Jayco outback range. Are they a camper trailer?

[Jakster1]

I've been thinking more and more about going from the johnnos offroad soft floor camper to a jayco outback offroad thingy and the idea seems like a good one.
But I'm just not convinced that they are a camper trailer but more of a caravan type thing.
So just putting it out there...
Are they a "camper trailer"?
We like to go off the beaten track and I'm not just talking graded roads but some rough lesser travelled tracks and local campsites/ beaches etc. does the jayco outback withstand that sort of travel without too much hassle?
Any owners shed me some light please 😄

[Muckinhell]

Iv just back traded so to speak, had an 03 aussie swag hard floor, and due to family size decided to get into a dove outback. I have found it is as easy as the swag to get to where we used to go. i doubt if you were planning on doing some serious outback corrogations etc they may suffer but some have done this and hasnt been a problem overall.  i like the dove too as its the second smallest size in the range so doesnt impact up the tight tracks like one of the longer ones would or could.
my 2c's

[rags]

I think it depends on the size, if you look at the Swift then it is more like a camper but when you get into the larger models like the Swan then it is more like a caravan than camper. We had a small Finch for many years and it served us well. One disadvantage is that they measure 2050mm wide which is wider than the usual 1850mm of a camper.. They aren't, the robust unit that you might find from the dearer offroad campers but with a bit of care and a tek screw here and there they will serve a purpose.We now have a 12ft Jayco expander which besides the width is a great unit.

[99disco]

Why do people get so hung up on the caravan thing? Let your tyres down and take it easy, you'll get a jayco anywhere you'll get your camper.

[Bird]

you'll get a jayco anywhere you'll get your camper.

yea but some people wanna get it home again in 1 piece

[Jakster1]

Why do people get so hung up on the caravan thing? Let your tyres down and take it easy, you'll get a jayco anywhere you'll get your camper.

$30000 odd is a fair bit to put down only to realise it's not what your after, So be the case. It's the overhangs, weight and overall strength which worries me a bit. the departure angle on the jayco appears to be a fair bit less than a CT, I have never personally inspected one up close so I could be wrong. Just after owners views, that's all.
Being a family with 2 kids and a dog id probably be looking at a half decent size one.
 I've bumped, scraped and dragged my current CT to some pretty nice camp spots, just wondering if I'm dreaming or not by even considering a jayco.

[Sixpack]

Mate I bought a Jayco Swan August last year and love it.  I must say I am really sorry I didn't  buy the single axle Expanda now as there wouldn't be very much difference at all towing up the beach.  It really depends on where you plan to travel.

A wise man told me today when you pick the camper / van you want to buy, buy the next model up again because there will always be something else you want out of it.   

[Mad Hueys]

Just purchases a 2010 Swan and if you are wanting to get off the bitumen you are buying the wrong toy.  These vans are a on road only, otherwise you are defiantly going to have problems.

If you love the size of the camper you are better off buying one of the imitations in another brand.

http://kokodacaravans.com.au/product/frontline/

And then the price goes up.

Mate we dragged a camper trailer and tented a fair bit of WA and to get to the good spots I would destroy the new van.
But with two kids entering high school we are going to keep to the local favourites.

Best bet they are cheap enough to hire for a weekend trip, go give one a try and have a close look at the fit out. 
 

[Sixpack]

Just purchases a 2010 Swan and if you are wanting to get off the bitumen you are buying the wrong toy.  These vans are a on road only, otherwise you are defiantly going to have problems.

If you love the size of the camper you are better off buying one of the imitations in another brand.

http://kokodacaravans.com.au/product/frontline/

And then the price goes up.

Mate we dragged a camper trailer and tented a fair bit of WA and to get to the good spots I would destroy the new van.
But with two kids entering high school we are going to keep to the local favourites.

Best bet they are cheap enough to hire for a weekend trip, go give one a try and have a close look at the fit out.

You should have bought an outback with independent suspension then you could get off the hard stuff. 

[cruiser 91]

Strongest Outback models were made from 2002 to 2005. Aluminium frame and body with a 6" draw bar. Later models are timber frame? Fiberglass body and 4" draw bar.

Our 2002 OB Finch has been everywhere with its stock OB leaf spring suspension, from the Tanami Road, through the Kimberlies to Warraweena in the Flinders to the sands of the Murray Mouth.

780mm under floor clearance seems higher than most and being a Finch, never had issues with departure angles.

Always inspect and service things like suspension, bearings and brakes prior to those outback trips and as said previously, drive your rig and camper to the conditions with correct tyre pressure and speed and you won't have a drama.

We didn't want to spend big $$$$ on a caravan as we were taking to places caravans won't get to and the Australian made camper trailers like the Kimberley Kampers are just way over the top in price.

The width of these Jayco OB's are great if you're over 6 foot tall, you can lie in bed and still have a bit of room.

They also tow great off road.

Having said that, I have found that there is no perfect camper on the market for us, unless I build it myself 

 

[GeoffA]

......with independent suspension then you could get off the hard stuff.

 

 

[Bird]

Just purchases a 2010 Swan and if you are wanting to get off the bitumen you are buying the wrong toy.  These vans are a on road only, otherwise you are defiantly going to have problems

I believe the warranty paperwork agrees with you.

