Newbie looking 2 buy 2019JayFlight32BHDS

[G8rNrs]

Hi everyone!

I’m new to the forum & new to the RV WORLD!! We haven’t bought ours yet because I keep chickening out.
Jayco is my 1st choice but some of the bad reviews scare me so I’m looking for advice from others who have this model. Also, if you’re willing to disclose what you paid I don’t have a trade in...RV dealers are worse then car salesman I have spent 3 months going back and forth and still no clue what’s the best deal. Each dealer trashes the other brand making me think my Jayco is going to fall apart the second I drive it away.
A lot of the things I read about on here are foreign language which also scares me. Our home was invaded by water, we are moving into the RV until construction is completed so I need this unit to hold up. AND I need to buy a unit NOW I’ve been traveling to Mayo Clinic for possible cancer workup so my time is very limited & hubby is working a ton to make up for me not working.
RV needs to withstand my 8yo and 2 small dogs and 250lb hubby.
Alright RV wizards 🧙 please help this lost RV buying soul😳!
Greatly Appreciated & God Bless! Soooooo glad I found this forum!!!!!!❤️

[Siamese]

Jayco was purchased a couple years ago by Thor, the company that makes most of the brands you'll find, including Airstream. Was Jayco quality better prior to the Thor purchase? Jury's still out on that one, but it's probably still as good or better than many. We've had our Jayco 26BH (one of the first Thor units) for 2.5 years now, with almost no problems. Only warranty issue was a hole in a line that pulls water from the water tank for the plumbing system. Simple fix.

The queen bed was not sufficient to hold one 160lb. person, and two medium size cats. I had to reinforce it a little, and now it's fine, but this is the sort of thing you have to expect, and not be bothered that you have to spend $10 and two hours making a simple fix.

Whether you can expect your new unit to be reasonably trouble free is anyone's guess. There's certainly some risk, but I doubt anyone can tell you how much.

In my opinion, you're right about most dealers being like used car salesmen. It's a group of people among whom I would not look for honesty and virtue.

In terms of how much you should spend on the unit you choose, a ballpark figure would be MSRP minus 30%. And, maybe they throw in a good weight distribution hitch. I would caution you against buying any of the snake oil that dealers like to sell, like an extended warranty or special coatings that include some fabulous guarantee, etc.. It's just ADP (added dealer profit).

You'll see much discussion on this forum about doing a proper PDI...pre delivery inspection. Your dealer will be happy to sell you a new unit with problems. If they have consciences, they aren't affected by selling defective units. Won't bother them one little bit. Check this site for a good list of things to check. DO NOT be shy about doing a thorough inspection before you sign and commit. You CANNOT trust these people, and you are to blame if you miss something. Run the hot water, the furnace, air conditioner, everything. Don't let them hurry you. Oh, and get on that roof for a thorough inspection. If they say their insurance won't allow it, I hope you know the two magic words to tell them as you walk away for good.

A trailer isn't maintenance free. It's the owner's responsibility to make sure the sealant in the roof and elsewhere is maintained to avoid leaks. Your warranty won't cover any leaks if you don't.

Trailers are built light and flimsy compared to a regular home, and it's useful to be just a little bit handy to correct any small things that come up.

Are you going to park it in a fixed location? Do you have the appropriate vehicle to tow? Are you going to have someone deliver it to your lot and leave it there? I'm asking, because if you have a warranty issue, what happens if you have to take the trailer to the dealer for repair, and they keep it for a few weeks? Or, will they come to your campground to fix it? If you can get a promise from a dealer to make house calls, how do you know they'll honor it.

Personally, I would make an effort to find some other short term solution like an apartment, where there is less risk. With the issues you're facing right now, how well can you tolerate additional problems? If I was in a similar situation, I would greatly prefer to find some sort of rental on an apartment or condo to avoid risk. If you decide a tin house on wheels is the answer, I'd say Jayco is as good or better than pretty much anything out there.

[oldmanAZ]

Welcome to the forum and happy RV shopping.

