The 6" channel welded across the front of the fifth wheel pin box broke in half causing the trailer to drop.this is the point of attachment of the fifth wheel to the tow vehicle. The channel supports the front part of the king pin box. On removal of the sheet metal under the gooseneck part of the trailer it exposed the channel broke into on the right side of the pin box, the metal on the left side ripped open, the back of the pin box attachment broke loose and metal ripped out. One weld was broken. I have been intouch with jayco but they say it is not their problem. They say that this unit is 13 years old and I will have to repair. The problem is that the metal used for this major stress point is to thin and inferior. The continued flexing of these components cause them to break after time and the result can cause serious injuries to the occupants of the tow vehicle as well as other unsuspecting motorist. Repair of this will only move the flex point to the side of the weld and again after continuous flexing break again. This is a major safety issue and should be handled asap. There is no way of knowing how many units are traveling our highways that are only seconds away from tragedy. I have pictures to show if so needed.
The worst 1997 Jayco Designer problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Tires4
- Electrical3
- Body2
- Brakes1
- Engine1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Tires4
- Electrical3
- Body2
- Brakes1
- Engine1
Recalls 5
Vehicle speed control
- What is wrong
- On certain motor homes built on ford chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
- Risk
- Overheating could result in smoke or burning, and in an underhood fire.
- Remedy
- Ford is conducting this recall (please see 06v286) and will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. Owners may contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332 or jayco at 1‑800‑283‑8267.
Recall number 06V320000 · Recall details
Structure
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: travel and fifth wheel trailers. The fasteners used on the underfloor can either come loose or pull through the underfloor causing portions or all of a section of underfloor to detach from the vehicle.
- Risk
- If this occurred, the section could fall to the pavement, potentially causing a crash for following vehicles.
- Remedy
- Dealers will add or replace fasteners. Owner notification began september 28, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact jayco at 1‑219‑825‑5861.
Recall number 01V251000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: mini-motor homes, travel trailers, and fifth wheels equipped with a printed circuit (pc) board housed in the electrical control box assembly equipped with the vehicle's air conditioning unit. An electrical relay on the pc board will fail to activate. When the relay fails to activate, other electrical components, and the pc board itself, are required to carry excess electrical current.
- Risk
- The electrical components and the pc board can overheat, char and produce smoke, possibly resulting in a fire.
- Remedy
- Rv products is conducting the owner notification and remedy campaign for this recall. Owners will receive a replacement electrical control box and installation instructions. If an owner so desires, they can have their dealer install this control box.
Recall number 98V122001 · Recall details
Structure
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: fifth wheel and travel trailers. Rivets used to secure the step risers on these vehicles are the wrong size. The rivets are too short in length and under stress can allow the step treads to become unattached from the mounting bracket.
- Risk
- If the step riser falls from the mounting bracket while a person is stepping on it, personal injury could occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the step riser assembly.
Recall number 97V113000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring: fuses and circuit breakers
- What is wrong
- An in-line fuse to the auxiliary battery was omitted.
- Risk
- If a short occurred in the power line from the battery without the presence of over-current protection, the 12 volt line can overheat, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install an in-line fuse to the auxiliary battery.
Recall number 97V062000 · Recall details
See all 5 recalls for the 1997 Jayco Designer
Defect investigations
Undercarriage pan/cover detachment
A
PE01019
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Jayco Designer 1
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
What 1997 Jayco Designer owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl*the contact owns a 1997 jayco designer. The contact received recall notice # 01v251000 (structure). For more than a year, the contact had been to three dealers and the vehicle still had not been repaired. The dealer finally received the part, but was unable to repair the vehicle at that time. No other vehicle information is available.
Dt*: the contact stated there is a recall, the federal safety agency campaign number 98v122001 regarding the fuses and circuit breakers. The vehicle is not having the problems associated with this recall. The manufacturer was alerted however, they were unable to determine if the vehicle was included in the recall. Updated 5/3/2006 - the problem has been resolved.
Returned to motorhome from dinner with A/C on and found a coach full of smoke. Disconnected all power, traveled 2 days without air in over 100' temps. Brought coach in for repair and found online with goodsams club, 2 recalls for this unit. The federal safety agency-- 98v122001. Our VIN # is [xxx]. Notified jayco (29ft. Jayco, class c designer series motorhome) and they said our unit did not fall into that recall. The description of the recall is exactly what happened. The whole coach could have caught on fire. Also, there is another recall--the federal safety agency camp. Id-97v062000. Please check into this one also. *jb updated 07/19/2012
On sept.16,2002, I had a left front tire, firestone steeltex 225/75/16, tread separate from the steel belt. July 27th this year, two back duals, left side, seperated. Then on aug. 16th, 124 miles more, two more tires seperated. For as total of 5 tires with less than 19,000 miles. These tires were on my rv. When I bought it new.
Consumer states after some mountain driving the frame to the trailer that the hitch is attached to cracked and collasped.
Front rear three covers underneath the vehicle came off while traveling and two slide out motors burnt up.
While driving, 2 tires, left front and right rear, have experienced tread separation, one in march and the other in april of 2001, both caused damage to the vehicle, goodyear wrangler ht, lt215/85r16 e.
On or about november 9, 1999 the hydraulic surge brake system failed during an emergency stop. On october 22, 2000 the same wheel cylinder failed while cruising at 60mph. Dealer orig. Said others in series had same problem in 1999.
The goodyear wrangler ht tire size lt p215/85r16 experienced two tire tread separations while driving causing damage to the recreational trailer.
Compare the 1997 Jayco Designer
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Questions about the 1997 Jayco Designer
Is the 1997 Jayco Designer reliable?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the 1997 Jayco Designer, 11.0 times a typical Designer model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Jayco Designer?
Tires, with 4 complaints. Next is electrical (3).
How many recalls does the 1997 Jayco Designer have?
5 recalls, covering vehicle speed control, structure and electrical system.
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