X17Z vs. X19H

[Pfrantz-JAY]

Good Morning All -

My wife and I (along with our 5 year old, 1 year old and basset hound) are considering purchasing our first travel trailer and have settled on the Jayco X17Z. However, doing some research I have noticed the capability limitations on that model and have recently started to think that maybe we should be purchasing a X19H. Ultimate use would be roughly 1-2 weekends a month and 1-2 week long trips during spring-fall.

Currently we have a 2011 Nissan Pathfinder. Which I believe can tow 5500-6000.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and choose the X19H?

Any seasoned vets have an opinion?

Please let me know if these are other aspects I should consider.

Thanks in advance!

 

[oldmanAZ]

Good morning to you and welcome to the forum.

 

[oldmanAZ]

I don't know how to link posts, but below is something I posted recently:

What a truck can tow is almost always determined by the PAYLOAD of a given truck, not its tow rating. The payload figure should be on a sticker on the door frame of your truck. The payload is everything in the cab, bed, and the tongue weight of the trailer (for this, the tongue weight is calculated to be 15% of the gross weight of the trailer).

It would be good to know the limits of your truck yourself as you shop for a trailer. Many (most?) dealers and salesmen are not very knowledgeable about specific vehicles and towing limits.

For your reading enjoyment, there are lots of postings in this site related to towing, payload, and hitches. If you have questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Jagiven]

Research the truck and how the tow load is calculated. Most of the time is is calculated with and average size driver 150 pounds and a full fuel tank, and nothing else. Remember kids bring lots of stuff and they grow.

As for the htt. If it was me I would look closely at the 19H. We looked at the 17Z but not the 19H. The 17z has very little storage for cloths and so forth. I would stop out at your dealer lot, ditch the salesperson sit in both units, think about where you will put your stuff and how you will use the htt. Make sure to dig through every cabinet, and find each cubby.

Good luck

 

[bankr63]

Yes, we tow a 19H with Chevy Traverse; similar size and capacity to your Pathfinder and the Path was a consideration when I was shopping (owned the very first generation PF - 2 door with the little triangle back windows - and loved that truck!). I have run through the CAT scales a couple of times and am within all payload and other limits. It tows quite comfortably, and the truck handles the trailer well. You will need a WDH with anti-sway, but does not have to be overly fancy, and you would need one with a 17Z as well.

As OldmanAZ points out, an important point, and the second most important number in my configuration, is the payload capacity. Check your door jamb sticker for your capacity; as you see here I am 1621 lbs. We keep under this easily enough but get up close on longer trips with two kids and gear. I have lots of capacity still in the trailer so have the option of offloading more gear to the TT if I get too close.



The most important number for me (and related) is the Rear GAWR, found on the second door sticker. In my case 3527lbs shown here:



Since this needs to be measured with the WDH bars disengaged (full tongue weight on the rear axle), it can be tough for me to keep the axle weight under this limit, but with judicious loading it can be done. Note: some will dispute that last statement, but my Traverse owners manual explicitly states that WDH must not be engaged when measuring RGAWR. Your vehicle may differ.

Note that I am not over any of my weights or limits and verify this at a CAT scale. When I see some of the combos coming into the campground, I am fairly certain that I may be in the minority on that front, so consider this to be a good matchup.

As to the differences between the two trailers, the extra space of the 19H is very nice. Everything is just a bit bigger in the 19H. But the benefit of the 2nd axle in cargo capacity and handling is great. The 17Z is built to be as light as possible but still have all the features, so they left no room for you to add much of anything on (low capacity). With the 19H you have a lot more flexibility in bringing along gear and making mods that add weight. Of course you also have twice the cost for bearing maintenance and tires to consider, and if you pay for storage by the linear foot like me, it adds on a bit of cost too.

 

[bankr63]

BTW Pfrantz,

Just noticed that that was your post #1!

Welcome to JOF, and keep asking the questions. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful folks here who are always happy to answer!

Also, note that there is a Hybrid specific subforum here where I find some of the best information specific to the Jayco Hybrid trailer line.

 

[Sbadocko]

Our first TT was a X17z. We really liked that little guy, except the CCC in it was abysmal. After you put water in the hot water heater, a battery on the tongue, and propane in the tank we had about 350 pounds to play with. Which I find patently ridiculous. If we had bought the X19h, we likely would still have it. In my opinion Jayco shouldn't even bother making the X17z, but people with sub-par tow vehicles like the weight of that particular unit.

 

[RPreeb]

Good Morning All -

My wife and I (along with our 5 year old, 1 year old and basset hound) are considering purchasing our first travel trailer and have settled on the Jayco X17Z. However, doing some research I have noticed the capability limitations on that model and have recently started to think that maybe we should be purchasing a X19H. Ultimate use would be roughly 1-2 weekends a month and 1-2 week long trips during spring-fall.

Currently we have a 2011 Nissan Pathfinder. Which I believe can tow 5500-6000.

Has anyone been in a similar situation and choose the X19H?

Any seasoned vets have an opinion?

Please let me know if these are other aspects I should consider.

Thanks in advance!

Interesting, and a bit puzzling, that the longer and heavier trailer shows a lighter tongue weight. If that is accurate, then it would technically be within your load rating, but you would be getting near the limit when fully loaded. It seems from the floor plan that about all you really lose with the smaller one is the double sink. I can tell you that your Nissan would be happier with the smaller unit. We pulled a popup with our 2014 Honda Ridgeline and I wouldn't have wanted to haul much more than that.

 

[Sbadocko]

The X19h is also a dual axle job. Helps balance that weight a little better. The X17z's axle is almost overloaded right off the line.

 

[SteveMM]

We have an X17Z that we love, but it's the type of camper that will only work for people who are fine traveling light OR have a tow vehicle with a high payload capacity. Since most of the people looking at that model are driving crossover SUVs (like my 2015 Pathfinder), the high payload capacity is out the window. We are tent campers going way back, so the idea of packing light isn't a big deal. With the X17Z you really have to be what I call a "weight ****". Everything you want to bring along should be evaluated for weight and necessity. For instance, if we're camping for more than a couple of nights, we buy our groceries after we arrive, or when we're very close to the campground.

The upsides of the X17Z are that it tows easily, has all of the amenities we need, and we found a used one for a reasonable price.

Another note -- for questions about hybrid travel trailers like the X17Z and X19H, you might want to head over to the hybrid travel trailers forum on this site. I only saw this because I sometimes check out the hard-sided travel trailer forums. I learn all kinds of useful stuff, because we all deal with some of the same problems.

 

[Ryan79]

I tow my 2011 X19H with a 2009 Pathfinder SE. Most camping trips have been in the 130-200 mile range into the mountains of NH from Massachusetts and I've never experienced any issues. Some long inclines can troubling as the vehicle doesn't have a ton of power but i will put it in 3rd gear and maintain my speed of 55-60 until I even out onto straight ground, at this point I'll put it in 4th and D as long as it's not gear hunting.

Don't pack a ton into the Pathfinder as this will add extra weight to your tongue. I find packing my extra belongings across the rear axle of the Trailer or into the bathroom. We also do mostly long weekends and Friday to Sunday trips so we usually pack light to begin with.

With a properly set WDH with Sway control and mirror extenders you should have no worries. Keep your speed under 65 and enjoy your trip!

 

[Tony_Kuz]

I'm adding this here as I used this thread for research. They increased gvwr in 2018 models.
Just purchased a 2018 x17z and gvwr is 3950 with ccc over 700lbs. Sales guy had no clue so hope this helps others..