New Jayco Owner / Unhappy Camper

[pjsteve99]

Hello All,

I was very excited when I and the family took out our new 2013 Jayco Whitehawk 28 DSBH camping for the first time this past weekend. We traveled about 1.5 hours away from home (Abbotsford) to Anacortes, Washington. Set up went smoothly but I quickly realized there were a few issues. The LP and ELECTRIC Hot Water options did not heat water. I checked the pressure relief valve and water sprayed out so I knew that water was entering the tank. I called my sales guy at the RV dealership who was apologetic but stated "this is why we tell our customers to not travel too far the first trip" (WTF and no they never told us that!!!!) So we troubleshooted the issue most of the day on Saturday. I went as far as crawling into the rear hatch where the tank was located (a larger person would not fit in this opening) to unscrew the balsa wood housing that the tank sat behind. The valves were all open properly with the bypass closed so no issue there. They were unable to tell me why the hot water tank was not working so luckily we had our inlaws camping next door in their new Keystone Springdale. Our next issue was the furnace did not work. The heat would come on and then shut off 5 minutes later. Then finally to top it all off, the head of the master bed broke and fell into the front storage compartment while I was sleeping (I was the only one laying on the bed and I weigh 230 lbs ?!?!?) I also noted that the slide out, when it is brought all the way in, the right top corner touches the ceiling inside. We will be taking our TT into the dealership today to have the issues addressed. I will be looking at a new Whitehawk on the lot to compare and I hope we did not get a lemon although it seems we did.

Anyhow I will keep ya posted on how the repairs go.

Paul

 

[mikmurphy]

Welcome to the JOF, Paul; but sorry to hear you're having issues with a new Whitehawk. When we picked our 27DSRL up from Indiana RV Connection April 3, the PDI took about 90 minutes, and part of that was seeing that everything did in fact work properly, including furnace, water heater, fridge, etc. While my DW and I haven't made our first away-from-home outing, I've continued testing things on the trailer while fixing it up the way we want. Thus far, everything seems to be working properly.

Good luck with getting your trailer road-worthy again in a speedy fashion!

 

[pjsteve99]

Hey Mike

Thanks for your comments...I am hoping the fix is quick but I would rather it get done properly than a rush job. I told them I want it back better than new as you spend alot of money on these things. They said they are going to have a crew look over the entire unit for other flaws as it seems our trailer may be a lemon.

I would hope that we would get a new trailer if the structural issues were significant cause I don't want this thing falling apart after the warranty is over.

Paul

 

[campingdog-JAY]

I'm sorry to hear your first outing wasn't so great. Before we take any first trip (be it for the season or when we purchased our new units) we always run everything multiple times before leaving town (heater, oven, stove, hot water, awning, slide, AC, fan, etc.). We even camp out in the driveway for a weekend just to make sure everything for the season is working properly. Many folks on here suggest doing a first trip close to home or in your driveway in case issues like you had come up.

There was a thread here recently about the 5 minute cycle with a heater. You should do a seach and see what you can find from old threads. Hope the repairs are made quickly so you can head out on a new trip.

 

[pjsteve99]

Well we dropped the trailer off at the rv dealer today. My wife came with me as she wanted to speak with the Manager with regards to the quality, or lack thereof, of our trailer. The manager walked through the trailer with us and did not seem to phased by what he saw and said he would set me up with the service manager to do a walk through. I asked the manager if I could see a new Whitehawk on the lot to compare my trailer to and discovered that the ceiling is hanging down and not solid to the roof hence the reason the one corner of my slide out hits the ceiling when retracted. Also it looks like the slide out is out of alignment. My wife was pretty livid and based on the money we spent told the manager we wanted a new trailer. He replied that it doesn't quite work that way. The manager asked if we would allow them to try and fix the issues and if the repairs were not to our satisfaction than we could discuss options. My worry is what will happen after my trailer is out of warranty as it is already falling apart and its brand spanking new. They said they would try to have the issues fixed in a week but I am not going to hold my breath.

 

[Flyrotor-JAY]

Sounds like regardless of the issues you are having with the trailer you have found a decent dealer.

At least he has expressed an interest in correcting problems and issues that you have described, give him a chance to prove himself.

Too often you hear of issues being presented to the dealers and they blow off the customer until the customer comes here looking for answers and in the end the factory has to get involved because the dealer is not fulfilling their side of the deal.

Hang in there, it sound like you're headed in the right direction.

By the way, we camped in Anacortes last year and loved it there... I envy that you only had to drive an hour and a half, our drive was 12 hours... but well worth it

 

[Grumpy]

Sounds like regardless of the issues you are having with the trailer you have found a decent dealer.

