The Jayco brand is renowned within the tight-knit RV community. Jayco has been in the market for some time and has an impressive range of innovative RVs. However, like many market dominators, their newly envisioned products can develop unforeseen faults that are consistent throughout the newly manufactured product.
An example of this would be their X213 slide-out model, which was developed with compact versatility and adaptability at its core. It is critical that new owners are made aware of this potential issue to address them before they become more serious.
This article will highlight the most commonly associated issues with the Jayco X213 and how to tackle them as effectively as possible.
How To Fix Jayco X213 Problems?
1. Weather Proofing
The essential role of an RV is to be weather tight. But, like a home, even a tiny water ingress can be catastrophic over time. This is arguably even more significant to RVs, which are made from less sturdy and robust materials to keep them lightweight.
If water penetrates the internal structure of the RV, it is a recipe for disaster. Water will produce mold and stagnate over time which will begin to disintegrate the insulations layer before compromising the structure itself. Therefore, it is critical that RVs are weather tight. Otherwise, they will fall into disrepair remarkably quickly.
Unfortunately, the Jayco X213 is renowned for its sealing issues. Several components and additional features can be fixed to the roof, including the AC unit, vents, solar panels, satellites, etc. These features are cut and fixed into the roof panel before being sealed with an all-weather durable weatherproof sealing agent.
Although this is typical for RVs, there appears to be a fundamental problem with the quality of sealant used at the Jayco manufacturing plant. In addition, there are numerous complaints regarding consistent elements of rooftop additions. These features allow drips of water to run into the RV consistently when there is rain.
Sadly, this issue is not exclusive to the roof additions. There have been several issues regarding the door and window seals as well. Again, customers are experiencing leaks during rainfall which is devastating to the interior components.
Some owners seem to be luckier than others. The leaking issue appears only to affect some buyers. There may be a quality control issues within the Jayco manufacturing sight, or some of their sealants and seals have been upgraded since complaints have been made.
The only effective rectification method is resealing the leaking panels, windows, vents, and doors. Unfortunately, this is a laborious and challenging task, even for an experienced technician. However, it is the only way to guarantee the issue is treated at its source and will not reoccur.
2. Off-Road Viability Issues
The X213 is designed with versatility in mind. It has a dual-wheel system, allowing additional storage weight to be easily pulled. In addition, in addition, the slide-out section creates massive additional space when stationary and, by extension, additional weight.
Although the axles have been designed with durability and functionality in mind, it appears as if the tire quality has not received a matching level of attention.
Many customers have noted that their tires last for less than 20,000 miles. Although this may sound substantial, for a four-wheel setup, this is grossly underperforming. Most customers have suggested that it is due to the poor quality tires that come as standard. Purchasing a new set of tires is a costly and challenging process for an RV.
Therefore, it raises some serious concerns within the RV community and influences potential customers about the overall build quality.
The X213 is designed with versatility in mind with minor offroad use. Although it is advertised as such, the delivery is inconsistent. The Jayco may not have been designed exclusively for off-road use on gnarly inconsistent roads. However, it is indicated that it is possible for short periods.
During usage, customers have suggested that the ride height is insufficient for even minor offroad usage. When the RV is loaded, the suspension drops to the point that it becomes unsafe to drive on uneven trails with the threat of damaging the undercarriage.
In both instances, replacing the factory tires with a larger, more durable rating should resolve both issues instantly. Upgrading the tires is one of the more cost-effective approaches to improving the overall functionality of the RV.
However, it is an expensive upgrade and may be worth consulting with your local dealership to compromise on the upgrade cost together.
3. Electrical System Faults
Several faults have been associated with the integrated electrical system. The most common complaint is fused blowing regularly and prematurely. Again, this issue has not been associated with every unit, but enough to make it an ongoing issue.
All of the integrated electrical equipment has been installed with safety in mind which means feeding all of the wirings through a fuse-breaking component. The intention of the mechanism is to break the current should there be too high a spike which could overheat the wiring.
However, continual unnecessary blown fuses indicate either an appliance issue or, on a larger scale, a system issue.
There has not been a unifying solution to the fuse system tripping regularly. However, some helpful customer forums have speculated that it is due to improper wire gauges being used to save costs in the RV. Wires that are too small will more easily trip fuses as they have overloaded for the required job.
Some have also suggested that there is an issue with the mains hook-up and solar connections, which is causing havoc with the internal electrical system. Again this is a complex issue that is challenging to identify the root cause. Most likely, it is the result of improper wire sizing.
However, on some forums, their comments regarding the fuse ratings themselves need to be more accurate, which is causing the trip. If the fuses are rated at too low an amperage for the appliances, it will cause them to break prematurely.
In either case, the system should be fully rewired. Although, this is unfeasible as it would require the entire RV to be stripped out. Additionally, get an electrical expert to assess the most appropriate fuse rating for the linked appliances.
4. Slide Out Malfunctioning
The selling point of the Jayco X213 is its compact feature which excels at providing an aerodynamic profile that is highly mobile. A vital feature of this specification is the slide-out bed. When stationary and level, a motor pushes out the slide-out bed area to create massive additional space with ease.
However, over time it has become apparent that the slide-out alignment and motos have caused issues for owners. There have been inconsistent statements made regarding the course of these common issues. In some instances, owners have suggested that it is purely a moto fault.
Within a few years of use, it often breaks down or becomes limp prematurely. The precise reason for this recurring motor issue is unclear, with most saying that they simply have to replace it. Often this is to the frustration of customers who have exceeded the warranty.
Alternatively, there are complaints that the error is due to the leveling. If the RV is off by even 5 degrees, it is suggested that it simply will not pull out as usual.
Typically the margin for error for these is substantially higher, where pull-out can function at angles that are far from level. It is unclear why this particular slide-out appears to be particularly temperamental.
Panel alignment seems to be the predominant issue. For some reason, over time, the alignment of the slide-out falls out of alignment. This is likely due to the movement of the structure of the RV as well as a movement from the rollers that hold the slide in place.
It is undetermined what the primary source of the misalignment is, but it has been highlighted as one of the more significant and common problems associated with the Jayco X213.
Conclusion
Clearly, some significant issues have plagued the Jayco X213 since its development. Unfortunately, these issues are yet to be addressed by Jayco themselves publicly. Moreover, it is unclear if they have updated their production practices to resolve these common faults.
In either case, it is likely that more information will be illuminated within the RV community and the manufacturer to ensure that newly produced models are produced to the appropriate standard.
For the moment, understanding the issues addressed in this article is critical for X213 owners to understand so problems can be addressed preemptively.
