Looking at Jayco camper - couple of Qs

[nab]

We currently have a basic soft floor camper and the missus suggested we look at upgrading to a Jayco Eagle/Hawk/Dove or similar. Current main reason is we have seen a few snakes on our current trip, 2yo got within 1.5m of a dugite before my missus saw it...

We are looking at a secondhand one up to $15k so a ~1998-2004 model.

Our main reasons for change are the off ground setup, quick setup/pack up times and permanent bed setup (no need for stretchers/swags etc).

We have a 4yo, 2yo and 4mth old and don't often spend more than a few days (up to a 5 days max) in the one spot. We don't carry much in the way of luxuries/entertainment, we prefer to get there, set up and go exploring. We cringe when we see other campers with half their home contents spilling out of their campers. We must look like beginners with only a table, 4 chairs and 2 of the cheap clear boxes haha!

Had a bit of a search but have a couple of specific questions:

1. Can the beds withstand a good bit of throwing ya leg over? Missus seems to think they look too flimsy. We have a combined weight of ~150kg if that helps...
2. We often only camp for a few nights at a time then move to the next spot, do people always use the bed flys? I just want to wind up and go, half the reason of upgrading is to make it easier with the small kids.
3. We live under the awing in our current, do you do this? Seems like a waste of all the internal fitout haha!
4. We only ever go in our current camper to sleep/get changed etc and do all our cooking/living outside under the awning, even if the weather turns crap. Don't have a TV/iPad etc and hate being couped up inside. Does anyone do the same in one of the above campers? Or once you get one you convert your way of camping to suit the camper?
5. Missus doesn't like the idea of cooking inside. Anyone else not use their inside cooktop/oven?
6. Anyone mounted solar panels direct to the roof? Work OK? I like the set and forget approach, I don't want to be changing the panels all day chasing the sun. Only have a 32L fridge, 2x LED lights and a water pump with no plans to expand. Car takes care of the rest.
7. How does the Outback model go on gravel/corrugations? Dust a major problem? Not planning on the CSR, just the usual crap roads that lead to beaches in country towns etc.

Thanks in advance, am currently touring so may not check back here for a week or so.

Cheers
Nick

[Swannie]

We currently have a basic soft floor camper and the missus suggested we look at upgrading to a Jayco Eagle/Hawk/Dove or similar. Current main reason is we have seen a few snakes on our current trip, 2yo got within 1.5m of a dugite before my missus saw it...

We are looking at a secondhand one up to $15k so a ~1998-2004 model.

Our main reasons for change are the off ground setup, quick setup/pack up times and permanent bed setup (no need for stretchers/swags etc).

We have a 4yo, 2yo and 4mth old and don't often spend more than a few days (up to a 5 days max) in the one spot. We don't carry much in the way of luxuries/entertainment, we prefer to get there, set up and go exploring. We cringe when we see other campers with half their home contents spilling out of their campers. We must look like beginners with only a table, 4 chairs and 2 of the cheap clear boxes haha!

Had a bit of a search but have a couple of specific questions:

1. Can the beds withstand a good bit of throwing ya leg over? Missus seems to think they look too flimsy. We have a combined weight of ~150kg if that helps... 

Yep 

2. We often only camp for a few nights at a time then move to the next spot, do people always use the bed flys? I just want to wind up and go, half the reason of upgrading is to make it easier with the small kids.

You don't have to use bed flies when the weather is good but in wet weather the bed flies allow you to pack the bed in dry and not get your bedding wet

3. We live under the awing in our current, do you do this? Seems like a waste of all the internal fitout haha!

Awning is great, gives you shade and a little extra dry area if wet. With 5 in it there won't be a lot of room!

4. We only ever go in our current camper to sleep/get changed etc and do all our cooking/living outside under the awning, even if the weather turns crap. Don't have a TV/iPad etc and hate being couped up inside. Does anyone do the same in one of the above campers? Or once you get one you convert your way of camping to suit the camper?

Nope 99% of cooking is outside on the bbq! it's up to you how you use it

5. Missus doesn't like the idea of cooking inside. Anyone else not use their inside cooktop/oven?

Use it occasionally for pasta... No smell

6. Anyone mounted solar panels direct to the roof? Work OK? I like the set and forget approach, I don't want to be changing the panels all day chasing the sun. Only have a 32L fridge, 2x LED lights and a water pump with no plans to expand. Car takes care of the rest.

