jayco vs forest river

[Dad12153]

new to rv'ing....like the rear living TT...boiled it down to a jayco jayflight 26rls and forest river rockwood ulttralite 2604ws....have heard these brands are like ford vs. cadillac.....any constructive comments much appreciated....

[1oldtruck]

I have owned a Jayco and a Forest River product. The Jayco was four years old when I bought it. Owned it for two years without a single repair needed. It took a lot of polishing and new tires.

The Forest River built Coachman has been less impressive. It was purchased new and is now two years old. I just replaced the roof vents and the rubber molding along the sides and roof after it cracked. The bigger issue is how noisy the A/C is when it runs. Sleeping in the Jayco was much more pleasant.

[Fast0ne]

patkvm wrote:

Fast0ne wrote:
Well after spend a year looking at a lot of different traliers and talking to lots of different people. I myself would not own a jayco I was never impressed with fit and finish and seeing things like a dinette both air stapled together for the back and then falling off as I sat down at the table was not fun. And then after thinking maybe this was a one off thing some friends just bought a jayco this year,and guess what there second trip out there is the seat back falling off held together with air nails. I am not trying to down jayco but small things like this make me wonder what could be lurking with bigger things. But as far as price point and I am guessing customer service it may be worth it.

And forest river had some great looking product but there was nothing that fit for what we were looking at.

We went totally different and 7000 km of towing and our unit has held up very well looks like new inside and out and am happy with my choice in company's.

What ever you end up with will have some issues that need to be fixed and it is up to the dealer and the company to look after you.

Every Jayco that I every owned there was not one staple in the unit, even on my 185RB everything is screwed and glued. I remember many years ago we stopped and looked at a Forest River TT and when my wife, salesman and myself all got into the trailer the salesman fell throught the floor. My wife and I looked at each other with our mouths hanging open. I will never forget that.

Well that would not be good.

But unfortunately as I stated both jayco traliers one we looked at and one our friends bought were stapled.

We bought a holiday rambler aluma lite ultra lite tralier 187QB,and have been very happy with this company. But they now as of this year stopped building travle traliers. So not sure what we will buy next time around

[patkvm]

Fast0ne wrote:
Well after spend a year looking at a lot of different traliers and talking to lots of different people. I myself would not own a jayco I was never impressed with fit and finish and seeing things like a dinette both air stapled together for the back and then falling off as I sat down at the table was not fun. And then after thinking maybe this was a one off thing some friends just bought a jayco this year,and guess what there second trip out there is the seat back falling off held together with air nails. I am not trying to down jayco but small things like this make me wonder what could be lurking with bigger things. But as far as price point and I am guessing customer service it may be worth it.

And forest river had some great looking product but there was nothing that fit for what we were looking at.

We went totally different and 7000 km of towing and our unit has held up very well looks like new inside and out and am happy with my choice in company's.

What ever you end up with will have some issues that need to be fixed and it is up to the dealer and the company to look after you.

Every Jayco that I every owned there was not one staple in the unit, even on my 185RB everything is screwed and glued. I remember many years ago we stopped and looked at a Forest River TT and when my wife, salesman and myself all got into the trailer the salesman fell throught the floor. My wife and I looked at each other with our mouths hanging open. I will never forget that.

[IndyCamp]

We've been very happy with our Rockwood in the year we have owned it. Paid $150 for the second year factory warranty.

We will consider Forest River as well as other manufacturers, including Jayco, for our next trailer. I'm of the opinion that trailers of the same class/price are fairly equal, regardless of the name on them.

[rdrector]

Ford vs Chevy for Rockwood and Jayflight;
Ford vs Cadillac if it's a Rockwood versus Eagle. As far as "trailers" go.

Rockwood and Jayflight both seem nice and owners +/-'s about the same from what I hear.

The Eagle is more of a premium product (and price) though in many ways, and should be looked at as such if you are comparing it to a Rockwood. Not saying the Rockwood is negative in any way, just is not the same in standards and options.

IMO from what I have come across, the Rockwood line is a great all-around starter trailer with a good reputation and cost. But many 2nd time buyers go for the Jayco line when they look to upgrade.

