Ready to purchase new fifth wheel

[Pocketlake]

We Have attended Tampa RV show for 2 days now, overwhelmed and my feet are killing me. We plan to take 3 or 4 trips a year for a few weeks at a time, leaving FL and heading north. Have narrowed our choice down to a Jayco 331RETS or one other manufacturer. Don't want to mention the other as I don't want to get thrown out on my first post by naming the competition such as Montana, so why do I want Jayco? Not having a lot of experience w 5th wheelers I don't want to have issues with
1 the sliding systems and cables versus hydraulics and gears. Any issues w Jayco?
2. Mistake not to get auto leveling system? The manual electric does not seem too troublesome. Am I oversimplifying?
3. Roof issues. What's so good about the salesman claim that the Jayco wood supports are better than aluminum? All brands seem to have the rubber roof skins so no diff there, correct?
4 floor material. Compressed and chip products vs marine plywood. Plywood has to be better. What does Jayco use? Any issues?
5 walls. What makes Jayco walls better? Almost all brands seem to use laminated vacuum sealed w minimal aluminum support but my gut tells me the more 2 inch aluminum welded posts in the walls the better. Jayco have enough?
6. We think a single AC unit will be fine since most of our travels will be north and northwest, getting the heck out of FL. Figured we could add the second unit later if we found out a single was inadequate. Thoughts?
7. Dealer and manufacturer support. I guess it can vary dealer to dealer but overall how has manufacturer support and backing their product been in your experience? RVOne Superstore was the dealer at the show. Any experience w them?
8 any good books or web sites on manufacturer comparisons?
9. Double pane windows as an option? Anyone have them? Worth it?

We liked the Jayco interior and layout although I was not particularly impressed with the rubber edge trim on the shelves in living and bedroom. Seemed more like the old folding tables at work made of pressed wood Great cabinet space, and kitchen doors seem pretty good quality although salesman could not advise what type wood material the doors are made of.

Other major considerations I have overlooked and not mentioned?
Thanks for any feedback. Sorry I did not mean to write a book here but when spending $50k it is a pretty big commitment. I did skip the other 50 questions I do have..
Ps. Based on attending the show I think about 50% of the attendees at the show have dogs. I guess we will have to get add that to our option list

[Rolling Thunder]

Have you been to the Jayco web site? Many of your questions might be answered there.

http://www.jayco.com/pages/video-gallery/

[OnTheGo]

Good Morning from Wauchula (we're snowbirds)
I don't feel experienced enough to answer some of your questions, but others in this forum will have an informed opinion. IMO:
2. Expense vs. convenience. If you get used to auto level you won't want to be without it. I like it, but I didn't mind leveling when I didn't have it.
6. If you think you might want the 2nd A/C, get it from the factory. You probably will camp in FL sometime and you'll be glad you have it. Also, a 2nd AC would make resale easier in a warm climate. (You pay a lot more for it as an add-on.)
9. Double pane is always a better option.

Dogs .... we have two. A pug and a pug/beagle. We enjoy them; they enjoy us. The older one can't be inside when we level or retract or he gets scared, like maybe we're having an earthquake. Otherwise, no problems. We tried to teach them to help us navigate, but we always ended up at McDonalds or Burger King.

[3330]

I had a Montana before this one but it was a 2000 so not much to compare to a new one. Any time you can get away from OSB or particle board in favor of metal or marine plywood it's money well spent IMO. These great rubber roofs and the nice trim that covers the seams on the outside all eventually find a way to leak and if not discovered and corrected can lead to big time damage of manufactured woods in a hurry.

Oh, OnTheGo, you have some smart puppies there

[Rob_Fla]

One item Jayco stands out with against many of the other manufacturers is their 2 year warranty, most only offer a 1 year warranty.
It makes a statement when a manufacturer stands behind their product twice as long as most others.

I would agree on the 2nd A/C, Global Warming may catch you off guard even up north, one hot muggy day even up north will make you glad you have two A/C units.

Double Pane windows are great we have them, but we fulltime and they do make a difference.
For somebody that is not fulltiming, they are expensive and add quite a bit of weight since every window has two pieces of glass.

Jayco has been around for a long time and is still a family owned company so they must be doing something right.

[Stingray75]

Pocketlake, Hope this helps you sort out your options.

Jayco's slide system is by design, similar many others and very proven. Some construct and install the slide itself a little weaker causing problems. I've never seen an add on slide brace in a jayco which I believe is a testament to build quality.

The leveling system not only levels but reduces the amount of trailer movement once set-up. If your camp site is less than level it makes set-up a breeze, eliminating the maneuvering back and forth to place level ears under the tires.

Thermal pane windows improves heat / cooling loss meaning the furnace and AC will have an easier job of heating / cooling. Might even reduce the need for a bedroom AC? To me, the 2nd AC would be unwanted noise so better to find other ways to allow main systems do the job. Awnings help meet the sun from directly heating the side of the trailer so we use ours. The 331 has an option for a 2nd awning on the curb side slide - I'd get it.

