Newbie bought 2017 Hummingbird 17RB

[Cattleman]

Hello Jayco Owners,
We are among to “Covid Campers”, people that are choosing to us an RV instead of airlines and hotels. So we are very much newbies to the equipment and lifestyle.

We went to a reputable local family owned dealer, Root’s in Mitchell IN and looked through their considerable new and used inventory. We saw the 2017 Jayco Hummingbird 17RB and it met all of our expectations. We are now prepping for a long trip out west to visit family.

This website has been invaluable in knowing more about the Hummingbird and various improvements. I still have much to read here to learn more.

I’d like to share a few things I’ve done in case it will help others.

First thing we noticed is no vent or window in the bathroom. I can imagine that if we stop along the way to use the facility, and the trailer is stifling hot, it would be good to vent a bit. So I replaced the passive vent above the kitchen with a Fan-tastic fan model 1250. I followed instructions I’d read and fished power wires from a near by ceiling light.

I’ll post more info later as I have time. Thanks!

[Jim Davis]

Welcome and it sounds like you are off to a good start.


Also there is a Hummingbird Facebook that you might want to check.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/Humm...?ref=bookmarks

[wiscampsin]

Welcome from Wisconsin. Congrats and enjoy your 2017 Jayco Hummingbird 17RB.

[fochman]

Welcome from York County, South Carolina! I'm originally from La Porte, IN.

[hummy]

Welcome! We have the same year and model and have winter 3 years in Fl. in are little hummingbird!

[Herewegoagain]

I’m about to get a 2017 17RB as well. Just found out about the vent issue yesterday. Did the maxxair fan help?

[hummy]

I put a 4" 12v exhaust fan with a light behind and to the lower right of the toilet. It exhaust into the outside storage compartment. I see now the new birds have one above the shower.

[Cattleman]

Glad to hear Jayco stepped up and added a bath fan.
And yes the fan is a big improvement, I especially like the ability to exhaust out or pull in air, depending on the need.

We just finished two weeks of traveling and staying in the Hummingbird. It worked great for the wife and I. I’ll share some upgrades that served us well:
- Andersen No-Sway weight distributing hitch. Easy install and smoothed out the ride.
- wireless Rear camera on the back of trailer. I moved the spare tire as far to the left as I could without covering the license plate and mounted the camera in black diamond plate. Ran power through the frame tube to the front of the trailer.
- cool gel foam mattress from Amazon. Was comfortable for the 15 nights we slept on it.
- Camco magnetic bumper covers. Others had noted the factory covers loosened or fell off. When I stopped to refuel, they were always working loose. These Camco covers not only stay in place, but help to extract the sewer pipe.
- Quick products 12 vdc fan. When we boondocked and could not use the AC, this fan and the ceiling vent fan were life savers.
- Carlisle ST205/75-14 Load range D tires, 2040 lb rating at 65 psi, 81 mph rated. The OE Load Range C tires were rated at 1760 lbs at 50 psi, not sure of speed rating. At one point I weighed the trailer axle at a Cat scale. It was 3220 lb with empty tanks and axle rated at 3500 lb. so while the C tires were enough (barely) to match the axle rating, did not leave much margin.

We had a great long trip: 15 days, nearly 4000 miles. The Hummingbird did exactly what we wanted: to provide us with our own bed, bath and kitchen. We were able to avoid situations that might cause Covid19 exposure. The F150 (5.0L V8) only got about 11 mpg pulling the Hummingbird at ~69 mph, as opposed to 19 mpg normally, but it maintained speed even on inclines.

While in Twin Falls Idaho, I called the Jayco factory to ask about factory tours. They said tours were suspended due to the virus. So later I hope to either tour that factory or the one in Middlebury Indiana.

[Cattleman]

Originally Posted by hummy

I put a 4" 12v exhaust fan with a light behind and to the lower right of the toilet. It exhaust into the outside storage compartment. I see now the new birds have one above the shower.

If possible please share photos of this installation. Thanks!

[Herewegoagain]

Originally Posted by Cattleman

If possible please share photos of this installation. Thanks!

That’s a good idea to avoid having to cut through any fiberglass. Does it work or does the storage compartment get damp from showers?

[Herewegoagain]

Originally Posted by Cattleman

Glad to hear Jayco stepped up and added a bath fan.
And yes the fan is a big improvement, I especially like the ability to exhaust out or pull in air, depending on the need.

