Shakedown trip

[Octopus Prime]

We've had our Jayflight 26bh for a few weeks now, and we finally got it to a campground this weekend. We arranged for my parents to meet us in their camper, which proved to be one of our wiser decisions in life.

We knew the weather would not be optimal, but it was really our only weekend available for a shake-down trip before our scheduled March trip.

We left early Saturday morning. It was pleasant and sunny as we hitched up. We followed our hitching directions, and we did well. My husband drove the entire 2+ hours to the campground. Our backup camera did not work for the entire drive.

We were given a pull-through site next to my parents. They watched us unhitch and set-up, allowing us to try it ourselves and available to step in when we had questions.

During my rapid acquisition of all things camper, I failed to read the fine print on my sewer hose that said it didn't come with a hose clamp. My step-dad and husband secured it to the sewer receptacle with duct tape after stuffing several inches of hose down. We also barely had enough hose. The sewer, water, and electric were all so far apart that there wasn't any moving closer. I will be purchasing an additional hose, a connector, and a few hose clamps on my next trip to Walmart.

Our very unlevel and muddy (thanks to rains) site allowed us the opportunity to try out the Anderson levelers. They were easy even for newbies.

I had to check my PDI walk-through notes during set-up, and I'm glad I had them.

We have a water heater that can be powered by both gas and electric. The electric was turned on for several hours before my daughter took her bath. She had only cold water. I turned on the gas, and it was hot in about 20 minutes.

To test it, we turned the gas off and let it only heat on electric through the night. By morning, my husband described the water as "barely lukewarm." Looks like that's another warranty item.

Our fridge took an entire day to cool, but I recall reading that others had the same problem. Once cold, it stayed cold and did the job well.

The kitchen is downright microscopic. I found that I had to make chicken salad in "shifts" by washing dishes and cleaning up after each step.

I thought we were purchasing a trailer that was larger than I wanted. As the rain started pouring that afternoon, I realized how small it was. Jayco claims it sleeps up to ten. That's how many human bodies you can lay in a bed somewhere. That's not how many people can move around in there during a rainstorm, where you can't even put people out under the awning because the wind will rip it off. There are four of us, and I don't think we could have gotten a water moccasin in there if he had paid the site rent. Only one person can walk through the trailer at a time. Everyone else needs to be either in a bed, at the table, or on the sofa.

The bathroom is tiny; my husband is not. He let me know that he learned a whole new meaning of the word "limber" after getting dressed in the bathroom after his morning shower.

We also learned that we will need to create a bungy-contraption for our shoes near the bed and dinette back. I had to crawl through the pass through storage to get my shoes which were under the bed because my husband was getting my son down for his nap.

The rain convinced me that the TV really is a good idea. My husband originally wanted this, and I didn't. When it's rainy, a tv can make children sit in one spot.

I never thought I would use the indoor stove, but the weather kept us from the grill, and the stove cooks quickly and evenly. I like the faucet on the kitchen sink.

We slept well that night, in spite of the thunderstorm with some howling winds. The A/C unit offers excellent white noise, and we found the mattresses comfortable. (Personally, I like an ultra-firm mattress, so no topper for me.)

My oldest loved her upper bunk, and was asleep within a few minutes. My youngest liked his also, but ended up in our bed since we let him nap too late.

The booth dinette was very comfortable for breakfast that morning. We all fit comfortably, and we found the table to have ample space.

When it was time to break camp, the rain started, and we made a few mistakes because we got in a hurry. I forgot to put the cap back on the black/grey tank drain; fortunately, my step-dad noticed.

A bigger issue: I removed the wheel chocks before we started hitching. This could have been bad. I'm glad the trailer didn't roll. It did slip or sink some in the mud. The weight shifted so that the foot of the jack, which we didn't properly pin, flew from under it with the jack foot pads, and the bottom end of the jack sunk in the mud.

Fortunately, my step-father was there to help us, and we were able to raise the jack enough to get it out of the mud and hitch it to the truck. We blew a fuse in the jack, so we had to go manual. We lost the rubber cover to the jack's manual bypass, so we will need to replace that.

Lesson learned about chocks. First thing set. Last thing removed.

I drove us home. I went slow, and I believe that worked in our favor. My step-dad helped my husband get the back-up camera working.
I backed it into the storage unit, and my husband directed me. (It was the opposite when we bought it.) Neither of us can do it alone; it takes both of us to back it, and that's okay. It took us a long time to get it backed into the storage space, but we got it backed in perfectly with no damage to our unit or anyone else's property.

