Nervous First Time Buyer

[neall]

Originally Posted by jdux999

Hi Neall. I'm a week behind you - I pick up my Redhawk 26XD next Monday. I know how you feel!

It's a balance of stress & excitement. Aaaaahhhhh!

[JD51]

Cabinet Maker gave you the best advice! We took the leap 2 seasons ago and purchased a '17 Greyhawk 29MV. It has been a lot of fun.

[1955farm]

More storage room, usable living room and similar length in some Class A's such as Alante or Precept. Also no squeezing in or out to get up and go to the rear. We looked for 2 years between C and A and ended up with Precept 31UL. Don't regret it a bit and it actually handles and rides better than the C's we tried.

[cabinetmaker]

Originally Posted by 1955farm

More storage room, usable living room and similar length in some Class A's such as Alante or Precept. Also no squeezing in or out to get up and go to the rear. We looked for 2 years between C and A and ended up with Precept 31UL. Don't regret it a bit and it actually handles and rides better than the C's we tried.

They make both class A and class C for a reason...not saying your choice was a bad one because there are things I like about the class A's. One is getting in and around the cockpit and back to living area.

We have had both and the class C pluses outweigh the class A for us. Here are a few pluses of class C and why we own one.

You have regular drivers and passenger doors, power windows, power door locks, and most of all airbags for safety. The windshield is a common Ford product and cheaper to replace. The chassis is a common Ford E450 and all parts are supplied and warranted by Ford. On a class A much of the dash, air conditioning, controls, windshield, doors, you name it is not Ford but coach builder so guess which one has the best quality? The class C is cheaper insurance and registration. It is shorter so not as prone to tree limbs or such. Easier to service and maintain. Driving is more like a regular vehicle so not as intimidating to some. Cab controls are just like most every vehicle out there so easy to get comfortable with. Safety! You have Ford safety built in to the front like all it's other vehicles where Class A's are fiberglass fronts and big windshields with no airbags. Easier to drive and in my experience the E450 Ford rides and handles better than the F53 Ford they use in the class A.

The class A has a list of pluses also like more CCC and storage but that comes with the price of stiffer suspension and bigger tires.

Again, I have owned Class A's big and small and a couple of Class C's. I can be happy with either but prefer the C for all the pluses mentioned above.

[Dgibbster]

I agree with your pluses on t a class c for us, grew up traveling with my parents in class-a and class-c motorhomes, have drove a number and the class-c is so much easier for maintenance and driving eapecially for my wife as the class-a mediately intimidate her.

[TWP723]

Have your wife or someone else video the entire walk-through. Then you can refer back to it if you have questions. Stay close to home. It's what they call a shake down trip. Get to know your RV before going too far away. Make a checklist. That way nothing is forgotten for setting up and breaking down. It'll put you in to a routine and before you know it, you'll be a pro! Good luck and have fun!

[neall]

Originally Posted by TWP723

Have your wife or someone else video the entire walk-through. Then you can refer back to it if you have questions. Stay close to home. It's what they call a shake down trip. Get to know your RV before going too far away. Make a checklist. That way nothing is forgotten for setting up and breaking down. It'll put you in to a routine and before you know it, you'll be a pro! Good luck and have fun!

Thanks for the encouraging words! They say it's about the JOURNEY not the DESTINATION so I'm clinging to that with all my might. LOL

[TWP723]

Originally Posted by neall

Thanks for the encouraging words! They say it's about the JOURNEY not the DESTINATION so I'm clinging to that with all my might. LOL

There ya go!

[hboy]

Originally Posted by neall

I've never owned an RV I'm curious if there are things I should consider before purchasing.

Please know I'm not trying impact your buying decision. If you have not had an RV before, I suggest this video. Take if for what it's worth (may not be worth anything).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP_u2JR51_Y

I'm not sure if this link will work in this post. If not you can watch it at youtube under "don't buy and rv!"

I'm sure your experience will be fabulous. However, there are cases where buyers expectations of the RV don't quite match up to the product, or dealer expectations, or manufacturer, etc. Jayco is great. I've owned two trailers from Jayco and would buy one again. This is not about Jayco. I would just caution a new buyer to move slow. Get as informed about the product and purchase process as you can be (like you are doing on this forum). Don't plan a cross country trip immediately after taking delivery. Take your time testing out all the systems and making sure they operate normally before a cross country trip could save you some heart ache in the event of a system failure. Do not rely on the sales person or dealership to be your primary source of this education.

RV's can be a blessing and/or a curse. I'm just wanting your to be a blessing.

[Sanali]

Congratulations on taking the first big step...figuring out which one to purchase!

We are a family of 5, with an x23b, it's a hybrid. We've had it for about 6 years. We love the hybrid, it has the tent ends. It works for us.

As you determine your family's needs, here are a couple things to consider with your purchase that we didn't think of when we bought our first camper.

Clearance...we wish our hybrid had more road clearance as it can be pretty close to bottoming out when we back in to some campsites. We use state parks mostly and some of the sites can be rough with tree roots and grade. In addition, we knew we'd use state parks for most of our camping. Some state park sites can be small. So, be sure the length of the rig you purchase will fit the type of campground you will use the most.

Storage...our little hybrid has great storage for food and clothing. Our kids use soft side gym bags for their clothes and stash them at the foot of their bed at night. Though, when we went cross country, they each had a storage bin which we stacked on top of each other in the shower during travel.

