2006 Jayco Jay Feather EXP 26L

Recently I bought a new 2006 Jayco.  We decided on the Jayco mainly because they had bunks with a slide out.  However Jayco has made many improvements on their 2006 models that are not discussed on their site.  So I will split this review into two sections.  The first section I will point out what has changed from the 2005 models to the 2006.  The second part I will focus strictly on the 26L.

Changes from the 2005 models.

First let me start with a disclaimer,  RV manufacturers do make changes after a model is released.  So there is no guarantee that you will have the same changes I had.  Ok now lets get started.  

Bunk End Latch

The most significant change Jayco did was the Bunk End latch.  Many manufactures were  getting away from the white screw down knobs to a latch that holds the bunk up when closed.

Sample of a latch that some manufacturers are using.

Jayco went a different route. I think their solution is much cleaner looking and a better design.  They integrated a lock in the bed itself.  Only a small round metal piece shows when closed.  Their is a latch inside that turns and seals the bed to the frame of the trailer.   You use a tee shaped key to lock and unlock the bunk doors.

This is what you see on the outside of the trailer.  You insert the key and turn to open or close the bed.

Here is the tee shaped key.

Here is a view of the lock inside the bed.  When you turn the key the plate turns and pushed the bed closer to the frame.

This system works great except on my trailer the key holes are pretty high.  I needed something to step on in order to turn the lock.  I would prefer them lower for easier operation.  But I just make sure I have something to stand on.  The other missing item is a handle to pull the bed down.  There is nothing to grab hold of so it can be difficult to get the bed down.

Cable Supports

Jayco went to a cable support system in 2005 to support the bunk.  This system eliminates the poles and makes set up quicker.  However there was some reported issues with cotter pins creating small holes in the canvas.   In 2006, Jayco improved the cable support in three ways.  

On the bunk Jayco embedded the cable connection.  By doing this, the cotter pin and all the connecting hardware is below the bed.   This makes it almost impossible for the canvas to be wrecked by the hardware.

The support hardware was also changed at the top of the system.  Jayco used a bolt-type connection to attach the cable to the top.  This bolt has no visible sharp objects so again the canvas should be safe.

The cables themselves now have a plastic coating.  This prevents anything getting caught on the cable itself and makes it look cleaner.

Canvas Snaps/velcro

Jayco used snaps to secure the tenting to the bed.  These snaps were under the bed when open.  The snaps would show when the bed is closed.   They went with a combination snaps and Velcro to secure the bunk tenting.  There are three snaps in front on the lip with velcro all around.

Cabinets

Jayco has changed the cabinets for 2006.  In the past, all cabinets had a cubby space below the doors.  Jayco has eliminated that cubby space and brought the door all the way down.  This makes the cabinets bigger and more useful.

The following is new if you get the Customer Value Package:

 Bathroom Fan

In the past, Jayco used a small vent fan for the bathroom.  This worked ok but did not really move a lot of air.  In 2006, Jayco replaced the fan with a bigger fan.  Turn this fan on and you will really move the air.  

Range cover

Jayco now includes a bi-fold cover for the range.  This will give you additional counter space when closed.   The cover is metal and seems flimsy especially when open.  I think it is a good addition but you might be better off buying an aftermarket product.

Sand Pad for Stabilizers

This addition is a much needed one.  Without the pads you would have to put something under the stabilizers for support.  Now with the Customer Value Package you will get the sand pads.

De-content

With most model changes you also get some things they remove.   I could only find one item that has been changed or removed.    Jayco made the slide outs power drive as standard in 2005.   However if there was a failure with the slide out you could crank out the slide manually with a hand crank.  In 2006 Jayco replaced the hand crank with a small wrench.  This wrench takes more time and effort to manually use the slide.

Future Changes?

So after looking at what changed and added it is time to talk about the future.   I have no knowledge of what Jayco is going to do for future models.  This is just a list that I think should be included either as standard or options.

