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Old 01-06-2018, 08:50 PM   #1
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Jay feather quality vs Jayflight SLX? - especially floor

We put down a refundable deposit today on a new 2017 Jay Feather 25BH. We were also looking at an SLX 242bhs and 267bhs. Those two units were a couple thousand cheaper. We are going to tow with a 2008 Expedition with tow package so I want to be mindful of the weight. The 242 and 267 were solid units and the first we looked at. A different dealer had the Jay Feather 25bh. We looked at it today and really liked the additional features compared to the 242 and 267. Compared to the 242, we liked that it had the sofa, pocket doors, additional cabinets, Goodyear tires and had power outlets in both bunks. Compared to the 267, we liked that it had similar floor plan with outdoor kitchen, tri-fold sofa, bunk power outlets and weighed less, less bulky and should tow a little better.

I started looking up tonight though and see lots of mention of soft floors with the composite flooring units. Is this a valid concern? We 'plan' to camp every other weekend when the weather is nice and have three kids. We also hope to keep this unit for 10 years. I picked Jayco because I do feel like the construction is better. The Jayco dealers around here also have much better service departments than others in the area.
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Old 01-07-2018, 07:05 AM   #2
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Thanks for the post, I purchased a x23B in September of 2017. We had it out 3 times, and haven't noticed any issues with the floor. Jayco brags about the fact that their floor beams are closer than competitors. I've spent a fair amount of time going through it at home looking for any issues that I should take care of. The only thing that was needed after using a crawler to inspect the underside was to put RTV in 3 spots to keep mice out. All in all, we're very happy with it. Have fun with whatever you decide on.
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Old 01-07-2018, 07:07 AM   #3
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Sometime I would like to take a tour of the Jayfeather plant to see exactly how they are made. Might give some insight on what to look for in defects.
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Old 01-07-2018, 08:05 AM   #4
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Jayflight's are heavier, SLX are lighter. To build lighter you have to sacrifice quality, you have to sacrifice supports, you have to sacrifice frame strength.

Jayflights have a 5/8" plywood on joists attached to the frame. The SLX has a foam composite sandwich.

3 kids and 10 years ownership, I would avoid "lightweight" trailers at all costs. Not saying that the SLX is bad, but its certainly a tradeoff for the lighter weight. Kids tend to be less careful then the people who make payments on trailers. We are entering our 3rd year with our Jayflight and are very pleased with the quality.
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Old 01-07-2018, 08:16 AM   #5
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Jayflight's are heavier, SLX are lighter. To build lighter you have to sacrifice quality, you have to sacrifice supports, you have to sacrifice frame strength.

Jayflights have a 5/8" plywood on joists attached to the frame. The SLX has a foam composite sandwich.

3 kids and 10 years ownership, I would avoid "lightweight" trailers at all costs. Not saying that the SLX is bad, but its certainly a tradeoff for the lighter weight. Kids tend to be less careful then the people who make payments on trailers. We are entering our 3rd year with our Jayflight and are very pleased with the quality.
I agree. We have a 2016 Jay Feather 23RBM. It has the "laminated" floor. If I had it to do over, I would definitely go for the 5/8 plywood floor. We are developing the infamous soft spots. I agree that we should stay away from "ultra-lights." In hind sight, we should have bought a Jay Flight. The Flight 24RBS would have been an excellent choice for us. Our next unit will not be an "ultra-light." If you are going to go for a Jayco TT (in the size you state), my two cents is go with a Jay Flight model (not an SLX, Feather, or White Hawk). Of the three (SLX, Feather, and Hawk), I would opt for a White Hawk; they moved to the plywood floors in 2016. However, the "full-weight" Flight would be my first choice - just my preferences based on RV experience and Jayco ownership.
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Old 01-07-2018, 08:25 AM   #6
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Actually the SLX 8 has plywood floors, the SLX 7 web page does not say what it has. The Jayfeather has the sandwich floors.
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Old 01-07-2018, 08:26 AM   #7
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Thank you all for the replies. I have to get either the 242BHS SLX or this particular Jay Feather to stay within my budget. The SLX does have plywood floors but lacks several amenities we liked on the Jay Feather. Should we go with the one that we like the best or sacrifice amenities and floorplan for the SLX with plywood floor?

