RE: Jayco Eagle 14SO

[RamblingWreck]

 
DW and I are shopping for our first PU.  We are interested in Jayco Eagle 14SO.  We were wondering if anyone has experience with this model or with Jayco in general that they would like to share.  
 
 How do Jayco trailers tow?  Are there any problems with sway?  
 
 I have a full size extended cab 1999 GMC pickup truck with V8.  Auto transmission has the tow/haul feature for climbing hills, etc.  I think I m all set for TV.
 
 Thanks,
 
 Rambling Wreck

[Ab Diver]

 RamblingWreck
The 14SO is an awesome floorplan! I have no experience with Jayco products, so take this for what it s worth, but if I was able to buy a new trailer right now, the 14SO would be a top contender. The tandem axles should make sway less of a problem in such a (relatively) light trailer. But rest assured that you will not be able to move that puppy by hand like you can a single axle trailer.
 
 The only problem with pop-ups that have slide-outs is the loss of storage space during transit with the slide-out slid-in (is that a word?). Try to figure out what you will be taking with you on a trip, and where it would be stored in the trailer during transit.
 
 Good luck. That s a sweet trailer.

[brainpause]

 RamblingWreck
I have been inside a 14SO (Tumblinweedz from the old board...are you here?), with an add-a-room. They had it at the Eastern Rally in Townsend. Wow! what a unit! If there was a good Jayco dealer nearby, it would be a contender for us as well! Jayco makes a good trailer, but make sure you get a good dealer. They can make the difference. And your TV is more than adequate.
 
 Larry

[CJnRae]

 RamblingWreck
Hey - we have a 2002 14SO - or as some of our friends like to call it - The Palace.  Dave s right - it s a Sweet trailer! []
 
 We tow it with a Dodge Durango - no problems with sway - or anything.  It s hard to see over the top but towing mirrors do just fine.
 
 What we love about it -
 
 1) the size - lots of room for us and our three teenagers!
 2) the room - lots of space for us and our three teenagers!
 3) ease of set up - Rae can do it all by herself.
 4) did we mention the size?
 5) lots and lots of storage space!
 
 What we had problems with -
 
 1) the leg on the gaucho slide out isn t that strong.  It came down when daughter " laid"  (read bounced) on the bed.  We woodscrewed in and then had dealer do a fix.
 2)we didn t get AC - GET AC!!!
 3) we wood glued a couple of things in place - maybe we re just overly fussy, but things shouldn t pull apart quite so quickly.
 4) the instructions in the manual for winterizing leave something to be desired![:@][:@]
 5) Had the counter under the sink replaced - dealer noticed it was a wee bit warped when we took it in for gaucho slide repair.
 
 We didn t get the shower/potty  and are okay with that.  We do have the outside shower and the RVque.  As far as the slide-out issue and losing space, there s just less than a foot of space when you push the slide-out in - we were able to put duffle bags in there - no problem!  We also put duffle bags and/or sleeping bags under the table round the stove.  There s quite a bit of space right as you open the door - but if you fill that up - you do block your easy access to the fridge.
 
 
 That s it.  We love it and are very glad we re in it.  We did a ten day excursion to North Carolina in it and no one complained once about being crowded.  HOT but not crowded.[8D]  CJ took it duck hunting and the guys drew straws to see who got to sleep in it!
 
 Best to you!! Have fun!!!
 
 CJ&Rae
 3 crazy teenagers
 2 camping beagles

[RamblingWreck]

 RamblingWreck
Dear CJnRae,
 
 Thank you for responding to my inquiry about the Jayco Eagle 14SO.  Its comforting to know that you think so highly of it.  
 
 DW has already specified we would get AC.  We are both originally from southern Georgia.  Summer vacations are pilgrimages to our parents so that they can see the grand children.  If you look up the definition of hot in the dictionary it reads, " summer in southern Georgia."
 
 Back to your trailer, would you happen to know off hand how many electrical outlets are in it?  In the chat room last night one of the members indicated that they wished they had checked on the number of electrical outlets prior to purchasing their trailer.
 
 Thanks in advance!
 
 Best regards,
 
 Rambling Wreck

[oldmoose]

 RamblingWreck
We have the Jayco 12FSO and are really pleased with it. J One from the old board has the 14SO and really liked it. He got the AC and always suggests people get it. We ve had a few warranty repairs done, but no problems. We also have no sway problem. We do have the shower/toilet and wouldn t get another trailer if it didn t have it.

[jaycocamprs]

 RamblingWreck
We have the 12UDK and have had really no problems with the trailer. It tows extremely well, and we have had no sway problems that could not be easily corrected by moving weight inside. If we still had a Jayco dealer close by I would not hesitate to buy another. I would recommend that you get the electric trailer breaks over the hydraulic brakes. The hydraulic surge brakes will stop you just fine, but they are a bit of a pain if you have to back uphill. It shouldn t be a deal breaker, but if you have a choice.

[CJnRae]

 RamblingWreck
Hey Rambling!
 
 I sent you an email but for those on the board - I think there are 3 or 4.  I m pretty sure it s three.  There is one in the back and two in the middle (one of which is in the kitchen area).  I really don t remember one further in the front.
 
