Now that we’ve owned our 2021 Jay Feather Micro 171BH for a year, we’ve decided to put together an owner’s review. This is our very first travel trailer. Before this, we were tent campers. We researched trailers for about three years before landing on the Jayco Jay Feather Micro and we’re happy we did. We absolutely love our camper. There are, of course, a list of items we dislike about the trailer, and a list of items we love. We’ll go over how we feel about the Jay Feather Micro 171BH now that we’ve had a year to get familiar with everything.
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What we Don’t Like About the Jay Feather Micro 171BH
Leak Near Window
There was a leak that we noticed in the winter time. We first noticed it under the window near the main bed. There was a puddle forming on the headboard. We initially thought it was from the window. Later we realized it was actually coming from the roof, dripping down around the window frame, then onto the headboard. When we went on the roof we noticed a gap in the rubber molding. We sealed it up with some Dicor lap sealant and haven’t noticed an issue since.
Small Dent on Front Cap
Shortly after we purchased the trailer, we noticed a small dent at the top edge of the front cap. As far as we can tell this isn’t causing any issues. We plan to take it in and have our dealer take a look at it. We’re waiting for some recall parts to come in, once they arrive we’ll have the dealer take a look at the dent at the same time.
Amount of Windows
Now, of course we knew this before purchasing the trailer, but it could use some more windows. Specifically, it would be nice to have more visibility on the camp side. We have a nice large window, but it’s on the opposite side of the door which means it’s on the opposite side where we have our camp set up. The screen door definitely helps with some visibility on the camp side which is nice. A window in the front or back would also be great but honestly, I’m not sure how that would work with the floor plan. And the windows do seem to let in more cold air, so maybe if it had more I’d still be complaining. Just something to think about.
Drawers
The drawers are large, which is awesome! But, they don’t do a great job at supporting weight. The rails seem to pop off easily on our large drawers. It seems that there isn’t much support for the drawers so they are constantly coming off the track and closing at a funny angle.
Molding Near Door
Some of the molding, specifically around the door, popped off. It isn’t structural. It’s secured with an adhesive and staples. We were able to just stick it back in place and it isn’t noticeable, but it still pops up in sections and needs to be put back into place properly.
Side Camera “Pre-Wire” was Misleading
We purchased the Furrion 3 camera system. The trailer was advertised as being “pre-wired” for both a backup camera and side cameras. The backup camera was easy, it was truly plug and play. We were expecting the same situation with the side cameras. But that was not the case.
The side cameras had a plastic molding placeholder, but other than that they were just turn signals. Some electrical work needed to be done to the turn signal to get it to work with the side camera. The directions were included and it wasn’t a huge project, but there was no time savings from our “pre-wired” setup. It was the same process that you would go through on a trailer that wasn’t pre-wired for side cameras.
We haven’t looked into it yet, but we’re worried we’ll have a similar experience with the inverter “pre-wire” the trailer was advertised to have.
Amount of 12v USBs
One of the main reasons we went with a Jay Feather Micro was because we want to primarily go boondocking or dry camping. We were disappointed to find that the only USBs that work when you aren’t plugged in are in the bunks. There is a pop-up power tower near the main bed that has 110 outlets as well as USBs. We assumed the USBs there would work off-grid. Unfortunately they don’t because that entire tower plugs into a 110 outlet below the bed.
This wasn’t a huge deal once we realized this was the case. We added another USB outlet to the headboard with USB plugs that work from the batteries.
Curtains Near Table
The blackout curtain near the dinette table is almost impossible to close all the way. You have to scoot the table back so the curtain can go below it the last few inches required for it to be completely closed. This is no easy task. I have tried multiple times and haven’t yet been able to get the curtain below the table. This always has to be done by my husband. It takes some force to get that curtain closed.
Mini Blind Curtain Rod
The kitchen window has a curtain rod. We discovered that this curtain rod comes off while traveling. Ours was actually lost for several months, it had fallen under the hinge of the stairs in the doorway. We now take it on and off. Getting the curtain rod onto the small hook on the blinds is a frustrating chore. It isn’t easy and always takes longer than it seems like it should.
Storage Door Popped Open
Another issue we had is the storage door near the bunks opened up while traveling. This happened to us twice. The first time we figured it must not have been locked properly. We are sure the handle was locked, but it’s possible the deadbolt was missed and only the handle was locked.
