POLL - Buy a Jayco 5th Wheel again, or not?

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Lowmiler

When I wrote “truthfully” I was referring to me.

No offense to Jayco, but the Pinnacle could only compete against DRV in skin-deep matters. They are in completely different classes when the entirety of the rig is taken into account. Heck, the DRV weighs in almost two tons more than the Pinnacle when comparing similar floorplan due to frame, wall, door, plumbing, suspension, etc. spec.

So, not to come off as rude, to be truthful in my thoughts: I’m not sure why these two rigs were being cross shopped if the budget allowed for the higher spec, especially when it was the foundational build spec that drove you to DRV in the end, vs other attributes such as a specific floorplan-need or aesthetic-want or tow rig limitation.

I think you’ll be much happier with the peace of mind the DRV build spec will give you in terms of mitigating major failure risk (but since it’s an RV things will still break).

OK... to help clear things up.

Initially, I did not want to spend more than around $75k for a fifth wheel and we were thinking Vanleigh Vilano 320. For several reasons, we decided to broaden the search and then included Grand Design Solitude. It was pretty much between those two, at first.

Then, as I studied those options, Jayco Pinnacle kept popping up, so I included that. We were fairly well-resigned to go with ordering a Jayco Pinnacle, including upgrades such full-body paint, disc brakes, etc.

Then, I read about side wall cracks. Having a fairly low tolerance for potential problems that might sideline the rig for body repairs, we decided to look at some higher end models, including Mobile Suites and Redwood, which had relatively lower likelihood of developing sidewall cracks.

We went back and forth between Redwood and Mobile Suites for a short time. The Redwood seemed to be built quite similarly to the Jayco, but with a richer interior. The Mobile Suites, however, stood apart from all of the others in terms of build quality. It is definitely in a league all its own.

The more we looked at Mobile Suites, the more drawn in to them we became. We didn't set-out wanting to spend that kind of money, but it became apparent that for a heavier build and (possibly) somewhat fewer problems, we were drawn to it. And, considering that our last RV was a 2018 44' Newmar Diesel Pusher, we were accustomed to fairly "high-end" RVing.

Certainly ANY RV is going to have some problems and service needs and we don't expect the Mobile Suites to be trouble-free. We've had plenty of RVs in the past, so we're not at all new to the reality of RVing.

I still think that the Pinnacle or Redwood would have met our traveling needs well! In fact, considering that we plan to be on-the-move with the unit, rather than just sitting in one spot most of the time, the much lighter-weight and slightly shorter Pinnacle may well have served us better, actually, than the much heavier Mobile Suites 38 RSSA.

In the end, we were drawn to the heavier build and richer interior of this particular unit:

[CAG]

There are two books out that I purchased when we started looking for a replacement for our toy hauler. Both are updated every year or so and give a good comparison of all brands and models. This is another question where the buyer needs to do their own homework rather than depending upon the word of others who are generally biased in one direction or the other. Most feedback you will find is on the negative side because we seldom post the good things, much like the evening news. Bad news gets published the most.

1. Motorhome Comparison Guide
2. Travel Trailer & Fifth Wheel Comparison Guide

[DHart]

Originally Posted by CAG

There are two books out that I purchased when we started looking for a replacement for our toy hauler. Both are updated every year or so and give a good comparison of all brands and models. This is another question where the buyer needs to do their own homework rather than depending upon the word of others who are generally biased in one direction or the other. Most feedback you will find is on the negative side because we seldom post the good things, much like the evening news. Bad news gets published the most.

1. Motorhome Comparison Guide
2. Travel Trailer & Fifth Wheel Comparison Guide

CAG... thanks for mentioning those. It's too late to benefit me, since I already pulled the trigger on our new 5th wheel. But good to know about anyway.

[Lowmiler]

Originally Posted by DHart

OK... to help clear things up.

Initially, I did not want to spend more than around $75k for a fifth wheel and we were thinking Vanleigh Vilano 320. For several reasons, we decided to broaden the search and then included Grand Design Solitude. It was pretty much between those two, at first.

Then, as I studied those options, Jayco Pinnacle kept popping up, so I included that. We were fairly well-resigned to go with ordering a Jayco Pinnacle, including upgrades such full-body paint, disc brakes, etc.

Then, I read about side wall cracks. Having a fairly low tolerance for potential problems that might sideline the rig for body repairs, we decided to look at some higher end models, including Mobile Suites and Redwood, which had relatively lower likelihood of developing sidewall cracks.

We went back and forth between Redwood and Mobile Suites for a short time. The Redwood seemed to be built quite similarly to the Jayco, but with a richer interior. The Mobile Suites, however, stood apart from all of the others in terms of build quality. It is definitely in a league all its own.