We cleaned our trailer, checked behind each other, and we are finishing up with the washing now. It feels good to know for certain that the place we will sleep on vacation is truly clean. No bed bugs. No fermenting body fluids. No obscure fungi.

We like the trailer, and in spite of our rough shake-down trip, we are happy we bought it. We learned a lot on our trip, and we're grateful my parents were there to help us.

We are looking forward to our trip in March, and (at least) two more trips this summer.

Happy Trails!!

(Pictures in comments.)

[Octopus Prime]

Picture from shake-down trip.

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[nighthawk87]

Really cool write up. I’d say you had it a little worse than most but that’s due to the rain mostly.

Don’t let the cramped space get to you and stop camping. Before that try one with a slide and a bigger bathroom.

Our 26bhs is your floor plan but our dinette and couch are side by side and on a slide. Opens the whole living room up. Was about $5k more than the non slide 26bh

Try it a few more times and maybe you could talk your dealer into getting you one with a slide.


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[nighthawk87]

Also keep in mind how much more space yours has than a tent. Still wayyyyy better.


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[groundhog72]

Nice write up. Brought back alot of memories. It will get alot easier. Regardless of the size or if you have slides or not your family will adapt and make it work. The kids will be grown up too soon and stating how this was the best camper and greatest time of there childhood. Just try to keep in mind your camping..

[wabirch]

Enjoy each trip, hope the warranty stuff is easy for you.

[Octopus Prime]

Thanks all. I know I wrote how cramped it was, but it won't stop us from going, and I certainly won't trade up at this time.
Most of our travels will have us outdoors, and we plan to have an indoor itenerary as a back up when something like that is available.

I think it was a good learning experience, altogether.

I've learned a lot reading on here. I think we would have made more mistakes otherwise.

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[Riich]

That was a great beginning! The next time you are out and the weather is nice you will think you have lots of room! Campers are made for sleeping and nighttime bathroom visits! All the rest is a bonus, a dry room over your head if it rains. And so much nicer than a tent! Enjoy!

[BobWen]

Great write up. Our first trip in our pop up last year was the worst storm we'd had for some time with the wind whipping the tent portion around our head and feet as well as the rain - luckily we had friends with a trailer next to us, so we basically just slept in the pop up. But no leaks and it started us on our search for a travel trailer. The trips were a breeze after that!

We're taking our new (to us) trailer out for our first trip in a couple weeks and if we have the issues you did, we'll consider it a great success! Since we've never had a TT before, we're wondering about how this will go.... glad that you figured stuff out and it was an overall success. Wonderful to have experienced peeps to be there for you.

btw - how did that BBQ work out? We got one with our trailer and also have the nexgrill from Costco. Trying to figure out which we should go with - don't want to take 2. thx

[wags999]

Nice write and glad you had a good time even with the weather. One question, is the sewer hose you have, one the dealer gave you ? Typically those are the cheapest available and have issues fairly quickly. IF so, I would suggest a Rino Hose which comes the fittings you need. You may want to purchase a water pressure regulator also, many places have very high water pressures and you don't need leaks because of too high a pressure. A suggestion to look into and EMS electrical management system and see if you feel that would be advisable.

Hope you have many happy years of camping and enjoying your new TT.

[Octopus Prime]

Originally Posted by BobWen

btw - how did that BBQ work out? We got one with our trailer and also have the nexgrill from Costco. Trying to figure out which we should go with - don't want to take 2. thx

We didn't use the grill on our trip. We were probably there about 24 hours total. It was truly a shake-down trip. (It was really the only time we had before our March trip.)
We made lunch (chicken salad) on arrival day, and the chicken was cooked and chilled before we left.
My parents made dinner, and they wanted to grill at their own trailer.
It rained the rest of the time.

We did hook it up and my dh and dad turned it on to make sure it worked.

Hoping to use it on the March trip.



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[Octopus Prime]

Originally Posted by wags999

Nice write and glad you had a good time even with the weather. One question, is the sewer hose you have, one the dealer gave you ? Typically those are the cheapest available and have issues fairly quickly. IF so, I would suggest a Rino Hose which comes the fittings you need. You may want to purchase a water pressure regulator also, many places have very high water pressures and you don't need leaks because of too high a pressure. A suggestion to look into and EMS electrical management system and see if you feel that would be advisable.

Hope you have many happy years of camping and enjoying your new TT.

Our hose is the dealer hose. It wreaks of cheap. I can see a new hose on our future, but have duct tape and plan to use this one until it springs it's first leak.
The dealer gave me a water pressure regulator, and the EMS was one of the first purchases I made before taking delivery.
You are correct, both the EMS and the regulator are both worthy pieces of equipment I wouldn't want to be without.
It took many years before we could afford our trailer. We plan to take care of it the best we can.
I appreciate all the great advice here.

