were not adjusted at the factory. The dealer has no clue what I was talking about nor how to adjust them. I did it myself
Cause: poor manufacturing workmanship

The screen door slide broke the second time out.
Cause: cheap plastic, replaced by the dealer.

The water filter fell off the wall. Remounted by dealer
Cause: mounted in thin wall material.

The TV's mounting was loose and rattled violently underway.
Cause: poor mounting design. I beefed them up.

Everything in this RV rattled. Shower doors, TV's, refrigerator doors, etc
Cause: design attention to eliminating vibration

You can suggest that I got a LEMON but if you spend any time on this forum you can see that most of these problems are experienced by a fair share of owners.

This is not all of them, but you get my frustration

[atlantaM3]

This is a great summary, and is closely aligned to my viewpoint.

I 'like' our unit, as it is comfortable with a very usable floorplan for our needs/wants.

Initial quality was poor, and there were many issues that should have been captured in the so-called 'QA process'. Things like leaking fuel and a generator that would not run, a shower drain not connected to the shower tub with water pouring into the basement, all should be obvious 'fails' in that process. My punch list was over 50 items...

Also agree that there a re many potential issues that are longer term problems, many that you would not even be aware of unless you dig into the unit. Example, I was in the basement dealing with badly routed and unsealed heat ducting, when I discovered ( to my horror) that the main transfer box mounted next to the furnace did not have its cover mounted, and there was sawdust EVERYWHERE, including in the transfer box.... fire hazard anyone? surprised it had not already ignited.. So that turned into yet another project. All things that should have been done correctly at the factory, showing there is no effective QA processes in place.

Many times when I go to do one thing, I discover some other half assed issue I need to fix to prevent some longer term failure.

But we really like the unit overall.

[TxLoser]

I’m happy with our unit, but I think the RV industry is a bit of a joke as far as quality goes. I always tell people, they’re all junk. You have to be a little handy and willing to accept some failures here and there or you won’t enjoy RVing. Also, I like my RV dealer which makes it more tolerable as well.

I can find something wrong on every single trip we take. Nothing that’s a show stopper, just little stuff. We’ve yet to have anything happen that would interrupt or cancel a trip. Same with my fw previous to this.

[jo8347]

I feel you!!!, since I bought a 2020 Precept about 3 1/2 months ago and so far 3 of those have been in the shop for safety issues and major concerns on it since when people visit this unit don't care if they brake something or not. Anyhow I still pay mortgage on it but NO UNIT, next couple weeks will be my legal advisor meeting lets see where it goes.

[atlantaM3]

mine spent about 14 months of the first two years in the shop for 'warranty' work - which amounted to not much really getting resolved.

I had it for two days after initial purchase, and it went back for 5.5 months. And was returned 3 weeks later, to be there another 4. I def understand...

[Mahatnmacoat]

I find AtlantaM3 and Don Kleinschnitz's post most reassuring. Thanks guys! I'm reassured that my expectations, outrage and disappointments are not unreasonable. In an earlier post of mine I groused about the appalling rats nest of a job wiring under the drivers side dash. Grumpy responded with something like a reasoned explanation that basicly said I had unrealistic expectations. What ever he actually said, he put it gracefully. Ours is a 2002 Designer 3230 with 17,000 on it. Very nice condition and like several people have mentioned we're delighted with the interior volume, layout, etc. The workmanship. Not at all. I'm making all manor of adjustments and heavy-ups mostly to the eletrical systems. More on that in a post to follow but I expect problems to follow. Noticeing me working on our rig four other owners in the storage lot have hired me to fix problems with their units, three Class A's and one Class C. I've learned a lot about what to expect in, under and around a motor home. One description I heard was that a motor home is a modestly built house in a hurricane during an earthquake. I agree with responders who've mentioned that many responders are merely looking for answers to specific problems, many that seem to accept what comes with the travel/camping calling and many who are just curious. We're both very happy with the TOTALITY of our Jayco Class C, accept it's short comings, are pleased that I can fix it and grateful that we have it to use under the present circumstances. I am VERY grateful for the informed input from forum members like Grumpy, JimD, Northy and several others.