[BrettMG]

After a 10 month trip in our 2012 Swan can absolutely recommend it. Towed it onto Fraser Island through some soft sand, into the Bungle Bungles, up to Cape Leveque, into Palm Valley. Only issue we had was a couple of screws coming out of drawer runners. If something does break parts are easy to come by. It's a great thing to tow, can get into places they won't let caravans with more comfort than a camper. Don't believe the knockers!

[Steffo1]

Why just look at a Jayco?

[callmejoe]

We owned a "off rd" Dove 2005. I changed the hitch to a hylander and changed the hubs and wheels to suit the then 105 L/C.

Places we towed to visit /camped.  places such as
Bluff hut.
Lovicks Hut, and came back down with about 2ft of snow,
Mitchells homestead via the slate mine,
tabacco flats etc etc.
Crossed rivers like into Jamison hut , Pineapple flats grounds. Frazer and towed to Waddy point.
and plenty of out of the way places. 

And we broke.... pretty much nothing.. a few battle scares and that was it. My biggest problem was it width. It rather wide on tight tracks.

Drive to the conditions and it'll be fine. If i was to buy another 1 I'd be looking at  something around 5year plus old. Warranty isn't really worth  what the say it is. And if it does have any serious problems it should be visible by now... plus save $$$$.

Joe.

[ehsc]

I had a Jayco dove 2005 outback for a little over 10 years, Even though it never did any real hard core off road trips, It did do pleanty of rough dirt roads and tracks,

And as others have said drive to the conditions they are ok,And in all that time the only thing that broke has a bottom came out of one of the draws, and if I recall the size of the hole I hit and the speed I was going should have been a lot more damage.

Good luck with your decisision  :ehsc

[RebsWA]

After a soft floor camper we bought a new Jayco Outback Eagle that we had for a few years.
Followed the car where ever we wished to take it. Included lots of unsealed roads like GRR, parts of the NT and a fair bit of WA with only a few minor issues.
Never tried dragging it along a beach as the track is wider than the car.
Outbacks have a beefed up chassis and are a lot higher off the deck for clearance and water crossings.
Although Jayco cover their backside with the warranty, these campers from my experience can handle dirt roads, corrugations, etc with reduced tyre pressure and a sensible driving habitsl.
Whether it's a camper or not I don't know but I would suggest a reasonable size tow vehicle to lug it around.
Don't be off put by the nannies who argue against off road travel.
We now have a fully optioned Jayco Outback poptop caravan and in hindsight wish we had done it sooner.

[Jakster1]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Sounds like they can handle general touring quite well and owners generally are happy campers😂
Think a bit more research is needed on this one.
Someone asked why just looking at a jayco? And to be honest they're the only ones I know of, of that style of camper/van. Are there other makes out there of a similar thing?

[Bird]

Thanks for the replies everyone. Sounds like they can handle general touring quite well and owners generally are happy campers😂
Think a bit more research is needed on this one.
Someone asked why just looking at a jayco? And to be honest they're the only ones I know of, of that style of camper/van. Are there other makes out there of a similar thing?

Goldstream?

[Muckinhell]

Coromal & Windsor as well but windsors are just rebadged coromals i think.

[Jakster1]

Gold stream never heard of but I shall have a look.  Coromal and Windsor I thought just made normal caravans, but once again never really looked into it. The best option would be to build a bigger shed, keep the camper trailer and have a caravan too. Now just have to convince the missus. Like that's gonna happen!

[Mandrake]

My Penguin's been to Palm Valley and back .. As mentioned above only damage was the drawer runners - drawer was holding cans at the time !! Mandrake

[MDS69]

The Jayco outback range are just a normal Jayco with a beefed up chassis. You will take them anywhere as previously mentioned with sensible driving and correct tyre pressures for tracks like Birdsville, Tanamai etc but taking one up the cape the hard way or through some knarly track where you have rocks and trees overhanging you will damage the body but not the chassis.
When a normal soft floor CT hits a rock wall you will do minimal damage usually and can just bend it back and paint it but the Jayco style trailers you will rip off cladding or gouge a fibreglass wall which is a costly repair. Everything inside a CT is usually welded steel in one form or another and very basic  where as a Jayco style trailer has timber joinery with draw runners, latches etc and is not as durable to cop a pounding compared to a soft or hard floor CT.
We have gone from a off road soft floor CT to a OB Expanda but realise we can't drag the Jayco across the Simpson like we did with the CT. Our camping has changed a bit but will still be doing the Flinders, Kimberley's etc and lots of other places that are out there to explore.

[Bushman]

Gold stream never heard of but I shall have a look.  Coromal and Windsor I thought just made normal caravans, but once again never really looked into it. The best option would be to build a bigger shed, keep the camper trailer and have a caravan too. Now just have to convince the missus. Like that's gonna happen!

Coromal have always done campers, not so much Windsor though now they are the same Company and now both built in WA at the Coromal plant.

Coromal were and no doubt still are more expensive than Jayco, Jayco's body design give better ground clearance than Coromal.

Have to admit while we love the comfort of our big beast, I do tend to miss our Swan/Expanda at times for ease of towing and access to places, just don't tell the  handbrake.

[Joff]

Too wide. Not robust enough in the body and internal build. Painfull to get at your stuff when down.

Great if your kids are little and will sleep in the same bed (unless you're happy to convert lounges each night) and you stay put for a few days at a time.

And dont let anyone tell that you need indi suspension to get off the tar.