2022 Jayco JAY FLIGHT SLX 195RB

[wkirk]

Hi: I am new to this site and have never owned a camper. The 2022 Jayco jay flight SLX 195 RB is the unit I am considering. Is this a good unit for a first time rv owner. We are newbies to this and don't really know much. Also are anti sway bars ( if that's the correct term) necessary for towing? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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[Rene T]

Hi: I am new to this site and have never owned a camper. The 2022 Jayco jay flight SLX 195 RB is the unit I am considering. Is this a good unit for a first time rv owner. We are newbies to this and don't really know much. Also are anti sway bars ( if that's the correct term) necessary for towing? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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Welcome to the forum.
Be careful when talking to a salesman. His goal is to sell you a rv so he will tell you whatever it takes to get a deal. We hear over and over again that the salesmen makes comments like yes your vehicle will tow this trailer with no problems. Do your homework. Come to us with all the data of the new trailer you want and what you’re towing it with.
Yes you will probably need the weight distribution bars. They transfer some of the weight in the hitch up to the front axle of your tow vehicle.
Ask us any question you want no matter how small it may seem to you. There are no dumb questions. If you don’t know the answer it’s not dumb to ask. All we ask is that you start a new post with each question.

 

[Kirk]

Part of the answer is in what you plan to tow it with, but you should not need an equalizer hitch for a trailer that weighs about 4000#. You should use an anti-sway device, however. I tow a very similar travel trailer with a Dodge 2500 but you should be able to tow this one with a 1500. As to being a good choice for you, Jayco has a reasonably good reputation but what works best depends on the number of people to stay in it and the preferences each one has.

We have spent as long as 5 consecutive months in ours and more than a month many times, but not everyone can adapt to the small spaces. It works for us by spending our time where the weather is good and the awning is our living room.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Hi: I am new to this site and have never owned a camper. The 2022 Jayco jay flight SLX 195 RB is the unit I am considering. Is this a good unit for a first time rv owner. We are newbies to this and don't really know much. Also are anti sway bars ( if that's the correct term) necessary for towing? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

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What are your plans and goals for RVing? I would view that trailer as good for a couple that wants to camp several or more weekends a month. If you plan to tour I think it is not enough trailer.

Also I saw your thread about dealer charges and among many reasons I don't buy new are these types of markups and the initial depreciation.

It would be helpful to know your plans and what you plan to tow with. To answer the question at hand if you are towing with a 150/1500 class vehicle I think you will be fine with a good quality Class III hitch.

If you do plan to do longer trips I think you will eventually be unsatisfied with lack of storage, single tub galley sink and perhaps limited propane, especially if you do late fall and early spring camping where the furnace will be needed.

My final recommendation is to rent a couple of times before you buy if possible.

 

[Oldgator73]

None of us can tell you what is a good RV for you. First thing to consider is budget. What can you afford? If your payments are more than you can afford your RV might just sit in the driveway because you can’t afford to go anywhere. Once the budget is determined then you can look at units in your price range. How many in the family; ages? You will need to decide what layout you like. This means looking at many brands and many models. Take the whole family and go in each model, act like you are cooking, sit at the dining table, try the living room. Is everybody comfortable? Sit on the toilet and stand in the shower. No kidding! Lay in the bed. Can you walk around the bed to make it. By the way you will want to trash the mattress and buy a good one. is there enough closet and storage space. Once you have chosen a brand and model come back to the forum and post all the particulars of the RV. Especially the weights. There are folks here that will help you chose the perfect tow vehicle. If you already have a truck you will be limited to what it can handle.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Also are anti sway bars ( if that's the correct term) necessary for towing?

Many owners call them anti-sway bars but the correct name is "spring bars" and their purpose is weight distribution, not sway control. They are tensioned to shift weight off the hitch and distribute it to the tow vehicle front axle. Unless your tow vehicle has a really high rear axle load capacity, you will surely need a WD (weight-distributing) hitch.

The better brands of WD hitches use a spring bar attachment mechanism and hitch head that also provides anti-sway capability. However, the primary "anti-sway" is simply making sure there is adequate weight on the hitch ball (tongue weight). An RV trailer with 10-12% of the trailer weight resting on the hitch will not sway.

 

[Skookum]

Lots of good info so far. Based on recent experience, when buying new, I have some advice there.

Don't take delivery until EVERYTHING wrong with the unit is fixed. Believe me, you will find stuff even on a brand new unit from any manufacturer. Don't let the sales staff tell you they'll fix it through warranty after you buy it. Have those fix-it items written into the sales order as things they OWE. Once its yours, you get in line with everyone else needing service, and that could take a while between parts and labor.