[johndeschamps]

One reason I decided to purchase a used 2016 RH, other than price, was this was the last year of independent production before Thor purchased Jayco, and usually the bean counters at the purchaser's headquarters demand cost cutting measures following such acquisitions. However, I am new this this, so I can't really say whether the build quality of our rig is any better than the model years that followed. I can say I remain unimpressed with the overall build quality and choice of materials used in certain areas of construction, like MDF (which swells like a sponge) in high probable water contact areas, the wiring rat's nests, etc, and the pretty much useless manual. I have been told this is endemic at all price points throughout the industry.

[JFlightRisk]

There are several threads on RV and dealer satisfaction on the Forum.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/s...archid=7244851

We're very happy with our trailer, that's now 8 years old and going strong. Maybe we just got lucky, but it's never been back to the dealer for any kind of work. Perhaps 2012 was just a very good year, who knows. We've replaced tires, treated it to new bushings and wet bolts, and the rest is only cleaning and mods. We do like our Jayco.

[Freeman]

Originally Posted by don_kleinschnitz

I have a very different perspective:

We are happy with the RV as it is specified, perfect floor plan and nice amenities, I am not happy with its operational reliability.

Perhaps as an engineer, I am pickier than most but for the price of this vehicle, I expect much better design and workmanship.

We have very low miles on our 2019-20 and I have identified more issues than I would have expected. Many of these issues were found by me in the process of ensuring we don't get stuck on the road.

I should note that I subscribed to all the on-road assistance that was available.

The nature of many of the things I have found are such that an owner would not be impacted immediately but longer term, when the warranty is up.

That said my research suggests that most RV's would not meet my view of good workmanship and the excuse I am given that this has always been the nature of the industry.

BTW most of the things I have found could have been avoided by using good manufacturing practices and more careful design.

Some examples (I find more every time I open something up):

An overriding problem is poor documentation. The operator's manual is generic for the RV model and not specific to what is actually in your rig.

There is no specific maintenance & troubleshooting manual. When you have a problem you can get some docs straight from Jayco but they are not easy to use as they are mostly manufacturing information. Like harness manufacturing diagrams vs schematics.

If you are on the road and get stuck, good luck because the services that I subscribe to do not have the documentation either. As an example, I got snowed in on our first trip on the weekend and needed to winterize. Wouldnt suck up antifreeze. The support tech had no idea how the utility center worked as he had no info on that model/year. Turned out to be a bad valve. Later on, I found that the filter bypass was not a bypass but a shutoff. Mmm probably not a failed valve.

The dealer is overbooked these days and they also have little to no training nor documentation on new RV's. It took them months to find my lift system problem. In many cases, I know more about how this RV works than they do.

A secondary overriding problem is the marginal way this RV is wired. The undercarriage and dash have harnesses that are loose and hang down. Most everything is crimped, not tied and dressed properly, and left to vibrate.

Dangling and crimped wires that vibrate under the harsh conditions of an RV are a candidate for eventual failure. I already have had one failure and these kinds of problems are hard to find.
Cause: poor workmanship and harness design

The lift system was inop on our first trip.
Cause: wiring harness malfunction. Finding out how the parking break interlock was wired took weeks and the only documentation was a picture of the rat's nest under the driver's side access panel. The dealer replaced the controller 3 times.

The lift system control panel is blank intermittently but the lift system swtill works.
Cause: unknown as of yet

The back wall of the lower kitchen cabinet was broken down.
Cause: poor workmanship

The heater ducting was disconnected under the sink and the duct cutouts were loose in the cabinet. We had marginal heat the first night.
Cause: poor workmanship

The bed slide control is concealed in the bed's subframe. Can't get to it to manually slide the bed in or to see status codes.
Cause: poor placement design. I moved it.

Nearly every concealed area had loose materials in them:
Cause: poor workmanship

The lift pump has a marginal mount. Many have broken off. Mine is not a recall but it's clear it will break and I do not want this to happen on the road
Cause: poor design

The steps stopped working
Cause: the taped-on door sensor fell off
Cause: poor workmanship, I added screws

The stereo system has the worst User Interface I have ever used and the documentation for how it is interfaced with the RV is poor. Don't believe me? Search the forums to see people replacing it.
Cause: poor vendor selection

The shower door latch broke the second time out.
Cause: poor latch design

Helper springs not adjusted and doing nothing. The Jayco Ride Plus (extra cost) includes Hellwig springs but they were not adjusted at the factory. The dealer has no clue what I was talking about nor how to adjust them. I did it myself
Cause: poor manufacturing workmanship

The screen door slide broke the second time out.
Cause: cheap plastic, replaced by the dealer.

