De-lamination problems with my factory TT

[GPW]

The wife insisted we get a larger TT for Hurricane evacuation (post Katrina) ... a friend recommended a Jayco .. so we checked them out and bought a Jayco feather sport ... We've only used it once , and it sits in our driveway ... I did have some problems when a limb flew into the top and punched several finger size holes in the extremely thin top (the first disappointment ) .. The dealer charged (the insurance company) 5000 bucks to replace the top , which he later admitted to me was just sticking another piece of 1/8" plywood on the top and replacing the "membrane" roof covering , which is thin as paper.. Then gobbed sealant over all that ... That was a third the price of the whole trailer ..
Lately I notice an area on the front skin is de laminating and getting all wrinkly ... I've e mailed jayco a number of times describing the issue , but the only response I got was a message saying , my problems were due to not having the trailer inspected by the dealer every 6 months ... Now having such a bad previous experience with the dealer ,and the company who backed the dealer 100% , I'm somewhat hesitant to do business , or trust him... Plus being 60 miles away doesn't make it any easier...to run back and forth every 6 months and pay him to inspect the trailer ... This unit seems to be falling apart in my driveway ... I've considered an indoor storage facility , but I assumed that these were made to be outside ...
I can't seem to get any answers or satisfaction from the company or the dealer ... am totally frustrated , and still am paying on it ... Any ideas on how to fix this problem ???? Other than selling the trailer for a loss ...and NEVER buying another Jayco product again ...
Worse , I sold my homemade TD to get this beast , the TD had none of these problems ... now I'm stuck with a Greedy dealer and un caring company ... and a POS trailer ... very frustrating... at wits end , and now hurricane season approaches again ...


Any suggestions would certainly be appreciated.. Thanks !!!

[mikeschn]

I'm sorry to hear that things are not going well with your Jayco Feather.

I would consider building something from scratch... or trading the Jayco in on a Camplite. Remember, that all aluminum trailer? You could leave that outside all year for the next 50 years, and it won't delaminate!





Some models even have a bathroom with a shower



Add a solar panel like Nick (Off Grid RVing) did, and you can boondock indefinitely... well almost!!!

Nick's 210 Watts!!!


Mike...

P.S. I am thinking about 210 watts for my next build!!!

[GPW]

Mike , Thanks !!! This was a serious screw up on my part ... should have never listened to the wife ... And NEVER sold my TD.
I can see now why the RV industry is in trouble ...but fail to see why they have such a bad uncaring attitude ... They even put me on a conference call with the dealer , sorta' ganging up on me ... which I didn't appreciate and especially that their resolution was that whatever was wrong was my fault .. especially when this was originally sold (pitched) to me as a trailer that COULD stay outside with no problems ... Grrrrr!!!!

I'll definitely look into the Camplite... Gotta' do something ... can't depend on this one .... and with current situations in the Gulf , I never know when I have to take an extended "vacation" away from home ....

[iplay10us2]

Document everything. Keep a paper trail of all correspondence, and take pictures. Do not communicate with the dealer or company by telephone unless you follow up with an email highlighting your phone conversation.

Contact your Better Business Bureau and file a complaint with the dealer. Look into what your options in small claims court might be.

And, if you have a friend who is an attorney, have them write a letter to the dealer and the company asking for this to be resolved out of court.

Did they give you something in writing that says it must be inspected every 6 months?

[GPW]

Iplay, None of this was mentioned at the time of sale , and I was later (after the sale )presented with a mountain of paperwork , and a Lot of fine print ... most of which was about if the various appliances had problems , I'd have to deal with the manufacturer directly , Jayco Not being responsible ... Since they did everything over the phone, all I have is the receipt for the repair...

Now it appears that the de-lamination is something due to the expensive repairs that the dealer made ... (leakage ) or defective construction materials , and they're (the factory and dealer) just making excuses... placing the responsibility on me .... but I do take good care of it , washing /waxing .. checking everything over periodically , as I've learned to do here...

As you good folks know , I've been wracking my brain to come up with a homemade replacement of some sort ... but the economy here has taken a big downturn with the Gulf oil spill and Now I'm forced to consider some type of change ... Most I could probably deal with now ($) is a cargo conversion , which would have the stuff I really need and not a lot of useless "decorations"... Seems the most economical way so far ... but I'm gonna' take a big hit for my stupidity if I try to sell a "defective " trailer ...
What a bummer this is ...

[iplay10us2]

I'd still contact an attorney, and maybe one option would be for Jayco and the dealer to take the darn thing back and get you out of your payments. You would still lose some money, but maybe you didn't put down a big down payment.

Keep after them, document everything, and maybe they will do something to make you go away.

