Jayco X20E opinions?

Love my X20E.

Just be careful..inspect roof after every trip. Had a roof seam open last year, just started to delaminate on front face of trailer, luckily I cought the problem in time. Repair got covered on the 2 year warrantee.

We use that same cutting board as posted earlier...works great doesn't slide.

Mike

I think one big difference in tire size is ground clearance. I know on our 02 Jayco Kiwi with 13" tires, it sits low. Ive scraped a support jack once or twice on the ground. Big worry is my sewer pipe. I'll be looking at going to 14" tires in the future just to get that inch or so of clearance.

Campfire Time wrote:

popupcamping wrote:
In doing my research for a hybrid ,3 years away :( , some things I didn't like about the Jayco vs Rockwood roo (in your case maybe the 21DK, same weight,close in price)
1. 13 inch tires on Jayco VS 14's on Roo
2. 5 cf fridge on Jayco VS 6 cf on roo (for me coming from a popup this is important to me)
3. Ducted air on Roo....unsure if the X20e is
4. 80"beds in Roo VS 78 in Jayco
5. 6 gallon fresh and 8 gallon black larger tanks in Roo VS Jayco.

Not to say Jayco isn't a great trailer just some things I noticed that are pushing me to Forest River.

Jayco does have a longer warranty

Wow, those are really thin differences. I guess I can sort of understand the fridge if you've got a large family. Our old HTT only had a 3.5 CF fridge and we can't fill the 5cf fridge. So I don't know what we'd do with 6cf.

I have yet to find any definitive reason why 14 in tires are better than 13. Our old HTT not only had 13" tires but was also a single axle. We never had a blow out or anything else in 10 years and probably 20-25k miles on that trailer. Proper inflation, don't over load, and drive within the speed rating of the tires is what's going to make more difference than size.

The X20E A/C is not ducted. That could be an issue for people down south, but for the 10 hours a year we might use it in WI, its no big deal. So far the A/C has been fine. But I can see how that might be a deal breaker for some people.

popupcamping wrote:


Not to take this thread of topic but I hate to say a Jayco x20e will NOT be a good trailer for your Traverse. It will have a "crushing" TW of 550lbs loaded to camp and probably higher with the weight of the hitch. First thing- your TW limitation will be exceeded and secondly your payload will be greatly exceeded as well.

Sorry to say but I wouldn't even think of it.

You need to stay lighter IMO

FORGET the 5200lbs..that is for a boat or flatdeck.

In order to maintain the manufacturer limits of your vehicle ,3500lbs loaded to camp will be your max. That makes a 500lb TW

I can't say that I completely agree with that. The GVWR of the X20E is 4750#. My Trailblazer as it sits only has a tow rating of 4900# and GCVWR of 10k, so I already know I'm close to the limit but I'm not towing in mountains anymore. It tows beautifully. Granted its usually just my wife and I, and sometimes our adult daughter.

So yes, I think they are going to be pushing it too. But provided they are sticking with shorter trips and everything is properly set up, they should be fine. Now, as their kids get older, they are going to want something that has a higher tow rating and payload. Growing boys weigh more every year, eat more every year, and require more toys!

first I will start with this

????????:h

My points about the differences were not to STRESS any need or concern, it was simply observations of differences that tend to be important to most people that are on this forum. Your needs or wants could be different. So could the OP's. I will let THEM make that decision for themselves.

on a second note, I think I am bang on with my opinion of the capacity of their TV to handle this large of a trailer. I highly doubt many would disagree. Even your own set up as you noted is at your max and you avoid situations because of your TV. That is your decision.

I like to be able to go anywhere with my set up and can only assume the OP will as well.

at a 4750 GVWR the TW will need to be 620 lbs plus the hitch weight.

their TW limit according to manufacture specs will be 520. If disregarding specs is something you do not mind doing that is fine, again your choice but I am just here to give an outside opinion to their setup and only THEY can decide how safely they want to tow

Doug

popupcamping wrote:
In doing my research for a hybrid ,3 years away :( , some things I didn't like about the Jayco vs Rockwood roo (in your case maybe the 21DK, same weight,close in price)
1. 13 inch tires on Jayco VS 14's on Roo
2. 5 cf fridge on Jayco VS 6 cf on roo (for me coming from a popup this is important to me)
3. Ducted air on Roo....unsure if the X20e is
4. 80"beds in Roo VS 78 in Jayco
5. 6 gallon fresh and 8 gallon black larger tanks in Roo VS Jayco.