Only have portable dollar

7. How does the Outback model go on gravel/corrugations? Dust a major problem? Not planning on the CSR, just the usual crap roads that lead to beaches in country towns etc.

Drive to conditions, you will get dust but you need to block fridge and door vents

Thanks in advance, am currently touring so may not check back here for a week or so.

Cheers
Nick

[Topender]

1. Can the beds withstand a good bit of throwing ya leg over? Missus seems to think they look too flimsy. We have a combined weight of ~150kg if that helps...
I think the rating on ours is rated to 300 or 350kg and handles everything
2. We often only camp for a few nights at a time then move to the next spot, do people always use the bed flys? I just want to wind up and go, half the reason of upgrading is to make it easier with the small kids.
Yep but if it looks like rain or damp conditions you can just drape them over the beds for protection 
3. We live under the awing in our current, do you do this? Seems like a waste of all the internal fitout haha!
I would say most owners live mostly outside. It is nice knowing if it's pissing down and windy you have the option to go inside.
4. We only ever go in our current camper to sleep/get changed etc and do all our cooking/living outside under the awning, even if the weather turns crap. Don't have a TV/iPad etc and hate being couped up inside. Does anyone do the same in one of the above campers? Or once you get one you convert your way of camping to suit the camper?
See the answer to Question 3. if your kids are like ours it is nice to have somewhere for them to go for a bit of quiet drawing or whatever while you enjoy the outdoors and a beverage
5. Missus doesn't like the idea of cooking inside. Anyone else not use their inside cooktop/oven?
We do 90% of our cooking outside and you will probably find most secondhand campers have had very little use of the inside cooktop and grill.  Our grill is only used as a storage spot and has never been turned on
6. Anyone mounted solar panels direct to the roof? Work OK? I like the set and forget approach, I don't want to be changing the panels all day chasing the sun. Only have a 32L fridge, 2x LED lights and a water pump with no plans to expand. Car takes care of the rest.
Personally don't have solar but have seen a few roof mounted setups and from 2013 onwards the Outbacks come prewired for roof mounted solar as an option so it must work to a degree
7. How does the Outback model go on gravel/corrugations? Dust a major problem? Not planning on the CSR, just the usual crap roads that lead to beaches in country towns etc.
We have travelled a far bit on gravel with little dust or issues. Some cover the vents but we have been ok.  If you drive to the conditions and the camper is in good condition you should be fine. Stone damage on the front is our only drama and that could be sorted with a guard or rock tamer

Thanks in advance, am currently touring so may not check back here for a week or so.

Cheers
Nick

Hope that helps you a little.  Everyone is different and everyone has different requirements and expectations.  From our point of view our 2012 Outback Swan is fine for what we want and need now........in the future that may change

Dave

[briann532]

We currently have a basic soft floor camper and the missus suggested we look at upgrading to a Jayco Eagle/Hawk/Dove or similar. Current main reason is we have seen a few snakes on our current trip, 2yo got within 1.5m of a dugite before my missus saw it...

We are looking at a secondhand one up to $15k so a ~1998-2004 model.

Our main reasons for change are the off ground setup, quick setup/pack up times and permanent bed setup (no need for stretchers/swags etc).

We have a 4yo, 2yo and 4mth old and don't often spend more than a few days (up to a 5 days max) in the one spot. We don't carry much in the way of luxuries/entertainment, we prefer to get there, set up and go exploring. We cringe when we see other campers with half their home contents spilling out of their campers. We must look like beginners with only a table, 4 chairs and 2 of the cheap clear boxes haha!

Had a bit of a search but have a couple of specific questions:

1. Can the beds withstand a good bit of throwing ya leg over? Missus seems to think they look too flimsy. We have a combined weight of ~150kg if that helps...
Yes they can, but didn't you mention you had kids???
2. We often only camp for a few nights at a time then move to the next spot, do people always use the bed flys? I just want to wind up and go, half the reason of upgrading is to make it easier with the small kids.
As others said, we only put up if weather looks bad, and they are really quick to pack up anyway.
3. We live under the awing in our current, do you do this? Seems like a waste of all the internal fitout haha!
Heck no, the storage is fantastic, we did a month in the outback and had spare cupboard space. Kitchen is great for morning coffee's etc, and great if mozzies or flys are bad
4. We only ever go in our current camper to sleep/get changed etc and do all our cooking/living outside under the awning, even if the weather turns crap. Don't have a TV/iPad etc and hate being couped up inside. Does anyone do the same in one of the above campers? Or once you get one you convert your way of camping to suit the camper?
No you wont change, you will just enjoy the choice and freedom
5. Missus doesn't like the idea of cooking inside. Anyone else not use their inside cooktop/oven?
again great for kettle, boiling beans, carrots etc while BBQ is going.
6. Anyone mounted solar panels direct to the roof? Work OK? I like the set and forget approach, I don't want to be changing the panels all day chasing the sun. Only have a 32L fridge, 2x LED lights and a water pump with no plans to expand. Car takes care of the rest.
You can, but I prefer to use racking - its cheap and doesnt allow dirt to accumulate around the panel and limits water ingress, also allow some airflow under on a hot day.
7. How does the Outback model go on gravel/corrugations? Dust a major problem? Not planning on the CSR, just the usual crap roads that lead to beaches in country towns etc.
We've done just about every desert in the country in ours and a heck of a lot of Queensland, we had to put protection around the shocks and gas taps, but no damage in 4.5 years.
We made dust covers with nutserts that go over the vents and have never had a problem.
Thanks in advance, am currently touring so may not check back here for a week or so.

Cheers
Nick
Shame your budget doesn't stretch a bit further, we're selling our 2009 outback Hawk......

cheers
Brian

[Pingu]

We have solar on the roof of our 2013 Penguin (120w panel with 100amp/h battery). Works well when we are free camping, runs the lights, pump and charges the mobile phones.

[wmarsb]

your missus lets you throw the leg that nice of her. if mine found out she would hit the roof.

[sierrajim]

Just shot you a pm.

[lilstookie]

Hey nab, we're also on the road in a soft floor and been tossing up about getting something with a hard floor (Jayco type or caravan) for ease of pulling up for an overnighter and less set up. We've spent the last week and a half in a caravan park and looking at a few different setups and timing them. The Jaycos seem to be not much quicker to set up, particularly when there were three adults  on two of those setups. They took 35 mins to setup...we take ~45 with annexe as well. Longer if I'm stuck with cranky kids or a hungry baby. We're thinking the best option for us would be a caravan with three young kids. Try to watch people setting up/packing up and time them before you decide!

[billnjim]

35 mins to set up - thats twice as long as it takes us including putting the annex up. Maybe it's new to them and they haven't got their routine set just yet. Do it a few times and you know what needs doing when. Its all trial and error. Packing away can take us up to 35mins though.

[Swannie]

After many nights away, I can wind up, do the bed flies ( with the poles & Guy ropes), the awning & the rubber mat flooring in 20-25 minutes depending how many times I stop for a refreshment . Set up of full annex, awning tables, BBQ etc takes about 45-60 minutes.
Swannie

[Beatle]

DUST:  If it's a concern, it's relatively simple to make up dust covers for the vented door and the fridge vent panels.  I've seen various methods ranging from hard hinged boards, to canvas in sailtrack, to a strip of velcro holding a piece of plastic tarp cut to size.

SOLAR:  If you permanently mount the panels on the roof you need to park the camper in the sun.  I'd stick with portable panels for versatility and the ability to protect them if it hails.  But you could make up some simple slide-in racks for the roof and pin the panels in place.  This makes them easy to slide out if required.

[billnjim]

I rarely put the bed flys up, and to me set up is everything I/we do together - the finer things like setting up table/tv/clothes line etc I leave to the wife...........its my way of assisting her to manage her OCD.

[Beatle]

I use the flys more to keep sap and birdShit off the beds, or for some heat reduction in hot weather/direct sun.

Jayco bed ends have a vinyl upper surface (flocked inside) so it's pretty rugged.

Back in the day no-one knew what bed flys were, let alone having bagged flys permanently attached. 

Our first Jayco (1985) came with home made flys which were nothing more than a silver tarp cut in half with a rope sewn along one edge and a couple of brass eyelets banged in the corners.    The seller's missus did it on her Janome at home. 

We never thought of using poles and simply wrapped the flys around the ends secured with bungee cord under the beds.

