Very disappointed with Jayco's quality and workmanship.

LuscombeFlyer · 10-08-2017, 01:24 PM

I've been working these last couple of weekends to replace the kitchen counter top in our 3-year old Jayco camper. I can't tell you how disappointed I am in this camper. It's ridiculous that it should even be necessary to replace a counter top so soon, but here we are. And I have spent a good deal of time and money making previous repairs on this camper.

It seems that whenever Jayco saw an opportunity to save a few nickels by choosing a cheaper but less suitable/durable material, they eagerly took it. If there was a way to save a few seconds by cutting corners on craftsmanship they did. Jayco's warranty very specifically excludes damages due to moisture; well, no wonder, it appears that little time, effort, or materials were put into actually sealing the interior of the camper from the intrusion of humid air, nor in choosing materials that aren't especially susceptible to moisture damage.

This 195RB is our first RV, so I can't really compare it to other brands, maybe they are no better. Is Jayco's workmanship and material selection pretty typical of RVs in general? Or am I expecting too much from an inexpensive model; are other, higher end, Jayco models better?

clubhouse · 10-08-2017, 01:44 PM

Expecting to much from the RV industry in general.

I'm aware of a Tiffen DP class A and Airstream TT, both are much much more expensive but they have all the same issues.

The extra $ gets you better styling, maybe some nicer finishes (i.e. Solid surface counters or glass shower doors); but they all have issues.

Not until consumers universally speak with their wallets you can expect zero change in the industry.

JeremyFr · 10-08-2017, 03:14 PM

10bux for some damprid probably could have helped, we always have dehumidifying materials in our trailer when not in use, never once had any issues with moisture and we live in the Northwest so damp air is a normal thing here.

Grumpy · 10-08-2017, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuscombeFlyer

Jayco's warranty very specifically excludes damages due to moisture; well, no wonder, it appears that little time, effort, or materials were put into actually sealing the interior of the camper from the intrusion of humid air, nor in choosing materials that aren't especially susceptible to moisture damage.

If "humidity"was the issue evety unit sold in FL would be doing the same thing.

Debraj · 10-08-2017, 05:19 PM

we have a 195RB and it's 3 years old, having no problems with counter top, we live in South Carolina, so we have humid climate as well, don't really understand

RAurand · 10-08-2017, 05:51 PM

When I had my 26BH, The counter top started to delaminate about 1 month before the warranty expired. Jayco replaced the entire counter top.

LuscombeFlyer · 10-08-2017, 06:56 PM

Mine began to delaminate just after the warranty expired. Dinette top is doing the same thing.

LuscombeFlyer · 10-08-2017, 06:59 PM

There were multiple openings beneath the kitchen and bathroom areas that were not sealed in any way. I've since sealed them with foam, but there's ample mold/mildew in these areas. Maybe the assembly worker with the sealant just missed mine?

wags999 · 10-08-2017, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuscombeFlyer

There were multiple openings beneath the kitchen and bathroom areas that were not sealed in any way. I've since sealed them with foam, but there's ample mold/mildew in these areas. Maybe the assembly worker with the sealant just missed mine?

If you have that much moisture perhaps you have other issues your not addressing. It take a lot for melamine to delaminate...since it's actually melted into the wood. Jayco does not use High Pressure Laminate (at least on all the models I have seen) but uses a thermally fused melamine. You can get water damage from leaks on the particleboard, but to have the laminate delaminate is a very rare occurrence. Having been in that industry I can honestly say I have never seen the melamine delaminate...particleboard yes...but not the laminate.

I would suggest using a dehumidifier at least when in storage. Leaving roof vents open would also allow air circulation.

I don't think this is a Jayco issue but a use and maintenance issue.

Good Luck...

blderman · 10-08-2017, 09:30 PM

Love my trailer but have lots of issues with quality too. Before this trailer I had an ‘86 Fleetwood, aside from a couple from a few minor things all of the original cabinetry and trim were still in really good condition. My 2016 Jayco already has cabinets literally falling apart, trim coming off of the walls and screw pops in the floor trying to poke through the vinyl. I have used it for about 100 nights since I bought it in June of 2015 and can honestly say I don’t think the cabinets will make it more than another 1-200 more before I’ll have to rebuild them. I looked at a lot of older Jayco trailers before I bought this one and the quality took a very noticeable nose dive in 2016.

