Things to look for

[Medic13]

Hi there,

Being new to the Jayco family, I am hoping that some of the more seasoned owners here can give me some heads up on things to keep an eye on with my 2007 Jay Flight 28RLS.

Thanks in advance

[Spike99]

.

I have a 2006 Jayco 29FBS. If I had to buy it, I'd focus on:
- Ensure all appliances work properly. Especially the expensive items like fridge (in different power mods), its stove, its microwave, its slide motors, its convertor, etc. etc.
- Ensure the hot water tank runs on both gas and electric.
- Ensure all tanks (fresh, grey, black) are good as well.
- Ensure 12V water pump works.
- Crawl on the roof and do detailed inspection of its roof. Within my region, RV EDPM roofs only last 10-15 years. It all depends where the RV was stored (inside or out) and if previous owner did yearly cleaning / caulking inspections. Very, very critical the previous owner did annual roofs inspections and where needed, applied dicor caulking and/or ether-bond tape over its natural aging cracks.
- Focus on the Tire Date (date they were made) as well. Just like in the automobile industry, RV tires should be replaced every 5 years. And, "must be" replaced every 7 years. If tires older than 7 years from the creation date, get them replaced.

For my 2006 Jayco, I removed every one of its 11 windows and re-sealed them (by removing their factory foam and installing brutal caulk, then add proflexRV adhesive). During this DIY fix on its year 4, I noticed 3 of its windows were leaking and 1 was leaking really bad. They were leaking inside the wall cavity and they had no outer signs of outer leaking. If not done already (by previous owner or RV dealer), I'd remove its many windows and re-seal the proper way. re:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3cotw1F8Ww

For your Jayco, look for its Hot Water tank location. If HW tank is within storage compartment that can have other stuff in the compartment, see if that "stuff" can slide into the HW tank. On my Jayco, I bought a steel screen (at local home hardware store) and installed it "around" my HW tank. Very easy and low cost DIY upgrade. Now, the HW tank can breath, I can see if its leaking and most importantly, any "stuff" cannot slam or fall against the HW tank - that could create a fire. Very simply DIY fix - using common home hardware store parts.

If RV Dealer is selling the RV, get them to pull/inspect every brake drum. If needed, get them to install new parts. And since wheel hubs are off, get them to re-fresh its wheel bearing grease as well. If private seller, you get trailer delivered to your RV dealer and the seller pays for the cost. If wondering, I bought my first trailer "AS IS" and after doing my own Brake Inspections afterwards, I had to replace all of its 4 x brake assembly and 4 x drums. Expensive Lessons Learned. Don't make the same costly mistake I did.

If RV Dealer selling trailer, get them to include a 30 day end/end repair inclusion. If anything breaks (or found broken) in 30 days, they fix - 100%. If leaks within 6 months, they fix 100% as well. If wondering, my one buddy bought a used RV and got the 6 months water leak inclusion. Guess what happened on month 4? Today, my buddy has a brand new roof on his RV (RV dealer payed 100% of it).

I don't know your exact model and floor plan. But knowing what I know today, get a layout that allows a longer mattress to be installed. I installed a much better house queen (which is 7" longer) in my Jayco. And, threw away its factory RV Queen (short) mattress in the trash. That 7" longer Queen mattress allows a comfortable sleep.

Hope these items help….

[Doug]

Spike99 has it covered pretty good.

Nice job

Doug

[Denise]

Great advice Spike!

[Bassdogs]

The previous poster pretty much covered the total "laundry list" of things to check out, IF YOU HAVE THE TIME while viewing and checking out the camper. My concern is that until you have narrowed it down to want to buy this one, you'd be spending half a day with each unit you looked at. Chances are you won't have that much time so my list is a lot shorter.

1] Water leaks!! : Do a little bouncy as you walk around inside and feel for excessive softness. Pay particular attention around the entry doors, kitchen area, and bathroom but also check out the corners and under the windows.

2]Water leaks!! ; Look and feel the seams in the interior walls and areas around the windows and pay attention to any bulges or loose fitting wallboard.

3] Water leaks!! ; Get underneath and look at any part of the underbelly that is exposed. You're looking for any signs of areas showing evidence of leaks. Look at the bottom edges of the walls and watch for any evidence of damage. Kind of like what paneling looks like if left on the floor of a wet garage.

4] Water leaks!! ; Get up on the roof and walk around "carefully" and feel for any spongy areas. Some roofs are not really designed to be walked on so be gentle. Usually if water has penetrated a seam or around an opening, the thin louan under the rubber skin will come loose at a seam. Like the previous poster said check out the caulking for evidence of abuse or excessive aging.

Ok so I'm kind of obsessed with water leaks. Let me tell you that Water damage is the single most damaging thing with a TT. Appliances can be replaced and may be expensive but not a real show stopper for future use. Its important to check them out but they can work fine and still die on your first outing. Anything over 6 or 7 years old will have age on the appliances. Don't expect them to last forever. Check out all the lights and electrical equipment to make sure everything works. Look over the interior for excessive wear on couches etc and don't worry about the mattress. If its the original you'll want to trash it anyway. I've got a new one in my barn that came with my new White Hawk. Came out the day I got it home and replaced with a premium mattress from camping world.