The water filter fell off the wall. Remounted by dealer
Cause: mounted in thin wall material.

The TV's mounting was loose and rattled violently underway.
Cause: poor mounting design. I beefed them up.

Everything in this RV rattled. Shower doors, TV's, refrigerator doors, etc
Cause: design attention to eliminating vibration

You can suggest that I got a LEMON but if you spend any time on this forum you can see that most of these problems are experienced by a fair share of owners.

This is not all of them, but you get my frustration

I would agree with everything you have said and most of what everyone in this thread has added. I particularly agree that the owners manual and other documentation are a waste of paper. If I were still teaching, I would copy sections of the manuals and use them as examples of how not to write clearly.

All of that said, I have enjoyed our Greyhawk even with some of the quirky problems. My advice to prospective owners is not to buy new. We were fortunate to find our Greyhawk and buy it from someone we knew. It was not quite a year old with less than 7000 miles AND the previous owner, who is an engineer geek, had found and experienced most of the issues I see on this thread and had them fixed or made modifications. As far as the documentation (user manuals, etc), between the previous owner, the members of this blog, and YouTube I have been able to solve any issue that has arisen so far.

[Jagiven]

Our 2012 has been in the shop for a few warranty items. Biggest issue was the pealing graphics. Not something I could really do myself. All the other things really was stuff I could handle.

Unfortunately all RVs are made so fast, that they all have issues. Some more than others. Think about how long it takes to build a house, they too have issues. These campers are made in a few hours, all hand made, on a tight timeline. It does not surprise me.

On our last campout I was speaking with a lady who had a very new Jayco MH. Find out, her husband works for the dealership that I bought our TT from. He is their senior tech, been there 15+ years. In the conversation, find out that dealership has an established list of items to go over on each camper when they come in. It lists out the most common issues most rigs have. It is a sad thought that they needed to create a list of common issues to resolve as soon as they come in. Glad they have the list, as I had very few issues with my TT.

Ultimately you need to make sure your dealership has a great service department.

[TCNashville]

Originally Posted by JFlightRisk

We're very happy with our trailer, that's now 8 years old and going strong. Maybe we just got lucky, but it's never been back to the dealer for any kind of work. Perhaps 2012 was just a very good year, who knows.

I've experienced the same with my 2012. Really like it and a very well built, solid unit.

[ViperOne]

We downsized from a Tiffin Phaeton 42LH that we bought new 2013 to a 2019 Jayco Melbourne 24L. Very happy with our choice. We have owned Winnebago, Gulf Stream, Monaco, Tiffin, and now the Jayco. We have been lucky I guess no major issues that I couldn’t handle. Our worse experience was Winnebago! Our best past experience was Tiffin. I can’t say anything about Jayco, no issues, other than I did a few suspension upgrades to improve handling. To me the hardest problem with RV’s is finding a repair facility that provides timely repairs, quality, and honest repair work.

[t18skyguy]

The nature of many of the things I have found are such that an owner would not be impacted immediately but longer term, when the warranty is up.

I could see the same thing. That's why I sold it.

[pconroy]

I enjoy ours - but they're quite an expensive toy. If you walk into the deal knowing that, fine. If you thought your $100,000 was going to buy something else, you'll be disappointed.


I've probably poured $6000 in repairs into our 2016 31FK.
Had I had to pay someone to do everything, it'd be closer to $12K.


That's over three years of ownership.
$2000 a year, plus 7 MPG - well that takes a little bit of intestinal fortitude.

[Mike-NM]

I have a 2014 Jayco Precept... I suppose you can call it first generation as well as the 2014 model they were entering the class A market and that was their pride and joy. Their introduction to the Class A market. They did it right at least on my unit. The floor plan was perfect with the port side bath and starboard side shower. The pleather seat coverings could have been better but other than that no complaints. The unit was special ordered with the electric power cord , electric water reel, side storage doors, power strips under the kitchen cabinet for additional power source, built in push soap dispensers in bath and kitchen ( no bars of soap flying around), power shades, safety control stabilizers, 50 amp service with two air conditioners, I swapped out the water heater for an on demand. I have 47k miles on it and I would buy it again in a heart beat but only that year. I have looked at many Class A's since then and many have nice paint jobs but I have yet to find one comparable in quality and durability for the price they are asking. If I was in the used market that is the year I would buy and you can pick up a 2014 model with relatively low miles in rv trader for 62-76k.