As our kids are getting older, in college and soon-to-be-in-college, we are beginning our search for a different type of camper, possibly a 5th wheel, as our needs will significantly change over the next 5 years. We sit in every spot to check the sight-lines, and check the ease/spacing of the kitchen table to accommodate people on those rainy days to play cards/games, etc.

With so many varieties of campers, there is always something for each person and their needs.

Have fun!

[Barbara20112]

We bought that model last summer and LOVE IT! Was our first purchase - you can make yourself crazy looking at all the options (and break the bank). Our dealer walked through all the mechanicals and I took extensive notes, which we have referred to more than once. Easy to drive and we flat tow a car. Thought I couldn't drive such a beast, but I love it (backing in is hubby's job). Take a few short trips to start. That being said, anytime we had questions, there were always helpful people around. We started an RV club in our neighborhood and we have all learned a lot from each other.

[Bluesky46]

you can't spend too much time on the pre-delivery inspection (PDI). When you do that, take notes, have a camera handy and ask LOTS of questions. Ask lots of questions about use of the water system, and make the sales rep show you everything! Don't just take their word for it when they say "before you got here we tested everything and we know it works.... MAKE THEM SHOW YOU. Try all the lights, try all the appliances, the AC, the furnace, EVERYTHING!. Don't let them sluff off and just say "that's covered in your owners manual".. make them show you! Make them show you where all the fuses and circuit breakers are (there is most likely fuses in several different locations), if you have a slide out or leveling jacks, make them show you how you retract those manually in the event of an emergency. Same with electric awnings. The worst nightmare is being in a busy campsite, the people coming after you are already there and waiting for you to move out and you find out your slide will not come back in, or your jacks won't lift or your awning will not retract. All those do have manual methods. Know what they are.

[HJ Rosch]

Be sure you drive it before buying, don't just sit in it! City streets, stop lights, freeway. But we really like our Jayco Alante, minimum issues after first trip. Also, dealer must do a complete walk through with you before you take it; slides, beds, electronics, TV's, water system, black and grey tank systems, etc.

[Accarson]

We were the same way. Researched everything to a point where we almost scared ourselves from purchasing. Started out tent camping for years and then decided we needed a travel trailer. Should have gone to a Class A immediately. We have enjoyed our 2018 Jayco 31UL. It fit our price and our family size.

[Ruggybuggy]

Make sure everything works before you accept the RV. Ask them to put water in the tank, plug it in and turn on the propane. Turn on everything and make sure it works properly. Run the sink, shower and toilet and check for leaks. Operate the slide. Turn the fridge on and make sure it cools properly. This is going to take a while but insist on it. It's very hard to get things repaired after you own it. If you find an issue tell them to repair it before you accept the RV.

[Steveii]

I have a 2016 Greyhawk 31fs. The floor plan is great. We have three kids and there is plenty of room and very comfortable. The ride is good as well.

Now the down side. If you buy new (which we did) be prepared to take it back for some kind of warranty claim. There are too many things to list that went wrong with mine but just consider you are rolling a house down the road so there's bound to be some issues. The quality of these things are well not great. Biggest mistake I made was thinking that Jayco would cover any leaks in the roof or walls in there two year warranty. They don't. You have 6 months after you buy for them to cover any leaks. After that it's on you to inspect and fix any leaks. It's right in there warranty so it was my mistake. But anyway, I don't think it's a bad RV but just be prepared to take care of it.

If I had to do it over I would look for a used model. I think the bugs tend to be worked out in them and the prices are typically a lot less. Also, make sure you do a good inspection with the dealer before you leave.

In the end was an awesome investment for the family. Just a lot of work to keep these things rolling. Hope this helps with your decision.

[stevebarbsmn]

Follow all the advice. Also, usually if you ask any other camper, they usually don't mind helping a first timer.
Have fun and enjoy !

[nancyxray]

I would check out the greyhawk first before purchasing. We decided on the greyhawk 30x because it has the jride plus. Many features that you will wish you had gotten.

[Stevefaync]

Hi,

We bought a new Jayco Redhawk (26 footer) in April 2014. That was a replacement for our 15 y.o. Class “A” Airstream Land Yacht. Let me tell you, there is a huge difference in the way they handle. We custom ordered the Red Hawk, and had not driven it when we took delivery. It was a white knuckle experience driving the Redhawk on the interstate. It dipped and swayed, wandered, and acted a fool when a big truck passed us. We took it in to the local truck shop and had the following stuff added. 1) steering stabilizer. 2) much larger sway bars, front and back. 3) Blistein shocks all around. 4) Rear Axle Track Bar. The rear axle track bar was the best addition. I would get it first, if I had to do this one piece at a time. ( I like Blue Ox products). After these additions, the RV is wonderful to drive. It cured all of the bad behavior. Note.... the redhawk and grayhawk have different suspensions. The redhawk as less suspension, and the greyhawk has most of the additions I added to the redhawk. Still, the one we bought is what I wanted, and Would buy the same one again. I would add the same suspension items again too.

Happy RVing

Steve

[Steveii]

Just another note, the jride plus is ok. The ride is great as long as no one is around you and you're not driving in strong winds. But if anything larger than a small SUV passes you on the highway you're going to feel it. But that's just the nature of the beast with these things. You're basically driving a billboard down the road. It's not a big deal and takes a little getting used too. I've never driven the Redhawk so I can't compare. I wouldn't spend a bunch of money on after market parts either. They will give you a better ride no doubt but you still are going to have the white knukling going on when you're in traffic and windy conditions.