Thermal Package with Jayco

[CountryKim]

We are looking at purchasing a Jayco Jay Flight 2014 26BH. Our local dealer has one coming in with the colours and options we want except for the thermal package. We thought that the thermal pkg might provide added protection to the underside of the floor and tanks. The trailers without the pkg have the black Darco on the underside with the tanks on top. To custom order with the thermal pkg the trailer will be here in 6 wks.

Is the thermal package worth it? We do have our current hybrid to use in the mean time if we do decide to order. We live in Ontario Canada and typically camp from May to our thanksgiving (mid Oct). We live in the country and store our trailer on the property so we are a bit worried that the enclosed underbelly will be an excellent place for our field mice to hide and we will not know. Also worried about down the road repairs, not noticing leaks or problems under the under belly etc. We hope to keep this trailer for a long time as our current hybrid is only 2 yrs old and has warranty floor issues which is why we are thinking of getting the 26BH.

I cut this from the Jayco page which describes the thermal pkg.
*Insulated, heated and enclosed underbelly and 2-sided reflective foil insulation in main roof and slideout roof* The 26BH doesn't have a slide.

Thanks for your help.

[minkos61]

CountryKim wrote:
Thanks for the help everyone. I really appreciated all the advice. I think we are going to order the trailer and get the thermal package. 6 wks isn't much I guess when compared to the long run and we hope to keep the trailer for awhile. Thanks again. Kim

Kim You will be very happy with thermal package it will help extend your camping season forsure.
We have it on our Starcraft . We live in northern B.C.were we pushed our season to mid Nov. last year.

Ernie

[mrp116]

I have owned several Jaycos and only one had the thermal package. I was surprised when I had to take the coroplast down to do some work in the enclosed area. The underside was enclosed with a solid piece of coroplast from front to back. This is a piece of cardboard looking plastic that is abount 1/8 inch thick. I dont feel it provided much thermal protection. The insulatiion was a piece of fiberglass insulation abount one inch thick that was the size of the bottom of each tank and it was held in place by the coroplast against the bottom of the tank. The heat vent was a pipe about one inch in diameter that came down from one of the heat ducts about the center of the floor form front to back. The charge for all this was $357 on the 2008 Jayco. I dont feel it was worth that much to me and certainly not worth a 6 week wait to get it. JMHO

Regardless of its appearance, do you know how much the thermal package increased the R values?

[oldokie]

I have owned several Jaycos and only one had the thermal package. I was surprised when I had to take the coroplast down to do some work in the enclosed area. The underside was enclosed with a solid piece of coroplast from front to back. This is a piece of cardboard looking plastic that is abount 1/8 inch thick. I dont feel it provided much thermal protection. The insulatiion was a piece of fiberglass insulation abount one inch thick that was the size of the bottom of each tank and it was held in place by the coroplast against the bottom of the tank. The heat vent was a pipe about one inch in diameter that came down from one of the heat ducts about the center of the floor form front to back. The charge for all this was $357 on the 2008 Jayco. I dont feel it was worth that much to me and certainly not worth a 6 week wait to get it. JMHO

[tomman58]

Our 2013 Eagle has thermo windows and the glacier package. What a difference as we use it all winter long. I think the savings in propane will eventually pay for it. also our bedroom window no longer is the coldest part of the trailer.
Love our Jayco and the bad press form the Wyoming guy is just that. We have had warranty issues (not many) on this model and our 2008 all of which were done well and to our satisfaction. I guess the dealers in WY are not up to the level as ours in Michigan!. Oh and when I've had suggestions and issues Jayco has listened and changed the new models to accommodate our ideas.

[CountryKim]

Thanks for the help everyone. I really appreciated all the advice. I think we are going to order the trailer and get the thermal package. 6 wks isn't much I guess when compared to the long run and we hope to keep the trailer for awhile. Thanks again. Kim

[uzikaduzi]

i had a '73 holiday rambler that was stored near a barn for 40 years (my grandfather passed it down to me) i know it's not a jayco but the bottom was enclosed and insulated... never had an issue with mice or other critters getting in there... now the storage compartments were another story

[spike99]

.

Trailer's with fiberglass bat insulation without vapour barrier is useless. If one removes a window, holds back the siding with their fingers and looks down - inside the wall cavity, one would be shocked on how much gaps within the wall cavity really exists. A very thin layer of fibreglass material and huge amount of air gap. And, no vapour barrier - to stop air drafts. Lack of proper insulation near criminal. But since a thin layer of fibreglass material exists, the lawyers are will win during a law suit.

