2020 models

[T-Roy]

I keep hearing about 2020 models. When is Jayco going to have the 2020 model fifth wheels on their website??

[Nathan S.]

I ordered mine at the end of January, was quoted 10 weeks. It finally came in May at 16 weeks. Was told they were setting up a new line which caused the delay. It’s a 2020 model. A few minor differences from the 2019, some nice changes but nothing major. So they are delivering them and have been in production for some time, at least on my model. And the website still has mine at 2019. So obviously it’s not a priority to roll out their latest. You would think they would want to hype it. Not the kind of marketing I’m use to.

[Jopopsy]

Jayco’s website has traditionally been slow to update.

[DMRGMC]

We emailed Jayco for that very information and were told by a ”Corporate Brand Ambassador “ that it will be on their site next Tuesday.

[Nathan S.]

From what I have read, the inventory is up, reduced work weeks are happening, orders are slowing and tariffs are hurting the industry. I try to be objective when I read this stuff. But.....whether they are traditionally slow, or rolling out a model at a time. I don’t want to take this string in a different direction. But to me it’s an indicator. Not of Jayco, just may be slow rolling and watching demand. So if you are going to order, make your dealer inquire for you of the changes. Cause when you order, if you read the fine print, Jayco has all the rights to change features. I thought I was getting a Blue Tooth remote and that’s not in the 2020 model. At first I was a little tweaked, but then after using the trailer I didn’t need it, or even want it. They changed some other stuff which was “I didn’t care” or “nice improvement”. So do your research, don’t rely on the website. If your looking for a new floor plan or features. I wouldn’t hold my breath. I think they are cutting costs and reducing inventory.

[Nature Ist]

Nathan: You and I had similar experiences with ordering a 2019 30.5 CKTS and getting a 2020 model. I ordered mine on December 8, 2018 and it finally arrived at the dealer in early May 2019 after a lot of nagging phone calls with very little information or ETA until the last minute.
I wouldn't be surprised if our serial numbers are very close, it came off-line on or about 4/29/19.
I have had a rather frustrating number of issues with mine, mostly quality, or lack of thereof. AC unit non-functional first time I tried to use in June. Furion DVD player died after 3 movies! Bedroom wardrobe slide was not centered in the rough opening, so all the screws on the front vertical frame missed the aluminum studs and were fastened to nothing! Gray water valve handle rod disconnected from the valve. Frame-less window glass on the dinette slide were rubbing glass to glass when opening. Floor squeaks ultimately led me to find the nuts on the bolts of the outrigger frame were loose, some had no lock washers, and one had already lost the nut! Our mattress had serious depressions from us sleeping only two weeks in the camper. (I'm still waiting for the replacement that was promised!) The sheetmetal installed over the tires (we have the 16" option) was installed with staples....staples into the thin subfloor and metal framing? More than half of them were coming loose and some of them were out enough to be caught by the tires. (I replaced and/or secured them with self tapping screws.)
I stumbled upon a 120V romex wire in the basement that had a screw driven right through the center of it between the ground and the hot wire. I stumbled upon that when removing the panel in the basement to gain access to the pump and plumbing, which I was doing to resolve the issue with a very noisy pump rattle. The list goes on, but we have worked through most of the problems and really do love the camper.
We got the Modern Farmhouse and love the lighter and brighter interior.
How has your experience been so far?

[Nathan S.]

We have had some issues, most of them have been minor that I could fix myself. Like outside window molding that was stretched to tight and a half hidden black tank valve. But some I have had them fix like, electric water heater wasn’t wired, had to use LP which was fine, rear back up camera wasn’t sealed so when we were in a downpour it leaked, water pump switch gave out after about 15 nights, just used the outside when off shore water. In general mostly little fit issues otherwise which I took care of myself. But after reading your list I’m going to perform a more detailed inspection under the trailer. I went under there to seal everything from ants but I wasn’t looking at staples.

