Jayco's Jay Flight 26BH/27BH and Jay Flight Swift 264BH Triplets are very popular

[Mike_Up]

When ever a TT goes down the road, I take notice since I like camping. Anymore, I've been identifying many of these Jayco triplets out on the road. They are all the same floorplan with just different features and options. I usually see the 26BH/27BH twins the most. In the last 2 days, I've seen 4 on the roads.

They are really easy to identify since they are Jayco's longest travel trailer without a slide, and the window, outside storage door, and main door locations are easy to spot.

When Jayco said this was their #1 selling floorplan, they meant it!

[PAThwacker]

2014 jayco 28bhs is now is swift with half the tank capacities.

[Mike_Up]

gates59 wrote:

What are the scare lights. Is it the 2 large spot lights they have on the outside. They are great and very bright.

Yep those are the scare lights. Really nice to see around the camper when you're being attacked by raccoons. 😄

[jerem0621]

Hi Fireman,

My last trailer was a no slide 31 ft TT without bunks. We really need bunks for the kiddos. (12 and 9) but I think that we will probably go with a no slide trailer again. The 26bh is VERY attractive to me. Especially with the heavier rated axles and more fresh water capacity. Very nice trailer layout especially for a no slide.

With our previous trailer, we never had a slide leak, we never had a slide seal fail. We did have one day that we felt like we were a little cramped. That was because we were running late for church that morning and were all over each other. The remainder of the time, we were perfectly fine.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[Mike_Up]

My 5.0L 2012 F150 pulls it easily. Just get good sway control as it's 29' long. The 3/4 ton is a good idea to get extra payload but isn't it wasted on an Avalanche that has such a small bed, length and width?

This trailer is definitely 1/2 ton towable as it's pretty light not having a slide. One of the big pluses of it, tons of room, stick and tin, tall ceiling, yet it's still light!

[fireman41]

My next camper will more likely be a the 26bh out of all the floor planes that I have looked at I like that o e the best.
I also like the hole no slide thing. Its just one less thing to go wrong. I I now that I will be giving up some space but I'll be moving up from a 18 foot htt so I thing I can deal with not having a slide.
And 90 gallons of water wow I could go two weeks and never run out right now we can make 30 gallons last 4 days
What are you folkes pulling these with I'm looking at getting a 2500 avalanche as a TV but what are some of you guys using and how well do they do.

[gates59]

Yes it is a starcraft. It is a 2012. I like the fact that the windows in the back. I had a 2008 prior.
What are the scare lights. Is it the 2 large spot lights they have on the outside. They are great and very bright.

[Mike_Up]

gates59 wrote:
I have a 2012 278bh and love it. It is my second one. Had a 2008 before. Love the fact that there are no slides.

That's a StarCraft right?? For those that don't know, Jayco owns StarCraft. They shut them down in 2008 and closed their large Topeka Indiana Factory. They use to be run as a separate company with their own designs and engineers. I was there at the factory on their final month.

When Jayco shut them down, they simply started cloning Jaycos and rebadging them Starcrafts with different interiors and features and took away the 2 year warranty to give them a 1 year warranty. Guess they finally went to a 2 year warranty this year though.

Jayco reopened the Topeka Indiana plant but continues to clone Jayco models as StarCraft is no longer a separate company.

The 278BH is nearly the same but the bunk windows are in front of the bunks instead of the sides of the bunks. Don't know why if nothing more to differ the brands.

Glad you love it. Very nice! Wish they would had put the scare light on the Jaycos and well as some of the utility lights.

[Mike_Up]

KentuckyCamper wrote:
We have a 2011 264BH Swift and love it!!

If you don't mind, out of curiousity, what's your dry optioned trailer weight that's on the yellow sticker. I have 2, one on the outside wall and one on the screen door. Mine is 5050 lbs.

Also, did you add the oven, stabilizer, 6.3 double door refrigeration, DSI water heater and tub surround convenience package? Customer value package with microwave and AC is mandatory. Did you also get the entertainment and power packages?

From what I found, the weight differences aren't much between the 264BH and 26BH, but it's nice to see another.

Thanks

[KentuckyCamper]

We have a 2011 264BH Swift and love it!!

[Mike_Up]

gates59 wrote:
Do you guys with the 90 gallon tanks find they sag a little when full. I added 4 extra supports on mine.

