Jayco Vs Winnebago Quality

Thanks for the response emcee, Yea I went with the 29VE because it is 2 feet shorter on the same 190" wheelbase but also because I liked the layout a bit better...Thanks for the modification suggestions, I will certainly keep them in mind. I am anxious to pick it up and can't wait till April !

rider1520 wrote:
J-d. I began looking at entry level class A. But the layout I would like (the Vista 31KE has a wheelbase of 190" which according to the ratings from RV Consumer group is too short to recommend and they claim it would be too difficult to drive and be suceptable to wandering and being blown around by trucks.

Congrats on the new MH. I see you decided against the 31KE due to the 190" wheelbase and went with the 29VE which has a 190" wheelbase. LOL don't worry, the Ford F53 chassis handling is easy to fix. The basics are: set tire pressures based upon loaded weight; install rear track bar; move stabilizer bar link connections to inner holes. Advanced improvements include upgraded shocks and sumo springs.

I did the basics on my 2014 31KE and it now handles better than my old Fleetwood Class C 23e. I also made the rear trackbar and stabilizer link extensions myself so the total cost for my upgrades was about $100. You can pay someone to do it all for you for probably around $750.

Short kid......I ultimately went to All Seasons of Easton, Pa. During my search I shopped at Colonial Itasca & CampingWorld in Lakewood N.J. Tom Schaffers in Hamburg & Litschinn RV in Iowa. For Jayco I checked Fretz RV in Souderton Pa. All Seasons came up with the best deal, They are a very small dealership, and are close so it all worked out in the end. I am got a Vista 29VE which in not in dealer's showrooms yet so that added a bit anxiety to the purchase. Ours is suppose to arrive mid-April and I am very excited.....we'll see Thanks for asking

rider1520,
What dealer did you go with, we looked at several Winnes and weren't too impressed with the dealers at all. Long story short, bought a Jayco (C)at Hershey 2 years ago (Greyhawk) and traded it for a Coachman A, a month ago for a floor plan we looked a long time for. Our dealer is in Cogan Station PA., outside of Williamsport. The Jayco dealer in southeast PA didn't impress us at all. Good luck with your new one when it arrives, and enjoy.

We owned a Jayco feather-lite hybrid travel trailer. The construction is different than the Winnebago. The Jayco has more plywood/sheetmetal construction and the Winnebago is plywood base, insulation and fiberglass. The coach seems a lot stronger and better constructed.

It is scheduled to arrive mid-April since it is a new model so I will let you know how it is once it arrives! Thanks!!!

Congratulations on your new rig.

Well I made a decision, I decided to go with the Winnebago Vista 29VE Class A. We have had a good customer experience with our Winnebago Class C and felt that the better quality and personal knowledge of their good customer support made it worth the extra money.....we'll see. Thanks to everyone for your comments !

Thanks PghBob, I was aware of CCC and was mindful of it with my class C, but did assume (in error) that a class A would automatically be ok since I was within the limits of my class C. But if I understand you correctly, even if I kept our weight the same as what we carried in the Class C I could still be overweight due to more slides, auto levelers and the like, correct? Thanks for reminding me not to take things for granted. I am leaning toward the Winnebago Vista/Sunstar 29VE (without tailgate package).The floor plan looks like it will work even with the slides closed, has the dinette on the passenger side (DW likes) has a decent size sofa (my class C had a larger one) and some other minor things. Thanks again for your feedback!

rider1520, I have thought about your response a bit before responding to you again. I will apologize in advance if what I post now is "old news", but I want to make sure we are talking about the same thing. You responded, "both Jayco and Winnie have the same weight rating". If your are speaking of Gross Vehicle Weight Ratings, then you are correct. All relatively new Ford E450s come from the factory with the same GVWR. However, the house boxes that the various manufacturers build on the chassis are usually different weights. Thus, the amount of weight you can safely carry, the Occupant and Cargo Carrying Capacity OCCC ratings usually are different. Besides the house box, other factors that decrease your OCCC are length (mostly a longer Class C weighs more, thus the OCCC is decreased compared to a shorter rig), options like slideouts and automatic leveling systems. If you plan to travel long distances or need to carry a lot of stuff (food, clothes, family, toys), a rig with a higher OCCC is more desirable. Do not expect a sales rep to provide accurate info on this. In new rigs, a label with the OCCC info is inside the rig, usually in a drawer or cabinet door.

You also noted, "... a Class A obviously that can carry more." A little caution here is recommended. Don't confuse space (volume) and weight. My DW and I went to the Hershey RV shows a few times before we selected our rig. This is true, I saw it with my own eyes, we were in small Class A gassers that would have been overweight with our four adult family members on board alone, without stuff. No, we are not "big people". Don't be fooled by space alone. Check the OCCC. Again, pardon me if this is stuff you know, I just couldn't tell from your response.

Good Luck on your decision.