Floor Plan vs mechanicals vs brands (Newb questions)

[p40whk]

Hi all,

I've been trying to educate myself as much as possible before making my first purchase and have finally narrowed down my search to a specific type of TT and a general floor plan.

I have found two brands that (through my research) seem to have decent and similar reputations; Jayco Jay Feather and Surveyor Expandables.

Obviously floor plans are a personal preference and my favorite so far is the Surveyor 191T. Jayco has their X19H which is almost identical to Surveyor's 192T but even though you get a sofa sleeper with these last two models they seem to be a bit more cramped and I prefer the side bunks of the 191.

My biggest question is the axles; the Jayco has tandem axles and the Surveyor does not. Quality between the two trailers looks like the surveyor is slightly better (I noticed much better hardware used in the Surveyor) but I'm not sure if switching floor plans just for a tandem axle is really worth it on a 19 foot trailer?

I also noticed that the frame on the Jayco wasn't as stout and neither was it's CCC.

I've tried to compare the two brands and find pros/cons for each so there isn't a real winner in customer satisfaction. Being an aircraft mechanic I tend to get a bit nit picky about construction and mechanicals but find different plus's and minus's for each (none enough to sway me towards one brand over the other).

Both the Jayco and Surveyor Dealer have a very good sales reputation but the Surveyor Dealer sells primarily to out of state people and there aren't many reviews on after the sale service.

The Surveyor is $3K cheaper as well.

1) How much better is that tandem axle over a single?
2) After the sale service, how hard is it to get service from a dealer that you didn't buy from?
3) Does anyone have any experience with both brands that can provide feedback.

Thanks and I appreciate your patience with the newb questions!

[rbpru]

No matter which TT you buy, there is a good chance the axle selected is the least expensive option that will handle the max loaded TT weight.

They do not do much "over design" in the I industry.

[p40whk]

Yeah, I'm not expecting any of these trailers to pass an FAA inspection but I have been comparing the quality between brands. For the price that they are asking for these units comparatively to other types of recreational vehicles like boats I'd say the quality matches the prices.

I'm still kind of hung up on the whole tandem axle thing though. I used to have a 19 foot boat that weighed similar to what these trailers do and had two blow outs with that. The tires on that trailer weren't even tow rated so the dealer had to eat the cost for those. The boat didn't sway when it happened either, just dropped to the ground and it was noticeable in the cab. Drug it off to the side of the road and changed it.

My new boat has a tandem axle trailer and I've had blow outs with it as well however you can go further with that second tire supporting the weight.

I do think that if you put good quality tires on a single axle trailer then you should be fine. I guess that's something I need to check.

[rbpru]

I shudder to think what would happen if airplanes were built by the RV industry. :E :E

To very different industries and quality requirements.

[_1nobby]

p40whk wrote:


Being an aircraft mechanic I tend to get a bit nit picky about construction and mechanicals

Me too.

Just wait.....there is NO comparison between aircraft and travel trailer quality and workmanship.

[rbpru]

Remember to use the allowable Gross TT weight of each TT.

Dry weights are very inaccurate because there are so many way to figure them.

My 25 foot Dutchmen dry weight is 5004 lbs, loaded for a trip the scales say I am at 6200 lbs. to 6600 lbs. My allowable Gross TT weight is 7500 lbs. If you do the math it comes to 7000 lbs allowed on the axles and 500 expected to be carried by the tongue. In reality the tongue will have more than 500 lbs.

So as you can see, the numbers can be misleading or confusing but as Gary stated; think floor plan first. If a spouse in involved, their floor plan is first.

Good luck

[GaryWT]

If you settle for a floor plan that is not your favorite, you may never get over it and you do not want to say we should have gone with... every trip.

[p40whk]

Good points Bob and rbpru,

I looked at the Surveyor 192T which has the identical floor plan as the Jayco and it does have tandem axels. It's also over 300# heavier and 1-1/2 feet longer so I'm guessing that the 191T was below their standard weight/length for adding tandem axles.

Cost isn't an issue for me and I am looking at TTs in this weight range for a number of reasons, tow vehicle capacity being one of them (the other being storage).

Floor plan is my big sticking point right now, if I didn't mind the the tighter space and layout of the 192T it would be a non issue.

The Jayco and 192T are both at 3600+ pounds where the 191T is 3300+ pounds, that's over your 2500# weight preference for tandem axles Bob.

[NanciL]

I can't comment on either trailer, but I can comment on the tandem wheels
Both of my hard sides have been tandems, and so far I have had two blow outs.
On both of them I never even knew they blew, until looking in the rear view mirror I saw shredded rubber flying off.
The trailer never even swayed and on one them I drove five miles and never even hurt the rim since the other wheel kept it off the pavement.

Every time I see a 19 foot trailer with only one axel, my comment to my wife is "I wouldn't have that brand"

Need I say more

Jack L

[rbpru]

I prefer to leave the TT design to the manufacturers.

The three things the consumer has to be concerned with are;
+ Floor plan. You have to live with it long after the newness wears off.
+ Tow vehicle. Does it have the cargo and towing capacity you need?
+ Cost. It is a hobby, it should not be a burden.

Virtually all the manufacturers use the same materials, labor and design criteria for any given price point.