The more we looked at Mobile Suites, the more drawn in to them we became. We didn't set-out wanting to spend that kind of money, but it became apparent that for a heavier build and (possibly) somewhat fewer problems, we were drawn to it. And, considering that our last RV was a 2018 44' Newmar Diesel Pusher, we were accustomed to fairly "high-end" RVing.

Certainly ANY RV is going to have some problems and service needs and we don't expect the Mobile Suites to be trouble-free. We've had plenty of RVs in the past, so we're not at all new to the reality of RVing.

I still think that the Pinnacle or Redwood would have met our traveling needs well! In fact, considering that we plan to be on-the-move with the unit, rather than just sitting in one spot most of the time, the much lighter-weight and slightly shorter Pinnacle may well have served us better, actually, than the much heavier Mobile Suites 38 RSSA.

Kind of beating a dead horse here, since you’ve already purchased, but maybe, as you’ve said, the content of this thread could help others.

Redwood, Vanleigh, Pinnacle I’d consider all to be competitors (Redwood has a pretty sketchy rep, in my opinion, lots of unhappy owners out there for what it’s worth).

Again, DRV is in another league in terms of quality of build features. Frame construction, slide mechanisms, suspension/brakes, leveling, plumbing are all higher quality than the aforementioned models (aesthetics are subjective, I find DRVs approach dated).

So: for future readers, look at the bones of the rig first. Don’t be lulled by surface finishes.

If your budget allows, and the rest of the rig meets your wants, go for the rig with the best bones.

If your budget doesn’t allow top tier construction, reconcile yourself with the true exposure you may have at that price point. Maybe a used (lower priced) higher tier unit is for you.

The heavier rig is typically the better built one. Pricing and weight isn’t accidental.

I don’t want to cast aspersions, but it seems that you were looking skin deep, and the Pinnacle was in the lead, until a potential structural issue spooked you, and you decided just to spend another $50k and jump up a tier to hopefully spare you the pain.

Most people don’t have that budgetary luxury.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Lowmiler

I don’t want to cast aspersions, but it seems that you were looking skin deep, and the Pinnacle was in the lead, until a potential structural issue spooked you, and you decided just to spend another $50k and jump up a tier to hopefully spare you the pain.

Most people don’t have that budgetary luxury.

Speaking of "most people", yes, I'd say that most people thinking about buying a fifth wheel start out looking "skin deep". And if they are willing/able to take the time, they learn more, seek more feedback, and start to look deeper than skin deep.

At that point they can decide that lighter builds will meet their needs, or if they can swing paying for heavier builds, they may go that direction.

I see nothing wrong with that, nor any reason to cast aspersions on how anyone approaches making a fifth wheel purchase!

Just because someone CAN pay for a Mobile Suites doesn't mean that a Solitude or Pinnacle would not meet whatever their needs/desires may be. An individual's ability to pay has nothing to do with it. Just because you CAN doesn't mean that you necessarily SHOULD. Just because I can afford a Mobile Suites doesn't mean that I shouldn't consider a Solitude or a Pinnacle.

Many people have some budgetary luxury and many do not. But any individual's financial ability is not really even a part of the discussion.

[Lowmiler]

If you hadn’t begun to hang out on the forum of the brand you were about to pull the trigger on, it seems you would have pulled the trigger.

All I’m saying is that there are better ways to do your homework.

Researching the foundation of the brand you are about to buy would be highly recommended. Seems that you didn’t do that, and assumed that what you saw in the interior of the Pinnacle held true for the foundation, despite being 2 tons lighter and $50k cheaper than a DRV.

Not my preferred way of avoiding assumptions, and I think others reading this thread could avoid the same reasoning.

Luckily for you, you could shell out another $50k for “peace of mind.” So, yes, budgetary options of the individual do play a role.

My final point, of which I’ll end my participation of this thread, is that the educated buyer of a modern RV should not assume what they see on the interior is any indication of what’s going on beneath the surface. Do your homework and make sure you are comfortable with what your budget offers you. If you are not comfortable with potential sidewall cracking due to the frame possibly being value engineered, compared to other brands, then don’t buy “in denial.” There are other options at the same price point, like an older, used model.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Lowmiler

If you hadn’t begun to hang out on the forum of the brand you were about to pull the trigger on, it seems you would have pulled the trigger.

Wrong assumption on your part. And you seem to make a lot of assumptions that miss the mark. My path seems to have struck a nerve in you!

Originally Posted by Lowmiler

All I’m saying is that there are better ways to do your homework.

