Jayco Swan

[Rhino1]

Hi All,
Brand new to this page. Was hoping for some advice from the experienced camper trailer owners out there.
We have been looking to purchase for a while. We have three young kids and plan to do some offroad camping and long distance road trips.
We have been looking at the Jayco Swan lately as my wife likes the hard floor and off the ground style. I like it too but some reviews I read are far from positive in regard to build quality. There is a new 2014 unit at our local dealer for $29,000.
Anyone have any opinions on these campers?

Cheers
Rhino1

[Vitara_JaycoSwift_Outback]

I have a 2013 Swift Outback so the baby of the Jayco family. We are very happy with ours but with the style of glamping we do we probably should have brought a caravan instead  You can set them up quite quickly for short overnight stays but if you're in the one place for awhile its best to put up the bed flies and awnings as well. These add a little to the set up times but are well worth it.

The build quality can be a bit hit and miss but generally our one has been great. We had a component in the roof lifting system fail as it was not installed correctly but all was fixed without question under warranty. We were able to use a local caravan repairer to fix the roof without having to take it back to our dealer. Jayco's warranty system is good and they will fix problems if they arise.   

Yes they are off road but not anything too hardcore. They can handle rough roads at sensible speeds and some beach work but you are advised to leave it behind if tackling the serious stuff. They are not water and dust proof by any means and you are warned against doing creek crossings higher than the middle of the wheels in the owners handbook as it may void your warranty.

I would highly recommend getting the solar kit out on. While you can probably do it cheaper yourself we have had no problems with ours and works like a dream. I also recommend the innerspring mattress. While its still not great its miles ahead of the standard piece of concrete foam that they come with. We have added a second thin foam mattress on top that rolls up and lives on the lounge during transit. Better than my bed at home I recon now. 

We too came across plenty of mixed reviews before purchasing ours. We felt we knew there would be some problems and through reading about them were able look out for them on handover. Some things you can't see like our roof problem but most you can with a keen eye. While there are some unhappy Jayco owners there are many more who are very happy.

[Swannie]

Yep agree the end quality can be a little off but generally easy things to fix and there warranty is first class they never even question when you ask for warranty work Evan outside the 12months. I have 3 kids and have slept in the swan over 220 nights since mid 2012 and it's been great and will still be going in many years to come

Swannie

[Rhino1]

Cheers Guys,

Just got back from Coromal. Had a look at the Navigator 421. Very similar, thought the build quality looked a little better in particular the bed canvass is attached with a sail rail instead of velcro to avoid any horror roll outs that I've read about.
Will keep looking and agonising over the decision.

Thanks again.

Rhino

[Macca357]

Hi Rhino, we had a Jayco Hawk Outback for 3 years. We requested a few factory mods like 2 x batteries, 12 volt fridge, Tregg hitch, Fiamma awning, aircon, microwave, water pump, tank gauges,  innerspring mattress, tv antenna, stereo and independent suspension. Some of of those upgrades are now standard. Yes a couple of warranty jobs in the first year but overall we loved our Hawk.
Late last year we upgraded to a Lotus Freelander full height van. We wanted something that we could just pull over in a free camp and have all the comforts of home. Also hoping to travel around Oz in the not so distant future.
My advice is to hire a Jayco Swan for a weeks holiday with the kids. I'm sure you'll love it and then work out if there are any extras you want on the camper as it is better and cheaper to get them fitted when it gets built at the factory. Our only regret was not getting 16" wheels and the hot water added from the factory.
Cheers, Macca.

[paulo]

We had an eagle and loved it. Which ever way you go consider a Fiamma style awning, much more convenient.