[prodigyrf]

Ditto for the general advice here and you didn't really think Jayco make beds that collapse on people with the number of ambulance chasers around nowadays?(yes there is the obesity problem!!) We cook inside mostly on the road because it's convenient just like home but naturally with vent and windows open and it sure beats flies, European wasps, etc.

The bed flies we inherited are HD white polytarp and white shadecloth sides and rope feed onto the tracks(wait for the vid when the bloke releases the flies satage) and like others we drape them over mostly but can setup poles for longer stays. Didn't have flies on the 80s one and I've realised the benefits, particularly with the removable ones I inherited with the 03 Dove. Yes the poly cops any bird poop or tree sap but it also cops all the dewy mornings and they can be folded away wet with no probs with mould and also you can pack away the beds dry under them if it's raining. In that regard here's a video of setup but note particularly the way he folds the canvas over the beds at the end as I've learned it dams any stray water and ensures the canvas never gets caught sliding the beds in-

Setting Up Your Jayco Camper Trailer (Including Awnings & Annexes)	Small | Large

Oh and never, ever slide the beds in without the roof fully up or you'll be sorry.

Yes we have the annexe with ours but haven't used it because it has a Fiamma awning which is a breeze compared with that annexe setup as the vid shows. Yes both our road Jaycos handled corro roads and places that would make Jayco frown and the only reason you'd choose the outback versions are for clearance but just where are you going solo now with kids anyway?  That's why you're getting with the number one camper now because they offer the convenience of a big van in a compact, easy tow and store package.

[prodigyrf]

Was looking for a video I'd seen that really showed the bloke knew what he was doing but can't find it so here's another one for comparison and a quiz for all you old Jayco hands. This bloke gets something right the first bloke didn't, but then stuffs up obviously with something the first bloke got right, although I'm going to question the order of one thing he did that we didn't see at all in this second vid.

Bear in mind this setup neatly avoids bed end flies and annexe but concentrate on the base Jayco setting up and just where's Wally in the 2 vids-

How To Setup a Jayco Camper.avi

[Swannie]

As soon as he wound the roof up he didn't install the 2 safety poles on each end for the roof.  It appeared he did set the top of the door correctly into the bottom as you could still see a gap and the pin wasn't in correctly
Swannie.

He also didn't have a beer in his hand while setting up

[Malcolm Tugless]

Hey Swannie ... whats these safety pole gizmos of which you speak. We had a Finch and never had these pole of safetitude.

The only poles of importance were the bed end supports.

[Black Diamond]

Hey Swannie ... whats these safety pole gizmos of which you speak. We had a Finch and never had these pole of safetitude.

The only poles of importance were the bed end supports.

They are basically two poles that wedge between the opened roof and base and sit next to the telescopic uprights, so in the event a cable snaps or the winch releases the roof won't come tumbling down. And to take some pressure of them. They only started supplying them from late 2000's from memory. 09/10

Cheers BD

[JB]

Nick

We 'upgraded' from a soft floor a few years ago to an 03 Finch.  Your camping sounds a bit like mine (we live outside, we cook outside) except we have a few luxuries and only 2 kids (11 and 8 ).  Here are my observations:

- they aren't light. Ours is the second smallest and is a tonne empty;
- for a small van, you get a heap of space, and the kids beds are right at the other end so that aren't right on top of you;
- it is great being up and out of the water when it's raining and the critters when it's not;
- the inside table is great when it is raining for the odd Uno game, and as a quiet spot to send the kids when they need it;
- the beds are surprisingly sturdy, but a bit hard (and the Finch's are a tad narrow).  We have used a eggshell type foam layer on top which made a heap of difference.
- the build quality is not great and it doesn't take much to break things or for scuffs to start appearing.  However, most things are easily fixed.
- we had all sorts of problems organising a spot for our clothes (this is now fixed, see next point).
- we never cooked, nor did the washing up inside.  So we removed the oven and sink and put in a new bench, which is now a great spot to line up all the clothes bags.  We also gained some extra storage.  This mod is reversible for when we come to sell it;
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=25726

- our main issue, which I haven't resolved, is that all the cooking gear, cutlery and crockery and the gas fridge are inside, and we cook outside.   This requires heaps of trips in and out.  This sh1ts me to tears, particularly because my wife insists on putting everything away after washing up.  I have dreamt of putting some sort of slide out on the side with all of this gear in it, but this would require a fair bit work, much of which is irreversible.  A bit like the one Toolman did.
http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=4780


So overall, the Finch was a big step up from our soft floor, but is short of my ideal camper.   My ideal would be a Finch (or something a little lighter) with a couple of long pullouts with a kitchen and a fridge slide.



