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Reading Time: 11 minutesLast Updated on December 8, 2025 by Paul Clayton
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Jayco Vs Coachmen: Which Is Better And Why?
In the world of recreational vehicles (RVs), two brands that have stood the test of time are Jayco and Coachmen. The debate over Jayco Vs Coachmen: Which Is Better And Why? is a common one among RV enthusiasts.
Key Takeaways:
The choice between Jayco and Coachmen depends on whether you prioritize Jayco’s industry-leading structural warranty and specialized roof/climate features, or Coachmen’s advanced water- and rot-resistant sidewall material and post-purchase support.
Jayco Strengths (Focus on Structure and Warranty)
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- Superior Roof System: Utilizes the proprietary Magnum Truss roof, engineered to withstand 4,500 pounds (50% more than competitors), built with screws (not staples) for increased strength and stability.
- Climate Protection: Features the Climate Shield for all-season use, tested to maintain comfortable interior temperatures in both extreme heat (100°F outside, 71°F inside) and freezing conditions (0°F outside, 68°F inside).
- Industry-Leading Warranty: Offers a 2-year limited warranty (24,000 miles or 2 years) supplemented by a 3-year structural warranty covering the roof, walls, and floors.
- Custom Foundation: Built on custom, laser-sheared, one-piece frames (Norco NextGen or I-class structural I beam) to ensure efficient weight distribution and reduce the chance of sagging or vibrational damage.
- Construction Material: Uses 2×2 wooden studs in the roof system instead of 1-inch aluminum to lower the risk of electrical shorts.
Coachmen Strengths (Focus on Sidewalls and Support)
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- Advanced Sidewall Material: Uses Azdel composite for sidewalls instead of wood substrates, making them impervious to rot, water, and mold, and significantly less likely to delaminate or split. Azdel is also 20% lighter than wood.
- Post-Purchase Assistance: Emphasizes strong owner assistance via a first-rate warranty, reliable service, access to authorized dealers, and the Coachmen Owner’s Association (COA).
- Build Process: Uses reinforced lamination to vacuum-bond and pinch-roll the floor, roof, and sidewalls, followed by a pull adhesion test to verify integrity.
- Warranty: Offers a one-year limited warranty (standard for many brands) and includes NOBLE SELECT 3-year exterior protection.
Common Issues
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- Jayco Issues: Complaints often cite failures in features and facilities over time, leading to maintenance costs and issues such as water leakage and improperly installed ventilation.
- Coachmen Issues: Complaints frequently point to a perceived decline in overall quality, particularly with the interior (flimsy slides and drawers), and common leaks near the shower, sink, and vents.
Jayco, established in 1968, has carved out a niche with its innovative design and quality construction, offering a wide range of travel trailers, fifth wheels, and motorhomes.
On the other hand, Coachmen, serving the industry since 1964, is known for its versatile lineup of RVs that cater to diverse customer needs and budgets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the main structural advantage of a Jayco RV?
Jayco’s main structural advantage is its proprietary Magnum Truss roof system, which is designed to withstand 50% more weight than competitors (up to 4,500 pounds). They also utilize custom-made, laser-sheared frames to ensure superior weight distribution and durability.
Q: Which RV brand offers a better warranty?
Jayco offers an industry-leading warranty that includes a standard 2-year limited warranty supplemented by a robust 3-year structural warranty covering the roof, walls, and floor components. Coachmen provides a standard one-year limited warranty plus a 3-year exterior protection plan.
Q: What specific material does Coachmen use to prevent rot and water damage?
Coachmen uses Azdel composite for its sidewalls instead of traditional wood. Azdel is impervious to rot, water, and mold, has a low chance of delamination, and is 20% lighter than wood substrates used by other manufacturers.
Q: Which brand is better suited for all-weather camping?
