Jayco Hawk, Swan or Flamingo owners!

[Sickgm]

Get Guys,

Just looking at getting a jayco camper and was wondering what realistic set up and pack up times people are experiencing?

I know thus can vary with the amount of gear but on average?

Also, is it a one person job?

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[Eagle Outback]

Gday mate ,No bed flies or awning 20 mins easy as

[Black Diamond]

A little longer with a bag awning and walls, say around 45

[Topender]

Gday,

I'd have to agree. Max 15 - 20Min's for basic setup and maybe an hour if your going the whole hog. (bed end flys with poles, awning and annex walls, matting etc etc.)  It all comes down to the amount of time your stopping over and comfort levels you require.  On the one person front. It can be done solo, but two is much easier and obviously quicker.  The more you setup and pack down the quicker and more streamlined you'll become.  Also the Outback models like mine would be difficult solo if you are vertically challenged.  I'm 6'2" so I don't have a problem, but if your only mid 5's then be wary on your own.  The beds can be awkward to pull out and push in that's all.

Dave

[Hairs]

We don't have annex walls and can be setup up in under 20 minutes easy.
With the kids(3) being older enough now to have a job each, it makes it really quick.
And yeah, I can do it by myself if need be.
 

[Sickgm]

Sounds good. Lately it is just me as the wife is normally chasing the little fella around the campsite.

Ease of set up is important so doing the home work now is probably a good thing.

On another note. Fully loaded what are you guys weighing in at?

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[Swannie]

Mate being new to the swan and being out in it 4 times since the sart of may, it takes about half hour, which is unhitched, level, release bagfly and bed ends, wind roof up, pull beds out and set bedfly and awning with poles. I also have a eighteen month old so I set up on my own. Pack up as I am vertically challenged I need the wife just to help roll the awning and bedflys up and do the rest myself.  First time took an hour but you get quicker the more you do.

First time I did the full annex and flooring it was in the pouring rain it took about an hour and a half but sur it would reduce the more I do it.

Greg

[Eagle Outback]

My eagle is apparently 1.3 tonne so loaded up I'd say every bit of 1.5 easily never had it on a weigh bridge though.

[Hairs]

Sickgm,
Our's is an older model, 87 Swan, which has been heavily modified, so it would weigh a lot more than later model campers do.
Here is Jayco's specs on their camper range, Specifications
That may give you something to work with.
 

[Jenko67]

hey mate, we have a swan ob, to put up annex and bedflys ready to sit and relax etc about hour os so.. to pack up about 2hours, generally take our time....

Cheers

[briann532]

Wife and I have our set jobs and we can have a full awning and bedfly setup from handbrake on to beer in hand in approximately 15 - 20 mins max.

Pack up from start to turning key to drive off 20 mins.

We've worked out an process and we stick to it. We each know our job and just do it.

Usually takes us longer to decide where to camp......................

Cheers
Brian

[jgrant]

We have a Hawk OB and have taken it out 3 times. Realistic set up for us is around 30mins - longer if we put poles in bedflies and put up the awning and put down flooring. Like others have said I expect this to get quicker as we practice more. I prepare for set up by making the beds and packing the food and fridge before we leave home.
Pack up usually takes us a straggly hour or so. Havent really tried to do it in a big hurry..... yet! The hour I am quoting includes trying to organise a 13yo girl and her stuff, washing up breakfast dishes, putting things away in cupboards, cleaning up (ie sweeping floors, wiping benches etc). As a precaution, I also wrap the beds in plastic before letting the bed ends down - keeps everything clean and dry and takes about an extra 2 minutes.
Having gone from a camper trailer to a pop top van to the Jayco, I can compare by saying that the Hawk is easier to pack up than the trailer, but lacks the storage of the pop top, making stowing clothes, shoes and all the other junk you accumulate while travelling more difficult. BUT we knew this when we purchased the Hawk, so it's just one of those things...
As for 2 person/1 person job - setup/pack up for one person would be achievable but having 2 people would make some parts of the process run more smoothly.
We are embarking on a 22 night trip in October, which will see us severely 'streamline' our setup/packup process. All said, I still feel it is a PITA at times, but this is offset by the better towing offered by the campervan when compared to a pop top.

