First trip in whitehawk- issues report

jlrmfc21 · 04-05-2018, 06:39 PM

Hi all, first off we love the new 2018 white hawk 29 bh tt we purchased the end of January and had a great time towing it from Michigan to fort wilderness campground at disney world. Tonight will be our 7th night in the camper and I have learned quite a bit and been a little disappointed as well. I've had a number of little issues with workmanship and quality of the camper for which I will be taking to the dealership when I get back.
1. Control panel literally was falling out from all the screws not holding. Tried screwing it back in to last us the trip but it's not in good.
2. A number of the flimsy faux wood trim coming loose.
3. On my out door kitchen, the back of the counter piece literally fell off.
4. Noticed a nice little puddle of water this evening in the cabinets under my kitchen sink from the plumbing being loose. I tightened it up and seems to have worked for now atleast.
5. Pull down shades came loose from another stripped screw coming off.
6. Both outside doors are extremely tough to open and close and seem to scrape against the medal of the bolts which is what's causing them to wedge and not open and close easily.
7. Awning is out and is leaking right at my main door where it attached to the camper.
8. The door lock for my outdoor kitchen is very hard to open with my key. I basically have to work and force my key in it to get it to lock and unlock.

Sorry for the rant. I guess my biggest queistion is if this is normal on a newly purchased travel trailer. I assume my dealership will take care of everything since I just purchased this the end of January and this is our first trip.
I still love this camper though! Thanks for your time and advice....

BigJohnD · 04-05-2018, 06:56 PM

Now a days? Yes. Seems like the first 3-4 RV’s we owned out of 8, were pretty much flawless. We’ve been at it 15+ years. But we bought from a company that had old school mentality and they are no longer in business. Now, everybody wants it faster, cheaper, etc, so this is what you get. You’ll eventually get it how you want it, and then it’s a keeper. I have so much money and mods invested in our 28 that I don’t think I’ll ever sell it. We had bugs, but have fixed all of them and made it ours.

jfg · 04-05-2018, 07:53 PM

That’s a real downer finding those issues on a new camper, I hope your dealer takes care of you. In any case, I had the same problem with the locks on ours when we picked it up, to the point of twisting one key. A little silicon lube spray helped a lot.

jlrmfc21 · 04-06-2018, 09:01 AM

Hi, yes it's frustrating. It's nothing major that ruined camping but still frustrating to say the least. Especially considering this is a brand new camper and jayco touts their high quality.

shawnh · 04-07-2018, 05:39 AM

That's too bad. We are on our second Jayco - first was a 2002 pop up and current is 2018 Jay Flight 264. Maybe we have a good dealer or maybe we are just lucky but I haven't been to the dealer for warranty work for either.

Hope I don't speak too soon - opening up for the season in the next week or so...

robkelly · 04-07-2018, 05:46 AM

Some of that stuff isn't unusual and we've seen similar things on our units. On the bright side, it all sounds like fairly minor stuff and you're not letting it ruin your trip.

We found this out the hard way, but you're going to want to check your plumbing fixtures for tightness periodically. We've had both the kitchen and bathroom sink drains work loose during the course of a season.

Chiggins · 04-07-2018, 06:13 AM

It's normal. That's why I like the jayco 2 year warranty as it's easy to get the bugs out and fixed under warranty. Just like building a house there are always going to be little issues.

CampNow · 04-07-2018, 09:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlrmfc21

. . . I've had a number of little issues with workmanship and quality of the camper for which I will be taking to the dealership when I get back . . .

When you get back home (before you visit the dealer), I'd also suggest close, personal, inspections of the roof, basement/service/cupboard/storage areas, and entire chassis/frame, too. Look closely for stripped/missing screws, missing sealant, loose paneling/supports (interior and exterior), etc. Turn on every single appliance, switch, light, valve, pump, etc. you haven't used yet.

Be proactive. Make that next trip to the dealer count!

NC Roamer · 04-07-2018, 10:29 AM

We bought at end of August and worked up a lengthy fixit list during several outings that Fall. Put the Greyhawk into the dealer’s shop for an extended stay over the winter where they took care of everything on the list.

Even with that we were still having items fixed over much of the two-year warranty. But Jayco covered everything, including replacing our very balky Gerard tankless water heater with a Suburban tanked model. For some reason though, our dealer did not think Jayco would consider it a warranty item to replace the bedroom window I shattered when the tail swung wide and caught a wooden sign.

**Crabman** · 04-07-2018, 12:03 PM

I can only go by the two new trailers I have purchased when I say no it's not normal. I only had a few very minor issues I took care of myself. Never been back to a dealer.

troutslayer · 04-07-2018, 12:29 PM

Does seem to be a lot more complaints since the RV industry started going nuts with record numbers in production. However, I don't think it is just the Jayco products. From what I read it's every manufacturer out there. So is it normal? Yes and no.

jlrmfc21 · 04-07-2018, 03:00 PM

Update: now my toilet is also leaking from the back. Just a little bit but OMG!!!!!!

mohok1 · 04-07-2018, 05:53 PM

With any new RV, regardless of manufacturer, expect to find minor issues and pray that you don't have major ones. IMHO, based on my experience with Jayco
quality as opposed to other manufacturers is that there is more sales hype than quality. Jayco produces a Jay Flight G2 in less than 10 hours start to finish and out the door. A lot can missed under those conditions. Check out the Utube Video. Not kicking Jayco, just stating facts. Took me 3 plus years to get most of the problems (both major and minor) worked out on my Jayco. Jayco did work with me on a out of warranty In Plant replacement of the front end due to concealed water damage.

NCMFFD · 04-08-2018, 08:50 AM

You’re not alone. Last we purchased our new Jayco and the initial shakedown trip revealed a few issues. Mostly quality control items that should have been handled at the factory.

We brought the trailer to our dealership for warranty work on the punch list we made and they were Champs in making everything right.

Since then we couldn’t be happier with our purchase.

bigironcoder · 04-08-2018, 09:56 AM

Granted some of the things the OP mentioned are workmanship issues, but it's a good idea to get used to diagnosing and fixing as much as you can yourself. Can you imagine the problems a house would have if it was towed down bumpy roads at 60mph...

Octopus Prime · 04-08-2018, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jlrmfc21

Update: now my toilet is also leaking from the back. Just a little bit but OMG!!!!!!

Take your unit back to the dealership now. You don't want soft floors.

We had the same problem. Our toilet started leaking on our second trip. The dealer told us that they called Jayco, and Jayco told them they would send a new pedestal out immediately. He said he didn't even explain the situation; they just said "pedestal." I'm guessing many new units have faulty pedestals.

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