In general we are extremely pleased with the trailer. We also got the modern farmhouse interior and really like the way it opens up the trailer. Made a few modes to some of the cabinets to improve functionality. We stayed with the standard 8 cu ft refer so we would get the extra storage, now I realize we didn’t need it, we still haven’t used all the cabinets. It’s only the wife and I with part time visitors so that helps.

It fits perfectly with our truck, rides pulls and handles wonderfully. Still look for pull thru’s when I can😁

[Nathan S.]

By the way, this solved our mattress issue, we couldn’t even sleep on the stock one. This setup is fantastic.

Sleep Innovations Gel Memory Foam 4-inch Dual Layer Mattress Topper, Made in The USA with a 10-Year Warranty - Queen Size https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CEMH3C0..._WWQMDbG1Q80FS

[Nathan S.]

I keep coming up with things I’ve learned. The Furrion won’t play BluRay discs. Is that your problem? I just put a $50 player in on another input.

[Lowmiler]

Originally Posted by Nathan S.

I ordered mine at the end of January, was quoted 10 weeks. It finally came in May at 16 weeks. Was told they were setting up a new line which caused the delay. It’s a 2020 model. A few minor differences from the 2019, some nice changes but nothing major. So they are delivering them and have been in production for some time, at least on my model. And the website still has mine at 2019. So obviously it’s not a priority to roll out their latest. You would think they would want to hype it. Not the kind of marketing I’m use to.

Actually for mid year 2020 North Points, there have been huge changes. Exterior color, furnace access, interior redesign, awnings, hydraulic landing gear, new control system, etc.

So depends on what model line you’re looking at.

These units are already shipping.

https://youtu.be/Uo1XP7C4XUo

[Nature Ist]

We also ordered with the 8 cf Refer, mostly because we simply didn't need the large four door unit. The factory installed the island such that it was forward enough to prevent opening the refrigerator door with the slide retracted! The island was also very "wobbly" to the point that, in transit from the factory, it hit the dinette table, making marks. I discovered there was plenty of room in the plumbing chase to move the island rearward just enough to allow the fridge door to open with the slide in. I unscrewed all the fasteners, slid it back, and added more fasteners to make the entire island more stable.
I also made some modifications to the refrigerator venting. There was a poor air flow even with the fan operating in the cooling tower. I found major molding slag around the vent louvers which I scraped off to increase air flow. I installed some reflectix insulation at the top of the space above the cooling fins to direct the air out of the vent. I also made some minor modifications to the vents themselves to increase the open vent area without creating an issue with rainwater getting in through them. This combination of mods has reduced the amount of time the fan runs, and allows the fridge to run more efficiently.
Our DVD player optical reader failed completely, it would not play CD or DVD at all. It also had an issue with the remote volume control zooming all the way to full volume with just a momentary press of the button. It did that twice, and blew the speakers to the point of tears in the paper cones. The replacement unit does not have that issue. My next project will be replacing the speakers with something better than the $12.00 Furion garbage. We knew it was non-BluRay, which was not a big deal to us. The replacement unit is much better so far, it is not Blu-Ray either.

My unit, with the 16" wheel option, was shipped with the suspension shackle bolts in the upper holes. That made the trailer ride a little nose high, but even worse, made the tires so close to the wheelhouse that I could barely fit my fingers in there. Think of the loose staples!) I changed the bolts on the four spring hangers to the lower hole, which raised the trailer a little over and inch. It now rides much more level and I have just shy of 6" bed rail clearance on my truck. My overhead bridge clearance is now almost 12' 6" to the antenna and AC. I would love to talk to the geniuses that decided to put the digital TV antenna at the high point of the roof, on the curb side!!! The antenna is the highest point on the camper, almost exactly the same height above ground as the AC unit, which is rearward but centered. The antenna is very vulnerable to tree limbs in campgrounds. I understand the logic of its placement from the interior point of view, but it won't be much good when it gets damaged or torn off by a tree branch! Actually, my antenna was not installed correctly at the factory...the connecting sleeve that connects the crank handle to the antenna shaft was too short, it fell out and the antenna was rotating around in the wind going down the road! I fixed that by making my own extension.
I was able to quiet our water pump down to a point where you can barely hear it at all.
I added an accumulator tank, which does help despite the manufacturer saying it's not necessary. I adjusted the backflow setting on the pump regulator and ultimately got it to the point where it cycles nicely with no short bursts at any water-flow rate. Now there is no vibration sound anywhere.
I also installed a built-in EMS unit (Progressive) which works very nicely. It does the job whether on 50A, 30A or on my small generator. All I needed to do for the generator was make up a small plug to bond the ground and neutral while it's being used. I have already had the EMS detect an open ground when I hooked up at one location.
As for the mattress, we expect the replacement to be no better than the original, but we will likely replace that with a regular new mattress we can get at any retail outlet since we don't have to worry about the smaller dimensions of the "RV sise" mattresses of the the past.