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cekkk · 10-09-2017, 07:58 AM

Thor acquired Jayco in 2016. I imagine Jayco had been in negotiations for some time before the July sale. Have to ask if this quality problem is related.

jloco · 10-09-2017, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cekkk

Thor acquired Jayco in 2016. I imagine Jayco had been in negotiations for some time before the July sale. Have to ask if this quality problem is related.

Good question. From what I've been reading, I don't think the Thor buyout has had a major impact on quality. Quality issue were there pre Thor. I think the boom in RV sales over the past 5 years may have had more of an impact. They can't get them out the door fast enough. As a result, quality suffers.

**norty1** · 10-09-2017, 09:09 AM

Our Eagle has Corian counter tops in the kitchen. They have held up better than the Laminate stuff in our house.

They may not use that anymore, not sure.

tlm550 · 10-09-2017, 11:42 PM

Travel Trailers are garbage.

I have my first, a Jayco 145RB - yeah, it is tiny... the smallest one with a toilet and shower... It is a 2016 model, which I purchased new in August 2016 and it was built in March I think.

First, I replaced the A/C -- not because it was bad but because I couldn't survive the arctic temperatures it produced.
The DANBY 8000 BTU Air Conditioner (this is the window style unit stuffed in a cabinet section) just had manual dial controls and it couldn't maintain a desired temperature and the fan ran the entire time it was turned on. To survive, I'd have to turn the A/C on and off several times during the night. Even in Las Vegas in September 2015, I'd wake up freezing to death and with my sinuses completely clogged. I replaced it with an LG 6000 BTU with an economy mode (the fan will shut off) and that has worked out very well.

Things that failed and that I replaced at my own expense:

1. Water pump - replaced the junk ShurFlo with a FloJet brand.
2. Refrigerator - the NorCold fridge died completely and spewed out all the refrigerant --- long story, a major loss for me. I have a minifridge in there now. Jayco wouldn't replace it and Norcold would only replace it at an Jayco authorized service center and it was going to take several weeks to get one. The problem is that it does not fit through any window or the door of this tiny TT - so, it had to be "reduced" in size to fit out the door. No dealer would replace it because they couldn't. Jayco wouldn't even give me $100 for a mini-fridge.
3. Two Stage Propane regulator - after about 10 months, nothing was getting gas, had to replace this regulator with a $25 Camco model.
4. Tongue Jack - this trailer sits low and the jack was very low even when cranked all the way up... it kept dragging and clipping things - (my setup is level)... on I-80 W of Albuquerque, going downhill and then the road suddenly leveled out with a big seam in the asphalt - the jack didn't survive it really... cut it off with a recip. saw and a hacksaw and replaced the jack with a $40 one from Amazon.
5. With this small trailer and small cap. tanks, I can't really dry camp... when I do, I do it only for one night when in-between stops (out in AZ and NV, you see people pulled off in all sorts of places)... so I went to do that just Sunday and my trailer had no power. I had never seen it with less than a full charge ever... and now it was dead. Opened the battery box and the battery had been leaking pretty bad... so 14 months and I'm replacing the battery... this was not really an emergency repair, but I had planned to dry-camp for one night while on the road... so I bought an EverStart 24DC Marine/Deep Cycle battery from Walmart for $75.00. Was back inside the store in 10 minutes to get a refund of the $13 core charge.

Oh, and I had replaced the showerhead with one that provided more pressure. The cheap original one worked, but it was difficult to rinse shampoo -- even with short, thinning hair.

Even with all of these problems, I've very much enjoyed my travel trailer and I've been all across most of the country and back again... and then again

My only regret is not buying one sooner. I had been considering one for several years but held back because I didn't know anyone with one.
It has been a great experience.

Probably will need to look at some new tires in the next few months...

wags999 · 10-10-2017, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tlm550

Travel Trailers are garbage.

I have my first, a Jayco 145RB - yeah, it is tiny... the smallest one with a toilet and shower... It is a 2016 model, which I purchased new in August 2016 and it was built in March I think.

First, I replaced the A/C -- not because it was bad but because I couldn't survive the arctic temperatures it produced.
The DANBY 8000 BTU Air Conditioner (this is the window style unit stuffed in a cabinet section) just had manual dial controls and it couldn't maintain a desired temperature and the fan ran the entire time it was turned on. To survive, I'd have to turn the A/C on and off several times during the night. Even in Las Vegas in September 2015, I'd wake up freezing to death and with my sinuses completely clogged. I replaced it with an LG 6000 BTU with an economy mode (the fan will shut off) and that has worked out very well.