There are three 'settings' for the bed end flys:  still in their bag, out but no poles and out with poles.  Ours only come out for two or more nights and only get poles if it gets really hot.  They not only protect the canvas, but also make a huge difference to temperature in the bed ends.

Also, I have mounted a slide out solar panel on the roof rack so that I can leave it there when in the sun or remove it when I am not. 

http://www.campingaustralia.org/showthread.php?t=787

I have an on-road version, but I have given it a spring over conversion to lift it up a bit.  I am now considering going for a straight axle just for a little more lift.


Cheers

JB



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[dazzler]

We did 4 months in one with 3 kids.

Our 4th was made in one

Secret IMO is to keep it simple with only a roll out fiamma style awning. Otherwise the setup times become similar to soft floor ((IME).

Add a pull out BBQ to cook outside.

Not sure whether the off road is really needed just spring over axle it. I feel if u need more off road then something else like a TVAn makes more sense.

Have fun.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[nab]

Thanks for the great replies, just what I was looking for! The missus will be happy with that. There are some awesome tips there and the links are great. The missus wonders why I am always on this site...

Just sold my soft floor camper last night, the missus was more upset than I was! Checked out a 1995 Hawk at a yard yesterday and were pretty happy with the layout. A couple more Qs:

- Where do you store the clothes, under the seats? Is it a pain in the bum to access? I questioned the salesman yesterday and his response was you only take a couple shorts and t-shirts, how much room do you need? He obviously hasn't camped in winter with young kids, let alone ones that are toilet training haha! I like your idea JB.

- I'm 6'6" and the internal benches look to be about 3cm off the floor, I reckon I'll need to be on my knees to use them. Does anyone else find this? Any ideas? My missus is 5'2" and even she finds them way too low.

- If you just do a quick overnight stop (eg late night drive than an early start) where you you put all the tables/chairs/stuff that is stored in the walkway?

- The draw bars look pretty short, were longer ones an option when new?

wmarsb, she is the one that asked and those were her words haha!

JB, I reckon your idea of a couple of slide out draws would be awesome.

Just as a side thought, what other campers are there that aren't Jaycos but are similar setups? I have seen a Coromal version but are there any others worth looking at in my $15k budget?

Cheers
Nick

(sorry for the late reply, thought I had already posted  )

[Beatle]

A couple more Qs:

- Where do you store the clothes, under the seats? Is it a pain in the bum to access? I questioned the salesman yesterday and his response was you only take a couple shorts and t-shirts, how much room do you need? He obviously hasn't camped in winter with young kids, let alone ones that are toilet training haha! I like your idea JB.

- I'm 6'6" and the internal benches look to be about 3cm off the floor, I reckon I'll need to be on my knees to use them. Does anyone else find this? Any ideas? My missus is 5'2" and even she finds them way too low.

- If you just do a quick overnight stop (eg late night drive than an early start) where you you put all the tables/chairs/stuff that is stored in the walkway?

- The draw bars look pretty short, were longer ones an option when new?


Cheers
Nick

(sorry for the late reply, thought I had already posted  )

Nick:
1.  We use plastic stackable tubs for clothes.  My kids are older but basically it's one tub each and if it doesn't fit, it doesn't go.  However my Jayco is old and grubby so if you get one which is tidier under the seats, no reason you can't store clothing under the seats.  Or leave the bags in the vehicle.

2.  Yes, for me, at 6'2 with a dodgy back, I find the benches painful.  On the upside, the Jayco roof is much higher than most full/pop top caravans.  If I have to work inside, I'll usually sit at the table so I don't have to stoop.  Outside we have camp tables that are much higher, and use basic plastic stools ($14 from Clark Rubber) which are easy to slip on and off without moving the stool or upsetting a rickity table.

3.  I transfer a lot of gear into the Landcruiser or just toss it under the camper.  It does take a while to sort out what you really need to take, and where it's stored, but I find there is quite a lot of space in a Jayco type camper.  The risk is that you think "Oh, we have the Jayco, plenty of room, just toss it inside...".  If you think you have storage/carraige problems now, wait till you have to take a pushbike for each family member.............

