Forum Discussion

mikene's avatar
mikene
Explorer
Jul 24, 2014

How cold will I be in a Jayco hybrid?

My family and I are looking at the Jayco hybrids because they are light and I can tow them in my Jeep Grand Cherokee (V8) but curious how the fold out tents deal with weather, noise, moisture etc.... we're not planning on anything too extreme.. mostly CA lakes/beaches, etc.

any help is appreciated.

(X23F, X23U, X254 models specifically)

mike
  • It's all relative I guess. Depends on what you can tolerate and what you are used to. I walk around in shorts at 60 degrees, I've seen folks in southern CA wearing parkas at those temps.

    We've camped in a hybrid in 100+ degrees in the Nevada desert, and as low as the upper 20s in West Yellowstone MT. This past spring in May it was in the mid-30s in Egg Harbor, WI! The bunk ends are not as warm as the "box" is at low temps, but with a decent sleeping bag its perfectly comfortable. We don't bother with the PUGs, we find they are just a hassle for the little benefit they offer. Keep in mind that we've tent camped at those temperatures so to us its just part of camping. The only real issue we've had with cold weather camping in the hybrids is the condensation. I'm sure PUGs would help but we don't see that many really cold night in our camping season anyway. Heated mattresses or a heated blanket is a great idea.

    As far as noise, yes, you'll hear a lot of it at night if you are in a noisy campground. but most people are pretty quiet after 10 and many are inside by 11 or 12. So noise really has never been an issue. Tenters tend to stay up later so if there are a lot where you are camped you might get some noisy nights. Otherwise hearing the night noises can be very soothing. We've camped near the ocean and also on Lake Michigan. Waves at night are a wonderful sound.

    Hybrids aren't for everyone. If you've never camped before I'm not sure you'd like one. Most of us that love them came from tents and pop-ups so we knew what were getting into. A lot of folks who buy them for their first RV trade them shortly after then bash them to everyone who will listen.
  • Thinking further on your question.....Do suggest you check on the heated mattresses on Jayco and at least take a peek at the ROO/Shamrock line if you haven't already. Sometimes very similar floorplans. JMO.

    If you decide that even with the Pop-Up Gizmos you still need further insulation, the company does make a complete interior surround, custom for each model # and the price is very reasonable. Or the Reflictix and DIY is a second option. Re the company that makes the PUGS.....could not ask for better quality, service and responsiveness. Bob is the owner and is available and ready to help with any questions. Highly recommend his company and you can see online what we're talking about. Most of us went with the High Wind version for only a slight additional cost. If there were a "complaint", which this isn't, the small clips - like a clothespin sorta - are not the sturdiest in the world. The fix?? A stop at Harbor Freight and get a canister or two of their plastic clips. We invested in a couple of canisters and they are THE handiest to have for most any quick fix.
  • winter camping and condensation effects all campers and is not specific. You are at the mercy of winter: cracked pipes, extensive propane use, hypothermia, and loss of life.
  • Reflectix

    We camp mainly in the summer heat, so we use PUGS and my wife cut reflectix to go between the canvas and the screen portion of the bunk ends. Helps considerably with heat and light. I would suspect that it would also have insulative properties as well in the winter.
  • Have had our Jayco hybrid for 5 years. Weather and moisture haven't been a problem (outside temps ranging from 30-100F). Outside noise, however, has been a problem - especially when campsites are close together. We use a small portable fan for white noise, or just turn the AC fan on - that thing drowns out everything.
  • We have a Forest River Shamrock 21ss and it's surprising how much heat it actually retains given the tent ends. We use the heated mattresses and I keep a 1500 watt electric heater handy if it gets too cold and we have powered site. Otherwise the furnace works fine :)
  • I close up curtains day time makes main erea cooler on hot days
  • We never camped in snow in our Hybrid but did camp many times with nights down into the upper 20's and low 30's. We put the furnace on just barely to take the edge off and used nice heavy blankets and quilts. Nice and comfy.

    We also used a small ceramic oscillating table top heater that helped considerably.

    We had Popup Gizmo's but rarely used them. Would have to be well below freezing and windy for us to be that cold at night.
  • I'm going boodocking November 30 to December 2. I'm not worried: super high wind pugz, relflectix in screens, two full 20lb tanks, winterized, 1500w heater and a 2000w generator.

    Snow may be on the ground but my only winter concerns are salt on roads.