Jayco Quality

[Jester47]

We are in the market for a Class C. We have admired the appearance of Jaycos, but we have talked to one ex-owner who was very negative about them. How good are they? Are there years or brands that should be avoided? What to watch for when shopping? Thanks for any and all help.

[Onyrlef]

Originally Posted by Jester47

We are in the market for a Class C. We have admired the appearance of Jaycos, but we have talked to one ex-owner who was very negative about them. How good are they? Are there years or brands that should be avoided? What to watch for when shopping? Thanks for any and all help.

If you’re buying used just beware when the buying frenzy occurred during the Covid years demand surged and production was ramped up to get it while the getting was good. Plants that were producing x number of units pre-Covid were suddenly producing x2, x3, x4 units with the same staff or even fewer staff and/or inexperienced unskilled new hires. The results were not good. Jayco actually discontinued quality control at their plant sites and threw that responsibility onto the dealers, that didn’t work out well either.

[Homeby5]

I don't have personal experience but my very good buddy is on his third Class A Jayco's in 6 years. His first one was great but his wife wanted to go bigger. The last two have been in the shop literally 80% of the time and he has cancelled seven RV trips. He is so fed up he says he will NEVER buy them again. Take it FWIW

[Psneeld]

Good your asking around.

Often, the worst advice is from one disgruntled consumer. Much like the one star rating by someone whose first sentence admitted they didn't research the product and didn't read the instructions wanting to use the product for something it was never intended for.

Just yesterday, I was visiting old friends. My favorite dealer salesperson friend asked me which newer RV I bought. I said the Entegra and he said he always thought they were OK. He saw me give my skeptical smile and said, "well... they are all bad in ways too". He bought a Ford transit van and turned it into his own Class B. He now has a patent pending on some of the interior features so he is no slouch to understanding RVs and how they are put together.

We both agree that pretty universally all RVs will have issues, some more lemon like than others but not necessarily brand specific. Ya do your homework, pick between manufacturer models with reputations and systems that seem to beat the failure odds and cross your fingers.

Sure their are givens... like CCC or ride or layouts that do/don't work for YOU.... but those are easy to determine and decided on before any purchase.

[Tantsits]

We are on our second Jayco RV. We had a 2017 class C Greyhawk and now have a 2023 Class A Precept. I find Jayco to have better quality than most manufacturers. Like some say on here, there are always people that will say "stay away" because their shower curtain came off. Some people just like to complain like the RV will never have anything wrong with it. Every RV has issues and I find Jayco to have the better quality. just my opinion.

JT

[Fushux]

I won't necessarily give you my opinion but I will tell you my experience with my 2022 Jayco Redhawk 31F and let you decide if you'd be happy with the quality. I have owned 5 RVs in my life. 2 5th wheels, 1 travel trailer, and a diesel pusher.

I purchased it brand new in September of 2021 so it's a COVID product. It has 8,xxx miles on it as of our last trip. I live in Southern California and it has been to Oregon, Washington, and several trips to the desert here in Southern California. I would say 50% of the time boondocking without hook-ups. Probably 50 nights of sleep in it so far. Here is a list of things that needed to be repaired/replaced.

1. Discovered right rear jack leaked hydraulic fluid. RV was still able to use while new one was ordered. Took about 2 months to receive replacement but it did not hinder our camping capability.

2. The main side door never really closed right. You have to slam it to get it latched or it will just open right up. It rattles tremendously down the road and we put a piece of rubber between the door and doorframe to stop it. It has been to the dealer twice for this issue and each time completed on the write up as "adjusted".

3. The valance above the dinette fell off on one side and hung down. This occurred on a 3,000 mile trip up to Washington so was hanging down for about a week left of the trip. Dealer fixed and have had no issues since.

4. The shower faucet handle (which is spring loaded) popped out at my wife one day while taking a shower. Freak incident I suppose. Instead of taking to dealer, I replaced myself with exact model purchased on the internet. Hindered trip as water would just pour out if hooked up to city water or pump was running. Had to leave early the next day.

5. Water heater wouldn't work one day. Quick internet search discovered it was the thermal coupler which is a known issue with the water heater manufacturer. Replaced myself with amazon purchase. Purchased extras but haven't had an issue since.

I also had 2 issues with the motor, which is not necessarily a Jayco issue but should be noted. 2 trips to dealer with check engine lights for multiple misfires in cylinders and O2 sensors. I knew the engine wasn't misfiring as it was never felt while driving. Ended up wiring harness was rubbing against the frame and caused a short. Replaced with no issue since.

Looking under the RV, the wiring was, what I was describe as sloppy. Which I guess is my opinion. That I said I wouldn't give. Hanging down in places, routed in ways I wouldn't route it. Etc. Took about 2 hours and 50 zip ties to clean it all up. No big deal.

There were extra screws all over the RV. Not extra screws that were dropped or left when they were installing something. I've referring to self tapped screws where they may have missed or slipped on the intended target. Instead of removing the screw, they just went a 1/2 inch left or right and shot another one in. Leaving the missed or slipped screw right where it went wrong. Had to go through and remove them and patch the holes.

I'm sure I'm missing a couple things. Now ask yourself, would you consider these things a quality issue or simply growing pains of a 33 ft house going down the road? Is Jayco any different then other manufactures quality? Would you not buy one if you knew these issues or similar issues would come up in just over a year of ownership?

I hope this helps.

Andrew

[dvspl]

The vast majority of Class Cs are built on the Ford E chassis, so the chassis mechanicals are the same for all brands. Most of the components (e.g. fridge, furnace, water heater, levelers) are built by the same manufacturers for all coaches so they will also be the same. So what you're really comparing is coach construction. We bought our Jayco Greyhawk just before COVID so that wasn't an issue but in shopping a variety of brands, we didn't see a significant difference in construction quality. So we picked based upon floorplan (primarily) and features. We've had to fix a few minor issues, but I think that would have been the same regardless of brand. We've been happy with our decision.

[Psneeld]

Rv manufacturers do modify some things on the Ford chassis. Just ask a Ford servicing dealer.

RV manufacturers all install all those same components, but often in different ways, NOT as the component manufacturer recommends. Wiring, placement, air flow....you name it can all be different as the quality of the actual hookup/fastening.

I do agree that many RV have the same components, and that hardly any install some things particularly well...but it is relatively easy to check on a few things to get a feel for which manufacturers pay the most attention to detail and quality control.

[jjk0091]

We bought our 2019 Precept 31UL used. The owner advised not to use the refrigerator when not on shore power as it runs the battery down real quick. After getting it home I decided to see what real quick was. When I unplugged from the AC the refrigerator was dead. After tracking down the inverter and testing I found there was no 12V going to the inverter. While inspecting the battery connections I noticed a large red wire just hanging. It was directly in from of a post. The lug was pristine. All the post connections have a star nut and this lug had never been connected. After connecting it to the post 12v was at the inverter. This was the first rv for the previous owner so I can understand their ignorance but how does this not get caught at the factory or dealer.

[chadsdad01]

Have a 2020 Redhawk 22c purchased August 2019. Minor trim problems, nothing major. 28,000 miles on the Chevy 6.0l. I think the value is there.

[swampdog2]

I have a 2017 Grayhawk 29mv 31000 miles . I can’t think of any problems I’ve had that made me think it was not a good unit ! other than the storage door locks are a pain to use ! Really when you think about it , there’s not 2 cents difference in most mfg !