Trading in

Flguy99 · 02-25-2020, 08:01 PM

Hi fellow RV’Rs I’m considering trading my jayco 161 that I really love but I can’t bring all my toys along because of the size. I looked at a 2017 jayco 260 Does anyone out there own this particular trailer looking for pros and cons. I am pulling with a F150 3.5 eco boost with tow package (11500) towing capacity thoughs please

**JFlightRisk** · 02-25-2020, 09:55 PM

http://https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guid...an-260-tr29652

Here's the specs on the 260, if you're looking for them. I can't answer your questions, but hope this may help.

Merrick · 02-26-2020, 08:43 AM

My thoughts are you need a bigger truck.

NVGun40 · 02-26-2020, 10:14 AM

We have a 260. Absolutely love it. Lots of room for our toys plus plenty of water capacity.

Ours is a 2018. After a search, I found the specs for the 2017 to be the same, so this rig has a GVWR of 9995lbs. The tongue weight listed at 820 lb, but that number can vary a bit depending on what you put in it. Depending on load out, our tongue weight comes in between 1150 and 1250 lbs. For sanity purposes, check your TV's payload rating and make sure your payload can handle the weight of your WDH and the tongue weight.
Does the one you are looking at have the on board fuel station?

As you can see in our signature block we tow with a 2500, and when loaded we know she is back there, but I have only been white knuckled one time while towing, and that was in a very strong cross wind.
Some things to keep in mind. Depending on what kind of toy(s) you have, remember to load weight accordingly. We have an Argo. The engine is in the front so when loaded the engine is over the trailers axles. Most SxS's have mid/rear engines and should be backed in. You will find with the fuel station full (if you have it), it adds a bit of weight behind the axles. Couple that with a SxS pulled in or other toys loaded with their weight behind the rear axles and you have a nice recipe for sway.
I hope this helps. if you are looking for more specific information, please ask away.

As for pros and cons. For us, lots of pros. Plenty of room. storage didn't seem like much compared to our previous rig, till we started loading it up and found we actually have more room. Con, it lacks a proper wardrobe closet, but makes up for it with large cabinet space. We remedied the wardrobe issue by being able to fold our coats and such in one of the cabinets because of the large size. Then we added some coat hooks to the wall be the entry to hand the ones we wear daily, and added a tension bar in the bathroom to hang stuff to dry. Another con is the front storage under the bed is a little pain to get things in and out because of the small door size. I strengthened the bed frame and added a hydraulic lift to the bed and that allows me easier access to the storage compartment for the bigger stuff. The slinky stinky hose storage is too short to store a decent sewer hose in. We ended up with a tub which we strap down on the front tongue rack. Turns out we like this better, because it give me more options for leveling block storage, and tools, etc. The final con I can think of is the cabinet above the sink are a bit high. Reaching things in the top shelf toward the back requires something to stand on. Also the cabinet above the refrigerator.
Pros: the long garage ensures an easy fit for our Argo (which is an 8x8, so its a bit on the long side). We also have a 17 foot canoe with an outboard. It fits easily. The batteries have their own compartment which locks. A nice security measure since we use two 6volt batteries and no longer have to worry about theft when the trailer is not in use.

Flguy99 · 02-26-2020, 07:14 PM

Thank you for the info I really don’t want to buy a bigger truck but I love that trailer. We are gonna put a full dressed Victory cruiser and my wife’s can am spyder total weight of toys 1700lbs plus equipment 500 lbs and yes it has the fuel station. What is the towing capacity of your 2500

NVGun40 · 02-27-2020, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flguy99

Thank you for the info I really don’t want to buy a bigger truck but I love that trailer. We are gonna put a full dressed Victory cruiser and my wife’s can am spyder total weight of toys 1700lbs plus equipment 500 lbs and yes it has the fuel station. What is the towing capacity of your 2500

The tow capacity of my Ram is 12000lbs. My payload is 2800. The Argo is 1400lbs. My personal opinion is that you will be fine. You're definitely going to know it's back there. Living in Alaska, with the places I go we have some pretty significant long grades. When all is fully loaded, I can feel it in high cross winds and on the grades. My Ram has the manual transmission so dropping speed while climbing hills is going to happen. I usually just let it drop and downshift to third gear and hold 45-50mph, sit back and relax, and not push it. I could play the down shift and accelerate back up to 60-65, upshift again only to have the speed fall off and have to downshift again, but why. Technically it's easier on the truck to settle on a slower speed and gear where the truck is not working as hard.

When it comes to your Victory and the Spyder, you are going to have to play with how you load them with respect to where the weight is placed in the trailer. i.e., Victory in forward or backward, Spyder in forward or backward, one forward, the other backward, or any other combination thereof, to ensure the weight is spread evenly. Just remember, with a full fuel tank in the fuel station that adds some weight at the rear of the trailer. Too much weight behind the trailer axles will lighten the tongue weight to much and can make the the trailer sway very easily.

Flguy99 · 03-10-2020, 01:06 AM

Has anyone installed a back up camera on a Jayco 260

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