Jayco has been the #1 selling brand for YEARS. MOST of us on this forum are happy with Jayco and believe they offer the 'best bang for the buck.'

Major problems are rare and can usually be caught before buying by doing a through Pre-Delivery Inspection. Most RVs are not perfect no matter the brand and price range. Personally, I would be leery of any dealer that tries to make their brand look good by saying the other brand(s) are worse!

We sometimes use abbreviations etc. that can be confusing. If you have questions, please ask! There are lots of helpful, friendly folks on this site.

RE: Prices... A rule of thumb I've seen mentioned here is usually 30% off the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price). If older models are still on the dealer's lot, you could do better than that. BUT, I haven't been trailer shoppping for a while and if I'm wrong, I'm sure you'll see someone correct me before too long.

[smithmdsmith]

Quick reply because I'm headed out the door:

Price - buying new, you want to be about 30% below MSRP including options.

Build Quality - generally all RVs are poorly built when compared to your house, your car, etc. I've owned multiple RVs from multiple manufacturers and have had some problems with all of them.

Will this trailer work for you - How long will you live in it?

In Florida in a trailer this size, you want/need 50-amp service and 2 A/C units.

It sounds like you won't be moving the trailer around once you get it set up, but what kind of tow vehicle do you have? Or will you have it delivered to your location?

I'll try to come back to this post later. I'm sure you'll get plenty of responses.

[Tinyhse]

There are many options out there for you.
Once you've made your purchase do your walk through and demo with a certified RV Inspector. It will be worth every penny.
My 2018 has been sitting at the dealer since October 5th. last year.
The dealer misdiagnosed a serious frame/structural issue from the factory that was revealed by the RV Inspector.
Join other forums and talk to as many people as possible. Get to an RV show
and snoop around. When your at the show meet with other people and talk to them about their rigs.
Don't rush into anything.
Currently I'm out thousands of dollars on an RV that I used twice, but on a good note the support I've received from Jayco has been outstanding.
Good luck in your search.

[Johnny Lightning]

You can find a checklist here https://rv.org/pages/rv-checklist. If you happen to look around the site it has some good information, but please don't let them scare you to death, not everything is as bad as the site may make it seem. However I do agree with the other poster that an apartment may be your best bet if it's a short term thing. If not you may want to look at a used unit. Most of the time the factory defects have been fixed and it will be cheaper. If you do purchase an new unit remember that if you don't get it in writing it's probably not going to happen, even if you do it may not. Good luck and I hope your medical issues come out well.

[justlb33]

Welcome to the forum!! I am also a newbie. Listen to these guys on here. So much useful information at your fingertips. That is about all the advice I can give. We did buy a 2019 28bhs JF and love it. We have done 3 trips with it and I can't stop thinking about spring and how soon we can go again. We bought from General RV and I believe we ended up getting it for about 40% less MSRP.

I've learned a ton on this forum, so after you purchase stick around.

[RetiredLEO]

Hi, thoughts are with you. Without a doubt Mayo is one of the very best. My wife is in the Med field and she sings high praises for them and especially Cancer Centers Of America.

Which type are you thinking of? Model? Floorplan?

We are shopping also waiting for my wife to retire. I have been researching like crazy, much time on my part especially. We are looking at Class C's but what I have learned so far:
Basically most RV's have small problems, a few can have large problems. Jayco does have a two year warranty which does beat other manufacturers except Entegra which is a sister company to Jayco for motor coaches.

I have looked at Winnebago's also as they are in the same price line as Jayco BUT they are not immune from their problems either. It seems like Jayco/Entegra gives a little and sometimes a lot more for the money. PLUS a huge dealer network.
I would steer away from any dealer who's best shot at a sale is to run down the competition.
You have found a great resource here to learn and get the thoughts of MANY knowledgeable owners.
PLEASE feel free to ask anything......there are no dumb questions

[GarlicDude]

We've had our Jayco for 2 years without any major issues. Ours was a pre Thor build. Our's is a very basic unit, no slide outs, no fireplace, slide out porch, the point being in my opinion the simpler your requirements are the better luck your going to have with warranty issues or problems down the road, my opinion.