 

[tlmgcamp]

We shopped for this size TT +/- last year and settled on an Apex Nano 194bhs. It is a little more than what you are looking at. The thing I see in this unit, assuming I am looking at the right floor plan, is that there is no bathroom sink. Even though it will primarily be the wife and I, not having a bathroom sink was a non-starter for us. Just my humble opinion

 

[wkirk]

Part of the answer is in what you plan to tow it with, but you should not need an equalizer hitch for a trailer that weighs about 4000#. You should use an anti-sway device, however. I tow a very similar travel trailer with a Dodge 2500 but you should be able to tow this one with a 1500. As to being a good choice for you, Jayco has a reasonably good reputation but what works best depends on the number of people to stay in it and the preferences each one has.

We have spent as long as 5 consecutive months in ours and more than a month many times, but not everyone can adapt to the small spaces. It works for us by spending our time where the weather is good and the awning is our living room.

Thanks eveyb

 

[wkirk]

Thanks everybody for the quick reply's
and advice. Here is the rundown on what I am considering. First I'll be towing with a 2016 F150 2.7 L eco boost V6. Towing capacity 8500lbs. It has a tow package; but no trailer brake. I'm looking at a 2022 Jayco jay Flight SLX7 195RB. Sticker price; $27,419, negotiated down to $18,481. Trailer brake $425.00; Prep and documentation fees $1200; Weight distribution hitch $795. Total $20901 plus sales tax insurance and registration. I'm also going to look at a 2018 gulf stream ameri-lite 218mb; which the seller is asking $13,500. I would still need a weight distribution hitch; and trailer brake for my truck. It seems to have more bells and whistles than the Jayco. It has a queen murphy bed that also is a 2 seat love seat/couch when not using the bed. bigger AC unit and it does have a sink in the bathroom. It also has a power hitch According to the seller the unit has been used sparingly. So total is $14800 plus sales tax; insurance and registration. I also asked the seller if she used a weight dist. hitch and she said no.

And speaking of a weight distribution hitch. Is that something I can install myself; or is that something the dealer should do. One final thing; will everybody that has replied to this thread see this response; or do I need to respond to each individual post. Once again thanks for everyones help and information.

 

[Larry N.]

One final thing; will everybody that has replied to this thread see this response; or do I need to respond to each individual post.

Everyone will see it.

 

[wkirk]

Everyone will see it.

Thanks

 

[Kirk]

You really shouldn't need a weight distribution hitch for a 4000# trailer but you will need an antisway system. Before you let them install that hitch be sure to read the warranty on the trailer as some of them have an aluminum frame whose warranty is void if a weight distributing hitch is used. The one that I tow happens to be that way, but it isn't from Jayco and I don't know if they are or not.

 

[Bearcatrp]

Is it just you and the wife or do you have kids? Looks to be a good starter camper but a little cramped. If you could find something similar with at least 1 slideout, would be a bit better on those rainy days stuck in the camper. My first pull behind didn’t have a slide out and upgraded a couple years later. But it did helped me going used first so when I upgraded, I knew what I wanted. As mentioned above, your budget will dictate. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[Oldgator73]

Is it just you and the wife or do you have kids? Looks to be a good starter camper but a little cramped. If you could find something similar with at least 1 slideout, would be a bit better on those rainy days stuck in the camper. My first pull behind didn’t have a slide out and upgraded a couple years later. But it did helped me going used first so when I upgraded, I knew what I wanted. As mentioned above, your budget will dictate. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

This is really good advice. If the only sleeping option for your kids is the collapsing dining table then you need to look further. I wake up early and make coffee. If it’s a nice morning I can sit at the table outside. But if the weather is bad I am stuck standing next to the stove drinking my cofee.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

And speaking of a weight distribution hitch. Is that something I can install myself; or is that something the dealer should do.

You can DIY - the hitches come with complete instructions and it's straight-forward wrenching. That presumes your truck is already equipped with an adequate hitch receiver. If you also need to install a receiver, it can get a bit more complicated because it has to be solidly attached to the vehicle frame. Even then, it's still a handyman sort of task. F150's are typically equipped with a receiver, but make sure it's rated for the load to be towed. A Class 3 receiver can handle up to about 8000 lb trailer and 800 lbs of tongue weight. It will have a 2" square tube to accept the trailer ball mount.

Does your F150 have wiring for a standard 7-pin trailer electrical connector? That connects up the stop/tail/turn signals, the trailer brakes, and provides auxiliary 12v power to the trailer when under tow. If not, that's another potential DIY chore.

As Kirk said, you may not need WD for a relatively light trailer on a pick-up truck. But it doesn't hurt either. An F150 ought be able to handle the roughly 400-500 of tongue weight of the trailer you cited. However, I think you will find you want something a bit larger (and thus heavier)..