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[Iraqvet05]

Your observations are on par with ours when it comes to the 26bh. The space is limited and it's really apparent when everyone is stuck inside on those rainy days. We have all learned to deal with it over the years but a slide out TT is in our plans next year. I too struggle a bit with the cramped bathroom and limited space around the queen bed. When I shower, I usually make the kids go to my bed or the sofa and I change behind the bunk curtain for more room.

Don't sweat the small stuff. After a few trips you won't need your checklist as it will become second nature to you.

[Baker1131]

Well done! Our first trip consisted of me nearly clipping a tree while avoiding the removal of an axle on a rock followed by 2 hours of searching for the water heater bypass valves and another 2 hours of searching for the water pump and realizing that I needed to turn the winterization valve to achieve water pressure... Rookies!

Safe travels!

[RAurand]

You did well all things considered.
Reminds me of our camping with our 26BH. We really liked the trailer, but with a family of 5. (3) kids, it became tight on a rainy day.
So, after 3 years, we traded it in on a 28BHBE. Now,,, we love that trailer. Lots more room and a very roomy bathroom. Big walk in shower.
Still don't like narrow paths alongside the queen bed. But it is what it is.

[Siamese]

The long cool down time for the fridge is normal. Not a problem. Figure at least 12 hours for it to be ready. Also, avoid putting things in the fridge that aren't already cold. And, even though the fridge is small, be careful not to fill it too much as the cold air needs to circulate. If too much is packed in there, it won't keep it cold.

You really ought to throw the dealer hose away asap. It's junk. Get the Rhino with the clear adapter/attachment and you won't regret it.

The Anderson levelers are great, aren't they. Remember, if you have a problem with them sinking into the ground, bring along a 4 or 5 foot long piece of deck board to put under them. Sometimes, the board alone is enough to reach level.

the bathroom's a challenge. I put some track in the ceiling of our 26bh to allow us to curtain off the area in front of the bathroom sink. That way, you almost double the move-around space in the bathroom. Close the curtain (we used a brown shower curtain) and leave the bathroom door open. For a quick trip to the bathroom, just use the bathroom door.

Sleeps ten. Now, that there is funny.

[Octopus Prime]

I like that 28bhbe, but the gvwr is too close for my comfort with our tow vehicle.

I know I posted a lot of cons on the 26bh on my shake-down trip report, but I do like it. I still think it was the best choice for us in our price range and towing capabilities.




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[SkyBound]

I know you said it rained the whole time which can really change the dynamic of a trip, but these trailers aren't really meant to spend all day in with your family. It'll do in a pinch, but they're really just a way of containing your stuff and giving you a warm and dry place to sleep at night. Remember this is camping - it's outside living!

As for the water heater, make sure that the circuit breaker in the converter panel is turned on for it. If it's off, the electric heating element will not work.

The 26BH is the most trailer you can buy in its size and weight class - you picked well! Especially since you have a half ton pick-up, there aren't many more options that will tow as well and stay within your limits.

I would recommend looking at a large screened in kitchen tent that you can use to stay dry when it's raining as opposed to being cramped in the camper with other people. A good game of cards around the table with the lantern going is hard to beat on a rainy night.

As for the slide thing, it's a double edged sword. Slides can give you more room and openness inside the trailer but can also be a source of leaks, mechanical troubles, and added weight. My parents have the 26BH and love the reliability and simplicity of it for those reasons.

I think you guys will come to love your trailer. My trailer is very similar to yours (although I do have one small slide), the rear section including the bathroom is the same. I'm 6'4 and 200lbs and I get where your husband is coming from with the space, but you quickly learn how to move and maneuver in it effectively. I kind of enjoy the cozy feeling of it honestly.

My wife, myself, and our two little kids (and 80lb dog) did a 24 night trip in it last summer and were happy and comfy calling it home for the time. You learn how to do it, you learn how to love it.

[Octopus Prime]

Originally Posted by Siamese

Sleeps ten. Now, that there is funny.

[emoji23] That's exactly what we said.

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[87Yugo]

Sounds familiar. First time out on shakedown is always a adventure. I would carry extra fuses, different size clamps and tape. Take you time next time and make a list of what you need. Next time you set up, get your self into a routine, there are lots of youtube videos.

You need to get one of these RV fridge fans to help circulate the cold air. Its pretty good on batteries, but carry spare.

https://www.campingworld.com/fridgec...-on-off-switch

Enjoy, it will get better.