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Posted: 5/18/2017 12:14:28 AM EDT
Link Posted: 6/5/2017 3:34:47 PM EDT
[#1]
Jayco is bottom of the barrel as far a build quality.
Link Posted: 6/5/2017 3:43:26 PM EDT
[#2]
Quoted:
Anyone here own one?  

We were previously looking at a Forest River Micro-Lite 25BHS but (aside from still struggling over the whole idea of owning and maintaining a camper) decided it might test the towing capabilities of my Taco. Now we're looking at a Jayco 23BHM which is a similar layout, but 2 ft shorter and 160 lbs lighter. And a few thousand cheaper (MSRP, at least).
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Lots of camper and wind catcher for a Taco. 18-22' ULTA light tops, IMHO. Had a 32' Flagstaff RLSS that I towed with a Tahoe a couple of times. Never again did I try again and bought a Duramax. If a new or well cared for camper is bought keeping it up is not hard. Go over to RV.net and read for a few days, it's Are of RV life.
Link Posted: 6/6/2017 6:56:42 PM EDT
[#3]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:
Jayco is bottom of the barrel as far a build quality.
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First I've ever heard of that.  Jayco is a very well-regarded brand around here.

OP, I have a 3895# dry weight Keystone Passport 238ML Ultralight that I tow with a Honda Ridgeline.  Our tow limits are probably very similar, and I would be surprised if your Tacoma is rated to tow either the Jayco or the Flagstaff models you listed.  


Both of the models that you listed have slideouts, which are nice for the added interior room but add a lot of weight.  You will want to find a camper whose dry weight is less than 80% of the rated tow capacity.  You will also need to allow for weight of passengers, gear etc in your tow vehicle and trailer, and also need to make sure you don't exceed the max tongue weight of your Tacoma too.
 
My college roommate has the Jayco 23 BHM and we camped together over spring break this year.  All things equal, after comparing his to my Keystone, I am happy with our non-slideout model for the larger exterior storage spaces and tank capacities mine has over his Jayco.

I compared a lot of models that I thought were in my Ridgeline's tow capacity back in the fall before buying our Keystone, let me know if you have any specific questions I can help with.

Here's our Keystone Passport 238 ML camper:





Link Posted: 6/8/2017 11:58:12 PM EDT
[#4]
Link Posted: 6/10/2017 7:15:58 PM EDT
[#5]
Ive had Jayco, currently own a Keystone bullet. I would agree keystone build quality is better, but Jayco is no slouch.
Link Posted: 6/10/2017 8:49:52 PM EDT
[#6]
Discussion ForumsJump to Quoted PostQuote History
Quoted:

Thanks for the feedback and info. That's a nice layout on that Passport.  Two things we liked about the Jayco were the U-shaped dining (vs trying to squeeze 4 in a booth) and the rear entry door for bathroom access.

My tow capacity is 6500 lbs with the tow package, and that includes trans/oil coolers plus electric sway control. The published dry weight of 4930 is 76% of my capacity, so I think I have a little wiggle room.

What do you like about the extra storage? We are used to camping with what we can fit in the bed of the truck, and have trouble imagining what we need storage for, but I'm sure we'll fill it fast.

Any things you hate about the Murphy bed? Did you add extra padding or swap the mattress?
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I believe he said that his didn't have pass-through storage on the front.  Mine has a huge storage space under the Murphy bed in the front that goes from one side of the camper to the other.  We store our EZ up awning, broom, dutch oven tripod, hiking sticks, fishing poles, RV mat, and other large/bulky items in this lockable storage area.  I recall his Jayco actually has a trunk storage area on the rear of the camper but it didn't seem to me as convenient for storing long or bulky items as the pass-through on the front of mine.  The main thing is that the storage areas are lockable, so I don't mind leaving the camper locked up if we leave the site, where I am always nervous leaving stuff in the bed of my pickup where anyone could walk away with it.

I can't really say there's anything I hate about the Murphy bed.  We really like it.  If anything, the sofa could be a little more comfortable, but we bought a 2" foam eggshell topper and the Murphy bed is really comfortable to me.  It's shorter than my Queen bed at home (I'm 6'0" tall) but I got used to my feet maybe hanging over the edge slightly real quick.  We don't strip the sheets every morning, we just refold the mattress with the sheets on and put the bed up where we can used the couch.

Also, realize that with a 2nd door, you will be losing that wall space for things like a pantry or closet.  Space is always at a premium in a small RV, and even most 5th wheels only have one entry door.  It seemed like that 2nd door would be better used as a closet or pantry to me.  You may prefer the 2nd door though, just wanting to give you options to think about.

Best thing to do is look at as many floor plans as you can and compare them.  When you find one you really like over the others, make sure you realize what it is trading off for what you like.  Everything's a trade-off.  
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