And what better ways would those be than to get out, examine the rigs, ask a lot of questions, research on the internet, talk to people who you deem to be knowledgeable and "straight-shooters", ask more questions, sift out the BS from the essence in what people say?

All of your posts in this thread seem to carry a bit of a veiled barb toward me. I don't know what your personal issues are, but it seems that you are bothered over my process and conclusion. You might want to take a close look at that?

We each navigate somewhat different courses in exploring the world of choosing a 5th wheel. You seem to have some veiled angst around the fact that I considered a Vilano, a Solitude, a Pinnacle, a Redwood, and then decided to buy a Mobile Suites. That's a nice selection of 5th wheels for one to consider and compare against each other. Each is a pretty solid unit for their positions in the market. None are expected to be perfect. But carefully considering each of them is an exercise in learning, in knowledge, and in evaluation.

All that is important to me is my own course and my own conclusions, not how you nor anyone else may attempt to judge my course. And, I'm quite satisfied with the course that I took in exploring the options. It went well, I learned a lot in the process, and made what I feel is a good decision for myself. That's a big success in my book.

I certainly didn't "assume" that the interior of the Vilano, the Solitude, the Pinnacle, or the Redwood was an indicator of all the unseen aspects of the rig.

QUITE the contrary - I assumed NOTHING. I asked MANY questions. I explored, examined, I asked about axles, about brakes, about suspensions, about roof structures, about wall construction, about insulation, about windows, about warranties, about options, I explored some more, I asked more questions, I learned, I discovered, I considered, and I made a final decision. My homework and exploration went wonderfully well and was a quite a success.

That you judge my process as wrong, in your view, is of what value? Pretty much nothing, to be truthful.

And as I've said several times above, I still think that the Pinnacle would probably have served me well. That it is a lighter built unit than a Mobile Suites doesn't make is a "lesser" option - just a different option. How heavy does an individual NEED a 5th wheel to be?

But simply because a particular unit may serve one well doesn't mean that one might not, or should not choose something else, for WHATEVER reasons may be important to them.

I can afford a Rolex watch, if I felt the need. I definitely don't feel the need (nor want) to have a Rolex watch, as even a Fossil serves my watch-need just fine. I am a heavy Apple consumer - iPad, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, and MacMini. Should I buy an iWatch? Heck no; it has no needed utility nor appeal to me.

I could afford a custom SpaceCraft RV, if I felt the need or want - but I don't need nor want one of those. For me, a Mobile Suites is plenty good enough. A Pinnacle would have served me well also, I'm sure. We just liked the Mobile Suites more. We didn't choose our 5th wheel by its price, we choose it by what seemed to make the most sense for our wants/needs.

That has no negative implications whatsoever toward the Vilano, nor the Solitude, nor the Pinnacle, nor the Redwood. I think all of these are essentially good rigs at their price points. No RV, by anyone is "the best"; there is no "best", they're all just different and serve different needs, desires, and budgets.

Have a nice day.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by DHart

OK... to help clear things up.

Initially, I did not want to spend more than around $75k for a fifth wheel and we were thinking Vanleigh Vilano 320. For several reasons, we decided to broaden the search and then included Grand Design Solitude. It was pretty much between those two, at first.

Then, as I studied those options, Jayco Pinnacle kept popping up, so I included that. We were fairly well-resigned to go with ordering a Jayco Pinnacle, including upgrades such full-body paint, disc brakes, etc.

Then, I read about side wall cracks. Having a fairly low tolerance for potential problems that might sideline the rig for body repairs, we decided to look at some higher end models, including Mobile Suites and Redwood, which had relatively lower likelihood of developing sidewall cracks.

We went back and forth between Redwood and Mobile Suites for a short time. The Redwood seemed to be built quite similarly to the Jayco, but with a richer interior. The Mobile Suites, however, stood apart from all of the others in terms of build quality. It is definitely in a league all its own.

The more we looked at Mobile Suites, the more drawn in to them we became. We didn't set-out wanting to spend that kind of money, but it became apparent that for a heavier build and (possibly) somewhat fewer problems, we were drawn to it. And, considering that our last RV was a 2018 44' Newmar Diesel Pusher, we were accustomed to fairly "high-end" RVing.

Certainly ANY RV is going to have some problems and service needs and we don't expect the Mobile Suites to be trouble-free. We've had plenty of RVs in the past, so we're not at all new to the reality of RVing.

I still think that the Pinnacle or Redwood would have met our traveling needs well! In fact, considering that we plan to be on-the-move with the unit, rather than just sitting in one spot most of the time, the much lighter-weight and slightly shorter Pinnacle may well have served us better, actually, than the much heavier Mobile Suites 38 RSSA.