4.  Plenty of people have lengthened the drawbar.  Pretty easy to do, especially if you don't have hydraulic brakes like I do .  They kept the drawbar short mainly so these things would fit in a standard 6M long garage when packed.    Simplest fix is to run an additional piece of RHSfrom under the chassis, through the existing drawbar where the hitch sits now, and extend it out as far as you need.  Then refit the hitch onto this single piece of RHS.  You end up with a Y shaped setup in place of the old V shape, if that makes sense.

5.   "wmarsb"    You got me on that one

Cheers

[Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback]

Thanks for the great replies, just what I was looking for! The missus will be happy with that. There are some awesome tips there and the links are great. The missus wonders why I am always on this site...

Just sold my soft floor camper last night, the missus was more upset than I was! Checked out a 1995 Hawk at a yard yesterday and were pretty happy with the layout. A couple more Qs:

- Where do you store the clothes, under the seats? Is it a pain in the bum to access? I questioned the salesman yesterday and his response was you only take a couple shorts and t-shirts, how much room do you need? He obviously hasn't camped in winter with young kids, let alone ones that are toilet training haha! I like your idea JB.

- I'm 6'6" and the internal benches look to be about 3cm off the floor, I reckon I'll need to be on my knees to use them. Does anyone else find this? Any ideas? My missus is 5'2" and even she finds them way too low.

- If you just do a quick overnight stop (eg late night drive than an early start) where you you put all the tables/chairs/stuff that is stored in the walkway?

- The draw bars look pretty short, were longer ones an option when new?

wmarsb, she is the one that asked and those were her words haha!

JB, I reckon your idea of a couple of slide out draws would be awesome.

Just as a side thought, what other campers are there that aren't Jaycos but are similar setups? I have seen a Coromal version but are there any others worth looking at in my $15k budget?

Cheers
Nick

(sorry for the late reply, thought I had already posted  )

SWMBO and I haven't been lucky enough to make any mini mes yet so we use the single bed and our suitcase to store our clothes. I recon it would get annoying lifting up all the cushions to get clothes every time. We have items stored under the couch that don't need to be pulled out very often.

I'm not gifted in the height department and I do find the benches a little low. It's only an issue when I wash up and bending down on that subtle angel for awhile.

I found with ours we had a heap of gear stored inside when we first bought ours. I've managed to cull alot of it now to our hot water system, toliet, shower tent, gazebo and chairs. If we don't use anything it's stored securely in the car.

Our swift is the baby of the lot and runs a standard size draw bar and it barely fits in a our garage. So think about how and where you will store it and will it fit.

We love our swift outback. Hope you find one that suits you and your family

[Beatle]

SAFETY POLES:

Couldn't be easier.  Here's what I did.  I found some pine in the shed which is a neat fit up into the roof (25x50mm??). 

I dressed it so no splinters, rounded the edges to protect canvas, then protected it from the weather (I used Penetrol).  Use something clear to paint it so you don't mark the canvas.  I wouldn't use oil for the same reason

Then screwed  a length of double-sided velcro at the lower end to hold it in place (probably unnecessary as they seem to stay in place without it.

I have four, but two at opposing corners will do for safety purposes.  I just don't trust my 34yo roof system 

By rights all poles should be the same length and fit the same at each corner.  Mine don't (variance of 20mm) so I'll eventually use them to re-rig the roof cabling (lower roof onto the poles and adjust tension).


 

[Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback]

SAFETY POLES:

Couldn't be easier.  Here's what I did.  I found some pine in the shed which is a neat fit up into the roof (25x50mm??). 

I dressed it so no splinters, rounded the edges to protect canvas, then protected it from the weather (I used Penetrol).  Use something clear to paint it so you don't mark the canvas.  I wouldn't use oil for the same reason

Then screwed  a length of double-sided velcro at the lower end to hold it in place (probably unnecessary as they seem to stay in place without it.

I have four, but two at opposing corners will do for safety purposes.  I just don't trust my 34yo roof system 

By rights all poles should be the same length and fit the same at each corner.  Mine don't (variance of 20mm) so I'll eventually use them to re-rig the roof cabling (lower roof onto the poles and adjust tension).

Great work. Do Jayco sell the safety poles separately in case you loose one?