Our first RV - a Jayco pop-up tent trailer

What is happening at Jayco after their acquisition by Thor in 2016? Should you still consider a Jayco product? I recently got to tour the Jayco production facility in Middlebury, Indiana and got some very interesting insights.

Who is Jayco

Founded in 1968 by Lloyd Bontrager, Jayco has expanded over the years to include the Starcraft brand. They also bought Travel Supreme and added the Entegra motorhome division.

The company really made a name for itself with pop-up tent trailers when Lloyd Bontrager’s better idea for the lift mechanism was the foundation on which the company was started. In fact our very first RV was a Jayco pop-up tent trailer and we had some great adventures in that.

As it is today Jayco is one of the few brand names to go from very affordable smaller trailers to premium luxury coaches.

I got to spend time with Trey Miller, Vice President of Marketing at Jayco, and tour the entire facility. What did I see?

Touring the PDI facility with Jayco VP Trey Miller

Challenges of acquisitions

Something I was very concerned about when a bigger company acquires another company is that that larger company’s interests are often more about the money they can make than the value that they can provide to the customer. I’ve seen this time and time again where a larger company squeezes the profits out of their acquisitions until there is basically nothing left and the assets are then sold off.

In fact I can cite several examples of this in the RV industry where the cost of acquiring a smaller company meant that corners had to be cut and the product quality and support have gone down hill as a result.

What I saw on the Jayco campus was a huge number of examples of investments being made in the company and one, in particular, that really surprised me in a good way.

Quality assurance

I read a while back in RV Business that Jayco had completed their final PDI (pre-delivery inspection) facility so that every single RV that leaves their property gets a complete and thorough inspection.

When you buy an RV the way it often works is that the finished, or almost finished, RV arrives at the dealership. At that point the dealer puts it on their lot and you get to see it, warts and all. Since all RVs are all hand-made in a fast-paced production process there is absolutely room for error - imagine if a team member has a bad day or just misses something. Sometimes processes don’t allow for things to be done right and this isn’t evident until a flood of warranty claims come in.

While the PDI done by a dealership can be quite thorough, it isn’t always. Further, some dealerships charge quite a bit for a PDI.

I have to say the dealership I worked for, Redwood Empire RVs in Ukiah, CA, did a very thorough PDI and did not charge a fortune for it. Perry runs a good company there.

What Jayco has done is brought the entire process in house. Every single RV the company builds now goes through a complete PDI on their property. The process can range from just over 100 check points on simpler travel trailers to hundreds on complex motorized RVs.

A team member inspects the roof of a new Jayco travel trailer

A benefit of this is that the company can make sure processes are working the way they want to. If there are a number of similar issues that show-up during this process the company can return to the manufacturing line and resolve issues that are causing the issue before the customer or dealer ever sees the problem.

This also means that every aspect of every Jayco RV is going to have undergone the scrutiny of a team of people whose only job is to inspect the RVs.

I only got to spend time in the newest of these facilities but I saw people teaming over RVs making sure things were as they are supposed to be. From top to bottom the inspection team details things that might need attention.

I’ve seen several RV makers where they use a specifically-colored tape to denote specific issues that the inspectors see. Looking at the exterior of the RVs that had a piece of tape on them, I just couldn’t find anything with my own eyes so the eyes of these inspection people must be pretty good.

Jayco has also stepped up the processes and software that they use to track customer input and warranty claims. The company can see what’s happening out in the real world and then make adjustments. Like what, you ask?

Trey Miller indicated that Jayco has stepped-up the quality of the mattresses in their RVs. They have re-done the furnace ducting so that it’s no longer on the floor, but up on the cabinets instead. This was something I caught right away looking at 2025 models and something I really appreciate.

More to know

Jayco has an enormous campus in Middlebury with numerous buildings all over a very large property. There are specialized buildings that just handle materials, some that build things like cabinets and more.

But something that is unique on this campus is a medical clinic. Jayco is large enough that there’s a medical clinic on the property to serve the team members and their families. Essentially, if you have a medical issue the clinic is there to address that and there is no cost for the visit.

Another thing I saw was new and improved break rooms for employees. While I didn’t go into every building and look at every break room, the ones I saw were newly refurbished and had furniture that was clean and modern plus there were vending machines.

I also liked that the wall on the outside of the break room had a mural depicting the company’s history. In fact there are a lot of tributes to Jayco’s history throughout the operation.

There’s also a 10,000 square foot gym that the company’s team members have access to.

Customer lounge

As nice as the break room was, I also got to tour the new customer lounge for towables. This brand new facility is where a customer would come if they had issues with their towable RV. While the dealership is still the first line of defense, which is true of almost all RV brands, this is here to offer a higher level of repair if need be.

A mural on the wall of a break room at Jayco

There’s also another one of these lounges specifically for the motorhome folks. Outside the motorhome repair facility are full hook-ups.

I was really impressed with the investment Jayco is making into their company and processes. But I was also very pleased to see how they focus on the team members who make the company happen.

There was a lot happening on the Jayco property. Many of the larger properties are actually not paved in the RV industry and that’s changing as there was a massive paving project going on while I visited.

This means the RVs won’t be collecting dust and dirt nor potential damage to the finish as they get transported around the property.

In conclusion I am very impressed with what I saw. The investment in people and processes really spoke volumes to me.

Now Jayco does build everything from price-focused stick-and-tin campers to those premium motorhomes. Naturally the components in the more affordable units isn’t going to be of the same caliber as the million dollar rigs. What I will say is that, in my experience with the forthcoming models that I saw, the build quality and fit and finish was certainly good.

Another thing to know about all RVs - they’re all made of a lot of supplier-provided components. So things like refrigerators, air conditioners, suspensions, tires, chassis and on and on and on. These suppliers dictate a lot of the total experience that you have any your RV and know that there is a good amount of consolidation in the industry. Much of that is to a company called Lippert.

I have had a similar positive experience with Lippert and the way they treat their team and improve processes. In fact we did a tour of a Lippert RV chassis factory which you can see here.

From what I had seen at Jayco I wouldn’t shy away from their product and I’m impressed with how the company is making improvements. This goes against a lot of what you see on social media and it’s one of the reasons I asked for a behind-the-scenes visit.

Also know that I have seen some other RV builders - some are also doing a good job but some are absolutely not. In fact this week’s StressLess Camping RV podcast is an interview with two leads from the Rockwood-Flagstaff brand.

I always am interested in your opinion and experience. You can weigh-in below or at our judgement-free Facebook Group.

RV Shopping Tips

If you’re shopping for an RV we have some great resources for you.

Our complete guide with Tips for buying and selling an RV
Planning on purchasing a towable RV? Visit our RV towing guide first.
Is the mattress in your RV terrible? Check out the GhostBed RV Mattress - we love ours.