That is where I would disagree. All those issues should have been checked and addressed before the unit ever left the lot. As was mentioned above the dealer is supposed to do a thorough (and that means checking everything) PDI before telling the customer to come pick-up the unit.

 

[mikmurphy]

I will attempt to attach a photo of the PDI checklist provided by Jayco, it looks like, to their dealers. I found it very comprehensive.

 

[tnchuck100]

The PDI checklist is a great tool. IF the dealer actually uses it as intended. In my case it was just handed to me as a completed document. It was not filled out as we did the walk-thru. As a matter of fact the generator was check off as run tested OK. As hard as I looked I was unable to locate the generator that they claim worked properly! Fortunately this was not my first rodeo and I knew what to look for and test before taking delivery.

Unfortunately, some dealers will throw a first time buyer under the bus.

 

[glsimms-JAY]

You guys pay good money for something and you should get a new trailer. I agree with the wife.

After so many problems with a brand new trailer, I would definately be seeing red flags!

 

[pjsteve99]

Hey thanks for all the input and responses. GLSIMMS I wish it was that simple but a new trailer does not seem like an option for us. I did get a call this morning from Jayco themselves as I drafted a lengthy email outlining the issues. The Jayco Rep was most interested in why the Hot Water Tank didn't work (lol I guess falling into the storage compartment while your sleeping is normal?!?!) All joking aside, he did sincerely apologize for our experience and told me that he would be getting in touch with the dealer to ensure they had all the materials and know how to make the trailer new again. I have to say they responded quickly as I sent the email last night around 22:00 hrs PST and received a call this morning at 07:00. I hope the dealer does not turn their noses up at us since we contacted Jayco. I just wanted Jayco to know about this for when our trailer literally crumbles around us at 2 years and 1 day

 

[pjsteve99]

The PDI checklist is a great tool. IF the dealer actually uses it as intended. In my case it was just handed to me as a completed document. It was not filled out as we did the walk-thru. As a matter of fact the generator was check off as run tested OK. As hard as I looked I was unable to locate the generator that they claim worked properly! Fortunately this was not my first rodeo and I knew what to look for and test before taking delivery.

Unfortunately, some dealers will throw a first time buyer under the bus.

We did do a walk through and I was given a sheet a paper with 5 signatures on it from different people at the dealership who supposedly looked over our trailer. I doubt they look at this checklist.

 

[pjsteve99]

Yes the dealer does seem to be quite responsive and I just hope they can make the trailer look and function like its still brand new. Anacortes is very nice and it is a place we go quite often as it is so close. We live in Abbotsford, BC, so we are only minutes from the Washington State border and Anacortes is only about 1.5 hrs south of there. We usually stay at Pioneer Trails. It is a very nice and quiet RV resort and has just enough trees to make it feel like your in the woods.

Sounds like regardless of the issues you are having with the trailer you have found a decent dealer.

At least he has expressed an interest in correcting problems and issues that you have described, give him a chance to prove himself.

Too often you hear of issues being presented to the dealers and they blow off the customer until the customer comes here looking for answers and in the end the factory has to get involved because the dealer is not fulfilling their side of the deal.

Hang in there, it sound like you're headed in the right direction.

By the way, we camped in Anacortes last year and loved it there... I envy that you only had to drive an hour and a half, our drive was 12 hours... but well worth it

 

[Denise-JAY]

Welcome to the JOF Pjsteve99! I'm really sorry to hear about issues right off the lot as you mentioned. The dealership (the person who should have made sure it was ready to go when you took it off the lot) screwed up on that! Also, whoever did your PDI with you failed. One thing we have learned is once the paperwork is signed, you no longer deal with a salesman (in our case the internet sales manager). The person who sold you the tt is now not worth having discussions with. Go straight to the service manager! Put him/her on speed dial (we did) LOL. We had two ladder failures, and some brake issues (it happened to be a problem with non-Jayco's as well, but just a certain 'lot' that had be installed the week our tt was made) that took several attempts to diagnose and ultimately correct. Make sure that all your concerns are entered into the computer system (start a paper trail), and contact Jayco directly to share concerns regarding the dealer or their progress. JOF is a support forum for Jayco owners who are delighted to help you out with their successful interactions regarding warranty work, dealer issues, etc etc. Glad you could find us

 

[Crabman]

Welcome to the user friendly Jayco Owners forum! Our members just love to answer questions or help out other members when possible and have fun sharing their experiences . They also love pictures of your RV, tow vehicles, and campsites!! So do not hesitate to post pics of your Jayco in the "Pics of your Jayco forum" and pics of your tow vehicle in the "Tow Vehicle forum".