Jayco is designed explicitly for all-weather extremes, featuring its Climate Shield. This system is temperature-tested to maintain comfortable cabin temperatures in both 100°F heat and 0°F cold, and includes a heated, fully enclosed underbelly.
Q: What are the common complaints or known issues for each brand?
Jayco owners have reported problems with features and facilities failing over time, water leakage, and incorrectly installed ventilation. Coachmen owners often cite a perceived decline in interior quality (flimsy drawers/slides) and leaks near the vents and plumbing fixtures.
If you have spent sufficient time at any RV campground or have taken the time to have a closer look at the travel trailers plying the road, then it is more than likely you have seen a Jayco or a Coachmen RV.
For starters, Jayco is one of the most popular RV brands in the United States, and Coachmen is another leading RV brand.
The choice between Jayco and Coachmen often comes down to personal preference, specific model features, and budget considerations. If you are actively interested in purchasing an RV for your travels and you are unsure which RV brand of the two is for you then read on to find out.
In this comparison article, we will discuss the philosophies of both brands, what they offer, and their quality.
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A Brief History of Jayco
Jayco RVs are renowned for their exceptional quality, affordability, and layout options. The brand prioritizes quality craftsmanship and delivers an excellent customer experience.
Jayco was founded in 1968 by husband-and-wife team Lloyd & Bertha Bontrager in Indiana. They first began with a prototype camping trailer. The folding trailer came with a unique lifting system that enabled them to succeed in the market.
In 1985, Lloyd Bontrager unfortunately passed in an air accident; however, the firm continued to blossom, focusing on affordability, technology, and connectivity. This proved successful as Jayco was crowned the world’s biggest RV manufacturer held in private hands.
A Brief History of Coachmen
The very first Coachmen-branded RVs were created in a plant in Middlebury, Indiana. Coachmen Industries was created by three brothers, Claude, Keith, and Tom Corson.
In its first production year, it created 80 truck caps, one truck camper, and 12 travel trailers. Since that time, it has produced almost 750,000 Coachmen-branded RVs, which have been sold.
In December 2008, it became a subsidiary of Forest River Incorporated. Coachmen RV today has more than 220 acres where its dedicated manufacturing plants churn out Coachmen-branded travel trailers, fifth wheels, and class A, B, and C motorhomes.
The Jayco Difference
Jayco RVs are created using numerous distinguished manufacturing processes. For one, it offers different room systems, such as the Magnum Truss XL6 and Magnum Truss roof systems, sturdy foundations, Climate shield, and, of course, an industry-leading warranty, including a 3-year structural warranty and a 2-year limited warranty.
Jayco Roof System
The roof system used by Jayco is the Magnum Truss roof, designed to withstand about 4,500 pounds. This is 50% more than other RVs can handle.
Jayco states that the roof is stronger in part because it is held together with decking screws rather than staples used by other RV manufacturers. It uses nail plate joint fasteners to help keep the roof trusses stable on both sides.
This design ensures a much tighter fit, resulting in increased strength and less movement. The roof uses 2×2 vertical studs to provide additional space for wiring.
Jayco uses wooden studs rather than the one-inch aluminum pieces typically used by other RV manufacturers. This is done to help lower the chance of electrical shorts.
Jayco Climate Shield
The climate shield built into every Jayco RV protects your RV from weather extremes, whether hot or cold. This enables you to have all-season weather protection regardless of whether the weather is freezing or boiling.
Every Jayco RV is temperature-tested, ensuring that Jayco Climate Shield can keep the interior cabin cool at 71° while the outside temperature is 100°. Every RV is also cold-tested to ensure that no pipes or attached plumbing systems are affected at 0°.
During this time, the cabin temperature was maintained at 68°. Jayco’s Climate Shield also includes a heated, fully enclosed underbelly, PEX plumbing, tinted windows, and two-sided flex-foil insulation.
Foundation
Each Jayco RV is constructed using a customized frame. A personalized frame is selected instead of a stock frame, as it ensures that the frame is not manipulated or stretched to accommodate the RV’s size.