[bobndot]

OP question:
1) How much better is that tandem axle over a single?
2) After the sale service, how hard is it to get service from a dealer that you didn't buy from?
3) Does anyone have any experience with both brands that can provide feedback.

1 I prefer dual axle when im towing a trailer over 2500# and a box size of over 15'-16' (crosswind stability of a dual axle).

2 Service from another dealer other than the selling dealer is going to be a mixed review. Some will make you wait for an appointment longer because they service their customers first. If there are limited dealers in the area, then you will probably wait longer because its busy.
If its an out of network dealer while your traveling, then it might be out of pocket or at least you might have to supplement the labor rate to them especially if its an expensive real estate area where labor rates are high to begin with. The mfg will only offer so much to them and the parts waiting game comes into play. I waited 6 mos. for my parts and that was a network dealer but not my selling dealer.
3. Brands ? LOL . Not a fan of any except 3 truck camper mfg.s. One is still in business in Iowa, one went out in Montana and the other passed away. RIP, Bob Mehrer.
I buy what floorlan I like and deal with the rest.
There is good and bad in all of them . Its a game of luck . IMO, the question should be , which mfg offers better customer service.
I have a Jayco and they are ok and seem to treat the network dealers ok . They seem to step up to the plate during the warranty period so far.
I would try to find a mfg that deals with their dealerships without causing havoc to them. Many dealers get fed up with the mfg's and dig into their own pocket to satisfy one of their good repeat customers.
This revolves back to question #1. Its a revolving door.

[p40whk]

Thanks guys, I tow a boat with tandem axles and know exactly what you're talking about in regards to side load. Hadn't considered the blow out potential.

My gut is still telling my I'd be happier with the floor plan I like. The tandem axle is definitely a positive feature but so is the $3k I'd save.

Still researching so all opinions welcome!

[DutchmenSport]

Tandem axle will provide a much more stable towing experience. Less potential for sway, and in the event of a sudden blow out, there is the second tire to support the trailer until you can safely get somewhere. Tandem axle will also distribute the weight of the camper over 2 axles instead of one, which means less stress on each axle, a smoother ride for the camper, and the potential for the camper to weigh more, as the weight is distributed to 4 tires instead of 2.

All of these are minuses for a single axle.

The disadvantage of a tandem axle is the pivot response of trailer. The tires do not pivot like a single axle. There is always some side force on the tires. On one side of the trailer, one tire sidewall can be forced inward, the other tire forced outward, especially noticeable when backing a sharp turn. This never occurs on a single axle as there is only 1 pivot tire. This is about the only advantage I see with a single axle trailer.

Dealers: Before purchasing, check with your (local) dealerships to see if they do warranty work for the your brand not purchased there or a brand they do not market. However, if you are paying the bill out of your own pocket, most RV dealership-repair shops will fix anything, pretty much. They are there to be in business, not turn potential customer money away. They'll fix if you pay, warranty or not. You pay, they won't turn you down. Then... if you need to haggle with your manufacturer .... that's up to you. Bottom line, check with your local shop to see how they handle warranty work on a camper they don't sell. And if willing to pay cash yourself, you'll have no problems 99% of the time. (provided they can get the parts needed for the repair knocks out the other 1%.)

No experience with either brand of camper you're considering. But, use your best instincts and your own "gut reaction". This is usually the best indicator.

[fla-gypsy]

p40whk wrote:
Hi all,

I've been trying to educate myself as much as possible before making my first purchase and have finally narrowed down my search to a specific type of TT and a general floor plan.

I have found two brands that (through my research) seem to have decent and similar reputations; Jayco Jay Feather and Surveyor Expandables.

Obviously floor plans are a personal preference and my favorite so far is the Surveyor 191T. Jayco has their X19H which is almost identical to Surveyor's 192T but even though you get a sofa sleeper with these last two models they seem to be a bit more cramped and I prefer the side bunks of the 191.

My biggest question is the axles; the Jayco has tandem axles and the Surveyor does not. Quality between the two trailers looks like the surveyor is slightly better (I noticed much better hardware used in the Surveyor) but I'm not sure if switching floor plans just for a tandem axle is really worth it on a 19 foot trailer?

I also noticed that the frame on the Jayco wasn't as stout and neither was it's CCC.

I've tried to compare the two brands and find pros/cons for each so there isn't a real winner in customer satisfaction. Being an aircraft mechanic I tend to get a bit nit picky about construction and mechanicals but find different plus's and minus's for each (none enough to sway me towards one brand over the other).

Both the Jayco and Surveyor Dealer have a very good sales reputation but the Surveyor Dealer sells primarily to out of state people and there aren't many reviews on after the sale service.

The Surveyor is $3K cheaper as well.

1) How much better is that tandem axle over a single?
2) After the sale service, how hard is it to get service from a dealer that you didn't buy from?
3) Does anyone have any experience with both brands that can provide feedback.

Thanks and I appreciate your patience with the newb questions!

Q1. Tandem axle is always safer to tow in my opinion
Q2. depends on the area you live in and accessibility to multiple dealers. The manufacturer can provide a list of service providers for your area. You have no obligation to return to the same dealer.
Q3. Can't help with that