Not to say Jayco isn't a great trailer just some things I noticed that are pushing me to Forest River.

Jayco does have a longer warranty

Wow, those are really thin differences. I guess I can sort of understand the fridge if you've got a large family. Our old HTT only had a 3.5 CF fridge and we can't fill the 5cf fridge. So I don't know what we'd do with 6cf.

I have yet to find any definitive reason why 14 in tires are better than 13. Our old HTT not only had 13" tires but was also a single axle. We never had a blow out or anything else in 10 years and probably 20-25k miles on that trailer. Proper inflation, don't over load, and drive within the speed rating of the tires is what's going to make more difference than size.

The X20E A/C is not ducted. That could be an issue for people down south, but for the 10 hours a year we might use it in WI, its no big deal. So far the A/C has been fine. But I can see how that might be a deal breaker for some people.

popupcamping wrote:


Not to take this thread of topic but I hate to say a Jayco x20e will NOT be a good trailer for your Traverse. It will have a "crushing" TW of 550lbs loaded to camp and probably higher with the weight of the hitch. First thing- your TW limitation will be exceeded and secondly your payload will be greatly exceeded as well.

Sorry to say but I wouldn't even think of it.

You need to stay lighter IMO

FORGET the 5200lbs..that is for a boat or flatdeck.

In order to maintain the manufacturer limits of your vehicle ,3500lbs loaded to camp will be your max. That makes a 500lb TW

I can't say that I completely agree with that. The GVWR of the X20E is 4750#. My Trailblazer as it sits only has a tow rating of 4900# and GCVWR of 10k, so I already know I'm close to the limit but I'm not towing in mountains anymore. It tows beautifully. Granted its usually just my wife and I, and sometimes our adult daughter.

So yes, I think they are going to be pushing it too. But provided they are sticking with shorter trips and everything is properly set up, they should be fine. Now, as their kids get older, they are going to want something that has a higher tow rating and payload. Growing boys weigh more every year, eat more every year, and require more toys!

mance22 wrote:




I do like the 21SS, but it's a little too heavy for my towing vehicle (Chevy Traverse 5,200 lbs).

I don't like that the jayco comes with 5cf fridge that only has a freezer compartment though. I'd like to see the bigger fridge with the dedicated freezer door.

Not to take this thread of topic but I hate to say a Jayco x20e will NOT be a good trailer for your Traverse. It will have a "crushing" TW of 550lbs loaded to camp and probably higher with the weight of the hitch. First thing- your TW limitation will be exceeded and secondly your payload will be greatly exceeded as well.

Sorry to say but I wouldn't even think of it.

You need to stay lighter IMO

FORGET the 5200lbs..that is for a boat or flatdeck.

In order to maintain the manufacturer limits of your vehicle ,3500lbs loaded to camp will be your max. That makes a 500lb TW

Campfire Time wrote:
Hi and welcome!

We just bought an X20E in May. You will love it! We traded up from an '03 Jayco Kiwi 17A hybrid.

We only have a few annoyances with the X20E, the lack of counter space being one of them. Then again, our old Kiwi had almost no counter space either. Like you we do our cooking outside and have done so since our tenting days in the '80s. For the X20E we got one these: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/hardwood-stove-topper-cutting-board/8648. It works great, doesn't slide around during travel, and is easily removed if you need the stove. I really wish TTs and HTTs had a removable stove option like pop-ups do. We loved that about our PUP when we had it.

The only other negatives I can think of about this trailer is that there is no drawer to store utensils, and the power cord is really hard to stow away due to a tight space where it goes in.

We haven't had it long enough to comment on the slide other than to say we love the slide.

As I said, we had a previous Jayco hybrid. We bought it new and had it for 10 years and never once had any issues with leaking bunks. Three years ago we did have a small leak on a roof seal that easily fixed with Eternabond tape. That can happen on any travel trailer. We had originally planned on keeping that trailer for 15 years, and we would have if we didn't see the X20E. Like you we are planning on keeping the X20E for at least 10 years.