Ducked AC

There are more manufacturers adding this as standard or optional for their hybrids.  Many people have this as one of their buying decisions.   I have used a hybrid with ducked AC and personally I don’t think it makes any difference.  However it is a selling point and Jayco may be passed up by some customers without it.  You do lose some height with ducked AC so this should be an option.

 AC/Furnace Thermostat

Currently the AC is controlled with knobs on the AC unit itself.  Some hybrid brands are using a wall thermostat to control both AC and heat.   This puts the controls in one spot and just works better.

Front Storage

I have seen a few hybrids with front storage.  I had this on my pop-up and loved it.  Making at least one model with front storage might be a big selling point.

Bubble Levels

I do not know of any manufacturer that has bubble levels on from the factory but it is usually the first thing you put on when you get the trailer.  Some dealers will even put them on as part of their prep work.  However it would make sense if the manufacturer would include them.

Rear Bumper/Spare Tire

Not sure why Jayco uses that cheap flimsy bumper.  They should put the standard RV rear bumper with the place for the sewer hose to go.   This would eliminate the sewer hose storage Jayco currently uses and give them more room.  With this bumper the spare tire can be moved from under the front coupler to the rear bumper.

2006 Jayco Jay Feather EXP 26L Review

Jayco introduced a new floor plan in 2006 called a 26L.  This floor plan is largely based  on  the 25G that the 26L is replacing.   The 26L is a quad bunk hybrid with a slide out.  One of the first manufacturers to have a slide out with quad bunks.  Jayco did not include a couch slide but a kitchen and couch slide.   The slide did reduce the fresh water tank storage from 30 gallons down to 22 Gallons.   The grey water tank was also reduced down from 29 to 22 gallons.  The black water tank remained the same at 22 gallons.  The slide out increased the weight by 295 lbs and decreased the cargo carrying capacity by that much.   The gross vehicle weight remained at 5800 lbs.   

The 2005 Jayco Jay Feather EXP 25G Floor  Plan

The 2006 Jayco Jay Feather EXP 26L Floor Plan

Now that you know the specifications lets get on with the review. 

Towing

Towing experience will greatly depend on your vehicle and equipment. The tow vehicle is a 2003 Chevy Avalanche 4X4.  I am using a Voyager brake controller.  I installed a Equal-i-zer sway/distribution hitch.  The dealer actually did the initial setup but discovered it was set up wrong.  After correcting the setup the vehicle and trailer were ready to tow. I have towed the trailer from the dealer to my house and on one camping trip.  The trailer pulled straight and no problems with sway.   It did appear as the trailer was slightly rocking back and fourth as I was watching in the rearview mirror but no effect on the towing if it was.  This may have been the mirror playing tricks on me.

Living Space

The 26L has plenty of space inside even with the slide out closed.  We were still able to walk the hallway and put stuff away with the slid in the closed or traveled position.  Once you expand the slid out you really gain the room.  I have always likes the openness of the Jayco 23B and never thought I would get that feeling in the 26L.  However it is a pretty close feeling of that openness when you walk in.   You do not actually have the wide floor space like you do in the 23B however.  The 26L has a huge picture window over the dinning room table.  This window makes the trailer feel bigger. 

The quad bunks in the rear of the trailer are 6 feet long.  For my family those beds will be fine for the kids until they do not want to camp with their parents.   If you have a tall family however the kids may outgrow them quickly.  The rear beds also have a privacy curtain that can separate them from the rest of the trailer.   So the kids can have their own space to play or watch TV. 

The bathroom is a fairly good size.  The toilet has plenty of leg room when sitting even with the door closed.  The shower has a skylight but it would be tough for an adult to stand up and take a shower without hitting their head.  The cupboard space looks big but when you open the door half of it is blocked.  The wheel well is under the cabinet so the space is taken up by the wheel.  This leaves little room to put stuff in the cabinet.

