Jayco Eagle HT 27.5RLTS vs Crossroads Cruiser Aire CAF27RL

[laknox]

OK, y'all. I'm leaning towards the above FWs as a replacement for my current '04 Komfort. I'd love to hear comments/impressions/problems from anyone who owns, or has owned, one.

With the Jayco, I'd be moving from a 29' OAL, low-profile, single-super-slide, =heavy= FW, to one that's almost 2' longer, 30'11" OAL, triple slide, mid-profile that grosses 1,300 lbs LESS than my Komfort. The only real issue I have with the Jayco is the size of the black tank, as I'd be giving up almost 13 gallons' capacity, 45 vs 32.5, which does concern me as we do like to boondock. I'd gain 3 gal fresh water and 20 gal grey capacity. It's about 11'9" tall, with a single A/C. I do like the 2-year warranty, too.

On the Cruiser Aire, I'd be about 29'11" OAL, one super-slide and a small wardrobe slide. I'd gain about 11 gal fresh water capacity, but lose abut 5 gal black and grey capacity. It grosses about 100 lbs more than my Komfort, but is a mid-profile, at 12' with a single A/C.

If you have suggestions on other models, very similar to these 2, I'd also appreciate knowing about them.

Lyle

[laknox]

zackyboy3rs wrote:
We have the 2015 Jayco Eagle HT 27rlts. Picked it up Dec. 27. Have had a few warranty issues. Front decals had to be replaced, front light cover blew off on the way home from picking it up and water seeped in. Slide out rubber sealed had to be glued back on. While at the dealership I asked them to check the roof & they found the shower skylight cover was cracked. All of this was fixed but I don't like the water seeping into the front cap. My dealership said they did not detect any water and that Jayco has noted it.

Now as far as the layout. We LOVE IT! The wide open living area is great. Get the whisper quiet AC it is like sitting at home with central AC going.

One person mentioned the bathroom corner shower may be small...this is the biggest bathroom we have ever had and it is not too small.

Now what I don't understand with Jayco. They installed 2 cable inlets but BOTH are on the door side. None on the waste/electrical/power side. This I don't understand.

This is our first 5th wheel (having owned 5 TT) and it pulls great. Overall I am satisfied.

Glad you're satisfied with it. That type of chickensh#t little stuff is what drives me crazy; stuff that should NOT be happening, especially on a rig with a rep like Jayco's. A tub is nice, but a shower is fine for us. DW has taken =maybe= 3 baths in the 26 years I've known her and those were more therapeutic than bathing. 🙂 I agree on some of the little things on the Jayco that make no sense. Like the outdoor speakers on the outside of the curb-side slide and not under the awning area, where the TV-out connection is.

Lyle

[Dayle1]

laknox wrote:

I =have= considered the 28SE, but I'm really not wanting to dump much money into a 13 y.o. truck.
Lyle

Not sure why you would have to do anything to the truck. My '03 GMC D/A had a steel utility bed and 45 gal Transfer Flow tank and my previous fiver had a dry pin wt. of 1550 lbs. and the rear suspension was stock for 8 yrs. Added inexpensive air bags when I bought my current fiver since the dry pin wt. was approaching 1900 lbs.

[zackyboy3rs]

We have the 2015 Jayco Eagle HT 27rlts. Picked it up Dec. 27. Have had a few warranty issues. Front decals had to be replaced, front light cover blew off on the way home from picking it up and water seeped in. Slide out rubber sealed had to be glued back on. While at the dealership I asked them to check the roof & they found the shower skylight cover was cracked. All of this was fixed but I don't like the water seeping into the front cap. My dealership said they did not detect any water and that Jayco has noted it.

Now as far as the layout. We LOVE IT! The wide open living area is great. Get the whisper quiet AC it is like sitting at home with central AC going.

One person mentioned the bathroom corner shower may be small...this is the biggest bathroom we have ever had and it is not too small.

Now what I don't understand with Jayco. They installed 2 cable inlets but BOTH are on the door side. None on the waste/electrical/power side. This I don't understand.

This is our first 5th wheel (having owned 5 TT) and it pulls great. Overall I am satisfied.

[laknox]

goducks10 wrote:
Have you been tot he Jayco forum? I know brand forums tend to attract owners with issues more than praise. But at least you would get Jayco owner feed back to any questions.

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/

Thanks; I'll check them out.