If one wants a properly insulated trailer, simply buy a TT that's a few years sold, remove its interior, apply contractor grade Spray foam @ 3" thick and re-install the walls. Very simply DIY prep work and Spray Foam guy with their mobile truck. And with spray foam, no vapour barrio is required.

IF wondering, I got contractor grade spray foam under my 2006 Jayco TT. The before and after is amazing. Same amazon results shown within: - Click Here - When / if my TT roof or walls leak, these area are getting Contractor Grade Spray Foam upgrade as well. Very simply DIY task.

If not into DIY upgrades (to ensure inner wall, roof and underbelly areas are insulated properly), then buy a different brand of trailer - that offers factory vacuum bonded insulation. Spray Foam (contractor grade - Close Cell) is that amazing... My trailer is proof of it...

If wondering, here's a Park Model Trailer with Spray Foam upgrade from the outside. re: - click here - Spray Foam (Contractor grade / Closed Cell) is amazing stuff.

[mrp116]

We just picked up a Jayco White Hawk and, supposedly, the R values without the Glacier Package are in the single digits. We ordered the trailer and added the extra insulation which bring the floor and ceiling, per Jayco, up to R22 and R26 respectively.

[mwebber78]

The bigger question is why would a Canadian dealer order a unit without it? Seems silly to me. All the dealers here order it automatically living in the northeast.

[VolFamily]

I've owned a Jayco with and without the thermal package. Like others have said its not the end of the world not to have it, but we really like the extra protection. I would definitely have it on my next trailer.

[WyoTraveler]

Without that thermal package my camping time in WY would be very limited. Unless I camped in my TT with no water or toilet use. Some people do that. Just not my idea of RVing. Been there done that when I was a lot younger.

[pbohart]

On the Jayco Eagles the only difference is that the Thermal package provides higher insulation values on the walls, roof, and front cap, and has a slightly larger heater. Both models have the heated and enclosed underbelly.

Mine does not have the package because I bought a year old model off the lot at a steal of a price and it didnt have it equipped. That said - my sons race on a ski team and we camp every weekend up in the mountains all winter. Temps drop below the 20s frequently and we have never had a problem staying warm (condensation is another issue...but the thermal package wont help you there).

BUT....

If I had the choice I would have bought it - because - it is only a couple hundred dollars and you only buy your TT once....so....get the features just in case.

But....

Do not worry yourself if you end up with the model without the package, because, as i have stated - you do not need it to camp even in the dead of winter.

[WyoTraveler]

Get the thermal package. It is only about $400 more. I had a Jayco Jayflight 19RD with the themal package. We camped in Wyoming down to about 10 degrees. Furnace heat goes down into that compartment. The black water valve is enclosed in heated area. On the 19 RD the grey valve was just outside of heated area. When camping at 10 degrees I would pour just enough anti freeze in to cover valves. I liked my Jayco. Their warrant is terrible. Once I took care of all problems myself it was a good TT. Dealer will brag how it is 2 year warranty etc. They could offer 20 years for what it was worth. Would I ever buy another Jayco? Yes but I would have to have at least 30% off since unless you are real close to the dealer you will pay inspection fee first. I paid for all my warranty issues. Cost me approx $500 for all my warranty issues. I'm not sorry I bought it since I paid $14k new with every option they offered in 2012. I only traded because we wanted a larger RV & retired. JMHO

[CountryKim]

That's the thing, they don't exactly say. We looked at a 33ft unit with the thermal pkg at the dealer it had coroplast over the tanks and we were told there was a heating vent under there that comes on when we use the furnace. I believe the isulation is just the pink fluffy stuff. The tanks are not individually heated. Our current trailer doesn't have the underbelly enclosed and I do find the floors a tad cold when we first open up in the spring and during the our trip last thanksgiving. When the furnace is running though it is pretty toasty. Most of our camping is during the summer months. My husband does a good job checking our current trailer for possible holes the mice can get in and blocking those up. He is worried that you can't see the enclosed space and now you have a sealed, warm area, with fluffy stuff for mice to make their nest. I will look into that stuf-it stuff. Also not sure about the durability of that darco tarp like material that comes on the trailer without the thermal pkg. Thanks for your help handye9.