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Jayco problems

Yahoo Message Number: 1069
With all of the noted problems with Jayco, would anyone still buy
another Jayco product, particularly the Class C Seneca? That is one of
my choices at the momemt after writing off Four Winds given their
record of customer satisfaction.

Big Foot Ind. seems to be the best Class C, but hard to find a used
Kodiak diesel. I am thinking Seneca maybe a second but perhaps poor
choice.

Re: Jayco problems

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1070
No, I would not buy another Seneca... or any Jayco product.

The quality of the Seneca is probably as good, or better than most.
But, Jayco's customer service is non-existent - try asking them for an
electrical print; the best way to access something; or anything
technical about the RV... and all you get is: "we don't release that
information to our [ignorant] customers."

, "skihorse"
wrote:
Quote
With all of the noted problems with Jayco, would anyone still buy
another Jayco product, particularly the Class C Seneca? That is one
of

Re: Jayco problems

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1071
I would!
Having had my 34SS for 2 years and 13,000 + miles now, I think the Seneca is a great rig, and I couldn't be happier. This includes a 7,000 mile trip through western Canada and the rough roads of Alaska.
It's a natural tendency for Forum members to discuss the problems they are having, rather than the vast majority of things that work right. (i.e. When is the last time you saw a unsolicited post like "my slide is working perfectly" or "I just want all of you to know my rig is running fine.) Negatives always evoke more forum dialog, and while necessary and often helpful, these comments hardly constitute an objective survey of owner satisfaction.
Just something to consider in your evaluation.

Craig


From: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com [mailto:KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of skihorse
Sent: Tuesday, May 13, 2008 2:24 PM
To: KodiakChassisClassC@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [KodiakChassisClassC] Jayco problems


With all of the noted problems with Jayco, would anyone still buy
another Jayco product, particularly the Class C Seneca? That is one of
my choices at the momemt after writing off Four Winds given their
record of customer satisfaction.

Big Foot Ind. seems to be the best Class C, but hard to find a used
Kodiak diesel. I am thinking Seneca maybe a second but perhaps poor
choice.

Re: Jayco problems

Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1072
skihorse wrote:

Quote
With all of the noted problems with Jayco, would anyone still buy
another Jayco product, particularly the Class C Seneca?

I don't have a Seneca, but I do have a gas powered Greyhawk 32SS and
even though there have been some aggravating things, I'd buy it again.
The problems I've discussed with mine are the little attention to detail
things that I think all plants should catch before releasing a coach,
but don't. The construction debris under the cabinets that didn't get
cleaned up or the holes around the wires coming thru the bottom in one
spot not being sealed, etc are all things that a bit of quality control
should catch and would go a long way towards customer satisfaction.

No matter what brand you buy on this chassis you may run into some
problems finding a place to service the truck if the Chevy dealers in
your area don't service the medium duty trucks. Even if they do there
may be a problem because of height.

I chose the 32SS because it fit into my budget, had construction quality
that met my expectations, previous experience with a Jayco product
(travel trailer), a dealer I had dealt with before, and it had enough
head room on the weights to make me comfortable.

It's not a perfect unit, but yes, I'd buy another one.......of course
they've discontinued my model :-) Does that make it collectible? Offers? ;-)

We're leaving next week for a 5000 mile trip dragging the Vue to Denver,
Moab, Monument Valley, San Antonio and back home.

Take care,
Greg

Re: Jayco problems

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1073
I am a Four Winds owner. I have had my share of first year problems
with it. After 10,000 miles I am still in love with the coach.
If your plans are to full time or most of the time in the RV, then yes
I would suggest spending the big money on a Bigfoot or Lazy Days.
As customer service goes, I have had a real good experience with FW.
My coach was recalled for a complete side replacement. The techs were
great and they have went the extra mile for me. I live in SE Michigan
so the plant is not real far away.

This is a great forum with a ton of information and experience.
My 2cents for when you are reading the posts is,
What would happen if you pulled up you carpet, pealed off the drywall,
or looked under the roofing material of your home or condo. I bet you
would find studs not perfect, floor boards that make noise and gaps in
the seams, and even holes in the roof that leak. Then try to get the
builder to come back to your house 6 months later to fix the problems.
Just as the RV industry goes you can fix the minor stuff your self and
work togeather on the major issues.

Good luck on which RV you buy, it can be like the lotto at times.


Bryce

Re: Jayco problems

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1074
I have Seneca and would probably buy another. They all seem to have a few problems.

skihorse wrote:

Re: Jayco problems

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1084
Thanks to all for the responses and thoughts. All raised some valid
points. It seems that many of the members of these forums
are "tinkerers" and have the patience and ability to fix things and
put up with poor customer service. It really is a "game of chance"
but in spending $100,000 or so, I hope to limit my downside like I
try to do with the stock market...another crap shoot!

I do believe the RV industry may undergo a big shakeup with marginal
producers being eliminated...already National, Western, and Alfa are
gone and some say Fleetwood is hanging on. And this won't help those
who have purchased their products...as dealers or consumers. Bought
an Olsmobile or Plymouth lately!