There are two frame types utilized by Jayco: the Norco NextGen frame and the I-class structural I beam. This I-beam frame, a single-molded design piece, eliminates the need for seams that are susceptible to warping and bending over time.
Jayco utilizes its Norco NextGen frame in its ultra-light RV models due to its impressive strength-to-weight ratio. The frames are made of low-alloy steel with a high tensile strength.
The alloy steel has also been coated to help prevent rust. Every Jayco RV and trailer is built on a custom-made, laser-sheared one-piece frame, ensuring the most efficient weight distribution when the RV’s body is placed on it.
This type of construction helps lower the occurrence of sagging or vibrational damage, which can cause the RV to age prematurely
Warranty
If there is one brand that claims to provide its customers with the very best RV warranty, it is Jayco. It does so by proudly displaying the full details on its website.
This way, prospective customers understand what Jayco will restore, repair, and protect before they purchase an RV. As stated earlier, Jayco offers two warranties: a 2-year limited warranty that covers your RV for 24,000 miles or 2 years.
This was then supplemented by the 3-year structural warranty, which covered structural components such as floors, walls, and the roof. This supplementary 3-year structural warranty was introduced with Jayco’s 2020 models.
Top Features of Coachmen RVs
Every Coachmen RV comes with NOBLE SELECT protection, a 3-year exterior warranty. The RV’s sidewalls have been coated with a high-gloss gel to prevent fading.
While other RV manufacturers use wood side walls that can swell, expand, or even mold, Coachmen uses Azdel composite to create its side walls. Adzel is impervious to rot and water, and it won’t mold.
It also has less than a 1% chance of splitting or delaminating, ensuring its sidewall integrity remains intact for a long time. The side walls are also at least 20% lighter than the wood substrates used by other RV manufacturers.
This ensures that the RV has more carrying capacity for occupant cargo. Coachmen RVs are equipped with three times as much insulation as the next-rated RV, ensuring they can easily withstand extreme climates.
Coachmen use reinforced lamination to vacuum-bond and pinch-roll the floor, roof, and sidewalls together. A pull adhesion test is then performed to ensure the integrity of the RV. While most RV manufacturers tend to do either one of the processes, Coachmen does both, improving the longevity and strength of the sidewalls.
Foundation
Owner assistance following the purchase
We are fully aware of how crucial post-purchase support is. In fact, during the course of our 58 years in business, some of our most devoted clients have come from our post-purchase assistance. Because we cherish the relationships we have with our owners, we will always be there to support you with a first-rate warranty, reliable service, access to hundreds of authorized Coachmen dealers, and our Coachmen Owner’s Association, which offers countless opportunities to enjoy your RV.
An enjoyable ownership experience is the result of everything!
Coachmen get the basics right: they meet the highest standards for each category’s overall quality, fit, finish, safety, and functionality. And providing excellent post-purchase warranty support. An RV offers many potential opportunities for things to go wrong, just like in a house.
We make sure our Warranty and Customer Service Support are available to assist you if something goes wrong, even though we strive hard to ensure nothing does!
Warranty
Forest River, Inc.’s Coachmen RV business offers a one-year limited warranty. We don’t provide any other guarantee for our merchandise. Numerous vendors Coachmen works with offer warranties on their own products, and some components may have extended warranties available from the component manufacturer.
It should be noted that most RV dealerships offer aftermarket “Extended Warranty Contracts” with varying durations, terms, and conditions. These might work well for you, depending on what you require. Before making a purchase, we strongly advise you to read and comprehend the contract carefully.
Known Issues of Jayco RVs
There are quite a lot of opinions about Jayco RVs. While some RVers are extremely satisfied with their purchase, many other Jayco RV owners have complained about their RVs.
As stated earlier, many features and facilities are built into Jayco RVs, making them extremely attractive. Nevertheless, these things reportedly fail over time and incur massive maintenance costs.