After that we got into a good routine to lock and check the locks on the door. We always lock the deadbolt first, pull on the handle to make sure it’s locked, then lock the handle. We now obsessively check the bunk door lock, and somehow it popped open on us a second time.
Now, the door is on a friction hinge. So even though we were driving it wasn’t flying wide open. It was only an inch or two and nothing fell out. Of course that doesn’t mean we want it to happen again.
Luckily, this hasn’t happened in a long time. Both of those instances were towards the beginning of our trailer owning experience, so hopefully they were just due to user error.
Difficult to Access Top Bunk
We absolutely love the bunks. They are a must for us and we wouldn’t get a model without bunks. The top bunk though, is difficult to get into. There is a handle but there are no steps. Our son was 6 when we first got the trailer. Getting into the top bunk was a struggle. For the first many trips we just gave him a push up there. Now that he’s practiced it he can get into the top bunk by himself. It’s not easy though and sometimes he still needs some help.
There are ladders that you can get and modify the height to make it work with the bunks. This solution just wouldn’t work for us because our dog actually sleeps underneath the bunks. Right now that area works perfect for his dog bed. If we added a ladder he wouldn’t be able to access the area below the bunks.
Small Pass-Through
Another complaint about the trailer that we were completely aware of before making the purchase, is the pass-through area is tiny. It gets filled up fast. We do store some things under the bunks as well, which is a nice option, but most of our storage is in that front pass-through. We are actually working on a plan to relocate the batteries so we could add some storage space to the tongue and hopefully alleviate this pain.
Bathroom Sink Drain
The last major problem we had with our Jay Feather Micro was the drain under the bathroom sink came detached while traveling. We didn’t realize that there was a problem. We stopped for lunch, the kids used the bathroom, and then we noticed water running out the side of the trailer when we went to leave. My husband went to check it out and noticed all the water from the sink went down to the cabinet, out onto the floors, and out the side of the trailer.
We cleaned it all up, reattached the drain, and made sure to check it after each trip. We ended up adding a block of wood with a loose zip tie. It’s enough that it keeps it supported while driving, but loose enough that it can be scooted out of the way if any maintenance needs to be done.
What we Love About the Jay Feather Micro 171BH
Two-Way Refrigerator
We love everything about the two-way refrigerator. We have been amazed at how much we can fit in the refrigerator. More often than not we find we don’t even need a cooler. Having a freezer feels like an amazing bonus too. Most trailers we looked at didn’t have a dedicated freezer. Now that we have one though, we love it. We are so happy to get to have ice cream while camping.
The other part we love about the refrigerator is that it runs on propane. Since we primarily go dry camping it was important to us to have propane as an option. The trailer also has two tanks of propane so the fridge can run for months with no problem. The fridge also cools down really fast, normally it only takes an hour or two.
There was an option to get a 12v fridge. With the 12v fridge it can run off batteries and recharge with solar. Though this sounds like a good option we didn’t want to rely on solar. We like to camp in the redwoods and be in shade. We love the idea of solar but for us, propane was a much more reliable option.
Blackstone Griddle
Having an outdoor kitchen was a must for us when we were searching for a trailer. We planned on cooking most meals outside and really wanted to make sure that we were focusing on an enjoyable outdoor area. We were looking for a pullout stove and sink setup.
When we saw the Blackstone system that comes with the Jay Feather Micros we figured well we could make that work. It’s not ideal but it could work.
Boy, were we wrong! The Blackstone is so much better than anything we were expecting. It is amazing! It is so much better than having a stove.
With the Blackstone you use far less dishes. You don’t have to use large pots and pans. And when you’re dry camping this is super useful. Also, it just makes cooking easy. I’m not a great cook, but for some reason everything I make on the Blackstone tastes amazing. It’s easy to use, easy to clean up, and extremely versatile. We use it as often as possible.
Propane Furnace
Another item we love is the propane furnace. Now, it is loud. Not a bad loud, it’s white noise. But when it turns on or off it will wake you because there’s a huge difference in volume.
With that being said, it really isn’t a problem for us because we don’t use it while we’re sleeping. The furnace heats up the entire trailer in minutes. It is extremely effective. We turn it on when the kids are getting ready for bed, then we turn it off for the night. It doesn’t come back on until the morning when we make coffee.