The key is maintenance. Keep the bed and slide seals treated with a quality UV protectant. Keep everything clean. And when small stuff breaks (and it will) fix it right away. Cover the wheels and A/C unit in the winter. And keep the trailer waxed to prevent fading. Our old HTT still looked like new on the inside and pretty decent on the outside. We had some fading on the bed panels and decals that shrunk over time, but otherwise it looked great. Oh, and keep up with the rust on the frame. About every 2 years I sanded the rust and sprayed it with matte black Rustoleum.

Feel free to PM me anytime if you have questions.

Thanks for the input!

I've always heard great things about Jaycos, and the fact that you were a repeat Jayco owner says a lot.

We have 3 young boys, and the X20E layout couldn't be better. Growing up our family of four camped for many years in a Starcraft popup, so I know that we could definitely pack a family of 5 in a 20' hybrid.

Thanks for the cutting board advice. I figured that with some sort of stove cover and/or sink cover, we could "add" to the counter space and slide the table over if needed to work off of.

popupcamping wrote:
In doing my research for a hybrid ,3 years away :( , some things I didn't like about the Jayco vs Rockwood roo (in your case maybe the 21DK, same weight,close in price)
1. 13 inch tires on Jayco VS 14's on Roo
2. 5 cf fridge on Jayco VS 6 cf on roo (for me coming from a popup this is important to me)
3. Ducted air on Roo....unsure if the X20e is
4. 80"beds in Roo VS 78 in Jayco
5. 6 gallon fresh and 8 gallon black larger tanks in Roo VS Jayco.

Not to say Jayco isn't a great trailer just some things I noticed that are pushing me to Forest River.

Jayco does have a longer warranty

Thanks... we were looking to do it next year, but I got the bug to do it now if I can find the right deal.

I'm just not a big fan of the Roo floor plans. I love that it has seating besides at the table, and the slideout gives it some actual leg room and room for people to walk past. I do like the 21SS, but it's a little too heavy for my towing vehicle (Chevy Traverse 5,200 lbs).

I don't like that the jayco comes with 5cf fridge that only has a freezer compartment though. I'd like to see the bigger fridge with the dedicated freezer door.

Hi and welcome!

We just bought an X20E in May. You will love it! We traded up from an '03 Jayco Kiwi 17A hybrid.

We only have a few annoyances with the X20E, the lack of counter space being one of them. Then again, our old Kiwi had almost no counter space either. Like you we do our cooking outside and have done so since our tenting days in the '80s. For the X20E we got one these: http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/hardwood-stove-topper-cutting-board/8648. It works great, doesn't slide around during travel, and is easily removed if you need the stove. I really wish TTs and HTTs had a removable stove option like pop-ups do. We loved that about our PUP when we had it.

The only other negatives I can think of about this trailer is that there is no drawer to store utensils, and the power cord is really hard to stow away due to a tight space where it goes in.

We haven't had it long enough to comment on the slide other than to say we love the slide.

As I said, we had a previous Jayco hybrid. We bought it new and had it for 10 years and never once had any issues with leaking bunks. Three years ago we did have a small leak on a roof seal that easily fixed with Eternabond tape. That can happen on any travel trailer. We had originally planned on keeping that trailer for 15 years, and we would have if we didn't see the X20E. Like you we are planning on keeping the X20E for at least 10 years.

The key is maintenance. Keep the bed and slide seals treated with a quality UV protectant. Keep everything clean. And when small stuff breaks (and it will) fix it right away. Cover the wheels and A/C unit in the winter. And keep the trailer waxed to prevent fading. Our old HTT still looked like new on the inside and pretty decent on the outside. We had some fading on the bed panels and decals that shrunk over time, but otherwise it looked great. Oh, and keep up with the rust on the frame. About every 2 years I sanded the rust and sprayed it with matte black Rustoleum.

Feel free to PM me anytime if you have questions.

In doing my research for a hybrid ,3 years away :( , some things I didn't like about the Jayco vs Rockwood roo (in your case maybe the 21DK, same weight,close in price)
1. 13 inch tires on Jayco VS 14's on Roo
2. 5 cf fridge on Jayco VS 6 cf on roo (for me coming from a popup this is important to me)
3. Ducted air on Roo....unsure if the X20e is
4. 80"beds in Roo VS 78 in Jayco
5. 6 gallon fresh and 8 gallon black larger tanks in Roo VS Jayco.

Not to say Jayco isn't a great trailer just some things I noticed that are pushing me to Forest River.

Jayco does have a longer warranty