Lyle

[goducks10]

Have you been tot he Jayco forum? I know brand forums tend to attract owners with issues more than praise. But at least you would get Jayco owner feed back to any questions.

http://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/

[laknox]

Thanks for the replies, so far. I guess one of my biggest concerns is that, as Dayle1 said, CR's quality has been hit 'n miss, while Jayco seems to be a lot more consistent. I'm =not= 100% convinced that weight=quality in a lot of cases. Still looking for info from actual owners!

Lyle

[laknox]

MFL wrote:
Lyle, I think the floor plan of the Jayco is much nicer than the Cruiser 27. I think you should be comparing the CAF28SE, to the Jayco. It is the same floor plan. Yes, it is a shade heavier, but not much.

I happened to see the exact Jayco, at a local park. It is nice looking! The only thing I noticed, when looking at the model sticker, was that it had 4400 lb. axles. If the Cruiser had 5200 lb. axles, that would be a plus. You'd get bigger brakes, bigger bearings, and a more stout tube.

I wouldn't be afraid of a little more weight on your 2500, even if you had to add a little suspension enhancement.

I think the opposing rear slides are a nice feature.

Jerry

Thanks, Jerry. I =have= considered the 28SE, but I'm really not wanting to dump much money into a 13 y.o. truck. I know that axle assemblies aren't all that expensive (and you can recover costs on selling the old ones), so upgrading the Jayco after the warranty expired might be an option. Not sure if the hub assemblies could be replaced for bigger brakes.

Lyle

[laknox]

goducks10 wrote:
Have you looked at the Forest River Wildcat Maxx 295RSX? Is 30' your optimum length? Very big tanks.
http://www.forestriverinc.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=199&ShowParent=1&ModelID=1639#Main

Or the Grand Design Reflection 27RL. It too has large tanks and is in the 30' range.
http://www.granddesignrv.com/reflection27-floor.php

Or the Open Range Mesa Ridge 316RLS
http://www.highlandridgerv.com/Unit-Spec-Sheets/Mesa-Ridge/MF316RLS.pdf

For me I'd take the Jayco for the 2 year warranty, and two way bathroom entrance.

Thanks. Have seen all these. Not a fan of islands, especially when you can't open the fridge with slides closed. The Mesa Ridge grosses 1,100 lbs MORE than my Komfort! I considered the Relection, but just am not a fan of the theater seats. I still like a swivel rocker or recliner.

Lyle

[goducks10]

Have you looked at the Forest River Wildcat Maxx 295RSX? Is 30' your optimum length? Very big tanks.
http://www.forestriverinc.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=199&ShowParent=1&ModelID=1639#Main

Or the Grand Design Reflection 27RL. It too has large tanks and is in the 30' range.
http://www.granddesignrv.com/reflection27-floor.php

Or the Open Range Mesa Ridge 316RLS
http://www.highlandridgerv.com/Unit-Spec-Sheets/Mesa-Ridge/MF316RLS.pdf

For me I'd take the Jayco for the 2 year warranty, and two way bathroom entrance.

[sayoung]

we have a Jayco 321RLTS and have been very pleased,would buy Jayco again.Jayco has a 2 year warranty which can be nice to have.
We had a living area slide motor that started hanging up about the 15th month,nice warranty.

[Dayle1]

CR has been hit or miss on quality over the past few yrs, so you would need to have a good dealer. From the numbers, it must have 5200 lb axles and more carrying capacity than you can probably use. It also has a tub.

The Jayco has a corner shower and in a small bathroom, access may be awkward. The opposing slides will give you a more open living area if they don't cause a problem in tight camping spots (not likely since the street side slides are not full depth and all RVs need sufficient curb side space for door access anyway).

I've never had a problem with a 32 gal black tank, for just 2 people it is sufficient for 2 weeks. Both units are using conventional slide mechanisms for the main slides (CR had problems when they tried using the Schwintek system on the main slides).

With just a quick look at both units, I'd probably go with the Jayco due to the layout and hopefully better quality. But then there are many more details in the equation.

[MFL]

Lyle, I think the floor plan of the Jayco is much nicer than the Cruiser 27. I think you should be comparing the CAF28SE, to the Jayco. It is the same floor plan. Yes, it is a shade heavier, but not much.

I happened to see the exact Jayco, at a local park. It is nice looking! The only thing I noticed, when looking at the model sticker, was that it had 4400 lb. axles. If the Cruiser had 5200 lb. axles, that would be a plus. You'd get bigger brakes, bigger bearings, and a more stout tube.

I wouldn't be afraid of a little more weight on your 2500, even if you had to add a little suspension enhancement.

I think the opposing rear slides are a nice feature.

Jerry