Things that failed and that I replaced at my own expense:

1. Water pump - replaced the junk ShurFlo with a FloJet brand.
2. Refrigerator - the NorCold fridge died completely and spewed out all the refrigerant --- long story, a major loss for me. I have a minifridge in there now. Jayco wouldn't replace it and Norcold would only replace it at an Jayco authorized service center and it was going to take several weeks to get one. The problem is that it does not fit through any window or the door of this tiny TT - so, it had to be "reduced" in size to fit out the door. No dealer would replace it because they couldn't. Jayco wouldn't even give me $100 for a mini-fridge.
3. Two Stage Propane regulator - after about 10 months, nothing was getting gas, had to replace this regulator with a $25 Camco model.
4. Tongue Jack - this trailer sits low and the jack was very low even when cranked all the way up... it kept dragging and clipping things - (my setup is level)... on I-80 W of Albuquerque, going downhill and then the road suddenly leveled out with a big seam in the asphalt - the jack didn't survive it really... cut it off with a recip. saw and a hacksaw and replaced the jack with a $40 one from Amazon.
5. With this small trailer and small cap. tanks, I can't really dry camp... when I do, I do it only for one night when in-between stops (out in AZ and NV, you see people pulled off in all sorts of places)... so I went to do that just Sunday and my trailer had no power. I had never seen it with less than a full charge ever... and now it was dead. Opened the battery box and the battery had been leaking pretty bad... so 14 months and I'm replacing the battery... this was not really an emergency repair, but I had planned to dry-camp for one night while on the road... so I bought an EverStart 24DC Marine/Deep Cycle battery from Walmart for $75.00. Was back inside the store in 10 minutes to get a refund of the $13 core charge.

Oh, and I had replaced the showerhead with one that provided more pressure. The cheap original one worked, but it was difficult to rinse shampoo -- even with short, thinning hair.

Even with all of these problems, I've very much enjoyed my travel trailer and I've been all across most of the country and back again... and then again

My only regret is not buying one sooner. I had been considering one for several years but held back because I didn't know anyone with one.
It has been a great experience.

Probably will need to look at some new tires in the next few months...

Actually almost none if your complaints are about anything Jayco has control over. And, I 80 is 800 miles north of Albuquerque😁 probably meant I 40..

tlm550 · 10-10-2017, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wags999

Actually almost none if your complaints are about anything Jayco has control over. And, I 80 is 800 miles north of Albuquerque😁 probably meant I 40..

Yeah, I meant I-40...

And you're right... none of the problems were really Jayco's workmanship or materials at all.

DangerBrewin · 10-11-2017, 05:43 PM

Any idea as to the source of the moisture in the trailer? Curious since I have a 195RB as well.

DocBrown · 10-12-2017, 07:00 AM

One of the best built trailers on the market is Airstream. The 16 ft Bambi retails at $45,000.00. It's really small inside and only has a double bed. My X20E was $17,000.00. In this industry we get what we pay for.

Would you have paid $45,000 for the same trailer you have now if it was built like an Airstream? I'm guessing one of the reasons you bought it was because of price.

I'm not saying any of this is right. It's the state of the industry and it's dictated by what the public is willing to pay.

cariboocreek · 10-12-2017, 08:50 AM

Go on the Airstream forum and read the complaints. It's industry wide. Part of the problem is we are thundering down crappy highways at 70mph, with a box being towed that is held together with wood screws and carpenters glue. If you want an illuminating experience go sit in your unit for a few minutes while its being towed at highway speeds. You will be "enlightened".

We, as consumers, head over to the dealership and beat the hell out of them on price and then expect they are going to provide us with a problem free product that will be in mint condition for 30 years and will have a resale value of almost what we paid for the trailer. Are there problems? Sure there are. But if you want a problem free trailer don't buy a bargain basement product.

The same applies to houses, cars, power tools, etc....

Rant over.....

robert9999 · 10-12-2017, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cariboocreek

Go on the Airstream forum and read the complaints. It's industry wide. Part of the problem is we are thundering down crappy highways at 70mph, with a box being towed that is held together with wood screws and carpenters glue. If you want an illuminating experience go sit in your unit for a few minutes while its being towed at highway speeds. You will be "enlightened".

We, as consumers, head over to the dealership and beat the hell out of them on price and then expect they are going to provide us with a problem free product that will be in mint condition for 30 years and will have a resale value of almost what we paid for the trailer. Are there problems? Sure there are. But if you want a problem free trailer don't buy a bargain basement product.

The same applies to houses, cars, power tools, etc....

Rant over.....

Sounds like a scary proposition riding in the TT down the road. I would love to see a video, if anyone has, of that though.

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