Our First TT, will it be a hobby nightmare?

[Fizbin]

We are 2 weeks away from buying our first TT and we are not sure if this will be a nightmare or everything we dream about?

We have our own business and can work from the office or a cruise ship, so no worries there.

We home school our 11 year old and we are a very close fun family, and road trip ALOT now.

We have the cash so no budget issues there.

We just got a big 2015 Tundra and we're looking at the Jayco 28bhbe (with 1 slide)as the weight isn't crazy and even loaded is under the max the Tundra can handle.

After doing research on brands, taking into consideration the floor plan we would like, visual inspection, salesman's pitching (ugly business here) reviews and conversations on this forum, we think the Jayco model mentioned above will be best.

Our huge anxiety comes from reading different peoples issues with all brands somewhat in general.

• Electrical and Plumbing Issues.
• Leaking Roofs.
• Mold.
• Mice invasions!

Our other main critical concern is after the sale service.
After reading the reviews on ALL the dealers here in and around Austin Texas it looks like all service departs are horrific! I can pick out the reviewer bomb throwers in a review here or there and discard them but,,, good googly moogly,,,, these places are all SUPER BAD to deal with service. We went to 1 dealer in Buda Texas who wanted to make a point that we HAD to get fiberglass as hail would destroy a camper. He drove us through what I can only describe as a camper grave yard. There must have been 100 campers all waiting for service. I asked him about this and he said some are waiting on insurance claims, others for parts, and just an assortment of reason! I think he wished he had not brought us back there in the end.

Finally, yes there are dozens and dozens of bad reviews and customer complaints but on the flip side,,, are there hundres or thousands of truley satisfied customers that just don't share their experience?

What do we do, what do you think?

[korbe]

When we purchased our rigs I didn't even consider once about maintenance or things breaking down. We purchased our rigs to enjoy another aspect of life. As times goes on, as with everything we own, a decision is made to dive in and fix it, take it somewhere to be worked on, or replace it.

It's the cost of life. RV's are not maintenance or problem free. But it can help understanding preventive maintenance.

[Halmfamily]

Keep up with your maintenance annually. Check your roof every couple of months for leaks and keep it clean. Enjoy yourselves, it was the best thing our family ever did, just wished we could've done it while kids were younger. Have fun and make great memories.

[VentureVan]

Fizbin wrote:
I am very handy for sure but I think the biggest issue would be a mysteriously leaking ceiling or wall. The last thing I want to do is look for a leak with caulk gun in hand,,, or actually deal with a poop issue.

As far as tongue weight, all dealers are trying to sell me a special tow hitch for like $800. And from the reading on here I feel that is cool. I have learned from towing different things over the years that if I want to decrease tongue weight just load stuff behind the last axle, does this hold true here as well?

I would say that no, that doesn't hold true here. You need to have 10 to 15% of the total trailer weight on your hitch for safe towing.

[Fizbin]

I am very handy for sure but I think the biggest issue would be a mysteriously leaking ceiling or wall. The last thing I want to do is look for a leak with caulk gun in hand,,, or actually deal with a poop issue.

As far as tongue weight, all dealers are trying to sell me a special tow hitch for like $800. And from the reading on here I feel that is cool. I have learned from towing different things over the years that if I want to decrease tongue weight just load stuff behind the last axle, does this hold true here as well?

[Doug33]

The last two TTs we have owned have had absolutely no issues during the warranty period and beyond. Since I am handy, I have done a few minor mods, and I do my own winterizing/dewinterising. The only service I bring my TT to the dealer for is the brake system maintenance work.

Unless you somehow get a lemon, you should not be worried.

[GaryWT]

Trailer looks nice, good luck with it. Just keep an eye on the payload of the truck, with a tongue weight of around 1,000 or so and a payload around 1,600 it is doable but tight at the same time. Enjoy.

[darsben]

I think you may have a good experience if you do not pay for the trailer before you inspect it and 100% of the trailer is good before delivery. Then it is up to the company that made the RV to take care of you for warranty work. There are some that are very liberal about where you can take the unit for service (even allowing you to call a mobile RV repairman to come to you) and some that are not. Some dealers will not service an RV they did not sell even if the sell the same brand.
All that being said the best thing is for you to learn how to fix most stuff and leave the warranty for those things you cannot possibly do.

But the most important things I can tell you is as follows; The dealer you buy from will promise you anything to get the sale, make him deliver before you pay and a good thorough 3 hours pre-delivery inspection where ALL repeat ALL systems are tested and shown to be working before you pay. When they want your money you are king when they have your money you are yesterdays news. And you have no friends at the dealership IT IS A BUSINESS

Somewhere there is a decent form for you to use when taking delivery so that you do not miss anything. I do not have a link but someone here does

[tonyandkaren]

Yes, there are thousands of satisfied customers but just like anything else you really do have to keep up on the maintenance or you will have problems. Leaking roof are caused by poorly done caulking and lack of maintenance. Mold is caused by leaks and lack of ventilation especially if you spend a lot of time in a wet climate.

In over 20 years of fulltime RVing we've had one mouse get into our engine, none in the RV itself. We've had several ant invasions though. Make sure you do not have any holes where rodents can enter.

Plumbing and electrical problems can happen anytime. It helps to know how everything should be working and what you have to do to fix any small problems before they become major problems.

When you get your RV inspect every inch. If you see anything that doesn't look right take it back to the dealer. If it's something small and you have the expertise, fix it yourself. You'll probably do a better job in a shorter amount of time.

Good luck! Enjoy your trips!

[Dick_B]

If you are not handy and have the $$ your dealer might be your new best friend. I take mine there whenever I can't handle the job. If on the road most campgrounds have local RV service recommendations.
No worries!