The kitchen has a large counter space to work with.  Duel sinks with a long faucet allows you to easily clean and wash dishes.  The cabinet under the counter again looks big but when you open the doors you will see half of the space is blocked off.   Again the wheel well is the culprit.  The cabinets above the kitchen have plenty of room for most of your stuff however.     If you got the Customer Value Package then you will lose some of you overhead cabinets to a microwave oven. 

The pantry next to the door makes up most of the lost storage in the bathroom and kitchen.  The pantry goes from the floor to the ceiling.  We put all our food items in here and still had room left over.   Across from the pantry is a cabinet that is from the floor up to and even with the dinette seat.  That cabinet has one shelf that we use to store our cloths and bath towels in.   The kid’s cloths went in the back cabinets by the bunk beds. 

The rear cabinets start from the bottom bunk up to the ceiling.  Half of this cabinet (Below the TV spot) has a cloths rod made for hanging cloths.  The other side has drawers.   The drawers are spaced pretty far apart so you only get four drawers.  You could easily put more drawers in if you spaced them closer together.   However we will use the current drawers for a while and see how they work.  As for the cloths hanger closet, I will most likely add shelves to give it a more useful function.    We never hang cloths when camping so the current layout is not useful to us.

I have packed the trailer with all our stuff and we still have empty cabinets.  So even with some of the cabinets being taken up by other stuff you still have plenty of storage.  There are a few other areas that take up the storage space.  The fresh water tank uses half of on dinette seat.  The TV stand by the couch has the hot water tank in the bottom door.  Still have some space to put things however.

The Good

From the start I liked the slide out with the bunks.  But the most surprising item I like about the trailer is the big window over the dinette.  This really made a big difference in enjoying the inside of the trailer.  

Plenty of storage is also high on the list.  With three children we never was able to have everything put away in the old trailer.  We always had stuff on the table or stuffed under it.  Putting things on the bed that had to be moved when going to bed was getting tiring.  With our first trip we had nothing that had to be left out.  Everything had a place and still had room left.  We will see if that will be the case after a year of camping.

Not having to pop out the bed is a nice feature.  Our three children seep on the bunk beds leaving one left open.   We also can convert the couch and the dinette into a bed.  However the dinette does appear to be small for an adult.   When camping in Spring or Fall we may not even pop out the bed.

The Bad

First thing I noticed when looking at the trailer in the dealer’s lot was the awning pole was in the center of the window.  The window is a crank open type making it impossible to open the window if you do not have the awning open.  Jayco could have put a sliding window there to take care of the problem.

The awning is shorter then I expected.  I know why they choose the size but you could put a bigger one on the trailer.  Jayco does not offer any other size for the trailer.

The windows are big but what you can open is small.  Jayco only has a small part of the window that can open even though the window is twice as big.  I guess if you have AC they don’t expect you to open windows.

The fresh water filler is on the opposite side then normal.  You fill up your tank on the door side of the trailer.  This is backwards to most of the other models and can create a problem at a busy fill station.

 The Conclusion

With only one trip out we really enjoyed the trailer.  Our children loved the fact they had their own beds and no more sharing a bed.   We ate breakfast in the trailer and had plenty of room.  The children ate at the table while we used some tables we bought at Camping World and ate at the couch.  I would have preferred a u-shape dinette instead but this was a good compromise.    

The trailer seems to be a good match for our family and I would highly recommend checking it out if you want quad bunks.   We will update this review after a few more trips but I am very happy with the purchase.

UPDATE:  Design Change (added 2/07/2006)

Jayco decided to do a design change on the 26L.   Sometime in October of 2005,  Jayco widened the two bunk beds on the passenger side.   They did this by reducing the cabinets in the center to  a single door instead of two doors side by side.    I have seen this unit at my dealers but have not camped in it.   Personally I like our configuration better but the change may accommodate a growing family better.   However both my parents slept on the bottom bunk and had plenty of room. 

Thanks to sands611 for the pictures.