If you have spent a sufficient amount of time on any RV campground or you 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.
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.
A brief history of Jayco
Jayco RVs are renowned for their extremely high quality, affordability and layout choices. The brand is one that prioritises quality craftsmanship and focuses on providing an excellent customer experience.
Jayco was started in 1968 by husband and wife Lloyd & Bertha Bontrager in Indiana. They first began with a prototype camping trailer. The folding trailer came with a unique lifting system which enabled them to find success in the market.
In 1985, Lloyd Bontrager unfortunately passed in an air accident, however, the firm continued to blossom focussing 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 created almost 750,000 Coachmen branded RVs which have been sold.
December 2008 saw it become a subsidiary under Forest River Incorporated. Coachmen RV today, has more than 220 acres where its dedicated manufacturing plants churn out Coachmen branded travel trailers, fifth wheels, class A, B, and C motorhomes.
Top Features of Jayco
Jayco RVs are created using numerous distinguished manufacturing processes. For one it has different room systems such as the Magnum Truss XL6 and Magnum Truss roof systems, sturdy foundations, Climate shield and of course, industry leading warranty which includes its 3 year structural warranty and 2 year limited warranty.
Jayco Roof System
The roof system used by Jayco is the Magnum Truss roof which has been created to handle about 4,500 pounds of weight. This is 50% over what other RVs are able to handle.
Jayco states that the roof is in part stronger because it is held together with the decking using screws instead of staples that other RV manufacturers use. It uses larger than necessary nail plate joint fasteners help keep the roof trusses stable on both sides.
This design ensures that it is a much tighter fit producing increased strength and less movement. The roof utilises 2 by 2 vertical studs to enable additional room for wires.
Jayco uses wooden studs rather than one inch aluminium pieces typically used by other RV manufacturers. This is done to help lower the chance of electrical shorts.
Jayco Climate Shield
The climate shield in built into every Jayco RV ensures that your RV is protected from any weather extremes, be it hot or cold. This enables you to have all season weather protection regardless of if the weather is freezing or boiling.
Every Jayco RV is temperature tested ensuring that Jayco Climate Shield can keep the interior cabin cool at a temperature of 71° while the temperature outside registered 100°. Every RV is also cold tested, ensuring that no pipes or attached plumbing systems are affected when the temperature is 0°.
During this time, the temperature inside the cabin was maintained at 68°. Jayco’s Climate Shield also includes a heated and completely enclosed underbelly, PEX plumbing, tinted windows, and two sided flex foil insulation.
Foundation
Each Jayco RV is constructed using a customised frame. A customised 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 utilised by Jayco, the Norco NextGen frame and the I class structural I beam. This I beam frame single moulded design piece, which eliminates the need for seams that are susceptible to warping and bending over time.
Jayco utilises its Norco NextGen frame in its ultra-light RV models due to its impressive strength to weight ratio. the frames are created using low allow steel which has a high tensile strength rating.
The alloy steel has also been coated to help prevent rust. Every Jayco RV and trailer is created on a custom made laser sheared one piece frame ensuring that it has 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 has two warranties with the first one being 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 included structural essential like 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 has its NOBLE SELECT protection which is a 3 year warranty covering the exterior of the RV. The sidewalls of the RV have been coated with a high gloss coat made from gel to ensure the finish does not fade.
While other RV manufacturers use wood side walls which can swell, expand or even turn mouldy, Coachmen utilised Azdel composite to create its side walls. Adzel is impervious to rot, water and it wouldn’t mould.
It also has less than 1% chance of splitting and delaminating ensuring that its integrity as a sidewall remains so for a long time. The side walls are also at least 20% lighter compared to the wood substrate materials used by other RV manufacturers.
This ensures that the RV has more carrying capacity for occupant cargo. Coachmen RVs are inundated with three times as much insulation as the next rated RV to ensure that it can easily withstand extreme climates.
Coachmen uses reinforced lamination to vacuum bond as well as 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 ensuring that the longevity and strength of the sidewalls are improved.
Known Issues of Jayco RVs
There are quite a lot of different opinions shared concerning Jayco RVs. While certain RVers are extremely satisfied with the purchase, there seem to be quite a few other Jayco RV owners that have complained about their RVs.
As stated earlier, there are quite a number of features and facilities built into the Jayco RVs making them extremely attractive when you see them. Nevertheless, these things reportedly fail after a while and cause 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 back in 1960, there have been quite a number of Coachmen RV models released into the market. Most of the time, the products are of good value and seamlessly meet the range of demand from customers.
Nevertheless, it does appear that there are several issues that pop up in the Coachmen RVs later which ultimately negate its overall usefulness while out on the road. One of the biggest complaints has to be that the quality Coachmen RVs were once known for have waned.
The bulk of the quality issues associated with the RVs have to do with the interior and this could significantly influence 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 the vent according to several Coachmen RV owners. The leaks can get even worse if the RV is used in extremely humid and rainy weather. This generally ruins the overall user experience making your time in the RV inconvenient and stressful.
Conclusion
Jayco and Coachmen are both wonderful companies that has gained a stellar reputation amongst RV enthusiasts. For those individuals that are drawn to family run businesses that offer excellent customer support, you need to look no further than Jayco.
For those individuals that want an RV built by one of the oldest and longest running names in the industry, look no further than Coachmen.