We just finished two weeks of traveling and staying in the Hummingbird. It worked great for the wife and I. I’ll share some upgrades that served us well:
- Anderson No-Sway weight distributing hitch. Easy install and smoothed out the ride.
- wireless Rear camera on the back of trailer. I moved the spare tire as far to the left as I could without covering the license plate and mounted the camera in black diamond plate. Ran power through the frame tube to the front of the trailer.
- cool gel foam mattress from Amazon. Was comfortable for the 15 nights we slept on it.
- Camco magnetic bumper covers. Others had noted the factory covers loosened or fell off. When I stopped to refuel, they were always working loose. These Camco covers not only stay in place, but help to extract the sewer pipe.
- Quick products 12 vdc fan. When we boondocked and could not use the AC, this fan and the ceiling vent fan were life savers.
- Carlisle ST205/75-14 Load range D tires, 2040 lb rating at 65 psi, 81 mph rated. The OE Load Range C tires were rated at 1760 lbs at 50 psi, not sure of speed rating. At one point I weighed the trailer axle at a Cat scale. It was 3220 lb with empty tanks and axle rated at 3500 lb. so while the C tires were enough (barely) to match the axle rating, did not leave much margin.

We had a great long trip: 15 days, nearly 4000 miles. The Hummingbird did exactly what we wanted: to provide us with our own bed, bath and kitchen. We were able to avoid situations that might cause Covid19 exposure. The F150 (5.0L V8) only got about 11 mpg pulling the Hummingbird at ~69 mph, as opposed to 19 mpg normally, but it maintained speed even on inclines.

While in Twin Falls Idaho, I called the Jayco factory to ask about factory tours. They said tours were suspended due to the virus. So later I hope to either tour that factory or the one in Middlebury Indiana.

Thanks for the tips! We are planning to get the used 17RB to avoid flying and hotels during the pandemic too. Had a fifth wheel many years ago that we sold and didn’t plan on getting another. Quite disappointing to find out that the bathroom doesn’t have a vent. Having second thoughts about the 2017 17RB because of that.
So it sounds like you managed fine despite the issue.

[hummy]

Might take awhile,I have a tough time putting pics up. Glad to hear you had a great time! Hummy hasn't moved since April.2019. Wife and I had plans for Tn. But with this virus everything is on hold including Florida for the winter. We bought are hummingbird for that reason to get away from Erie,Pa. harsh snow. Hopefully a vaccine will come soon? No the storage area is bone dry, It helps a lot. The light is to bright though so we only use the fan. Found it on E-Bay I think it was for a boat! Wife said it was ship from China! yikes. I wouldn't be discourage on buying because of no vent.To many pluses then minus. A fan in the bathroom is a easy problem to fix! To be honest it's not that bad. Buy a couple bottles of V.I.Poo air spray which works fantastic

[Cattleman]

Originally Posted by Herewegoagain

Having second thoughts about the 2017 17RB because of that.
So it sounds like you managed fine despite the issue.

Not having a window or vent in the bath worried me too.
But after experiencing several hot showers, and by using the power roof vent we added above the kitchen and leaving the bath door open, moisture was managed well enough.

[Herewegoagain]

Originally Posted by Cattleman

Not having a window or vent in the bath worried me too.
But after experiencing several hot showers, and by using the power roof vent we added above the kitchen and leaving the bath door open, moisture was managed well enough.

Was the fan easy to install? You sound like quite the handyman though.

[Cattleman]

If I was handy enough to post photos of the installation I would! But I will describe the process.

-old vent came out easily. The interior flange was held by 4 screws, on the roof all the screws were easily removed once the sealing putty was scraped off (not too bad).
- had to poke power wires through the foam from the 14” square vent hole to the LED light nearby. Spliced into the light wires. Of course this means the fan will only operate when the light switch is ON.
- installed the fan into the hole. Sealed the outside with Dicor self leveling sealant, and had to trim the inside flange to the correct depth. Took maybe two hours.

A definite improvement. And I paid a bit extra to get the reversible flow model of Fantasticfan.

[travelingjw]

Welcome. When I joined I also learned and am still learning a lot. I find that I get as much enjoyment doing mods on the TT as anything else.

[Herewegoagain]

Would really like to see pictures of your installations . Have you tried the following?
1) Click on Manage Attachments
2) in the next window that pops up, click Choose File.
3) Select the picture from your photo library
4) Repeat Step 3 if you have more pictures
5) When done choosing the pictures, click on Upload
6) type your text in the regular message box. Then click Submit Reply

[LuckyDuck]

To avoid sideways photos, do a slight crop on your original before uploading it. Doesn’t have to be more than a sliver but that seems to always keep mine right side up, whether it’s a vertical or horizontal.

[Cattleman]

Thanks to the instructions from herewegoagain, I will attempt to post pics of the fan installation.

[Cattleman]

And now I know how to post photos, there is no stopping me!
In case anyone wants to see the Andersen hitch installed, here it is.