Community Forums

BigDan1 · 02-20-2019, 09:53 PM

I'm quite temted by this class A

Perfect size for me, J ride was surprising compare to similar Ford F53 ...

Love the floor plan too...

Anyone owns one ? Plus/ minuses ( nothing's perfect !)

Any reviews ?
I 'm on a budget, cant afford to buy a money pit !
I do all maintenance myself , but want a good base RV to start with ...
Thanks,
Daniel

scbwr · 02-21-2019, 05:08 AM

The short Jayco motorhomes have reports of poor handling performance. I would do some research, as I some research a year ago when looking for our first class A. A couple of links to start:

The Simple Life | MotorHome Magazine
https://community.fmca.com/topic/108...-driveability/
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...26x-52059.html
https://axleaddict.com/rvs/Why-RV-Wh...o-Is-Important

Before purchasing, make sure you've done an extensive test drive. Know what aftermarket devices have been installed to help with the handling i.e. sway/track bars and if a front end alignment has been done, tires balanced, etc. Also, consider that the Alante has smaller tanks....especially the fresh water tank. From what I've read, if going with the Alante line, you're better off getting one of the longer units which don't seem to have all of the handling issues of the shorter ones.

For comparisons, I would suggest looking at a used Tiffin, Newmar or Winnebago/Itasca class A. One of the first motorhomes we looked at was a 29' Newmar Bay Star and that was our first experience looking at a Newmar and led us to purchasing our 33' Bay Star. If you can find a 29' Bay Star or Canyon Star, I'd really recommend taking a look and see what you think. Also, look for for a Tiffin....we would have bought a Tiffin if one had popped up. We looked at quite a few different brands, and we felt that you can see the quality difference in the Newmar, Tiffin and Winnebago gas class A motorhomes.

You can get a lot of good information from Eaton's Motorhome Comparison Guide:
https://rvreviews.net/product/motorh...-guide-e-book/
I was hesitant at first because it's a bit pricey, but did find it helpful I found that his ratings for the most part were consistent with what we saw.

Good luck in your search!

twinboat · 02-21-2019, 06:07 AM

Have you looked at the Thor Axis/Vegas.
Same length but built on a E450 van chassis, rather then a truck chassis

rjsupersonic · 02-21-2019, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigDan1

I'm quite temted by this class A

Perfect size for me, J ride was surprising compare to similar Ford F53 ...

Love the floor plan too...

Anyone owns one ? Plus/ minuses ( nothing's perfect !)

Any reviews ?
I 'm on a budget, cant afford to buy a money pit !
I do all maintenance myself , but want a good base RV to start with ...
Thanks,
Daniel

I used to dismiss Jayco just because of background noise regarding quality but have recently looked at a Precept/Alante line they are a good unit for the buck, the 2 year warranty is a big plus as is the J ride system although have not talked to anyone who actually drove one, but I understand the ride quality is a step up. I have also heard of poor handling in the short chassis models.Good Luck with your choice.

BigDan1 · 02-22-2019, 10:16 AM

Thank you for the replies ,

Since I added rear sway bar and airlift on my classC , it drives like a dream...
So I tought that the Jride ( both sway bars , gas shocks, bouncer stops) would make this small class A into a road handler

My C is only 22 ft long , I tow a3650 lbs Jeep and it drives easy and steady down the road......( had to add the sway bar & airlift )
What really helped is that I had the caster changed from 1 deg + to 4 deg +

Chris Hayes3 · 02-23-2019, 10:58 AM

I have a 2019 Entegra Vision 26X, basically the Jaco Alante 26 with a different front cap and some interior trim.
The J ride on each line of Jaco class A motorhomes is very different from model to model. Don't listen to the sale people they lump them all together and tell you all the advantages, but when you look at the 26 in detail the only difference from stock is the bump stops are different. The shorter F53 does not handle well from the factory. That said it can be improved significantly with what i believe is mandatory for any F53, but more important on the shorter ones or any coach with a low wheelbase to overall length ratio. That is:

Steering stabilizer
Add an additional Rear Stabilizer
Upgrade the front stabilizer.

In that order. You will see an instant difference. I am very happy with the handling now, not so when i first bought it prior to the mods.

Chris