Forum Discussion

pxt's avatar
pxt
Explorer
Mar 13, 2018

Jayco Redhawk..are they worth it?

Your thoughts and inputs..thanks in advance.
  • Have a 2017 Jayco redhawk 26xd that I purchased in June 2017. Have not had any issues. Only one I had was the medicine cabinet and fixed that myself. Added slide toppers to both slides. Just 2 of us and dog.
    Had a Tioga 30u by Fleetwood for 11yrs prior and had many problems.
    a lot of posting on forums are about problems . Jayco as well as most brands have forums also.Good and not so good in all brands.
  • Was seriously considering a Redhawk 26X1 (on the Chev 4500 chassis), but when discovered Redhawks come with rubber roofs this was a "deal breaker" for me. Now looking at a Winnebego Aspect 27K.
  • Rubber roof is a deal breaker. I'd expect something like that on a $15,000 travel trailer, where it is expected for you to go up with a roll of Eternabond to fix punctures.

    Not on a $100,000 MSRP motorhome. The ideal there should be a seamless roof made from aluminum and cupped 3-4 inches down the sides. Next to that, a fiberglass roof like what Winnebago uses. A rubber roof is almost an insult, unless Jayco is willing to pay for RV Roof or a similar place to do an epoxy elastomer coating on top, ensuring there are no leak-prone seams.

    Didn't Jayco get bought out? I wonder if that can impact quality of models made.
  • Jayco was bought by Thor - but the Redhawk has been configured the same since before Thor got involved.

    Unlike Forest River w/ the Sunseeker/Forester (98% identical), the Greyhawk really does net you appreciably more between the two. Its up to the buyer to decide what's in their best interest.

    Keep track of the CCC between a Redhawk and Greyhawk. Greyhawks can be quite porky.
  • How does the redhawk drive? Do i need to make aftermarket modifications?
  • If you get a Redhawk on the E450, you might feel the need to spend some money to help you out. If you get a shorter one on the Chevy, good chance you won't.
  • Should have worded the question "..is it worth it to me", then answer the question yourself. In my opinion no RV is "worth it" if you are talking monetary worth, they only have "worth" in your eyes, and the pleasure you might get from it.
  • A fiberglass sounds great but we purchased a Minnie Winnie in 2014 because the roof was one solid sheet of fiberglass. It leaked the first trip, dealer did "smoke test", found nothing. Side seams were sealed. Six months later, another leak. Once again, seams, front cap, clearance lights sealed. Lasted about eight months. I now carry sealant and caulk when we travel. Winnebego didn't help, other than agree to look at it if we carried it to the factory. Dealer charged two hundred dollars each time they sealed the seams.
    Brother in law has rubber roof trailer. Has it cleaned and resealed annually at Camping World. It is a 2012 model and has never leaked.
    If a buy another RV, it will not be a Winnebago product and probably will have a rubber roof. Just my thoughts.
  • Just looking at pictures of the Winnie Minnie models on Winnebago's website, I noticed these two issues with it's roof - regardless of it being a one-piece fiberglass one:

    1. Looking at pictures showing the back and the front of the motorhome, the roof appears to be nearly, or fully, flat - instead of crowned. In addition to being stronger, a crowned roof helps water to continuously run off well around vent and air conditioner openings in the rain or when being washed.

    2. Looking at pictures showing the sides of the motorhome, the edges of the fiberglass roof do not appear to be rolled over the top edges of the side walls very much, if at all. This method of keeping water from leaking along the roof-sidewalls interface is just about the "perfect" one. The more inches the roof rolls down over the top of the sidewalls - the better.