As a previous owner of several RVs (Class C, popup and most recently, a Jayco JayFeather 19H), last fall I decided to start looking for a new smaller camping unit for me and my husband John. I spent the winter researching units and decided to look at the Mini Max as a possible option. Unfortunately, my husband's health rapidly declined over the winter and he died on 2/10/19. While I was grieving the loss of my husband and the dreams of a travel-filled retirement, I was determined that I would not give up the dream of having a smaller camping unit to carry on our love of the outdoors. In mid-March, I traveled to Jerry's Camping Center in Madison to take a look at the units they had available. I met with Dave and toured several units, including several nuCamp units, the Mini Max, and the Max. I left with a favorable impression of the dealership and the units. After several weeks of additional research and thought, I decided to purchase the Mini Max, trading in my 2014 Jayco JayFeather 19H in the process. Dave and I agreed that I would pick up the unit on March 29, 2019. The day arrived and I drove Madison, WI to pickup the Mini Max, towing the Jayco for the trade-in. From 3/29-4/10, the unit sat in my driveway as I dealt with my husband's memorial service on 4/5 and recovered from my 4/12/19 shoulder surgery. It was during this time that I noted that the panels on the bathroom walls were loose, the caulking in the bathroom at the ceiling had failed, the caulking at the kitchen counter and seating area storage compartments had also failed, the white plastic piece that fits over the water lines at the back of the toilet was bent and cracked and several cabinet doors did not fit properly. I was understandably disappointed, but made the decision to promptly bring the issues to the dealer's attention for warranty repair. On May 10, I arrived in Madison about 11 am for the warranty work. We went through the list of items to check and I was assured the unit would be ready later in the day. I picked up the unit about 3:30 that afternoon, walking through the repairs with John, one of the staff at Jerry's. He indicated to me that he also caulked areas on the roof - something that was not on my radar. I spent the weekend camping in the Madison, WI area and encountered several additional problems: the sink drain leaked causing water to run out from the top of the microwave to the floor. I had noticed water on the floor when I was de-winterizing the unit in early May, but assumed I had been careless with the shower head and splashed water on the floor. Additionally, the systems monitor panel stopped working, I had no TV reception despite being in a city where there are several local stations, I noticed rust on the stabilizers, and trailer frame near the battery. I made the decision to delay my return home to drop the unit off at the dealership first thing Monday 5/13. On Monday, 5/13, I dropped the unit off at Jerry's Camping Center, explaining I was extremely unhappy to have had to take the day off work to deal with more problems with a brand-new camper. I again gave them a list of things to repair and stated I would pick up the camper on Thursday, May 23. I picked up the camper on May 23, again walking through the repairs with John. I was hopeful that these problems were an anomaly, and I would be able to enjoy a summer filled with camping adventures. That was not to be. During my return on 5/27 from a Memorial Day trip (it was raining during my return), I opened the door of the camper to find the rug in front of the door completely soaked with water. I noted the floor in front of the refrigerator was wet. The door and floor of the small cabinet under the refrigerator was wet, and there was water running down the side of the refrigerator door. I checked all the windows to be sure they were secure and they were. I did find that the vent near the top of the camper on the "drivers side" was loose and I did my best to pull that vent down to secure it, but I'm not confident it is properly secured nor am I sure it had anything to do with the water infiltration. Upon my return home, I pulled up the seat/bench supports throughout the unit and found all the floors under the benches were wet (including the floor of the "basement" storage area,) with water damage to the plywood box and the 1x2 supports in the "furnace compartment" were completely soaked. The plywood partition between the furnace and the wheel well area was very wet and has now warped on the lower corner, yet the small cabinet under the bench seat on the "passenger side" of the unit was dry. This tells me that there was water infiltration from another source not related to the water infiltration near the refrigerator. I have yet to hear from the dealership. Emails and phone calls are not returned. I am extremely dissatisfied with the unit itself and the dealership. I hope this post will help others avoid my fate. read more