No, because it's two 42 gallon fresh water tanks and the 6 gallon water heater to make the 90 gallon total.

The tank size is actually smaller than many.

[gates59]

Do you guys with the 90 gallon tanks find they sag a little when full. I added 4 extra supports on mine.

[Mike_Up]

jerem0621 wrote:
Thanks again, went to my local Jayco dealer and I really liked the 26BH like Mikes, they also had a 18bh like The above floor plan. I really like the layout and it seems to be an efficient use of space. I also really like that I can use a half ton to tow it with.

I had to think for a minute though. Why give 90 gallons of fresh water capacity with only 62 gallons of total gray and black tank storage? Then the answer hit me. It has an outside shower. My friends had an outside shower on their trailer and we used it all the time to wash dishes and other things outside.

Almost the perfect boon docking travel trailer.

Thanks!
Jeremiah

The reason for the large Fresh water tank and standard grey water tank is that many parks only have electric hookup as Indiana state parks. Since the RV capital is Indiana, it only makes sense.

I can easily use my 25 gallon portable blue waste water tank to empty most of the grey water, hook it to my truck and tow it to the dump station.

Finding fresh water and filling isn't as easy. It's timely and exhausting using 7 gallon aquatainer jugs and a pump to get the water in the fresh water tank.

I usually find a campsite close enough to a water spicket and use up to 150' of hose to get it to my camper, to fill my fresh water tank. Then when I'm done, wind it up and put under the trailer until I need it again. My blue tote sits by the sewer outlet with a flex hose hooked to it. When my grey water tank is full, I open the valve to fill the portable, then take it to the dump station.

I LOVE having 90 gallons of fresh water. It makes life a lot more easy and enjoyable.

I do use the outside shower to wash our hands without the need to bring dirt in the trailer. I also use it to wash the grill. It's a big help. I also use it to fill up the water heater so less splashing in the kitchen sink.

Since we love nature and love to hike, and aren't partiers at all, State parks are all we go to. Sometimes a small private rustic campground, if we can find one. We don't like the trailer park atmosphere of KOAs, Jellystones and the such. To busy and noisy with no where for hiking.

Being so, we never have full hookups. Sometimes if we go to an Indiana Reservoir, they offer water hookups. So we get to live in luxury and be carefree about water conserving.

[jerem0621]

Thanks again, went to my local Jayco dealer and I really liked the 26BH like Mikes, they also had a 18bh like The above floor plan. I really like the layout and it seems to be an efficient use of space. I also really like that I can use a half ton to tow it with.

I had to think for a minute though. Why give 90 gallons of fresh water capacity with only 62 gallons of total gray and black tank storage? Then the answer hit me. It has an outside shower. My friends had an outside shower on their trailer and we used it all the time to wash dishes and other things outside.

Almost the perfect boon docking travel trailer.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[Mike_Up]

The Swift is a down grade from a standard Jay Flight.

The biggest differences are the lack of in floor heat ducts. They are above floor, flex hose ducting. This robs storage space.

The A/C is ducted but is not thermostatically controlled. It's controlled on the ceiling unit itself, meaning the fan will always run even when the compressor cycles off.

Storage compartments have less room because of the above heat ducting as well as under the sofa (at least on 26BH).

Under queen bed storage isn't sectionalized from exterior storage.

There is no 30 lbs propane tank option, only standard 20 lbs tanks.

Also smaller fresh water tanks as well.

Also, while this Swift looks lighter than the standard Jay Flight, if you add on the options, they are about the same weight.

Now here's another big difference. The Jay Flight Swift 264BH (26BH clone) only has a 6500 GVWR, for less payload than a 26BH. The 26BH has a 7500 lbs GVWR.

These are the big differences which were very important to me, especially the propane and fresh water capacity. I was upgrading from a 2008 Jay Flight 19BH. At that time, the lower end standard Jay Flight had these options (except ducted AC that was offered in 2009). I didn't want to downgrade in amenities from what I had.

Now there are still much more differences mainly in luxury amenities but those were less important to me.

I don't think offering a Jay Flight Swift to replace a standard Jay Flight is a true replacement because of all the feature differences.

However floorplans are the same and if you camp in warmer weather at Jellystone or KOA parks that offer full hookups, the differences in tank capacities will have less meaning.

I don't know why the difference in heat ducting as it doesn't really seem to be a cost saver and different tooling make it seem more expensive to me.