Exterior New canvas and fly screens

[Gold Coast Crow]

Hey there everyone.

Just a Quick querie, does anyone know how much a new canvas and flyscreen for a 2000 style Jayco Finch would set me back? Ball park figure is fine.

 

[Boots in Action]

Hey there everyone.

Just a Quick querie, does anyone know how much a new canvas and flyscreen for a 2000 style Jayco Finch would set me back? Ball park figure is fine.

An awful lot of cash I would think, probably many many hundreds and possibly thousands as the canvas has to be specially made to suit with the mesh, windows and door areas cut into it with velcro and clear plastic. You can't just buy one off the rack as a spare part!! That is after roof has been removed and old canvas/screening detached. After manufacture, all has to be refitted carefully between roof and body. If the unit you are looking for has had this degradation, it was probably caused by folding up wet canvas and poor storage- not let fully dry before storage. And that is only the obvious problems when a van has not been looked after. I would give it a miss and look for another that shows signs of proper treatment.

 

[mikerezny]

Hi,
the best place to get information specifically for Jayco Camper Trailers is the Jayco Camper Trailers Owners Australia Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/273102439539042

As far as I know @Boots in Action and I are the only members on this forum who currently own a Jayco Penguin Camper Trailer.

Replacing the entire canvas walls is not an easy task and is quite expensive. A google will give you a list of canvas people that can do the job that you can contact to get an indication of cost. In the current environment you would be well-advised to also get an indication of when they can do it.

When I initially looked at getting a Penguin, I started chasing a cheapie to avoid wasting money if we didn't like it. But by the time you look at the rubbish that people were selling, factor in the cost of repairs for what you can see, then add some more for fixing things you didn't or couldn't see, they were not worthwhile.
By the time I increased the amount I needed to pay, I wasn't that far off the price of a new one when one considers the discount for buying without a trade and haggling. Then with a new one you get the full warranty and being able to option the van to have exactly what you want.
However, there are now two extra factors to consider: many people selling still think it is a seller's market and are pricing vans accordingly and vans always sell at a premium in the lead up to the summer holidays. Especially when there are massive lead times on getting a new van.

Another factor to consider at the moment is the huge backlog in getting any servicing or repairs done to a van as well as the time it will be idle waiting for a repair regardless if it is in warranty or not.

cheers
Mike

 

[Gold Coast Crow]

Thanks guys, I was aware it was expensive and the theory of buying a cheaper one and replacing canvas doesn’t enthuse me at all anyway… we can’t afford a new one which is why our price point is only 8-12k but we have seen plenty with good canvas and flyscreens, it’s just finding the right Jayco Finch for us now

 

[mikerezny]

Thanks guys, I was aware it was expensive and the theory of buying a cheaper one and replacing canvas doesn’t enthuse me at all anyway… we can’t afford a new one which is why our price point is only 8-12k but we have seen plenty with good canvas and flyscreens, it’s just finding the right Jayco Finch for us now

With older Camper trailers it is essential to ensure there is no water damage or any attempt to cover it up with a paint job. The early models are made with a roof that is joined down the middle with a sealing strip. These are notorious for leaking and rotting out the roof and internal wooden beams.
The other thing to inspect is the inside smell and any signs of mould. These are also good indicators of water leakage and possible damage.
Inspect the mattresses and underneath for damage or mould. Mould is now more commonly recognised as a serious health concern.
It would be good to buy or borrow a moisture detector.

Ensure the fridge works and cools down on 12V, 240V, and gas.

Avoid any early model van equipped with a Centurion 240v / 12V power supply. They are quite unreliable and not really suited to supporting a battery if you are intending to camp off grid. I would look only at vans with a Setec ST20 / ST35 series I, II, or III. The later BmPro will only be fitted to later vans above your price limit.

Inspect and test the winding mechanism. These are fragile and do not handle abuse well at all. They are also expensive to fix. Common causes of failure are cables coming off the pulleys and shredding the cable. Bent or damaged support struts.
The most common cause of damage is attempting to wind the roof up with one or more retaining clips not released. There is a lot of discussion about this on the FB group I pointed you to.

good luck!

Mike

 

[Boots in Action]

With older Camper trailers it is essential to ensure there is no water damage or any attempt to cover it up with a paint job. The early models are made with a roof the is joined down the middle with a sealing strip. These are notorious for leaking and rotting out the roof and internal wooden beams.
The other thing to inspect is the inside smell and any signs of mould. These are also good indicators of water leakage and possible damage.
Inspect the mattresses and underneath for damage or mould. Mould is now more commonly recognised as a serious health concern.
It would be good to buy or borrow a moisture detector.

Ensure the fridge works and cools down on 12V, 240V, and gas.

Avoid any early model van equipped with a Centurion 240v / 12V power supply. They are quite unreliable and not really suited to supporting a battery if you are intending to camp off grid. I would look only at vans with a Setec ST20 / ST35 series I, II, or III. The later BmPro will only be fitted to later vans above your price limit.

Inspect and test the winding mechanism. These are fragile and do not handle abuse well at all. They are also expensive to fix. Common causes of failure are cables coming off the pulleys and shredding the cable. Bent or damaged support struts.
The most common cause of damage is attempting to wind the roof up with one or more retaining clips not released. There is a lot of discussion about this on the FB group I pointed you to.

good luck!

Mike

@mikerezny , all good advice Mike for a newbie for a "start". As you and I know, there are plenty more things to learn and be aware of.

 

[Drover]

With any of these older campers unless you can DiY a lot of the jobs they will run out expensive I think last time I saw a replacement canvas for a Dove was somewhere around the $3K and I think that was you dismantle and install... As the others have said look very carefully, winders need to be checked as they are a prick to replace, ideally if you get to check one thats been closed up then opened while you watch you get to see/hear things and also get a chance to do a sniff test, too much noise or smell then walkaway as its not old age causing it .