We are trading in the Kiwi...

[JCJRSmith]

...on a Jayco Motor Home. We got approved for the financing yesterday and should have it next week. Can't wait to set it up at the Fort.

 

[loriandmatt]

wow - i have always been a kiwi fan.(don't have one, but we have always lusted for one....someday) mind me asking why you're getting rid of it?

 

[JCJRSmith]

We have always wanted a motorhome, but until now it wasn't in our reach. We are getting good deal on this one and it is in GREAT shape. The previous owner bought it with her husband and, after he passed, decided that she wanted a bigger unit so she and her sister could travel for a year.

The truck we use to pull the camper is my everyday vehicle, and lately my job has taken me further and further afield servicing customers. The truck is a four-door, and when we travel, SWMBO and I sit up front and the kids sit in the back. They are getting bigger, so the back seat is getting more cramped for them (one is 14, the other is 9). Additionally, when we are towing, I do ALL the driving as SWMBO is not comfortable behind the wheel when pulling the camper. In the motorhome, she will be able to drive, and the kids will have more room to stretch out while on the road. So, we will be trading in the truck on a smaller, more gas friendly car after we get the motorhome. We estimate that our mileage with the Motorhome pulling the small car will be about what we got with the truck pulling the camper, and the payment structure works out so we will actually be paying LESS per month to have a vehicle and a motorhome.

The Kiwi (now called the Jay Feather) is a great trailer. New, they can be pricey, but they are very well made and comfortable. You do hear more noise through the tent ends than you normally would in a traditional hard side trailer, but they tow well (with the right vehicle), and set up in about 30-45 minutes. If you look for a used one, pay attention to the lines on the roof where the roof meets the fiberglass ends of the camper. Earlier models had a tendency for the caulking to wear out there and the camper could leak. It hasn't happened to ours yet, but I did notice the caulking was getting a bit brittle. We never had any leaks in ours, but I know other hybrid owners (both Jayco and other brands) who have. So, if you buy used, inspect it well.

BTW - I see you are in Philadelphia. The dealer we bought our Kiwi from and who we are buying our Grey Hawk from is Gayle Kline RV in Mountville, PA, about 5 miles west of Lancaster. You could be there from Philly probably in a little over an hour. They are wonderful folks to deal with, have a great selection, and a huge service building. They are having a show this week, thru Saturday. Details are on their web site.

 

[ftwildernessguy]

I own a Kiwi and experienced the corner leak once - now I recaulk every summer, whether it needs it or not. No damage, just annoying. Otherwise, we love the thing.

A great dealer closer to Philly is Fretz RV in Souderton. That is where we got ours. A nice family run business with a great supply store and excellent service department.

 

[4HappyCmprs]

I own a Kiwi and experienced the corner leak once - now I recaulk every summer, whether it needs it or not. No damage, just annoying. Otherwise, we love the thing.

A great dealer closer to Philly is Fretz RV in Souderton. That is where we got ours. A nice family run business with a great supply store and excellent service department.

Another vote for Fretz's!! Just purchased our new 07 23B a couple weeks ago from there! Great dealership!

 

[loriandmatt]

thanks for the kiwi pointers. i have oggeled ftwildernessguys hybrid pics for some time now. i don't know if we will ever be financially able to trade in the old pop up for a hybrid, but a chick can dream. we like the hybrid because we get to keep that bunk end/tent feeling while sleeping but get a real potty and more importantly a real gally. who knows, but the time we can afford it the kids might be gone and then the pop up will be the perfect size for just DH and i.

we have gone fantasy shopping at fretz and a few other places in the area many times. we never knew about the place in mountville though.

We actually bought our pop up on the other side of the state, over by where i am from (indiana pa). we really liked the features and the price of the new Viking campers, but we found that there were very few dealerships that sold them. we found one closer to us but the guy was kind of a jerk, so we ended up buying from someone when we were out visiting my folks in indiana pa. best 3K i ever spent. (and the additional 1K we spent the year after getting AC put in it.) we have gotten countless weekends/vacations out of it.

 

[JCJRSmith]

i don't know if we will ever be financially able to trade in the old pop up for a hybrid, but a chick can dream.

Well, you know, after this Saturday Gayle Kline will have a used Kiwi 23B looking for a new owner...