Used is used so don't expect like new regardless of how it is advertised. Nothing [and I'm speaking from experience] will destroy the value of a TT more or will be harder and more expensive to repair than extensive water damage. Everything else should be looked over to determine what you are willing to pay.

[Medic13]

Thanks guys,

I think I pretty much did it right with the exception of walking on the roof when we chose it. It was a private sale from someone and when we got there he already had it plugged in and everything running with the exception of the water pump and hot water tank. The fridge was on and both it and the freezer were cold, the roof is a 1 piece and when I looked at it off the ladder i didn't see any cracks or bubbling, the tires are new last year and were replaced due to age, and both propane tanks are also well within their expiry. The only thing I may need to replace in the near future is the battery which is 3 years old and was unable to open the slide without being plugged into another source. When plugged in the slide opened and closed smoothly and the motor didn't have any unusual sounds. The floor felt solid across the entire camper and everything seemed to open and close as it should and I didn't see any signs of water marks on the walls or any signs of water staining or rot underneath.

The mattress SUCKS and is #1 on the to purchase list lol.

After reading Spike99's post I am going out to put some water in the tank and make sure that it holds water as well as the black and grey storage tanks, as well as fire up the water heater on electric and gas. As for R&Ring the windows and resealing them, that may have to wait till closer to fall or next spring once we have decided to put the TT away for the year. Thank god for You-tube for that project as I can say I'm a little hesitant to try it without seeing it first lol. The water heater is in a space by itself with very little extra room so I do not anticipate putting anything else in there but will definitely keep the screen in mind if we do decide to use it for a storage space.

thanks again for your input and assistance. Good to know there are people out there that are still willing to help others out.

[Bassdogs]

One more thing. If no visible problems around the windows, I'd be careful and give 2nd thought before pulling the windows. Maybe pick one near the front or rear of the TT as you get a lot of extra run off from the corner eves. You ought to get a good feel for the quality of the caulking from pulling a couple of windows. If everything looks good with those 2, I'd leave the rest alone. You're likely to cause a problem if you don't get things lined up and resealed right on the reinstallation. I would check the door more than worry about all the windows. I had water damage to the floor just inside the entry door and found that the manufacturer folded over the caulkiing across the top when it was originally installed and there was effectively no caulking to seal the top of the door. Water ran down the side and frame of the door and got into the subfloor. Initially wrote it off to water from entering when raining and dripping from boots. Remember the important caulking is not what you see around the outside of the window frame. RVs use a rubber caulking tape that is applied around the opening and smashed together between the wall and the window frame. That little outer edge you see will likely be cracked on a 5 yr old TT. That usually is not indicative of a window that needs recaulking. Trying to put a new bead along the outside window frames is a messy task often leaving an unsightly mess that will darken quickly due to exposure to the weather. Don't create a problem that doesn't exist. Its really a dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. Check a couple windows and the main entry door and stop there unless you find something with them.

If the TT is 5 years old with no problems on the walls [inside or out] and there are no obvious issues, the original install was probably good. A bad one like mine usually shows up in year 3 - 4 after the warranty runs out. Don't expect any help from the dealer on anything after the warranty is over.

[Spike99]

For re-sealing the windows on my 2006 Jayco (on its year 4), I did 2 x windows each weekend. And, did the front bay window in 1 weekend. Suggest starting with windows on the far side, obtain experience - before doing the front and door side windows. Simply remove the window, remove its factory foam (that always leaks in time), apply RV brutal putty, then re-install. Then, apply some proflexRV adhesive around its outer edge. As shown in above video clip, it sounds more complex than it is. It really is a DIY task. For my RV, it I did 2 of 11 of its windows and if those first 2 windows are OK and assumed the rest were ok, then my trailer would be screwed today. Glad I did all 11 of my RV Jayco windows. As stated within the video, "one doesn't want a window leaking inside its wall cavity - where it cannot be seen".

If wondering, I'll be re-sealing windows on my next RV - regardless of its brands. RV + water leaks = very bad. Especially when water leaks cannot be seen (until its too late).

[Bassdogs]

Difference of opinion I guess. And for the record, the butyl [never heard of brutal] rubber used by RV manufacturers comes in a tape [maybe 3/4" wide] and is applied as I described before. If properly applied when the unit was built you'll probably find that its still in good condition after 5 or longer years. The rubber compound does not dry and become brittle where it is sealed behind the window frame. I purchased the butyl rubber tape on line [ppl I think] and ordered a case of the 1" which is wider and thicker than what is used by most manufacturers. That was recommended to me by other DIY RV'ers. If you find foam as a sealant behind your windows, I would definitely remove them all and reseal with BRubber which is available in DIY caulking tubes at most hardware stores. I would use the tape on the windows and doors.

You might want to check your storage compartment doors. None of them was sealed at all on my Keystone.

All of this is just my opinion. Use your best judgement and prioritize accordingly.