Jayco vs Keystone: Which RV to Go for? [Full Comparison]

There are tons of RV brands on the market that sell excellent travel trailers. Among the most recognizable names in the industry today are Jayco and Keystone.

However, choosing between one of them can be quite overwhelming, especially for someone who’s trying recreational vehicles for the first time.

In the following article, we’ll help you narrow down and even pinpoint your choice by offering you:

• A Jayco vs Keystone head to head review
• Exploring the significant pros and cons of each brand
• Answering some common question regarding the two brands

So if you want to decide between Jayco or Keystone travel trailers, you’re all in for a treat!

Without further ado, let’s dive in!

Jayco vs Keystone: General Features

Jayco – Brand Reputation

The company was founded in 1968 by a husband and wife family in Northern Indiana. They made a unique pop-up camper with a lifter system that was a huge success.

Fast forward over 50 years, the brand is still going strong with a huge base of passionate fans that swear by the quality and livability of Jayco models.

In 2016, Jayco was acquired by the RV conglomerate Thor, which surprisingly didn’t impact the company’s reputation much, especially that Jayco kept their production lines maintaining their level of quality and intuitiveness.

The company has the Traveler Life Reader’s Choice Bronze Award 2016 for the best RV manufacturer.

Jayco – Travel Trailer Models

Jayco has a huge cult following for a reason. They have multiple legendary models that stand out with excellent designs and floor plans.

While Jayco produces less variety of travel trailer models, they do update them regularly with the most advanced features every year.

The 2021 line of Jayco travel trailers include:

• The Jay Feather and the Jay Feather Micro
• The Jay Flight and Jay Flight Bungalow
• The Jay Flight SLX 7 and SLX 8
• The White Hawk
• The Eagle Travel and the Eagle HT Travel

Jayco – Prices

When it comes to pricing, Jayco is often praised for its adequately priced models and meeting expectations for the model you’ve paid for.

This doesn’t mean that Jayco is a cheap manufacturer. But it’s also not a pricey one. The prices don’t only vary based on the model picked but can also vary according to the floor plan within the same model.

Ideally, a baseline Jayco model will start at about $28,000 while a premium model might set you back up to $60,000.

Keystone – Brand Reputation

Keystone is another big name in the recreational vehicle industry in America. The company has been around for decades and makes a nice variety of travel trailer models to suit various levels and budgets.

The power brand is also popular for making relatively less expensive options when compared to most competitors.

Similar to Jayco, the company was also acquired by the RV conglomerate, Thor. up until today, Keystone continues to provide decently priced models and has an overall good reputation among Keystone trailers owners.

Keystone – Travel Trailer Models

As previously mentioned, Keystone is considered one of the largest manufacturers in the RV business.

This not only means that they have the ability to produce a large number of vehicles for a good price, but also that they have a relatively large variety as well.

If you compare Keystone’s model choices with Jayco’s one, you’ll see that Keystone wins the variety contest, as they make different models for all kinds of budgets and needs.

The baseline models that are ideal for first-time owners and beginners are the Springdale and Hideout.

For intermediate level users as well as serious beginners, you can also find the Passport, the Sprinter Campfire, and the Bullet, with the latter being one of the most popular models of the brand.

As you go up in the comfort and sophistication level, you’ll find other popular models, such as the Premier, the Laredo, and the Cougar Half-Ton.

Lastly, Keystone has some top-notch models that boast the highest level of comfort as well as advanced features, including the Outback and the Limited Edition Sprinter.

Despite being the brand’s flagships, they’re still offered at a decent price when compared to luxury models of other brands.

Keystone – Prices

Pricing as actually one of the strongest points that the brand relies on. The models and floor plans prices are usually lower than their closest competitors without compromising on the quality.

Another good thing about Keystone’s pricing is that they offer a huge variety of floor plans for each model, so you can find a good model for as much money as you’ve spared for getting the travel trailer.

For a basic floor plan on the budget-friendly model, the hideout, you might find travel trailers for as low as $19,000.

As you go up in the sophistication level, you’ll find more expensive models that are priced much lower than the competition, with the majority of the premium models costing you about $48,000 or slightly more.

Potential Drawbacks of Jayco RVs

While Jayco is an all-round great brand when it comes to travel trailers, they still have some issues when it comes to the floor plan design.

For example, you might notice some minor inconvenience while using hot water because the water tank is a bit small.

Similarly, the smaller models seem to have remarkably small storage space. As for the brand itself, some users complained about their warranty system being a bit of a “hassle”.

Potential Drawbacks of Keystone RVs

For the price you pay, Keystone travel trailers are great choices for budget buyers. However, there are various complaints about their customer service being a bit poor.

Also, similar to Jayco, there are some issues regarding their warranty system repairs taking a bit longer as well.

Which RV Brand is Better for Rental?

Since the two companies are owned by the same conglomerate, some people think that the two companies are basically the same.

It’s true that the two brands offer strong similarities in terms of quality and materials. So, for any price point, you should expect them both to deliver similar performance.

This leaves us with two aspects to build our choices. The first one is the price differences, which puts Keystone ahead because their models are affordable when compared to similar competitors.

The other factor is the floor plan, flexibility, and comfort. According to many users, Jayco seems to offer more comfortable and flexible travel trailers, which makes them a great choice for beginners and RVing on a strict budget.

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What Makes Each of those Brands Unique?

Now that you know more about the two brands, it’s time to give you a quick insight into the best features that each of these brands excels at.

Jayco

Jayco’s best selling point is its family-friendly floor plans. The travel trailers offer an extended level of comfort for their price and include a rock-solid foundation that guarantees that your travel trailer stands the test of time.

Jayco travel trailers are also great choices for families who like to camp out in extreme weather because they offer an excellent roof and climate shield system.

Keystone

Affordability is one of the main selling points of Keystone. However, that doesn’t mean that their travel trailers are of low quality.

In fact, most of their travel trailers are popular for their excellent livability due to their comfortable and flexible floor plans, especially as you go up.

The intermediate to premium level floor plans of keystones are criminally underrated and are extremely easy to tow and care for!

FAQs

How long should a travel trailer last?

With an average level of care, a travel trailer can last you up to 7 to 10 years. However, with intensive care, a travel trailer can easily last for up to 20 years.

Does Jayco have a good warranty system?

Jayco provides 2 years of limited warranty on all their trailer models, which is pretty high for the industry standard. They’ve also added a third year of structural warranty as of 2020 models.

How many service centers do Jayco and Keystone have?

Both Jayco and Keystone have hundreds and even thousands of authorized service centers that are scattered across North America, including the U.S. and Canada.

While both Jayco and Keystone don’t share information about the number of centers they have, it’s quite easy to find the closest ones to you.

All you have to do is visit their “find a dealer” or “dealer locator” pages to find the closest ones based on your location.

Conclusion

With that said, you now have a brief guide that walks you through all the information you need to know before choosing between Jayco vs Keystone

As you can see, both Keystone and Jayco are great travel trailer sellers that will give you a remarkable level of comfort without costing you a hefty sum.

The differences between the two RV brands are as slim as it gets. They offer similar builds with decent quality and almost similar prices.

However, when it comes to variety, Keystone seems to offer a quite wider variety of models, which allow the buyers to select specific aspects when it comes to their floor plans and overall quality.

source https://gonecamping.net/jayco-vs-keystone/