Is JAYCO a good one ?

[jstout47]

I know this has probably been asked before and the administrator would have me search existing posts but things change as does the latest models so.........
I have been shopping some and thought I would ask an RV. Community a few questions.
I will be traveling alone so thought a JAYCO MELBORNE 29D would be enough room for me and a couple Rat Terriers.
So if you were a first time buyer traveling alone what would you buy, I don't have anything heavy to haul, me 2 Terriers and a few old Martin guitars.
Best/joe

[pnichols]

But .... Ford has no idea what length of Class C the manufacturer is going to build on any individual E350/E450 cutaway chassis for any particular E350/E450 wheelbase ordered.

The E450 158 inch wheelbase Ford chassis under our 24 foot Class C handles perfectly - nothing wrong. Winnebago either lucked out since our motorhome was a short one, or paid attention to what they were doing.

Class C manufacturers need to carefully(?) design/engineer both how much they extend the rear of the E350/E450 frames, and how much weight is winding up on the rear axle versus the front suspension.

It seems to me that the bulk of the responsibility might be tilted towards the Class C manufacturer when using Ford's (or Chevy's) cutaway van chassis as a starting point.

[j-d]

Every E-Series vehicle has had a FRONT anti-sway bar since the 1980's if not before then. The E-450's have always had a REAR anti-sway bar also, and Ford started putting them on E-350 DRW Cutaways a few years ago. These OEM bars have been found wanting by many RVers, leading us to remove them and install much bigger/stiffer ones from vendors like Hellwig and Roadmaster.
The way I read Jayco's claim that "no other C has it" is that they are upgrading their C's with one of the aftermarket bars, as well as upgrading shocks to Bilstein and adding Hellwig helper springs.
Jayco is doing something many of us have already done, but I choose to applaud them for at least doing that very something. The one that should be doing that and more is FORD. The claim that Ford makes that they can't provide upgraded components because they don't know how the chassis will be used is RUBBISH. The chassis the RV builders buy is a version of the E-Series called (guess what?) "RV Prep."

[Snowman9000]

The Jayco ride enhancements do sound very good.

[jstout47]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome and good advice, I have till spring to shop so will go kinda slow and maybe eliminate buyers remorse.
I wonder how the Jayco would compare to a Coachmen concord ? They seem to be priced pretty close.
The new Jayco's have the "New Jayco Ride" that sure sounds good ?
Best Wishes Joe

[pnichols]

fordsooperdooty wrote:

..."Melbourne’s rear stabilizer bar raises and lowers each side of the unit to similar heights, reducing roll when cornering.

Well, let me see what we got from Winnebago ....

The Ford E450 that Winnebago put under our Itasca came with both front and rear stabilizer bars. They may look different than what's used on the Melbourne, but what they do is work to hold the left and right sides of the chassis level to reduce roll when cornering. They're probably the stock ones Ford builds the E450 with. Check Page 13 of this specification to see what diameter the rods are used in both the front and back stabilizer bars. Probably what the Melbourne has, too, are what comes on the E450 chassis as delivered by Ford:

https://www.fleet.ford.com/truckBBAS/non-html/2005/vs_pdf/05e-seriesvanbb.pdf

Here's some other stock items and features in our Winnebago Itasca Class C to compare against other Class C motorhomes:

- Chrome wheel covers.
- Aluminum driver/passenger cab running boards instead of fiberglass.
- Electrically heated and remotely adjusted cab mirrors.
- Remotely operated cab door locks.
- All exterior storage cabinets are steel walled with carpeting.
- One piece fiberglass roof with full-length rolled edges.
- Deeply crowned roof for extra strength and water run-off.
- Exterior shower with the remote pump switch, hot, and cold controls for it right at the hose.
- Exterior remotely controlled entertainment system with 12 volt DC, 120 volt AC, and cable outlets.
- Exterior snap-on shelf for a BBQ or outside TV.
- All sewer valves are up high and completely contained within a steel-lined dust/dirt resistant enclosed cabinet ... nothing hanging and exposed to the ground to snag.
- The sewer hose is completely contained in the cabinet mentioned above ... not in a tube across the rear.
- Spare tire mounted up out of the way instead of on the back.
- Massive lug wrench for tire changing by the user if desired.
- All exterior electrical services contained within a steel-lined dust/dirt resistant enclosed cabinet ... up high for good ground clearance.
- Built-in valve and hose for winterizing.
- Built-in electric grey and black tank 12 volt DC heaters for cold weather camping with or without hookups.
- Double coach battery protected area that can hold up to twin Group 31 batteries and is accessible from the interior but completely isolated from it.
- Double steel lined and carpeted outside storage areas that run laterally across the RV for storage of long items like fishing poles, shovels, beach umbrellas, etc..
- Four additional steel lined and carpeted exterior storage cabinets besides the two special cabinets mentioned above.
- Exhaust system heat shields to keep the cab floors cool.
- 130 amp alternator instead of 120 amp.
- Switch in the cab to boost the chassis battery from the coach batteries if needed.
- Switch in the cab to power the radio from either the chassis battery or the coach batteries.
- Automatic electric step for the coach entrance.
- The coach's rear tire wells are steel lined to prevent/reduce any damage from a tire blow-out.
- The floor is lined with steel under the flooring insulation.
- All interior coach framing is aluminum.
- All interior wiring is bundled by category.
- All coach cabinet shelves slide on steel tracks.
- All cabinetry uses solid oak doors and facings.
- All galley water is filtered through a long lasting and easily replaceable cartridge.
- The built-in Onan generator is well sound-isolated from the interior and can be comfortably run for hours if needed during hot drycamping conditions.
- The cab radio has surround speakers in the coach area and can be controlled by a remote.
- 18 gallon propane tank.
- 45 gallons of fresh water.
- Steel rear bumper extending all the way across the rear of the coach.
- Roof access ladder actually strong enough to use and last.
- A complete documentation package with information on the motorhome, the Ford chassis, all appliances, and their respective warranties,
- Narrow band digitally controlled propane furnace and air conditioner with two fan speeds and two fan modes.
- Shower head with ON/OFF water controls right on the shower wand.
- Exterior sensor grey and black tank metering system for reliable level readings.
- The entire volume under each dinette seat is available for storage and there are access doors on the ends so the dinette cushions don't have to be removed for access.
- The driver's seatback is not blocked, so it can be tilted back for driving.
- The passenger's seatback is not blocked, so it can be tilted back during travel.
- The coach area contains multiple 12 volt DC and 120 volt AC receptacles.
- There are multiple distributed and adjustable ducts for both the propane furnace and the air conditioner. Furnace duct tubing is located in coach voids where the water lines run for cold weather camping. The fresh water tank is completely contained within the interior and is near some furnace duct tubing to keep it warm.
- The cab area, cabover bed area, and rear bed area can be isolated by snap-on or tracked curtains that were supplied by Winnebago.
- The main engine and generator exhausts are up high to reduce any chance of damage.
- The built-in generator is installed on a side of the coach opposite where any outside activities usually take place.

[SooperDaddy]

Welcome to the Forum Joe! We're all glad you joined up.

The Jayco Melborne is an excellant choice...lower profile than a Class C such as the Minnie Winnie, Jayco Redhawk and Greyhawks.
Jayco is the 3rd largest RV builder in the World, the largest family owned RV builder, and one of the oldest RV companies as well....46 years just building great RV's.

As mentioned, the 2 year bumper to bumper warranty is a real plus...if you ever should need it! It includes 2 years of free roadside assist, towing, lockout/key service and maps/trip planning. The Melborne is NOT entry level, nor is it "lower middle market"!

Melbourne is not 138" tall like the typical Class C motorhome. It's 10" shorter in height at 128". Better for handling, fuel economy and aerodynamics.

Unlike some of the Motorhomes in this Class, the Jayco has Vacuum Laminated roof, walls and floors. 10 Times less likely to delaminate than Winniebago's glued walls and roof.

And the Jayco roof has a seamless, one piece Fiberglass construction with a remarkable R-23 insulation! The front one piece fiberglass cap is under warranty for 30 months. You also get standard 15,000 BTU roof A/C instead of the smaller 13,500 others have standard (Winnie). And Jayco has a standard tankless water heater, and standard Onan 4000 watt genny...optional on the Winnie!

Other stuff Jayco gives you as standard is a stabilizer bar..."Melbourne’s rear stabilizer bar raises and lowers each side of the unit to similar heights, reducing roll when cornering. No other Class C is equipped with this."

Bilstein shocks. "Bilstein shock absorbers, not found on other Class Cs, reduce bounce and eliminate excessive sway. A unique monotube design doesn’t trap heat, reducing shock failure."

Hellwig helper springs. "Fluctuating loads impact alignment, reduce traction and diminish handling. Hellwig helper springs correct this, compressing under loads to level out your RV." All build right into the Jayco.