Bunks & Curtains
Having bunks was a must for us, and we love them. We especially love these bunks because they both have a window. They both have a window, light, and USBs so the kids have a nice private area.
What we didn’t realize is how much we’d like the curtains with the bunks. The kids both love having their curtains closed at night. And since they have their own area with a closed curtain, we can stay up and not bother them. We often will stay up after they are in bed and don’t want to leave them in the trailer alone. So, we’ll drink beer or watch TV and they just sleep through it.
Entry Steps
The front entry steps have worked out great for our family. They are extremely sturdy and the top step is slightly wider than the other steps. When we got the trailer our daughter was two and she was able to use the steps on her own from the very beginning.
The trailer does need to be level for the door to shut with the steps out but the extra stability they provide is well worth it. The only time it’s an issue is when we stop for a quick lunch or potty break while traveling to our destination.
12v TV
When we were looking for a trailer we were not concerned about a TV. We are planning to camp to be outside, not spend a bunch of time in the trailer. And we plan to dry camp, so we figured we wouldn’t get any use out of the TV.
Well, this trailer came with a 12v TV. Which means it runs off battery power. We have a solar setup so those batteries are getting charged anywhere which means we can use our TV anywhere. To make it even more useful we purchased a USB powered DVD player to go with it. This can get power directly from the USB port on the TV, which makes it possible to watch movies while using only solar power.
We can use it dry camping or we can even use it while we stop for lunch. It has been a really fun option to have.
As long as our batteries have enough of a charge we generally end up running the TV every night after the kids go to bed.
Entire Bathroom
We are very happy with the bathroom in our 171BH. It is rare to find a 20 foot bunkhouse travel trailer with a sink in the bathroom. And for us, a sink in the bathroom was important. We want to make it easy for our kids to stick to routines. We want them to wash their hands and brush their teeth. The bathroom sink is an important part of their routines.
The tub has also worked out well for us. We primarily do weekend trips so we haven’t used the shower. But, we like to use it for extra space. We have hooks in the shower to hang anything wet (towels, swimsuits, rain-soaked jackets). We also have found it to be super useful for a potty-training toddler. We can keep a potty training toilet and a stool in the tub. It’s nice that we aren’t having to find a spot for those items any time an adult needs to use the bathroom.
Solar
One of our favorite parts about this trailer is the solar setup. As I mentioned before, we primarily dry camp. So we were excited to have solar as an option. Our trailer came with the GoPower Overlander pack. It had a 190w panel and a PWM 30 amp controller. We are happy with it but often struggle to get the batteries back all the way to 100% while we’re camping. We recently added a second 190w panel and we’re hoping that will help.
Dual Propane
The trailer has two 20 lb. propane tanks. This has worked out great for us. We like that propane is not a concern at all, we don’t worry about running out. The tanks do have an automatic switch-over but we have this disabled. Since we don’t have a way to monitor our tanks what we do is just only use one tank. Then, when it runs out we manually switch to the other tank but then we know we need to replace one of our tanks.
Tires and Suspension
The trailer has great tires, they are actually truck tires. It has high-quality tires and suspension. This gives us some peace of mind when traveling. We’re happy that high-quality parts were used so we don’t have to stress about that down the road.
No Slide
Now, this was not a concern when we were looking at trailers, but I’m very happy that our trailer doesn’t have a slide. Like I said, we weren’t worried about this one way or the other. But, now that we have a trailer without a slide, we love it! We can stop anywhere and we don’t have to worry about having enough space to pull out a slide. We have the full trailer available any time.
Plus, it’s one less thing to worry about. It’s one less item to maintain and one less thing that can go wrong.
Recap
So, overall, we love our Jayco Jay Feather Micro 171BH! It has worked out great for our family. Yes, there were a few items that we’ve had issues with. But, we went into this expecting that there would be.
Even though this is our first trailer, we did hear that buying a new trailer is nothing like buying a new car. When you get a new car you expect it to be perfect. When you get a new trailer, you can’t have that same expectation. A trailer is most likely to have issues in the very beginning. When it starts going down the road all of the issues shake themselves out.
As long as you realize that this is a normal part of having a trailer, it isn’t stressful. We expected issues to arise and when they do we try to fix them in a way that they won’t come back. And the joy the trailer has brought our family far outweighs any problems that came with it.
We are extremely happy with the Jayco Jay Feather Micro 171BH and highly recommend it!