I've been looking for a used camper for about two months now and have finally given up and decided to just buy a new one.
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Old 01-07-2018, 08:36 AM   #8
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Thank you all for the replies. I have to get either the 242BHS SLX or this particular Jay Feather to stay within my budget. The SLX does have plywood floors but lacks several amenities we liked on the Jay Feather. Should we go with the one that we like the best or sacrifice amenities and floorplan for the SLX with plywood floor?

I've been looking for a used camper for about two months now and have finally given up and decided to just buy a new one.
Is this going to be your first travel trailer or is this a replacement for one you already have? If it is your first, I almost guarantee that you will not keep it 10 years with 3 kids. Not that your kids will do anything that will necessarily hurt your trailer, but in the 10 years, the kids will grow, interests will change, tow vehicle will be different, etc. Most new rv owners keep their first units for a few years at most and then move on to something that fits their new needs or get out of the rv lifestyle all together.

My $.02 would be to buy the trailer that you want right now that you are excited about. If you start worrying about 10 years out now, you are not going to enjoy your purchase from the beginning.
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Old 01-07-2018, 08:38 AM   #9
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Thank you all for the replies. I have to get either the 242BHS SLX or this particular Jay Feather to stay within my budget. The SLX does have plywood floors but lacks several amenities we liked on the Jay Feather. Should we go with the one that we like the best or sacrifice amenities and floorplan for the SLX with plywood floor?

I've been looking for a used camper for about two months now and have finally given up and decided to just buy a new one.
What are the Feather's amenities?
You can do most mods and upgrades to components and some structural matters yourself. I would go for strength of materials over amenities. You can always add things, but if the unit starts to have major structural issues (floor is major), the amenities will be superfluous in a hurry. You can find a lot of Jay Fights with reduced pricing as spring rolls around; they really have to start moving the 2018s in spring to make way for the 2019s. Or if a unit is hanging around in the spring that was brought to the dealer in the fall, they are going to be aggressive with pricing it for sale. You may need to expand your search beyond your immediate market to score a deal.
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Old 01-07-2018, 08:46 AM   #10
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Is this going to be your first travel trailer or is this a replacement for one you already have? If it is your first, I almost guarantee that you will not keep it 10 years with 3 kids. Not that your kids will do anything that will necessarily hurt your trailer, but in the 10 years, the kids will grow, interests will change, tow vehicle will be different, etc. Most new rv owners keep their first units for a few years at most and then move on to something that fits their new needs or get out of the rv lifestyle all together.

My $.02 would be to buy the trailer that you want right now that you are excited about. If you start worrying about 10 years out now, you are not going to enjoy your purchase from the beginning.
This will be our first unit with all 3 kids. We started out with a popup and one kid, 16ft hybrid then 26ft bunkhouse without a slide with two kids. We didn't really use those to any extent. Now the kids are 9, almost 7 and almost 4. They're all much easier to handle out of the house now so we're going to use it a lot more. Based on our experiences with the other three campers and tailgating in my in-laws 3 different motorhomes for Auburn football games the last 14 years, we decided outdoor kitchen, bunks and floor space was important to us. The Jay Feather 25BH fits all of those. I just have the concern with laminated floor. Although, dad is a welder and this one doesn't have an enclosed underbelly so I suppose we could go under and add a few extra cross braces.
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Old 01-07-2018, 08:53 AM   #11
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What are the Feather's amenities?
You can do most mods and upgrades to components and some structural matters yourself. I would go for strength of materials over amenities. You can always add things, but if the unit starts to have major structural issues (floor is major), the amenities will be superfluous in a hurry. You can find a lot of Jay Fights with reduced pricing as spring rolls around; they really have to start moving the 2018s in spring to make way for the 2019s. Or if a unit is hanging around in the spring that was brought to the dealer in the fall, they are going to be aggressive with pricing it for sale. You may need to expand your search beyond your immediate market to score a deal.
Over the 242 with plywood floors, the Feather with laminated floors has additional cabinets, more seating with dinette AND tri-fold sofa, which my sister and nephew would rather sleep on than a jack knife, gas/electric water heater vs just gas, wall mount thermostat. We are buying now so we are ready to go camping by March 1st. We're in the deep south. Winter doesn't last long around here.
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Old 01-07-2018, 09:22 AM   #12
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We have a 2017 25bh and love it. Aside from the light recall, it has been flawless. We had an 07 jay flight and it was rock solid it was just way too small for us. We were looking at the 242 as well but the lack of a sofa steered us away. The 25bh has all the room and storage we need and we couldn't be happier. As far as the longevity of the floor, of course I would rather have plywood floors but I think that proper maintenance is the key here. Good luck with your decision.