[Tight5]

So when the salesman told me 6 minutes it was spin?   Best check everything he told us on My Swag!

Cheers
Scott

[Sicilianmama]

You could probably ave the basic set up in 6 mins not including unhitching leveling etc, simply unlatching the clips and winding up & pulling beds out, that can definately be done in six minutes I would reckon. It's the other stuff like the bed flies, awnings etc that takes more time. As for setting up solo, I'm 158cms & I can set up our swan outback by myself WITH the use of a small stepstool lol, otherwise I can quite get the leverage to put the bed supports in.

[chester ver2.0]

About the same for the gold stream 15 to 20 mins for an over nighter 45 mins for the full kit (bed flys matting etc).

These times are for moving on the road when we go away the first and last day are longer as the bedding has to be put in taken out the fridge cleaned out etc. For example for a 10am departure on our last day we set an alarm for 8 this gives us plenty of time for breackfast, packup then a shower before the road

My Goldstream is about 1200kg empty 1500kg loaded comparable with Jayco

[gadgetman]

Part of our research before we got a Swan was to have a look at them being set up when they arrived at a site or packed down on departure. 

[mcbadger2]

Agree with all the times. The set basic set up is 15-20 minutes and around 1 hour with the full annexe.
this is doing it by myself.
The pack up normally takes longer due to having to fold canvas away and tuck things in.
One thing on pack up which has made a huge difference is using a pole on the bedflies as a support to roll them up. Makes this usually painful job into an easy one person task.

Mark

[Black Diamond]

One thing on pack up which has made a huge difference is using a pole on the bedflies as a support to roll them up. Makes this usually painful job into an easy one person task.

Mark

great tip mate

[Aussiecris]

Agree totally with all the times
about an hour with the annex and walls

[gadgetman]

Agree totally with all the times
about an hour with the annex and walls

Or, if like me, you crack a coldie when setting up, 2-3 beers with the annex and walls 

[Black Diamond]

Or, if like me, you crack a coldie when setting up, 2-3 beers with the annex and walls 

You must be a slow drinker, good excuse to knock off half a D

[madman1]

When unhitched and previously levelled I managed to get it up in just on 9 minutes.  That being said i was racing and managed to tear the canvass a little :'(.

I have a 2011 Swan Outback.  It takes near an hour for the full set up with bed flys and full annex.  Pack up time for the full setup is close to an hour also.

[Sickgm]

Sounds like everyone is at a concensus with pack up and set up times.

Now just need to find the right camper. My wife says that she only wants a Jayco!


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[briann532]

Sounds like everyone is at a concensus with pack up and set up times.

Now just need to find the right camper. My wife says that she only wants a Jayco!


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I was hesitant at first, but it was without a doubt the best thing we ever bought.
A lot of folk in our 4WD club laughed at us and even bought us terry towel dressing gowns and slippers for a good ribbing.......
Over the last three years it has grown to 14 jaycos in the club...
 

If you can't beat them - join them

[albany_nomads]

Like others 15 to 20 minutes (plus EVERTYTHING is all ready there and set up) ....We just unroll our bed flys and hold them down with a couple of ocky straps if staying 2 days or less. and I can set the jayco up very easy by myself if needed.
We use to have a soft floor camper and we have found the Jayco much more suited if you wish to do a late quick overnight stop compared to the softfloor.
And the set up of the Jayco we have found far easier and less taxing than compared with a soft floor campers (Hardfloors I'm sure would be as easy).
The canvas is far easier to handle on a Jayco than a soft floor camper..but everything is a compromise in life
The width of a Jayco is little wider, its a little heavier to your box trailer style camper  (though compared with some of the weights of other folks campers going the site..I would question that) and your normal box trailer shaped camper is probably more suited to Bush bashing type camping compared to that of Jaycos (But again ive heard stories of those taking their Jaycos to Cape York
Its a matter of weighing up where you are going to take your camper, how fast and easy you want to set up etc etc..as they say many horses for many courses..and life is one big compromise.