Some of the most common problems include incorrectly installed ventilation, water leakage, and missing fixtures.
Known Issues of Coachmen RV
Since its introduction in 1960, Coachmen has released numerous RV models. Most of the time, the products are of good value and meet the range of customer demand.
Nevertheless, several issues later pop up in Coachmen RVs, ultimately negating their overall usefulness on the road. One of the biggest complaints has to be that the quality Coachmen RVs were once known for has waned.
The bulk of the quality issues with the RVs concern the interior, which could significantly affect the user experience. The slides and the drawer are flimsy and fragile, making them unable to hold weight.
Leaks are also prevalent near the shower, sink, and vent, according to several Coachmen RV owners. The leaks can get even worse if the RV is used in highly humid and rainy weather. This generally ruins the overall user experience, making your time in the RV inconvenient and stressful.
Who makes the most reliable RV?
When it comes to the question of who makes the most reliable RV, Airstream Inc., an American brand of luxury campers and RVs, consistently tops the list. Known for their distinctive aluminum bodywork, Airstream’s RVs offer a unique blend of style, functionality, and durability.
The company’s dedication to quality craftsmanship and innovative design ensures that their RVs stand the test of time, making them a trusted choice for many recreational vehicle enthusiasts. Thus, in terms of reliability, Airstream Inc. is widely considered to be the industry leader.
Which RV lasts the longest?
If you are thinking of purchasing a travel trailer, Airstream is your company, but do get your wallet out, as they are the most expensive in the industry, model-for-model.
Travel trailers made by Airstream
The reason Airstream travel trailers often last the longest (about 50 years) is their sturdy, waterproof design. You won’t have to be concerned about easily pierced roofing material or leaky bump-outs when you have an Airstream.
Who builds the best Affordable Class A Motorcoach?
Prevost, if you consider that affordable, 2 million plus. But for the mainstream Class A motorcoach purchaser, Winnebago Industries is widely recognized as the leading manufacturer of Class A motorcoaches.
With a rich history and a reputation for quality and innovation, Winnebago consistently sets the standard in the RV industry. Their Class A motorcoaches are renowned for their superior build quality, innovative design, and top-of-the-line amenities. They combine luxury, comfort, and functionality to provide an unparalleled travel experience.
Therefore, if the question arises – Who builds the best Class A motorcoach? The answer would undeniably be Winnebago Industries. They continue to lead the market by continually advancing and refining their motorcoach designs.
This video has been included to clarify the topic. Credit goes to
Josh the RV Nerd at Bish’s RV
Final Thoughts
The debate between Jayco and Coachmen is a long-standing one in the RV community. Both brands have their own strengths and areas of expertise, and your choice may ultimately depend on your specific needs and preferences.
Jayco has been known for its high-quality construction and long-lasting durability. They offer a variety of RV models to cater to different customer needs, and their interiors are often praised for their user-friendly design and comfort. Coachmen, on the other hand, is renowned for its innovative features and contemporary designs.
Their RVs often come equipped with the latest technology and luxurious amenities, making them an ideal choice for those who prioritize modern comfort and convenience.
The choice between Jayco and Coachmen essentially boils down to personal preferences and lifestyle requirements. If durability and functional design are your priority, Jayco could be the better choice. However, if you’re looking for a more luxurious RV experience with cutting-edge features, Coachmen could be a suitable option.
Both brands offer a range of models to suit different budgets and needs, making them both worthy contenders in the RV market. Conducting thorough research and considering your own needs will help you make an informed decision in the Jayco Vs Coachmen debate.
Jayco and Coachmen are both wonderful companies with a stellar reputation amongst RV enthusiasts. For those drawn to family-run businesses that offer excellent customer support, look no further than Jayco.
For those individuals who want an RV built by one of the oldest and longest-running names in the industry, look no further than Coachmen.
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