[GPW]

After reading much about the de-lam problem on the internet ... seems like this statement pretty much sums up the trouble that a LOT of folks are having with filon/wood trailer shells ...
Quote: " Call the factory and your dealer. Be very persistent as they will tell you it is your fault because you did not have the roof inspected enough. Caulking is not under warranty. This is a very expensive repair and the dealer and manufacturer will do everything to avoid repairing it. Good luck...you will need it. "

And we did put down a third ... 5K . and paid it down over the past 4 years ... still owe 7K on it ... grrrr! Not going to be pretty ...

I did talk to a friend (and band member) who is an attorney ... he flatly said that it wasn't worth fooling with from a legal standpoint , and the company had pretty well covered itself as to their liability ... once the warranty is up , you're pretty much on your own or at the mercy of the dealer ... Who as we already know is most glad to do repairs (at outrageous prices) on my ticket ...

So it's either take a loss, and get/make something else , or stick with it and do the repairs myself ... Learning what I have on this Forum , feel confident that I could do some effective modifications to preserve the existing integrity of the unit , plus build a shed to keep it out of the weather ... something I consider most extreme for something that's supposed to stay outside ...

[iplay10us2]

Wow...I assumed that it was a fairly new purchase since you said you have only used it once. I didn't know you bought it 4 years ago. Hard for me to comprehend buying something and not using it, but I understand it was more for evacuation purposes.

[parnold]

Can you arrange for another tree to fall on it? Maybe a little harder this time?

But seriously, instead of a shed, perhaps look into a breathable car cover, or rv cover. Keeps the rain off, and because it's breathable, won't trap moisture in. For my little tear I was able to get one from Wally World for 30 buck. Even if you're forced to go to for an RV cover, you'll still be under 300 bucks.

Look at this site for price ideas, first one I found by google.. no recomendations on my part.
http://www.coversuperstore.com/rv-covers.html

[GPW]

Iplay, we've been Lucky for the last 4 years ... We don't camp per se... did that a lot when we were young (some time ago), but sometimes we have to leave for storms ... Lately it has been tame , but this year is forecast for some activity ... When we did use it , all I did was drag it along , ended up staying at /inside my friends Art Studio .. I've never even fired up the appliances except the AC (yearly to see if it still works ) and the radio ... never even cracked the propane valve on ... don't know how to work most of it ... don't care , won't be using it ... just for sleeping if needed... The wife wanted all the extra stuff ....

Paul , the tree!!! never thought of that ... But the cover does sound like a good idea , and even if it needed to be replaced once a year , still cheaper than a garage /shed or paying to store it ($75 /month) Thanks for the link ...

[mikeschn]

I don't know how long yours is, but how about something like this?

Serro-Scotty Tonga Camper cover

Mike...

[GPW]

Mike , it's 19 footer.. with the AC on the top ... and the wife has officially approved the cover idea and eliminated all my other wild ideas ... for now ...

Ordering the cover ... maybe just start with the less expensive one and see if it lasts a year ... Any preferences ??? The ones on the RV cover site look nice ... between 200-300 USD...

[GPW]

This now being decided by the Higher Power , that writes the checks , now allows me to pursue my "Double Secret Teardrop Project..." Got the trailer already ... what the heck !!!
Got a shed for it too ....

[mikeschn]

Well, if you are going for the cover, then you may as well tear off the roof and rebuild it based on what you learned from the forum. I would use mill finish aluminum, or white painted aluminum.

When are you going to build something for fun?

Here's what I am thinking about for fun...



Mike...

[GPW]

Yes, unfortunately that top is pretty sorry for a supposed "quality" RV manufacturer... 1" styrofoam bead board , between two sheets of 1/8" ply ... covered over with what resembles a cheap vinyl tablecloth looking material , with the advantage going to the tablecloth ... Now it has another 1/4' ply added (the repair) instead of replaced ,quicker for the dealer to make his 5K in insurance money ...which they would only pay to him ... New top time !!! Thinking of overlapping the front/back sides with the Aluminum instead of doing like the factory did and over lap it on the top with caulking (not under warranty) which surely retains water and causes all manner of troubles as we have seen ... Idiots !!! I'd also like to replace the Huge Norcold refrigerator with a small AC unit (side mounted) , and just put a good vent fan up top ... Then if the AC unit goes out , I can replace it easily at a wal mart ... Those roof mounted units are expensive and not very efficient in the hot sun ...

I guess when you have to buy your second trailer , you know a LOT MORE of what to look for ...

Mike , I have to get a major portrait commission out of the way before I do anything FUN ... It's all about the money ... as I stated earlier , I already have a nice galvanized boat trailer in good shape ... 54" wide across the rails ... ready to receive a new shell .. I love your finned design , but would be artistically tempted to turn it into one of those old Flash Gordon looking spaceships .....