When Detroit turned out cars like the RV industry does coaches, many
went to the Asian manufacturers for a "quality" product. Detroit
cleaned up its act for the most part. I feel there is no excuse for
me or anyone to spend good money and then have to rewire, replumb,
clean out trash, etc etc...just no quality control, and then it seems
the "luck of the draw" will determine whether the manufacturer will
stand behind the product...we know most dealers won't.

It is human nature to praise those things we have spend good money on
and want to be "proud" of our decision and even defend those who have
taken or deceived us. Perhaps if more folks held the manufacturers
feet to the fire, published both the good and the bad, insisted on
Lemon law protection etc., maybe they would clean it up. But the
coming times are not going to be good for most RV dealers and
manufacturers. Like so many things, only the strong survive, and that
means a quality product at a value price.

, Keith Long
wrote:
Quote
I have Seneca and would probably buy another. They all seem to have
a few problems.
Quote
skihorse  wrote: With all of the noted
problems with Jayco, would anyone still buy

Quote
another Jayco product, particularly the Class C Seneca? That is one
of

Re: Jayco problems

Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1085
Very nicely stated. I agree with you completely. We've also paid well over $200k and bought the same kind of problems. Pride in workmanship is just not there. Lots of BS in advertising is definitely there. Just about every manufacturer congratulates itself in its advertising and promotional material for being a producer of high quality products - and they ARE NOT.

Luck really does play a part. It is Russian Roulette beyond a doubt. The problem is the number of blank chambers has declined and the chambers with horrors are looking like the majority.

Thus, we'd be really reluctant to buy ANY brand now (although I'd love to try a Dynamax but my brain keeps say "no, you don't need one."). We've got a park model in Florida and the quality of materials is not upscale but it certainly has far fewer flaws than our last three motorhomes. Of course people will say it is not on the move all the time. No, it isn't but it was moved to get it to the park and the price was peanuts in comparison to most motorhomes. It had very few flaws when delivered - unlike our motorhomes.

I'm almost convinced that owning a motorhome reduces life expectancy. The headaches (unless you love to tinker) are enough to discourage almost anyone.

I "hoped" Jayco would have good quality based on what I read on the net. No, it does not. The problem with the net is that many owners really feel they have to speak positively about their RV - perhaps because they have to justify their purchase - to themselves. One of the worst groups for that is Winnie owners. What they will put up with and not complain about is simply mind boggling. Monaco owners are not quite as bad but when I was on the Monaco forums I really was amazed at what they would accept as well (like more than 200 problems with one coach). When we were looking for our first DP I signed on to several specific make forums and learned a lot. I found that Tiffin owners don't as a rule wash their dirty laundry in public. In their own dedicated forums they really let their hair down and you get the proverbial earful.

For the past couple of years as gas prices have increased I've been amazed at the number of people on the forums who have said "doesn't matter what the price goes to it won't slow us down as the price of fuel vs what we paid for our coach is trivial." Well, that is not the way it is turning out. I too think we could see a few more insolvencies (don't forget Travel Supreme tanked as well and Jayco has purchased some of its assets and facilities) before the dust settles.

Don


On 14-May-08, at 11:07 PM, skihorse wrote:

Re: Jayco problems

Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 1093
Quote
I do believe the RV industry may undergo a big shakeup with marginal producers being eliminated...
When Detroit turned out cars like the RV industry does coaches, many went to the Asian manufacturers for a "quality" product. Detroit cleaned up its act for the most part.
Interesting philosophical thoughts and as I read them I said to myself "hey this is deja vu all over again"...
We bought our first new coach in 1993 and I vividly recall sitting around the campfires and also sitting in service dept customer lounges (before these great on-line forums existed) having these same discussions with fellow-frustrated new motorhome owners. You are right about various manufacturers dropping out of the game. However I believe it's more of a shell game as the same folks who ran the bellied-up companies simply moved along and started new Co.s or merged with or were hired by other Co.s. It's sort of akin to the home construction industry where you see substandard builders going out of business but then showing up again a few months later under a new name. Unfortunately the skill-sets required to build these units rests in a relatively small core of people who are focused primarily on marketing and making a quick buck without much regard for engineering or quality.
Now on the flip-side of this are those few companies who went belly-up ironically because they worked hard and tried to make a difference in quality and service but in the end couldn't compete with the vast majority of slip-shod manufacturers.
I am not one for a lot of enforced regulation but I believe it might take something like the regulations in the marine industry to get things changed. I really don't believe that market forces are going to turn the RV industry around like it did with the automotive industry. There are just too many of us who want to get on with their traveling and enjoying life to the extent that as a group, we are not willing to tilt the necessary windmills to get things significantly changed.
Another view to consider is to realize that the automotive market affects ALL age groups whereas most of us RV'ers could be considered old farts. The younger population is more willing to battle for the changes necessary but us folks just want to get on with and enjoy what's left of our lives. I think Don alluded to the alternative when he said:
"I'm almost convinced that owning a motorhome reduces life expectancy."
But with all that said... we LOVE the lifestyle will still be out on the road and thoroughly enjoying life while also swapping frustrations with fellow RV'ers.
Bill