It helps to be a bit handy to take care of the small fixes instead of turning to the dealer, also for long term maintenance. In our case the propane regulator failed early on and I replaced it myself with a better unit instead of turning to the dealer for another Chinese POS. Replaced
a cheap heater thermostat with a better digital one.

Most of the stoves, refrigerators, AC units, heater and the like are made by 2 companies and their warranties apply. Jayco's 2 year warranty applies only to the Jayco stuff.

Completed a 5000 mile 4 week on the road trip this year without any problems, I'm a happy Jayco camper.

Best,
Steve

[sporty570]

We have a 31 qbds and love it. Offers lots of room and we really love that the master is a decent size and in the back of the trailer.

Obviously you aren't going to find the perfect trailer. As with time, you find the little things that you wish you have or different with the trailer.

Happy shopping
Cheers!

[LuckyDuck]

We, too, were newbies just a year ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t discover this great site until after we bought. Nevertheless, we have been very happy with our Jayco. The two-year warranty was a big reason we went with Jayco. Like Garlic Dude, we kept it simple — no slides and big enough to be comfortable but no bigger than necessary. Take your time browsing, look at lots of floor plans and don’t be afraid to go back a couple of times to look again. Try to envision your daily routine in the coach — is there room to cook, is the bathroom big enough, are you comfortable watching TV on the couch? What we first thought would be perfect we now realize would have been too small. Lastly, listen to the great folks here on JOF — they are terrific!

[vwprostock]

So not exact but close...we have a 2018 324 BHTS.

Overall super happy with the trailer. Bought in April, used it probably 25 nights so far.

Build quaity has been fine. Nothing perfect, but good. I hate the on demand Girard hot water heater, but I heard they quit using them for 2019 so thats a non issue. My GFI likes to pop, mostly when sitting in my driveway, but will have the dealer look at it in a month or so when I have them to their inspection of slides and roof as part of their add on warranty.

SO overall very happy with mine.

[Tinyhse]

Haylett RV does a great YouTube walk through of the 32BHDS

https://youtu.be/-8Q-PKX85_M

[apr1967]

I used rvdirect.com to look at reasonable prices even if I am not going to buy from them. I figure my local shop deserves to make a bit more than rv direct, but not more than 5%.

One thing I wanted and why we have what we have is a full queen size bed, not a short one. And a door between our room and the rest of the rv.

[sbarlag]

I've been to Jayco Masters Training twice, once before the Thor purchase, and in my opinion, the quality hasn't changed,,,still great. Jayco's been the best selling unit for more than a dozen years. One post compared us RV salesmen to car salesmen. That's an unfair and baseless comment, made out of ignorance, and perhaps an unfortunate experience. In any event, Jayco is a fantastic product which I recommend with a completely clear conscious. Live your vision...not your circumstance...

[Cubfan]

A big consideration is the proximity and the quality of the dealer. I prefer the small mom n pop dealer to the national stores. I am on my second Jayco with a Sunset Trail (poor quality) in between. If the local dealer is a little pricey than one 250 miles away, for me local is best. The quality and scheduling of service tends to be better where you buy the trailer. It is not like buying a car where you can take it wherever. Some dealers will only service what they sell. Good luck and hope your memories are good. Best wishes at Mayo.

[LuckyDuck]

Originally Posted by sbarlag

I've been to Jayco Masters Training twice, once before the Thor purchase, and in my opinion, the quality hasn't changed,,,still great. Jayco's been the best selling unit for more than a dozen years. One post compared us RV salesmen to car salesmen. That's an unfair and baseless comment, made out of ignorance, and perhaps an unfortunate experience. In any event, Jayco is a fantastic product which I recommend with a completely clear conscious. Live your vision...not your circumstance...