[wmoses]

spadoctor wrote:
jayco...2 year warranty and better customer service

Don't know personally about the customer service but you could buy a second year of warranty for the Forest River RV for $150. That's what we did at purchase. Customer service would probably be similar. My previous RV was a Jayco hybrid - excellent RV, with zero issues in the 3 years we owned it. Build quality is the same, but cpr the same price the FR products offer more features, so more bang for buck. In the one year of ownership of the Flagstaff the radio died, the stove had to be replaced under the warranty and the shower surround leaked at the base. The radio and stove are not FR but the caulking at the base of the shower is.

[fil564]

We had a Jayco it was a 2009 298RLS and we were completely satisfied with it for the time we had it. No real problems the A/C gasket went bad and a problem with the door lock but other than that no issues. We now have a Windjammer 3008W since April and can honestly say we are satisfied with this trailer so far. i have a small problem that will be dealt with at the end of the year where the luan panel on the cabinet next to the shower is pulling away and the staples backed out but nothing to cry about. We always thought we would be Jayco loyal and even looked at a new one in January but it would have meant a truck upgrade and that was not going to happen just yet. We stumbled across this at a dealer because we always like to look and it fit our needs perfectly. I do not think you can go wrong with either brand.

[Fast0ne]

Well after spend a year looking at a lot of different traliers and talking to lots of different people. I myself would not own a jayco I was never impressed with fit and finish and seeing things like a dinette both air stapled together for the back and then falling off as I sat down at the table was not fun. And then after thinking maybe this was a one off thing some friends just bought a jayco this year,and guess what there second trip out there is the seat back falling off held together with air nails. I am not trying to down jayco but small things like this make me wonder what could be lurking with bigger things. But as far as price point and I am guessing customer service it may be worth it.

And forest river had some great looking product but there was nothing that fit for what we were looking at.

We went totally different and 7000 km of towing and our unit has held up very well looks like new inside and out and am happy with my choice in company's.

What ever you end up with will have some issues that need to be fixed and it is up to the dealer and the company to look after you.

[patkvm]

I would look at their customer service meaning the 800 number you call, then I would pick the one. The brand name means nothing it is all about who is on the other side of the phone when you have a problem.

I have always owned a Jayco I have even owned a lemon, but it is the 800 number that keeps me a loyal customer.

[Sandia_Man]

Toss up either way, both are reputable manufacturers and all RVs are built as fast as they can push them out the door. Most dissatisfied with their RV purchased can point the finger toward the dealer for the cause since most manufacturers readily back their products.

No surprise that most will suggest their particular brand, but there are no perfect trailers, just some that don't show their defects so glaringly. Pick the floorplan that suits your specific needs best and hopefully purchase from a dealer that delivers quality service after the sale should you require it. No matter the pricepoint of an RV, overall quality of the unit sometimes boils down to luck of the draw. Good luck and enjoy your new rig.

[Campfire_Time]

Pick the floor plan and features you like the most. Pick a dealer that you feel comfortable with. You would not be disappointed with either purchase. But keep in mind that nothing is perfect. There will be details and design flaws with either one.

That said our current trailer is our 2nd Jayco hybrid (the first we owned for 10 years) and we also had a Jayco pup prior to our first hybrid. They make solid well constructed products.

[Ron3rd]

We have a new FR Rockwood Windjammer that we like very much, no problems after 1 year. All mfgs turn out lemons from time to time and I've read good and bad about all of them.

[6_7_tow_rig]

We had a Wildwood 27ft bunkhouse and never had a problem. It was actually a great entry level trailer. We stuck with Forest River and bought a Primetime Lacrosse. Absolutely love it, and have had great customer support. Like others have said, its Ford vs Chevy. Find the plan you like and go with it. The warranty thing is not even a consideration in my opinion. After one year you know what the issues are, and after that if you are handy everything on a trailer is fixable yourself for the most part. Good luck

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

I've had two FR products. I've looked at Jayco.

The Jayco dealer in my area has a bit of a 'My product is better and you should pay more for it' and a local reputation for slow warranty work - blaming 'the factory' for delays. The couple minor issues I've had with two different FR dealers have been handled quickly and with no hassle.

I've met dozens of very satisfied Jayco owners, and dozens of satisfied FR owners. I really think how you are treated by the dealer is more important. Both have about the same quality.

As mentioned above - it's a Ford / Chevy comparison.

Pick the one the DW likes.

My DW would not let me get a model with a walk thru bathroom. She would also prefer the extra wardrobe space in the Rockwood.

Which ever is the DW choice - go with it.