The Eagle Premier 331 looks like a great floorplan and we're trying to find on to walkthru. Jayco quality has been good and the 2year warranty shows their confidence and commitment to customer satisfaction. Dealers vary just like every re-sellers

[Crabman]

Welcome to the forum! No we will not throw you out for mentioning SOB! (some other brand)

[tinlizzie23]

Wanted to comment on Jayco's construction and owner relations. We have had a bunch of trailers over the years, and our current one is the first Jayco. We went with it because of the 5/8 marine plywood in the floors, and the superior construction evident throughout, in comparison to our previous trailers. Also compared with various friends who had other brands, and usually more problems. As for customer support, Jayco is at the top of the heap, as far as we are concerned. We have asked numerous times for their help in how to fix components, how to find things like the converter, wiring and plumbing questions, etc. and they have been there for us with diagrams, schematics, and answers to all our questions EVERY time. We are just retiring, and plan to travel in our current 2004 29RLTS until we or it wear out. But if we ever need another unit, it WILL be a Jayco, for sure.

[DJsFolly]

Great advice, check out the Jayco web site. Have a 2011 F150 EcoBoost Supercab long bed with heavy duty suspension, it's good to pull 11,200 and 3,250 load. Just got a Eagle HT 5th wheel 27.5BHS because of the grandkids, they can go in the back and shut the door and watch the boob tube.
By the way master bed is a full size queen (great for over 6 footers) and the couch makes into a bed too (it's comfortable).
I've had several other (6) TT, came back to Jayco for my first 5th wheel. Very surprised how smooth the ride is.

[djalbrec]

We have had several brands of trailers over the last 40 years and have had good luck with most of them. We are on our third Jayco and will more than likely stay with them. We have found a great dealer in Kuhl's Trailer Sales in Ingraham, IL and have been pleased with Jayco's quality, floor plans, warranty, and factory support.

[3'senough]

Welcome. I am on my second new unit from Jayco and my first unit was great to us. First I will say that Jayco stands behind their product and are fairly responsive in attending to their customers either directly or through the dealer network. I am sure you are going to find a few cases where they may not have done right by the customer and as long as I have owned a Jayco product and been on this forum I think I can count on one hand where there has been such an issue mentioned here.

Definitely say plywood over particle and Jayco floor is plywood. Walls are thick and insulate very well. New Quite AC is considerably quieter then the older units.

When I first looked at Jayco it was the overall feel I got when going into the unit that first impressed me. Quality showed through on the craftsmanship and cabinetry. Jayco did not nickle and dime you on all the added bonus features like solid surface counter tops, aluminum rims, recessed lighting, TV's, added AC BTU's and a few other key components that we wanted. I felt like the "other" guys showed you the loaded unit then gave you a low end base and now you added all the pluses putting the units higher then the loaded Jayco. Just my experience and may not be true in all cases. I custom ordered both units.

This time around I toyed with the leveling, but from what I have read it has a lot of issues and may not be worth the investment. I did not do double pane as I am not parking this in a seasonal site and do not use it in the colder months when this may have it's biggest benefit. Second AC for sure as it does get very humid here on the EC during the summer and it can get to 100 degrees. You just have the luxury of having warm weather all year down in FL. Summer is hot all the way to Canada and I have needed 2 units on many a day in the Northeast.

One thing I did not like on another brand was one switch slide maneuvering. You pushed the button and the lightest slide went first and so on until they were all out. This was a big negative in my book. The main reason was hydraulic vs electric and I was also told that in some state and national parks Hydraulic slides were not permitted due to possible leaks. Needless to say having the slides on independent switches was my main reason as you need to have this ability, especially if you stop in rest stops and want to get in your unit or eat a quick meal.

We have not regretted the purchase and hope my new unit lives up the name as my last unit did.

A good dealer can make all the difference after the sale too, so choose wisely while you hold the leverage.

[Cruzinfools]

We have bought our first Jayco and Love it. We have had other units and this one has been far the best in workman ship and very few problems. You are going to have trouble with all them. But Jayco has a 2 year warranty bumper to bumper. And there service dept is the best and the friendliest ones that I have worked with. They know there units also if you have questions about them. Yes I would buy another one. Go to Montana forum and read on it and get some ideas. You will get some people that will hate anything. Good luck on your decision.

[fjmeyer]

I felt your pain in that post. I heard a TED talk on NPR that discussed choice. It basically said that having choice should be liberating, but in this modern world with so many choices, that choice brings paralysis not liberation. We spent 6 months "shopping" every venue, RV Show, showroom floor, brochures, YouTube and periodicals and in the end we were paralyzed with so many brands, models, styles and floor plans. My wife was ready to strangle me and my hand wringing over making the wrong decision. All I can say is that in the end I echo all the other replies that mention the two year warranty and overall experience of Jayco quality. I liked that they are family owned instead of stockholder owned. When folks ask me about our buying an RV I say "let's just say mistakes were made", but all in all we're happy with our Jayco.

[imjustdave]

Originally Posted by fjmeyer

I felt your pain in that post. I heard a TED talk on NPR that discussed choice. It basically said that having choice should be liberating, but in this modern world with so many choices, that choice brings paralysis not liberation. We spent 6 months "shopping" every venue, RV Show, showroom floor, brochures, YouTube and periodicals and in the end we were paralyzed with so many brands, models, styles and floor plans. My wife was ready to strangle me and my hand wringing over making the wrong decision. All I can say is that in the end I echo all the other replies that mention the two year warranty and overall experience of Jayco quality. I liked that they are family owned instead of stockholder owned. When folks ask me about our buying an RV I say "let's just say mistakes were made", but all in all we're happy with our Jayco.

fjmeyer

I think this is the best first post I have ever read from any site.
And the scary thing is it totally describes me.

David