Scott, you make a great point — we shouldn’t generalize about everyone based on some bad actors. I was a newspaper journalist for 31 years and a city administrator for 10 more after that. We all know what people think about the media and government, but truly there are skilled, honest, hard-working people in both. Our salesman at a local mom and pop dealer was the clincher, not price, in us buying there and we never regretted it. He was honest and became a friend. Unfortunately, they were bought out later by CW — we’ll see how it goes now.

[Octopus Prime]

I'm sorry to hear about all that you're going through right now, especially with illness.

Our house also flooded during Hurricane Harvey in August of 2017. We completed the very last items on the structure of the house in December of 2018. I know it's a long process.

We started "camping" in our house three months after the flood. It was at that point that the house was dried in, had working electricity and plumbing. We had planned to purchase a trailer for traveling prior to the flood. Just over five months after, we finally purchased ours.
We never did live in it, and I wouldn't have wanted to. I don't think most trailers are up to that (and yes, I know people do live in them). We parked it outside of the house and used it when tradespeople were working on a given system in the house. When cabinets were being put in, I had to use the kitchen in the camper to cook. When showers were being tiled, we had to get cleaned up in the camper. One night, some trades were working late in the house, so I put the kids to bed in the camper (fun for them). Only one night. This worked for us. It just supplemented our house.
We have two children, and the oldest could tear up an anvil. Where they can rough-house in our sticks-and-bricks house without damaging anything, a trailer is more delicate. They can't swing from the edge of the top bunk like monkeys at the zoo. They can't catapult over the edge of the dinette or sofa. In fact, I usually make them stay outside when we camp. I can't imagine if we had to live in it for long periods.

In addition, our trailer has been back at the dealership after almost every trip for some type of warranty item. The dealer has always repaired it in a timely fashion without complaint; however, this could put us in a predicament had it been our only source of housing.

It's not a bad deal to have a camper to keep you near the Mayo Clinic. It would likely be comforting to have your own bedding and things while dealing with something so heavy. Having said that, it would be best to keep alternate housing options on hand should your unit need service.

While in flood recovery, many of my neighbors (85% of my town flooded, and the majority of us had never flooded before and were not in the flood plain) did the same as we did--they "camped" in their houses and used their trailers (whether personal or FEMA issued) to do what their houses couldn't.

Is your house gutted and dried out yet? If so, get to a point where it is dried in and you can safely move back in. Get it to a point where you can comfortably "camp" in it. (We bought a real bed, and the kids had mattresses on the floor for awhile.) This way, if your camper needs service, you have a house to stay in.

With Mayo Clinic, know that you might need a hotel occasionally.

[mcderyan]

Originally Posted by sbarlag

I've been to Jayco Masters Training twice, once before the Thor purchase, and in my opinion, the quality hasn't changed,,,still great. Jayco's been the best selling unit for more than a dozen years. One post compared us RV salesmen to car salesmen. That's an unfair and baseless comment, made out of ignorance, and perhaps an unfortunate experience. In any event, Jayco is a fantastic product which I recommend with a completely clear conscious. Live your vision...not your circumstance...

Every industry has people who don't share the same morals etc. I know here in Ontario Canada, Car sale people are mandatory members of an organization that expects a certain level of professionalism among other things. They also handle complaints. Correct me if I am wrong, but at least here, RV sales people do not have to belong to such a professional organization.

In my recent experience, I have encountered both extremely qualified, friendly, and honest sales staff, and the equivalent of "old gill" from the simpsons. One would not even get out of her golf cart, and could not answer many of my questions, which I knew the answer to some of, but was asking as a way of judging how competent she was. She failed the test...

I think due to the build quality vs purchasing a car or truck or many other things, the salesperson get some of the blame. Simply due to the fact they are your first and main contact through the purchase process.

[mohok1]

Try for 2018 that a dealer needs to move. The unit would be at least 15 months old. Have you considered shopping for a good used unit that some one needs to unload. In my humble opinion the 1st 2 to 3 yrs ownership of a new unit is a shakedown cruise each time you take it out or at least mine was. 2009 32BHDS which I purchased in Feb 2010 at 32% off MRSP because it was over 1 yr old. The repairs ranged fro minor to major.