fifth wheel side and floor separation

buzzbait · 03-28-2022, 03:48 AM

I have a 2020 Jayco 28.5 RSTS and I have a separation occurring between the sidewall and floor on fifth wheel portion, see attached picture. This is on both sides, passenger side being worse. I am out of warranty but working with Jayco to determine what is happening. Has anyone seen this? I am also curious if anyone would be familiar enough with the construction to share an opinion of what is occurring.
Thanks
Steve

Mopar_Earl · 03-28-2022, 05:49 AM

Extremely common across all manufacturers. Need longer larger screws to secure the trim. Happened on all 3 of my 5th wheels of different brands. My Jayco Eagle 293RKDS has been fixed twice now. A lot of movement in that area, so it stresses the screws.

Earl

Cincinnati Kid · 03-28-2022, 08:42 AM

Many, many posts about this problem. Our story- While under warranty, dealership put longer screws in. It separated again. Jayco factory put bigger screws in, it separated again, (also developed infamous "sidewall crack" this time). Finally, Jayco took it back to the factory again, and removed the slide, then removed the sidewall back to the slide hole, and welded steel and aluminum gussets in several places to keep it from twisting again. Then they had to rebuild the sidewall, match paint and decals. They did a nice job. So far, so good. Your best hope is to get the factory to extend warranty and take it to their factory.

buzzbait · 04-01-2022, 06:01 AM

I emailed and called Jayco multiple times. They have been of no help. I assume this has to be a design flaw or manufacturing issue, but they will not admit either. They quit responding and I am really frustrated. No I'm seeing if the dealer can help.

ARoamer · 04-01-2022, 06:10 AM

Dealer simply revdrove existing screws at a different angle on mine, nope it didn't hold. I have been in contact with Jayco regarding a proper fix, they told me to schedule an appointment with dealer and have dealer contact them for the fix. Didn't tell me what needs to be done but I will report back sometime, probably late summer the way it's looking....BTW, this is warranty issue #30 of 37.

buzzbait · 04-01-2022, 06:49 AM

I'm not getting any assistance from Jayco, they just say take it to the dealer, and it's out of warranty. Would you happen to know how I can repair it?
Thanks

buzzbait · 04-01-2022, 07:00 AM

Same story they told me. They wouldn't admit they had an issue. Customer service tried to blame it on not resealing the camper, once a year. Imagine that?

Cincinnati Kid · 04-01-2022, 09:25 AM

Another thought- it's really a frame issue- try contacting lippert/ LCI. They helped us before, and I heard, but do not know for sure, that the frame has a longer warranty. But call them anyway, try to get a case number, and go from there.

TxLoser · 04-01-2022, 11:00 AM

Super common. Had it on my HT and on my Eagle. Eagle was fixed by dealer with longer screws and so far it’s holding. About a year on that I think.

I do believe it’s a frame issue. Let me rephrase that….I think it’s caused by the frame. By the frame flexing. On my HT it first appeared after getting all twisted up backing into a spot where the front opposite side of my truck dropped into a little drainage culvert. Nearly made bed contact with the trailer. On the Eagle, I noticed it after pulling through a very off camber area at my storage area that had the same effect.

This may be a good case for an Andersen hitch. I’ve got a standard FW hitch(B&W) and it only moves so far laterally causing the frame to do the rest of the twisting when the truck and trailer are twisted in different directions.

ARoamer · 04-01-2022, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzbait

Same story they told me. They wouldn't admit they had an issue. Customer service tried to blame it on not resealing the camper, once a year. Imagine that?

I'm not impressed with Jayco customer service reps. One couldn't tell that I did indeed send photos of both sides, I had to label left and right and resend them..
How are you supposed to keep it sealed if everytime you tow it the sealant breaks?

buzzbait · 04-02-2022, 08:04 AM

This is actually a frame issue? Could you better explain it? I did contact Lippert just to try and get a engineering contact name, or someone that might help, but they said they didn't have any, which, was sort of hard for me to believe? I asked Jayco for manufacturing drawings so I could maybe understand what's going on. They sent me some but no detail of what I really needed.

You mention longer screws, where were they installed? That's one of the questions I asked Jayco was how and where everything is fastened but they wouldn't tell me

one2camp · 04-02-2022, 09:25 AM

I saw another thread on this awhile back, I believed they used 3" size 10 screws to fix it.

buzzbait · 04-02-2022, 09:44 AM

I would probably just fix it myself but I don't have any idea where the screws are of how to access them. I was hoping Jayco would at least help me with that, but same answer, pay the dealer to look at it.