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Old 01-07-2018, 10:21 AM   #13
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Based on your posts it sounds like you will not be happy with the layout and amenities of the SLX. I would not buy something I was not happy with, odds are you wont keep it long and take a financial hit by trading if that is the case.
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Old 01-07-2018, 11:13 AM   #14
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This will be our first unit with all 3 kids. We started out with a popup and one kid, 16ft hybrid then 26ft bunkhouse without a slide with two kids. We didn't really use those to any extent. Now the kids are 9, almost 7 and almost 4. They're all much easier to handle out of the house now so we're going to use it a lot more. Based on our experiences with the other three campers and tailgating in my in-laws 3 different motorhomes for Auburn football games the last 14 years, we decided outdoor kitchen, bunks and floor space was important to us. The Jay Feather 25BH fits all of those. I just have the concern with laminated floor. Although, dad is a welder and this one doesn't have an enclosed underbelly so I suppose we could go under and add a few extra cross braces.
The most used part of our Jay Feather 22BHM is the outdoor kitchen and the double over double bunks. Both fit our needs perfectly. Well over 50 nights in the 7 months we have had it and enjoy it more and more each time out.
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Old 01-07-2018, 11:23 AM   #15
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The most used part of our Jay Feather 22BHM is the outdoor kitchen and the double over double bunks. Both fit our needs perfectly. Well over 50 nights in the 7 months we have had it and enjoy it more and more each time out.
It sounds like you're of the opinion, get what makes you happy and enjoy it to the fullest :-). I do know that 3 kids and no slide would be cramped. My kids are very active. Mobile, AL has the most annual rainfall in the country so we have to plan for rainy days :-)
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Old 01-07-2018, 01:00 PM   #16
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It sounds like you're of the opinion, get what makes you happy and enjoy it to the fullest :-). I do know that 3 kids and no slide would be cramped. My kids are very active. Mobile, AL has the most annual rainfall in the country so we have to plan for rainy days :-)
Yep. 100%. I don't buy things to worry about them. Buy them, use them, if I'm lucky enough to live long enough to wear it out, I'll buy another one and enjoy it just the same.

My 2 previous units, an Airstream and a Nash were both solid built, long term units. But, they still got old and needed replacement. I'm hoping to do the same with this Jayco in a few years down the line.
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Old 01-08-2018, 07:36 AM   #17
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Thank you ALL for the feedback. We have ultimately decided to back out on the 25BH because of the questionable floor. We are now deciding between the 242BHS and 267BHS SLX model. It has 5/8" plywood floor and will hold up better for us. My next post will be a picture of it saddled up and ready to go!
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Old 01-08-2018, 12:52 PM   #18
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I just purchased last week a jay feather 25bh as it had all the options and was a lower weight for towing. I just upgraded from the X213 no promlems at all with previous Jayco product. Other than a few minor normal wear and tear issues.
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