In the end, we were drawn to the heavier build and richer interior of this particular unit:

Nice, congrats.

[DHart]

Originally Posted by Big1

Nice, congrats.

Big1... THANK YOU, SIR, for your service to our country!

And another thank you for your kind post.

(Our son gave his life, while serving in the US Army, in Afghanistan, December 5, 2009. We are a Gold Star family. So, we hold a particular appreciation for those people like YOU, who served our country so honorably! Just writing this gives me the chills, all over again. That includes our fine LE "men in blue". )

[Crabman]

Enjoy the new trailer, and consider remaining a member of the forum. We have many some other brand members, including myself, and some that own no brand lol. But we can all learn and contribute our experiences. There are many RV forums out there but JOF is a cut above.

[kevinjulie]

I would consider buying another Jayco 5th wheel again. We have owned two and have been happy with both. We currently own a NP and it has had some issues but the good has far out weighed the bad.

[TxLoser]

I would buy another. In fact I did. I’m on my second. My first, an HT was very trouble free. This one has had a few issues, but nothing that’s kept me from using it. Here’s a list of the most notable.

Bad batteries

Bathroom sink to pocket door bumper placed in the wrong location

Staples coming out of wheel well sheet metal.

Thermostat hi/low fan wired backwards

Rear window seal shrinking/coming lose

LED lights in cap working out of the gap

The rubber flapper seals around the hitch wrongly placed leaving one area vulnerable to water intrusion(just discovered this one)

Only other issue is my dinette slide may or may not be rubbing the floor. Need to investigate that more. Overall, I’m happy. This is all small stuff.

[Anazeteo]

Awning fell off on first trip. Took months to fix.
LR Facia fell off Side trim loose.
Control panels wires come loose on tank sensors
Control panel quit working must be replaced
Microwave shorted out must be replaced
Safety recall on suspension system
Suspension spring broke before receiving notification
Jayco customer service is HORRENDOUS!

[tazz46]

We bought a Starcraft 5ver in 2014 (new). Since then the front cap started pulling away because they used too short of screws, the front landing gear crapped out because it was under rated for the trailer.
We have been watching what is happening in the RV industry and at this point, we are only considering 2 brands, Keystone and Alpine. They are the companies that are paying attention to quality control and honoring their warranty. Jayco quality has dropped since they were bought by Thor.

[Goat1936]

Not a chance

[krsmitty]

Originally Posted by RVhiker

I don't agree with the basis of this statement. I CAN expect nothing to go wrong until the manufacturer (of whatever brand) is honest and says the equivalent of "This trailer is crap, and it will have many problems. We don't really do a quality check after manufacture. If there is a problem under warranty, good luck in getting it fixed - we have no control over what the dealer does. We may help you under the warranty, but then again maybe not if we think you caused the problem. Notably, if there is an environmental leak that damages the trailer several months after buying it, it is your fault as obviously you did not keep the seals in good repair."

X2

[Willied]

Satisfied with our 2019 Pinnacle 38RLWS. Only issue is one of the master bed room closet doors will not stay in the track.

[James Speer]

I'm mostly happy with our 18 377 but we've had our share of problems. It's an RV so they happen but Mfg has fixed them. I came out of a Mesa Ridge 30' TT that scared me to pull it over 60. The NP is a pleasure to tow.

Would I buy another Jayco? Probably not. We want to full time eventually and we put a lot of miles on it. I'd like to upgrade to something a little better built structurally but the interior of the NP fits our needs great!

[pawags45]

I have the 2019 Pinnicle 36SSWS. I have had some problems that Jayco did fix and even approved a mobile repair service to fix it. ( Could not be winterized because Hose from Winterization switch to Pump was kinked in half when they were building it. Also could not use furnace because it broke.) turns out the sail switch was bad and the repair man replaced it then replaced the kinked hose. Total cost was $299 and some change that Jayco sent me a check for. Also the dealer did not replace the bathroom roller door correctly (They had to fix it because a block was stoping it from moving when I first picked it up) I had my brother in Law fix that door correctly rather then wait 10 weeks to get it into the dealer. Other then that I am very happy with the Pinnicle however not happy at all with my Dealer.

Don't know at this point if I will buy another Jayco but hope I don't have to since I am very happy with this one. One thing is for sure. I will not buy one from the same dealer.

[Drifter1959]

I had a Jayflight 27.5 RLS. I sold that one and now have a Pinnacle 38FLSA. I would buy another if I were in the market right now.