Does anyone know if I can use it like this without causing any worse damage, that might make it beyond repair?

TxLoser · 04-02-2022, 12:40 PM

I would just be cautious about water intrusion where you see the wood. I found mine at the start of trip on the first fuel stop. Taped it up clear gorilla tape. We had snow, and road spray. No issues. May have done one other trip like that. Can’t recall. No issues.

There’s another piece of trim tucked in the underside of the black trim. Can’t see it in your pic, but that’s how I remember it. Pull that out and you’ll see the screws that go up into the floor. I let the dealer do it since I was under warranty a little longer. Next time I’ll be on my own.

To the frame issue…. I don’t think it’s an issue necessarily. Just nature of the beast from the frame twisting. I may be way off on that. Just wag.

Radar57 · 04-02-2022, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzbait

I would probably just fix it myself but I don't have any idea where the screws are of how to access them. I was hoping Jayco would at least help me with that, but same answer, pay the dealer to look at it.

Does anyone know if I can use it like this without causing any worse damage, that might make it beyond repair?

Follow the link below to post #22. It shows a hand drawing of the cross section in the area in question. Hopefully it will provide an understanding of what the longer screws are trying to achieve, screwing into metal and not just wood.

https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...e-61943-2.html

TxLoser · 04-02-2022, 08:36 PM

That link doesn’t go to anything regarding this issue. Maybe a tapatalk think on my end.

RedHorse1 · 04-02-2022, 09:00 PM

I think the frames are intended to flex a bit and mfg’s don’t account for this when designing what they put on one. I had this prob maybe 3 yrs ago, was alerted to it by a post on JOF, the suggested remedy was longer screws. IIRC I used 3” screws and drilled a pilot hole first. I think Jayco screwed into a wood piece when assembling and it doesn’t hold up. It’s been 3 or more years since my repair and it’s still good.

buzzbait · 04-04-2022, 07:46 PM

I appreciate all the responses from everyone on how to repair it, which Jayco would not
provide me, or admit there was even an issue. I started to work on mine today, but before I just tried installing longer screws, I thought it would be best to try and lift it back up in place. I put a floor jack with a 18" long carpeted 2 X 6 under the underbelly and tried to jack it up. I only got a small amount of movement on the gap, less than 1/8" before I noticed I was starting to take weight of my camper jacks. It appears as though it does not want to go back in place, and if a jack won't do it, I doubt screws will.
Anyone experience this issue or have recommendations?
Also wondered if anyone had a contact name, phone number, or email address at Jayco, that could possibly help me. Customer service is of no help.
Thanks

Cincinnati Kid · 04-05-2022, 12:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by buzzbait

I appreciate all the responses from everyone on how to repair it, which Jayco would not
provide me, or admit there was even an issue. I started to work on mine today, but before I just tried installing longer screws, I thought it would be best to try and lift it back up in place. I put a floor jack with a 18" long carpeted 2 X 6 under the underbelly and tried to jack it up. I only got a small amount of movement on the gap, less than 1/8" before I noticed I was starting to take weight of my camper jacks. It appears as though it does not want to go back in place, and if a jack won't do it, I doubt screws will.
Anyone experience this issue or have recommendations?
Also wondered if anyone had a contact name, phone number, or email address at Jayco, that could possibly help me. Customer service is of no help.
Thanks

Make sure you do the online customer contact form in addition to calling. Work on getting a case number even if they won't agree to fixing it. Keep at them. Be polite but don't go away, just keep trying to ask the same thing in different ways until they wear down. They have a gigantic shop full of capable people that know about this problem, and know how to fix it.
Have you started this process with Lippert yet? They will be the ones that Jayco would call in to weld the frame.
Also keep talking to your dealership, keep asking them for ideas on what they would do.
If nothing works, you might end up at a truck/trailer body shop on your own dime, but that frame needs to be strengthened.

buzzbait · 04-05-2022, 06:26 AM

I actually received an email from Lippert yesterday, and they seem willing to look into it. I emailed her back on what I experienced yesterday, and my frustration with Jayco. I tried calling Jayco again yesterday, and a nice lady called me back, and gave me the name of the person in charge of Jayco towable warranty. Called and left him a message but no response yet, and also working with dealer. Thanks again for your help.

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