 Best of fun!!
 
 CJnRae

[RamblingWreck]

 RamblingWreck
Mention of toilet/shower console reminded me of another question.  I overheard some coworkers talking.  They were saying that if trailer has kitchen and toilet/shower facilities that you could claim it as vacation home for income tax purposes.  Meaning that interest portion of payments is tax decuctable.  Any truth to this?  We are not particularly thrilled about prospect of an IRS audit.  Nothing to hide just a major, unpleasant inconvenience.
 
 Thanks in advance for you insight.  
 
 Rambling Wreck

[tlhdoc]

 RamblingWreck
The IRS allows you to deduct for 1 vacation home.   Home, boat or RV as long as it has a bathroom and cooking areas.  On the old board there was a link to the IRS website that had the policy on it.  By the way I love my shower/cassette potty.[]

[Tim5055]

 RamblingWreck
First of all, remember you are taking advice from someone you have never met over the internet.  You should confirm everyting with your own tax professional and make sure rules refered to apply to your situation.
 
 OK, with that disclaimer, yes in most cases you can deduct the interest.  The pop up can be considered a second home.  From the [link=http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/page/0,,id%3D12831,00.html]IRS website:[/link]
 
 

Qualified Home
 For you to take a home mortgage interest deduction, your debt must be secured by a qualified home. This means your main home or your second home. A home includes a house, condominium, cooperative, mobile home, house trailer, boat, or similar property that has sleeping, cooking, and toilet facilities.
 
 The interest you pay on a mortgage on a home other than your main or second home may be deductible if the proceeds of the loan were used for business, investment, or other deductible purposes. Otherwise, it is considered personal interest and is not deductible.
 
 Main home. You can have only one main home at any one time. Generally, this is the home where you spend most of your time.
 
 Second home. A second home is a home that you choose to treat as your second home.
 

 
 I added bolding to point out the parts we are talking about.  So with a bed, stove and porta potti you meet the three requirements.  Many people say you have to have a shower but that is not required in the rules.

[Gamecock Camper]

 RamblingWreck
Ramblin,  To add to this conversation, we had a Jayco Quest 10v that was an awesome camper.   We were very pleased with the Jayco quality, layout and storage.   Ours had an Add a Room, which I would recommend for any pop-up camper.  There are some people say they are too much trouble to set-up, but they can add quite a bit of space and add protection from the heat / cold / rain to other gear.  We bought that camper slightly used and sold it later to a friend of mine to upgrade to a larger pop-up with a slideout.  The Jayco 12 SO and 12 FSO were both on our want list and I found several that were a little too far for me to travel to look at or purchase.  I was looking for a used unit as all these campers depreciate so fast in the first year.  If you are patient you can find a new to you camper that is truly like new.  
 
 I ended up buying a Rockwood 12 ft camper with the dinnette slide-out that has a similar floor-plan to the Jaycos we were looking for.  I bought the camper for about $3000 less than the low retail on the www.nadaguides.com website.  I am as pleased with the Rockwood floorplan and quality as I was with my Jayco.   The front storage trunk can more than make up for the floor storage used by the  slideout dinette.
 
 Good luck in your search.

[fivegonefishing]

 RamblingWreck
We have a Jayco 10SG and really like it.  Bigger floor space would be nice but the AAR makes up for that.  One of the selling features that we liked was Jayco s warranty and the second thing was the dealer!  We were looking at Viking s as well but the dealer was kind of snotty to us so we took our business to someone who we felt would meet our needs.  We are satisfied with our purchase and would buy a bigger Jayco in a heart beat.  Good luck and have fun []
 
 Tammy

[Peter and Sue]

 RamblingWreck
Hi-
 We have a Jayco 1207 Jay series trailer built in 1995.  It has been an excellent trailer and the service from Jayco is just fantastic.  We haven t had any service problems but I like to modify things and Jayco has gone so far as to send me " blueprints"  of the various things I ve wanted to modify so I could start with exact information.
 Jayco seems to still have the " family owned business"  mentality that wants to help you enjoy the product that they have made.  On earlier boards there were many people who wrote in about how they had been helped above and beyond any " warrenty"  requirements.
 In other words, the warrenty seems to be there to tell you the least that the company will do for you, not the most.
 Enjoy your new trailer.  You won t be dissapointed.
 
 PS: if you live near enough, visit the factory.  Great, reassuring experience and when you are in Middlebury, you may experience what we did-a buggy jam (most of Jayco s employees are Amish and thats how many of them get to work.
 

[GeneF]

 RamblingWreck
Ramblinwreck
 
 
 ]

Back to your trailer, would you happen to know off hand how many electrical outlets are in it? In the chat room last night one of the members indicated that they wished they had checked on the number of electrical outlets prior to purchasing their trailer

 Thought I recognized your question from your visiting the chatrom the other night.
 
 Glad to see that you made the decision to join us at PUT and hope you will be back in the chatroom soon.
 
 Surprised that Rae hasn t mentioned that you would need a pair of rollerskates to get from one end to the other in that 14 foot Jayco.  That is one nice popup and good luck with your decision.