One of the best ways (for the mechanically inclined) to ascertain a product's quality is to take it apart...
We've had our '08 Jayco Jayflight 30BHS since April. My wife and I are using it for full-timing, having sold off the "big house" after our fourth child finally went off the payroll, so to speak.
The two of us have made numerous modifications (someday we'll find the time/energy to take pictures), including removal of all of the built-in furniture (dinette, sofa, portions of the rear bunk-house), replaced the kitchen and bath fixtures, relocated the TV from the "entertainment center" to a more convenient place on the upper kitchen cabinet (via an articulating mount), and replaced the master bed platform and mattress to accommodate our residential full queen Sleep Number bed.
I've also made modifications to the interior lighting, replacing most of the incandescent DC wedge-base bulbs with warm-spectrum LED bulbs, and "reading light" style fixtures with warm-spectrum bulbs in the master bedroom, and slide-out.
Additionally, I've added coaxial cable inputs to accommodate a dual-tuner Dish tuner/VueQube antenna combination, added an HDMI repeater/switcher to deal with extended cable runs between the tuner location and TV location, added some additional LED exterior running lights, courtesy lighting on the entry steps, and added a foldable, extended entry hand-grip with LED lighting at the top and bottom of the bracket.
I've also inadvertently broken a few things, and had to replace them (read my thread "Locked Out...") like entry door locks, cargo door locks, and the toilet paper holder.
In doing all the modification (and repair), I've come to the conclusion that the Jayco is well-built, and reasonably high quality - certainly for the money (about $14K new).
Most of the stuff I've taken apart has been competently installed, using fair to good quality material for the most part. The worst materials in the trailer are the screws used to install the built-in furnishings. They look like Philips screws, either in brass or coated steel depending upon their location. In reality, they are made of some bizarre alloy that self destructs whenever a bit is applied to them, and are an odd "square/star" bit that isn't quite Philips, and isn't quite square (there is probably a name for this, but I don't know what it is).
The wood, used for the sub-framing is free of cracks, knots or other defects, and the screws (poor though they are) meet the wall studs, are of correct length, and are mostly driven in perpendicular to the supports they secure.
The holes used for the DC wiring (i.e. in the cabinet bases, ceilings, etc.) are of adequate size, deburred, and cleaned of sawdust. The kitchen sink and bath fixtures are plastic, but were installed correctly and easily replaced.
In general the mechanical systems have held up well under constant use - the A/C runs 24/7 down here in sunny Texas, and has yet to hiccup. The plumbing works well, the appliances are the standard RV types, but do their job and seem to be holding up ok.
At this point, I've been all over this trailer, inside and out and haven't found a manufacturing/construction defect of any sort.
In summary, in my opinion the Jayco folks do a great job, and offer a great product at an affordable price. Enjoy your Jayco, and let the brand-fan-boys pay more for equal or lesser rolling stock :-)
P.S. - I'm aware that I'm voiding my warranty nine ways to Sunday, but I'm willing to take that risk to make the trailer more livable for us...
Very good quality for the price. They still use plywood in the floor and the cabinets to me looked a lot better than the compariable models. this is my second Jayco and a very good product. I had a leak come up in mine, and even with this will buy another Jayco product. Happy camping.
04 suburban 1500
00 silverado 1500
05 jayco 27bh Couldn't get rig to post,so here is my burgler alarm!!
I have a 94 Jayco 302FK, The thing is still flawless. We have bounced this 30' TT all over the USA on roads that had craters for
surfaces and the only thing that happened is that the bathroom door
mirror came lose, not down just lose. No cracks, leaks, or anything. The only design change I would have made was to the drain pipes but they have improved that over the years. I have abused this TT and it takes it. The thing sits out in all kinds of winters, just got 100 inches of snow here in Wisconsin and my house had ice dam damage but the Jayco was fine! I'm hoping to find a Jay Feather to replace this trailer but I really don't know why, just spoiled I guess and want new things. In fact the new Jay Feather will probably weight more than my old Jayco. They really knew how to build them back then when gas was fifty cents and weight was not that big of a deal. My station wagon pulled it just fine. Someone always gets a lemon and I bet your friend was the unlucky one this time. Don't worry that Jayco will out live its owner :>)
I own a Jayflight 28BHS and it is my second trailer. I am very pleased with it. I would call it a good value for an "entry level trailer." Perhaps this is what your friend meant by "low end."
I was drawn to Jayco mainly by many posts on this forum and I scoured the forum for such posts. The only consistent complaint about Jaycos I have seen on here has to do with under-sink leaks. These didn't end up being big deals either from the posts I read.
Not that there haven't been other complaints, but this is the only consistent one I can recall. I have not had such a leak, but I keep an eye out for it.
All trailers have problems. They are houses in a perpetual earthquake when they are being towed. Just keep up the preventative maintenance on your Jayco and you should be very happy with it. I know I've been happy with mine.
We just got our second Jayco Jay Flight TT. We traded a 2 year old 20 BH to upgrade to a Jay Flight G2 29RLS and we have been very happy with both of them.
We really love the new 29RLS - the slide gives us so much room in the living and dining area and it's so nice to have a walk-around bed again.
We have had 2 Coleman PUP's and in 1989 a Playmor that we liked very much.
We have been very pleased with the quality of our units and with Jayco's warranty service when we did have a couple of problems. We also have a great Dealer, "Burton Campers" in Calera, AL.
DW, me and the two pups - Sassy & Andy
2008 Jayco Flight G2 29RLS TT-"Serenity"
2004 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab.
SSG-USAR Retired-Field Artillery
It's said ignorance and apathy cause most of the world's problems, but I don't know and I don't care.
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