[Nathan S.]

Well, I sure haven’t had that many issues. I have had screws work loose, but just chalked that up to normal use. I just put silicone on them and then reinstall. Sounds like you got a Monday morning trailer. The only major mod I have had to do to mine was the battery box. I put in 4 VMAX 6V batteries which needed the box to be 50% bigger. They state it will take 4 batteries, but I don’t think it could handle 4 group 27 12v. But I am going to look into your water pump mod. Mine is loud and puts out a vibration. I am also going to move the springs down to the lower hole. I was a tiny bit nose high but nothing I was worried about until our last trip. I had to back up hill into a level spot and the tailgate made contact with the trailer.

[Nature Ist]

If you have found loose screws that have anything do with holding more than just a trim piece, check to be sure they are actually screwed into whatever they were intended to be attaching to. When I first found the loose screws on the slide wall frame, I thought they were just backed out a little and put silicone on them. Not long after, I noticed they were pushing out, and investigated further. That's when I realized they were only screwed through the sidewall lamination and had missed the aluminum stud in the wall. Using my remote, I was able to watch as the slide was extending, and witnessed the entire frame of the slide pulling away form the wall. I resolved the issue by installing new screws at enough of an angle to actually fasten into the stud. Problem solved, resealed and it has been fine. I'm lucky the slide didn't fall out!

I assume form your comment that you changed to 4 6V batteries that you have also installed a solar charge system and do a fair amount of dry camping. Did you also install an inverter? I have used solar on several RVs and currently have a 120W portable solar panel, but will probably add rooftop next season. I am very pleased with the low draw of all the LED lights compared to our last trailer.

[Nathan S.]

In addition to the batteries I put a Zamp solar 30amp system in. I installed 2 panels of 170 watts each. I also put in a Xantrex 1800 watt auto switching Inverter and had it wired into the circuit that runs the entertainment system and the wall sockets. We didn’t do a lot of dry camping this summer. Had to keep it glamping until I could get the DW fully on board. This is our first experience with an RV. But she’s hooked now. But there is a lot more in our future. I am going to add an additional panel that will get me to 510w and at optimum performance 28.2 amps which will maximize the 30a wiring in the trailer. I am also going to include the GFI circuit which includes the island plugs, exterior plugs and refer. At first I didn’t think I would need that circuit. But with the slides closed the only outlets you can reach is the bedroom. Don’t want to have to set the Keurig on the nightstand for an early departure. (Done that) Also when I’m doing maintenance using a compressor or buffer I want access to the outside plugs. With the new panel I can get my charge rate up even more, so if we are stuck in rainy weather in Utah for a couple days we can mange the power consumption. Which was the one dry trip we did. With 2 panels on a cloudy on and off rainy day it took 3-4 times longer to replenish the batteries from the previous night. With all the LED lighting it might be a bit overkill, but I am trying my beast to not have to haul a generator or gas cans unless I need AC. I’ve been extremely happy with the setup. When I pick it up from storage, fully charged batteries and when I bring it home I never have to plug it in anymore. Just flip on the inverter, do my project or pack it.