Finally had an opportunity to check out some Jayco models. I looked at a White Hawk, a Jay Flight, and an Eagle trailer, then looked at HT and Touring models in the fifth wheels. Gotta say they all left a positive impression. There were a few fit and finish issues, but they were minor. The kind I could easily live with. My least favorite feature was the counter tops, but once again, I could live with them. The construction seemed much sturdier than similar models from other lines I've looked at in last year. I would say they seemed down right stout and solid, and pretty well appointed. It was quite cold and snowing so I didn't stick around long, nor did I thoroughly inspect the outsides but still noticed some of those fit and finish issues there too. All said, I would have no problem owning one of any of them.

We bought our Jay Flight 2 years ago and have taken it out numerous times and haven't had any issues with it that required a return to the dealer. I did some minor fixes and upgraded a few items (speakers, LED lights, mattress topper) but overall we are very pleased with our first TT purchase.

We were considering a couple of Jayco trailers before buying our Minnie. Jayco is a pretty solid company. My major complaint on some of their lighter weight trailers that were comparable to our Minnie was the lack of any shower enclosure material around the shower i.e. the wall material used in the rest of the bathroom was the shower enclosure. I think they've stopped doing that. The 2 year warranty is a plus. Having a good local dealership to take care of problems/minor fixes during the warranty period is always helpful and I did like the local Jayco dealership, but the Minnie was just a better trailer for our needs. Now, if I had been looking for a 28-30' trailer, Jayco had some really nice floor plans and designs that I liked better than our 2002 Sunline which was a real gem in terms of quality. Alas....Sunline went out of business.

scbwr, I sympathize with you and share your dismay about Sunline no longer in business. We are looking to replace our 2006 Sunline, which we also call a gem among RVs, for a slightly roomier TT now that we are both retired. Jayco is among our considerations. And Northwoods Artic Fox is among our favorites, but they are extremely heavy and very few dealerships here in the East.

We also had a Sunline TT years ago, it was a great TT, well built and durable.That being said, we had two Jayco 5th Wheels, both great trailers, well engineered and well built units.We only had minor problems with both of our Jayco's.

I have had a Jayflight for over 3 years now, and the only issues I have had were all brought on by my own inattention/stupidity. I feel like my JayFlight is a really nice looking TT. When I look at other brands, I often think they look cheap. I have done some upgrades, but they were minor. I added a rear camera, since I often travel by myself; I added a memory foam mattress topper and I converted my spring-loaded manual awning to a crank style awning (Much easier for a short person to work alone).

Jayco travel trailers and fivers | Good Sam Community

15 Replies

TurnThePage
Explorer
Jan 19, 2015
scbwr wrote:
BillyW wrote:

The Minnie was one of the models I compared against these Jayco models. I thought they were MUCH flimsier in almost every aspect. A little bit of floor bounce, the walls were easy to push in, the fit and finish was terrible on the models I looked at. Also I like the new frameless windows and a few other touches, which weren't on the Minnies.

Hmmmm! This isn't the case with my 2201DS. Floors are very stable...and I have seen the floor bounce on other trailers. Fit and finish was very good. Walls are laminated (exterior) and are solid.
Mine is a 2014...can you tell me what model year trailers were you looking at?

I knew shouldn't have said anything! :) Yup, I was looking at 2014s.
parcany
Explorer
Jan 19, 2015
Baja937 wrote:
For those of you Jayco owners, are the Aluminum walls as easy to keep clean looking as the Fiberglass?

I'm going to pull the trigger on a 23MBH...Most likely the Jayflight for a couple of reasons of which I'd wish Jayco would change compared to the Whitehawk...

Whitehawk's are fiberglass...Jayflight's can be had in aluminum or fiberglass...The Whitehawk has a storage compartment in the back along with one on the slide to access the under dinette storage...No biggie I guess...

2 HUGE deals though are it looks like only 20# propane tanks on the Whitehawk versus 30's on the Jayflight...Probably could put 30's on the Whitehawk easily???

The other is the Black & Gray tanks are 30's on the WH and 39 on the JF...
We travel in a Jayco 33rlds and we live in a Jayco Bungalow. both have metal sides. Every year I wash and wax them both 2 times. The sides come out clean and looking brand new.
scbwr
Explorer II
Jan 19, 2015
BillyW wrote:

The Minnie was one of the models I compared against these Jayco models. I thought they were MUCH flimsier in almost every aspect. A little bit of floor bounce, the walls were easy to push in, the fit and finish was terrible on the models I looked at. Also I like the new frameless windows and a few other touches, which weren't on the Minnies.

Hmmmm! This isn't the case with my 2201DS. Floors are very stable...and I have seen the floor bounce on other trailers. Fit and finish was very good. Walls are laminated (exterior) and are solid.
Mine is a 2014...can you tell me what model year trailers were you looking at?
spoon059
Explorer II
Jan 18, 2015
BillB800si wrote:
We had a Jayco Eagle 322FKS that we traded in. Reason: DELAMINATION in the walls.
We had a mold issue around the exterior doors due to the fact Jayco didn't insulate around the aluminum frames. I had to clean etc.. the area and then foam insulate it. We had electrical shorts while on a trip. Lost half our power till we got back. Never did like the idea that Jayco uses wood trusses in the roof- too prone to rot and heavy weight. Wife always complained about the walls with all the staples. After each season I had to retighten all the electrical connections on the main circuit breaker panel.

