Starcraft Repair: A Jayco Division With Jayco Part Numbers
Written by Structural Repair Lead, Structural and Frame Lead, OCRV Center. Reviewed by RV Systems Lead
In shortStarcraft is Jayco's value division in Topeka, Indiana, so parts frequently cross reference to Jayco numbers. Older folding camper hardware is the one genuinely orphaned area.
Where do Starcraft parts come from?
From the Jayco system, because Starcraft is a Jayco division. That cross reference is what makes parts sourcing straightforward on a value brand, and it is how our Yorba Linda shop finds panels for Rancho Santa Margarita owners of an Autumn Ridge or Launch.
- Autumn Ridge and Launch are the current volume lines
- Parts route through Jayco in Middlebury, Indiana
- Older Centennial and Satellite camper hardware is orphaned
- Construction follows Jayco practice on roofs and walls
- Division of
- JaycoBuilt in Topeka, Indiana
- Parts advantage
- Cross references to Jayco numbers
- Body rate
- $210 per hour
- Orphaned area
- Older folding camper lift hardware
- Estimate
- $150 written scopeCredited in full against an authorized repair
Last verified
Starcraft is a name with two lives. The older one built folding campers and boats and left a lot of well loved units in Southern California garages. The current one is Jayco's value division in Topeka, Indiana, building conventional trailers and fifth wheels at accessible prices.
For repair the current life is the easier one, because a Starcraft parts request lands in the Jayco system. The older life is genuinely orphaned, and owners of a Centennial or a Satellite need to know that before they start hunting for lift hardware.
What being a Jayco division actually gets you
Value brands usually mean thin parts support, and Starcraft is the exception because it sits inside Jayco. Roof components, wall skins, caps and hardware are catalogued in the same system that supports a Jay Flight, which means the parts desk that answers your question is a large operation rather than a small one.
Construction follows the same house practice too. The roof system, the wall lay ups and the component choices in a current Starcraft are close relatives of Jayco's, so a technician who knows one knows the other. That is worth more than it sounds when diagnosing a leak path.
Front caps and compartment openings
The front cap on any towable takes the debris stream from the tow vehicle, and on lighter trailers the cap is thinner and the framing behind it is lighter too. Cracks tend to start at the edge of a compartment opening, where the molding is interrupted and stress concentrates.
We repair those with laminate work and refinish rather than filler, because filler over a flexing thin cap comes back. Where the cap is punctured or the flange behind it is damaged, we quote replacement alongside repair so the cost comparison is visible rather than assumed.
Older Starcraft folding campers
Centennial and Satellite folding campers are a different proposition. Lift hardware, roof lift arms, specific pulleys and original canvas patterns for those units are largely unavailable, and the aftermarket that exists is thin and inconsistent.
What we can do is fabricate. Lift arms, brackets and pivot hardware are simple mechanical shapes, and reproducing one to the original dimensions is straightforward work in our fabrication bay. Canvas can be patterned from what is left of the original. It is not cheap, and on a well loved family camper it is often worth it anyway.
Spending sensibly on a value trailer
An Autumn Ridge or a Launch is an affordable trailer, and a repair should stay proportionate to it. We will quote the repair that holds rather than the most expensive option, and we will tell you when a cosmetic item is genuinely cosmetic and can wait.
The exception is water. On any trailer, a wet wall left alone gets more expensive every season, and on a value unit it can pass the point where repair makes sense within a couple of years. That one item we recommend addressing immediately, regardless of how the rest of the list is prioritized.
Our rates and our position
Body, cap and refinish work bills at $210 per hour with body supplies at $5 per body hour. Slide, appliance and electrical work is $260. Fabrication of discontinued hardware bills at the body rate. A written estimate is $150 and is credited in full when the repair is authorized.
OCRV Center is an independent shop and holds no dealer agreement with Starcraft, Jayco or Thor Industries. All work is performed in shop at Yorba Linda. Owners in Rancho Santa Margarita can tow a lightweight trailer here with a mid size truck and be back the same afternoon on a drop off visit.
Starcraft RV lines we work on
- Autumn Ridge travel trailers and fifth wheels
- Super Lite lightweight towables
- Launch and Launch Ultra Lite trailers
- Telluride fifth wheels
- GPS and Comet earlier towable lines
- Satellite and Centennial folding campers from the older catalog
Parts. Starcraft is a Jayco division built in Topeka, Indiana, so parts route through the Jayco system in Middlebury and frequently cross reference to Jayco numbers. That is a real advantage on a value brand. The exception is the older folding camper catalog: Centennial and Satellite lift components, canvas and hardware from that era are largely gone and get fabricated or substituted.
What we see on this brand
- Front cap stone damage and cracking at compartment openings
- Roof membrane termination lifting at the front cap
- Schwintek rail wear on single slide trailers
- Older folding camper lift hardware seizure
- Window and molding sealant hardening
Appendix: questions and answers
- Can Starcraft parts be ordered under Jayco numbers?
- Frequently, because Starcraft is a Jayco division and shares its parts system. That gives a value brand access to a large parts operation, which is unusual. We search with your serial plate and use whichever catalog returns the correct piece for your year and model.
- Is there any source for Centennial folding camper lift parts?
- Very little, and what exists is inconsistent. The practical answer is fabrication. Lift arms, brackets and pivot hardware are simple shapes that we reproduce to the original dimensions, and canvas can be patterned from the remains of the original. It is real work but the camper stays usable.
- Why does a crack in a lightweight trailer cap keep returning?
- Because the cap is thinner and the framing behind it lighter, so it flexes more. Filler over that flex fails on schedule. A durable repair grinds to a taper, rebuilds with cloth and resin, and refinishes. On lighter trailers that method matters more, not less.
- Which repairs should I do first on a budget?
- Anything letting water into the structure comes first, always. Sealant, roof terminations and window returns are cheap now and expensive later. Cosmetic fiberglass and paint can wait. We will mark an estimate that way so you can authorize in stages rather than all at once.
- Do you repair Starcraft fifth wheels as well as the trailers?
- Yes. Telluride and Autumn Ridge fifth wheels use the same construction philosophy with a pin box and a heavier frame. Landing gear mounts and the front cap area get inspected on any unit with towing miles, since that is where load concentrates on a fifth wheel.
- Does a Starcraft trailer roof use the same membrane as a Jayco?
- On most model years yes, because the divisions share roofing suppliers and lamination lines. That helps, since membrane, sealant and trim profiles are all available through Jayco channels. What differs is the roof deck thickness on the lighter Starcraft floorplans, which changes how much walkable support sits above the ceiling and how we stage a technician during a membrane replacement.
Open a file on this repair
Tell us the vehicle, what happened and whether a claim is open. We will tell you what the scope looks like and what it takes to get you back on the road.
Or call (949) 799-3387