Still doesn't sound like a "entry level" RV to me! 😉

Best of luck...and "choose wisely grasshopper!"

[jcsb]

We have a Melbourne. We have (wife and I) spent a 3 month 14000 mile trip to and from Alaska. Numerous multi week trips also.

We have had as much space as we needed for all of these trips and the coach has all we needed to enjoy ourselves.

Yes, outside storage is less than a Class A. We knew that when we traded out 30 foot 5er. Would it be nice to have more basement storage. Yes sometimes, but then that is just more "stuff".

BTW on out Alaska trip we did not tow a car. There were very few times that there was an issue.

I did read one individual suggest a Class B. We looked at those also. Major issue was not its size but the need to set up and take down the bed/dining table, daily.

We felt the Melbourne eliminated that and gave us the space we needed.

It is not a low end, even low middle unit when you compare price, utility value, etc.

JMHO, and has been for 3.5 years now.

[Dieter_Heinzer]

Hi - if I were going to do RVing by myself, I would seriously consider a Class-B because it would simplify much of the travel (and get better mileage in the process...)

The Class C obviously has a LOT more space for living and "stuff", but give it a consideration.

Cheers - and happy trails.

[Hank85713]

we bought a 2012 winnebago but had been considering the melborne. They do come with many standard things we liked, but as with many do not have leveling jacks as standard equipment, the winnebago had them. As noted above they do not have a lot of outside storage space, but for a single person that may not be much of an issue. Our winnebago has more but not much. Quality wise I would rate tham as about equal overall but on one that we looked at (4 years old) it did suffer a lot of rust and had some issues. It was from canada so they do see lots of salt/chloride on the roads and suffer as a result. Was also later told that you need to be aware of the same problem with any that come from the east cost or gulf areas due to salt content of moisture in those areas. The melbornes are about $15K less than a winnebago depending on dealer, they did however indicate that they give 2 year warranties vs the normal 1 year that is comonly found and that the dealers take care of the warranty issues for the appliances not the owner! Anyhow I would say yes you would probably be happy with one but only you can really make that determination. Does it have the amenities you want and is it in the price range? One thing that is nice they do have one of the better driver compartments with the all power seats and stuff, only thing the winnebago didnt have that I wanted!

[j-d]

That model, in the current version of the Jayco webpage, has limited outside storage. I liked the floorplan. Notice that with "29" in the Model designation, it's still a 31-ft+ motorhome. I'd estimate limited carrying capacity, weight-wise. That's common in larger Class C's. Beyond that, Melbourne is an upgraded model and has many nice features. One valuable build feature is fiberglass roof. Jayco didn't use them for a long time and recently started. That is a plus.

[Dick_B]

Refer to www.rv.org for their ratings and pay attention to what owners state is WRONG with their rigs.

[dumboat2]

We have a 2003 Granite Ridge 3100ss motorhome that still looks close to new inside and out, so I feel it has stood the test of time a bit. Inside has solid cabinets, drawers and counter top. Nothing looks worn. So far nothing has gone wrong or needed to be replaced. I keep fingers crossed. Only problem we have had is low CCC rating, so we need to be careful how much stuff we carry. I do tow a 16 foot boat with it and have had no problems with power or keeping up with traffic. Most of our use is dry camping 100 miles from home, we camp year round 12 to 15 times a year, so gets a lot of use in the living area but not a ton of miles. We have had 4 motorhomes over the years and the Jayco is the nicest. We do keep it under a carport and this I'm sure has alot to do with the condition of the exterior.

[super_camper]

jstout47 wrote:
I know this has probably been asked before and the administrator would have me search existing posts but things change as does the latest models so.........
I have been shopping some and thought I would ask an RV. Community a few questions.
I will be traveling alone so thought a JAYCO MELBORNE 29D would be enough room for me and a couple Rat Terriers.
So if you were a first time buyer traveling alone what would you buy, I don't have anything heavy to haul, me 2 Terriers and a few old Martin guitars.
Best/joe

Jayco is in the middle of the market, definitely not lower-middle market. We did a lot of research before buying one. They do have one of the best, if not the best, warranties available.

As I have said many times when we compared units before we bought we spent alot of time narrowing our selection to Forest River, Winnebago, and Jayco. We then narrowed to just Winnebago and Jayco. I think we would have been happy with either of these but the Jayco was many thousands of dollars less expensive.

[luvztheoutdoor1]

I have a Jayco 26DS Class C and travel alone frequently. It has always been reliable. I have owned it for three years now.