Good luck with your choice.

Delamination can occur in any fiberglass sided RV from a $15K Jayco to a $150K motorhome.
I'm not sure how a lack of insulation led to mold...
What caused your electrical shorts? It seems awfully odd to me that you would have to "retighten all the electrical connections" after every season. Something is MAJORLY wrong...
Not sure about your complaints about wood trusses. I think the overwhelming majority of manufacturers use wood in the roof. Rot will almost NEVER occur without water intrusion. If you have water intrusion you have problems regardless of whether or not you have a wood trussed roof.
Staples in the walls... how else are the wall panels attached in other RV's?

Sorry you didn't like YOUR Jayco, but your complaints seem to be with the entire travel trailer industry, not with Jayco...
Baja937
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
Couple hundred pounds heavier...No biggie...

Higher cargo capacity but the biggie for you guys that tow all over is a lighter tongue weight...

My trailer is permanent in a campground and never leaves HOME!!!...:C
TurnThePage
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
JayFlights are quite a bit heavier than WhiteHawks. They also use fiberglass batt insulation all the way around. Not sure if that's bad except that I worry about it settling in the walls. I'm pretty sure the larger propane bottles are an available option on the WhiteHawk.

BillB800si brought up an insulation issue that would really chap my hide. However, Jayco claims to insulate their Eagle line quite well. One of those quality control issues perhaps? Delamination scares me for sure, but it sure appears that it can happen to just about any brand. The wood trusses in my current trailer of 11 years are totally happy in the elements year round. I have zero fear of wood in my trailers. I know how to maintain them. Would delam and wood rot fit in same conversation I wonder? If you can prevent one, can you prevent the other? I don't know the answer to that one. Quality control is the bane of this industry. I would certainly be willing to part with a little more money to know my new purchase was built right.

The Minnie was one of the models I compared against these Jayco models. I thought they were MUCH flimsier in almost every aspect. A little bit of floor bounce, the walls were easy to push in, the fit and finish was terrible on the models I looked at. Also I like the new frameless windows and a few other touches, which weren't on the Minnies.

I think I'll wait for it to warm up a bit before checking out anymore. The Outdoors RVs and other Northwood products are calling to me.

Just about everything I've looked at scoffs at my old truck. Think I'll have to remedy that first.
BillB800si
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
We had a Jayco Eagle 322FKS that we traded in. Reason: DELAMINATION in the walls.
We had a mold issue around the exterior doors due to the fact Jayco didn't insulate around the aluminum frames. I had to clean etc.. the area and then foam insulate it. We had electrical shorts while on a trip. Lost half our power till we got back. Never did like the idea that Jayco uses wood trusses in the roof- too prone to rot and heavy weight. Wife always complained about the walls with all the staples. After each season I had to retighten all the electrical connections on the main circuit breaker panel.

Good luck with your choice.
CampingN_C_
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
Jay Flight should have a higher GVWR meaning slightly heavier axles and it should have a higher cargo capacity. Also, it will probably have a higher interior height. All can be confirmed quickly on their website.
My guess, realistically, is you will come close to grossing out the White Hawk and many other "light weight" models.
Of course you can see in my sig I'm a little biased.
Just my 2 cents!
scbwr
Explorer II
Jan 18, 2015
3oaks wrote:
scbwr, I sympathize with you and share your dismay about Sunline no longer in business. We are looking to replace our 2006 Sunline, which we also call a gem among RVs, for a slightly roomier TT now that we are both retired.

Jayco is among our considerations. And Northwoods Artic Fox is among our favorites, but they are extremely heavy and very few dealerships here in the East.

If you haven't looked at Winnebago towables, you may want to to do so. Winnebago bought out the Sunnybrook facility. From what I've seen, the Winnebago units would be comparable to the Jayco Eagle line of trailers and fifth wheels.

I would have also liked a Arctic Fox, but I wanted something easily towable with a 1/2 ton truck, and we don't winter camp.
Baja937
Explorer
Jan 18, 2015
For those of you Jayco owners, are the Aluminum walls as easy to keep clean looking as the Fiberglass?

I'm going to pull the trigger on a 23MBH...Most likely the Jayflight for a couple of reasons of which I'd wish Jayco would change compared to the Whitehawk...

Whitehawk's are fiberglass...Jayflight's can be had in aluminum or fiberglass...The Whitehawk has a storage compartment in the back along with one on the slide to access the under dinette storage...No biggie I guess...

2 HUGE deals though are it looks like only 20# propane tanks on the Whitehawk versus 30's on the Jayflight...Probably could put 30's on the Whitehawk easily???

The other is the Black & Gray tanks are 30's on the WH and 39 on the JF...