Today’s RV review is of the 2023 Jayco Eagle HT 27RL fifth wheel. If I were out shopping this might be a worthy competitor to the Grand Design Reflection 260RD that we looked at a few days ago. So how does this compare to that? In some ways, quite favorably.

Why I like it

Jayco has established a strong reputation for some great features, not the least of which is their Magnum Truss roofing system. But this is nowhere near the top of the list of things I like about this, believe it or not, only because some of their less publicized features are so good.

One of my favorite features of all Jayco towables is what they call JaySMART lighting. Essentially this flashes an upper marker light and the side marker lights with the turn signals. I think this is such a significant safety advantage that it should be required by law. Period. But it’s not so you have to get a Jayco (or an Ember!) to get this.

Like many RVs Jaycos also have a provision for side cameras which I think is also a worthy safety feature.

In fact I plan to install a center high-mounted stop lights and additional blinkers to our own travel trailer.

Another feature that’s not much talked about is the upgraded suspension on this fifth wheel. That suspension is a MorRyde CRE 3000 suspension system which incorporates rubberized bushings. Further, the chassis has the provision to add shock absorbers if the owner chooses to. Not a bad idea.

While we’re down here looking at the suspension, let’s note that Jayco trailers come with Goodyear Endurance tires which are my favorite for towables. You can upgrade these to 16” radials which I think would be a good idea.

The more you can stack the deck in your favor with suspension and tire factors, the better off you are in my not-so-humble opinion.

All of this is before we ever get inside this fifth wheel but one of the things I’ve often suggested is that you shop your RV from the wheels up. Most folks go straight inside and look at the cabinets and how pretty they are.

If you’re going to do that know that Jayco also offers two different interior decor options. Those options are American Craftsman, which is sort of RV brown; and Modern Farmhouse. It’s nice that they give you a choice and I can see the differences being a bit polarizing.

Other little details in this include both a blue and a white night light in the bathroom. Peggy and I put battery-powered night lights in our own camper and these little touches make a big difference.

Jayco also has something they call the Jay Port which is essentially a receiver hitch on the side of the trailer. This is where you’d put the griddle that is included with the trailer. I like this because it effectively doesn’t cut into the storage in the trailer and, should you have no interest in bringing the outside griddle, you don’t even have to figure out where to keep that.

Jayco’s big news

Jayco announced a bit earlier this year that every single RV they manufacture is going to go through an advanced PDI before it leaves the company’s grounds.

In theory an RV dealership is supposed to go through an RV before you see it to make sure all the systems work properly. However I know of more than one dealership that doesn’t do this. I can only imagine Jayco’s investment in fully testing each rig at their facility should pay off in both fewer warranty claims and also just happier customers. To me this is a big deal, quite frankly, and I applaud Jayco for taking this step.

Choice is good

I had mentioned that Jayco offered two interior decor choices, which is a good thing.

Jayco also offers the choice of either a traditional RV propane-electric gas absorption refrigerator or one of the newer 12 volt DC compressor refrigerators.

There is also the choice of either a traditional booth dinette or free-standing table and chairs. Either of these offers a table that’s wall-mounted to no knee-knocking table legs. Yay!

I also like that Jayco offers both a rear-mounted camera but also one mounted above the door. You can use an app on your smart phone to see what the cameras see. This is good for seeing who’s behind you, of course, but I also like that you can see who’s in your campsite as well. Nothing like seeing if Yogi is stealing yet another picnic basket. Why doesn’t he ever listen to Boo Boo?

There’s also the option of generator prep and that’s a nifty package if it’s something you might be interested in. This not only sets the fifth wheel up for a generator, but also upgrades the two propane tanks from 30 pound tanks to 40 pound tanks. That’s pretty slick.

Boondocking and travel access

Another thing I like about the way this trailer is configured are the solar options. The standard package is no solar whatsoever and that makes a lot of sense if you’re going to only be camping in RV parks with full hook-ups. Yes, solar is a big deal and all the rage nowadays but not everybody can or wants to take advantage of solar. So having an option of “none” is a good thing.

But there are also two options if you do choose solar. The first is the Overlander 1 package which includes a single 200-watt panel along with a 30 amp charge controller. There’s also the Overlander 2 package which adds a second 200 watt panel along with an 1800 watt inverter.

Again, choice is always the best choice.

As for travel access the entire lower deck is essentially off limits with the slide rooms in. That means no getting to the fridge for a mid-journey snack or to fill the fridge. If this is a concern Jayco also offers the almost identical 270RL which does not have a center island and puts the kitchen on the road side. That model would solve the issue.

See. Choice.

Otherwise the entire upper deck is accessible as there is no slide up there so that means no problem getting to the bathroom or even the bedroom on the way to wherever you’re going.

What I would change

While Grand Design and Cougar are blatant in their naming their fifth wheels “Half Ton” that’s also the implication with the name Jayco Eagle HT. It’s much less of a suggestion, but I want to go on the record that I do not recommend towing this with any half ton truck. Period.

Check out our towing guide to help make a towing decision.

I’m also not a fan of furnace vents in the floor of RVs. We all track all sorts of junk into RV since we’re camping in the wild and floor vents just encourage people and pets to dump dirt down into them.

Final thoughts

So would I buy this, or the Grand Design? They’re both comparable in size and offer similar features. I do really like the entertainment space in the Grand Design quite a bit. Further, they don’t have furnace registers in the floor, another detail.

Jayco’s promise to fully test each and every RV that comes out of their facilities could be one of the biggest changes to come for the brand. I think that, for this reason alone, they’ve moved way up the ladder of RVs that I’m looking at. I hope the theoretical promise of something like this truly does turn into a better experience for customers.

But I think you’d do well with either this Jayco or the Grand Design. Both of these are nicely packaged units that offer first-rate living space in a relatively small package. Plus I do also like the JaySMART lighting and the Jay Port outside kitchen functionality.

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