Feel free to participate in our many fun polls (first thread in New Members forum has them all listed, second thread has more new member welcoming info). Post often, have fun with the forum, and enjoy your Jayco!

 

[thomasmnile]

The PDI checklist posted was the same we were presented with when we picked up our WhiteHawk. I guess the difference is really in the dealer. Our list was signed by the tech who apparently did the initial prep after the unit was delivered to the dealer and a second time by the tech that performed a complete inside/outside PDI with us. Should also note the unit we bought was a "show" unit (Daytona GS Rally). I've seen many posts on many forums from folks that say they would NEVER buy a show unit because it's been trampled through by the hordes. I look at it from the opposite point of view. I figured the dealer wants to show their best, so that rig was gone over with a fine tooth comb prior to display; everything not only looked sharp but worked too. Cleaning up after the hordes is easy, especially since food and beverages weren't allowed in the display units. Didn't hurt either that we found the 27DSRL's floorplan appealing, so why order? Did I mention our dealer was Orlando RV?

 

[exjay]

Could the Lemon Law possibly apply here? I know it really depends if the issues are never really fixed after repeated attempts but make sure EVERYTHING is on paper as far as problems reported, repairs/fixes, dates, who you spoke to etc.. I hope it would never come to that but give them the chance to correct the issues to your satisfaction first. Keep us updated.

 

[Rob_Fla]

When we picked up our Pinnacle from Orlando RV I thought they did a pretty good job with delivery and PDI.
Were they perfect, no.

I found a few minor items during our PDI with their very knowledge service dept. rep of which were taken care of immediately. (There was a light lens missing on one of under the cabinet lights and when we went to hook up one of the front landing leg lock pins came out in my hand)
They had everything running, both A/C units, water tanks filled, water heater running, and demoed everything for us from front to back.
Their service rep asked many times if we understood the operation and did we have any questions. We did not feel rushed at all.
I did notice when we looked at our Pinnacle on the lot for the first time, a outside clearance lens was cracked and I forgot to mention it to the dealer, it was replaced before our PDI.

The only failure we had during our first month of Fulltime use was the water heater stopped working on electric.
We stopped by a Jayco Dealer in Alabama and they found the thermostat for the electric operation had failed. They replaced it, problem solved.
During the last year and a half of Fulltiming we only been back to the dealer twice, once for a dining room slide adjustment (Non Schwintek Slide) and once for the dryer vent install and a look at the large Schwintek Slide.

The only recurring issue we have is the large Schwintek Slide for our Kitchen / Entertainment Center.
After reading many forums, comments and the Schwintek Service Manual, I replaced the power wiring connectors on the Schwintek Controllers (they did not fit tight at all) made sure the slide tracks were clean and put dry slide lube on them, put some White Lithium Grease on the Slide Track Rollers that are just behind the slide gasket and so far (knock on wood) after 5 moves and setups, all the slides are working great.

 

[Derekv700]

I assume you purchased fom Travelland? That is where we got our trailer from. Keep after them on this I found that they will check stuff if it works it is considered fixed or OK. They have looked after us with warranty stuff for our trailer but just check it out before you take the trailer back home. I know with us on our PDI we couldn't wait to get the trailer home and go camping so we could have done a better job on it. I think for a good PDI you should go early in the day and at least a week before you leave to not be in a rush to get it loaded and go. You always have bugs with a new trailer that is just what is unfortunately expected, I know it shouldn't be that way it just is.

 

[pjsteve99]

Yes we did purchase from Traveland. Honestly I haven't had any issues with the staff there. The manager Chris was quite receptive to our needs and Bill the service manager was very nice and did not minimize the issues. I am curious how they are going to fix some of the issues and make it look like it did brand new. I know what it looked like and will expect nothing less than the way it looked when we bought it. You spend a ridiculous amount of money on these things so you want to get what you paid for. I also took an additional hit on my trade as would be expected so it just adds to my frustrations. I have yet to hear from the dealership who said they would call and touch base in a couple days. Hopefully I will hear from them tomorrow. What were your experiences like at Traveland?

I assume you purchased fom Travelland? That is where we got our trailer from. Keep after them on this I found that they will check stuff if it works it is considered fixed or OK. They have looked after us with warranty stuff for our trailer but just check it out before you take the trailer back home. I know with us on our PDI we couldn't wait to get the trailer home and go camping so we could have done a better job on it. I think for a good PDI you should go early in the day and at least a week before you leave to not be in a rush to get it loaded and go. You always have bugs with a new trailer that is just what is unfortunately expected, I know it shouldn't be that way it just is.