Jayco outback range. Are they a camper trailer?

[Bird]

Gold stream never heard of

 
http://www.goldstreamrv.com.au/our-range/campers.html

[Gohard]

$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.

I got a 2012 outback swan with 2 90 litre water tanks and HWS. Bit heavy. I personally would not take $30,000 down corrugations fully loaded. Even slow they are not strong enough and cheaply build. Some may argue but thats what it is. No ifs or buts. Just stating a fact. 


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[cruza driver]

Gee lucky I didn't see this thread before going on any of the following trips with my Jayco Outbacks, or I may have never left the driveaway.


Flinders Rangers twice,  including Arkaroola  (Outback Hawk)

Then with the Expanda Outback
Ooodnadatta track 

Winton QLD to Broken Hill NSW, the dirt way (Lark Quarry,  Jundah, etc)

The Gibb River rd,  Quoandong point Karijini NP etc

Plus everything in between without naming every little side track here and there. These were all separate trips too so I must have made it home again in one peace. Plenty more to see and do too.

Just choose what best suits you ask lots of questions to people who have owned a Jayco etc for real life experiences.
Like old mate I was talking to sitting at Mt Barnett roadhouse (on the Goibb) who also had a Jayco Outback, we both couldn't wipe the smiles off our faces being parked up next to the big $$$ campers and offroad vans around us doing exactly the same thing.

The smile wasn't because we were happy with the Jayco's  it was because we were out there doing it!!


Yes I know I can't drag it over the Simmo or through the High Country but I'm a realist and didn't by it for that.
I have done a lot of pretrip preparation on the van but hey that's half the fun learning what needs to be done from the experiences of every trip.

[Joff]

ask lots of questions to people who have owned a Jayco etc for real life experiences.

That's what he was getting, wasnt it? 

[RebsWA]

I got a 2012 outback swan with 2 90 litre water tanks and HWS. Bit heavy. I personally would not take $30,000 down corrugations fully loaded. Even slow they are not strong enough and cheaply build. Some may argue but thats what it is. No ifs or buts. Just stating a fact. 

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Why did you buy an outback model if you do not think they are strong enough to handle corrugations?
There are ifs and buts as demonstrated by posts in this thread that folk actually use them off road. That's a fact.
EDIT: That includes me. Had an new 07 outback eagle that I used for for 8 years (as I posted earlier)

[BrettMG]

Why did you buy an outback model if you do not think they are strong enough to handle corrugations?
There are ifs and buts as demonstrated by posts in this thread that folk actually use them off road. That's a fact.

True that!

[Bird]

Why did you buy an outback model if you do not think they are strong enough to handle corrugations?

So if it was called the Jayco Lava you'd feel safe driving through a live volcano... its just good marketing.

[Gohard]

Why did you buy an outback model if you do not think they are strong enough to handle corrugations?
There are ifs and buts as demonstrated by posts in this thread that folk actually use them off road. That's a fact.

My opinion mate!!  I'm not here to try and convince YOU or other. I have taken her on 5 major outback trips and last year 9 trips. Some bad spots and other just on the black top. (so its not siting in the shed and gathering dust) MY OPINION IT IS not made for the real off-road trips that I intended to do. But like you asked. Why did you buy it???
Cause the extra luxury was appealing at the time for me and the mrs.
Corrugations for 70km nonstop shakes everything loose mate. Even on 25 down to 15 psi! The wider wheel track is also a bit of a  downfall. Depends on what tow vehicle you got. But like others have said. Depends on how and what you do with it.

But I still love the OB swan to bits.

[BrettMG]

Once drove a Forester on the beach. Only just made it out alive!

[Joff]

My opinion mate!!  I'm not here to try and convince YOU or other. I have taken her on 5 major outback trips and last year 9 trips. Some bad spots and other just on the black top. (so its not siting in the shed and gathering dust) MY OPINION IT IS not made for the real off-road trips that I intended to do. But like you asked. Why did you buy it???
Cause the extra luxury was appealing at the time for me and the mrs.
Corrugations for 70km nonstop shakes everything loose mate. Even on 25 down to 15 psi! The wider wheel track is also a bit of a  downfall. Depends on what tow vehicle you got. But like others have said. Depends on how and what you do with it.

But I still love the OB swan to bits.

You are right, but you know that. They are great at some things but they are not built for extended outback stuff nor for tight offroad stuff.

[achjimmy]

Always interesting hearing the expriences of people who have never  owned an outback Jayco!

Had 3, first one had been around the block twice and was rock solid. Second one went around after us and had no dramas and our current has done fair bit of dirt around NSW including up through pooncarrie and sideways in mud at menidee. A cupboard door came off. They are incredibly durable if towed sensibly. I've done a few common sense mods to the current one to minimize underneath stone damage. I don't think anything but the extremely expensive off roaders really offer better.

Few things I have noted though. The newer jtech Independent is a better off-road rig to tow than the leaf spring models. Can't wait till there's an airbag option it'll be better again !

There's a lot of reasons not to buy a Jayco and this will probably be our last. But the outbacks off-road capability is certainly not a reason to get one. 

[RebsWA]

So if it was called the Jayco Lava you'd feel safe driving through a live volcano... its just good marketing.

Doh! I had an Outback Eagle but I didn't really think it would fly.

[RebsWA]

My opinion mate!!  I'm not here to try and convince YOU or other. I have taken her on 5 major outback trips and last year 9 trips. Some bad spots and other just on the black top. (so its not siting in the shed and gathering dust) MY OPINION IT IS not made for the real off-road trips that I intended to do. But like you asked. Why did you buy it???
Cause the extra luxury was appealing at the time for me and the mrs.
Corrugations for 70km nonstop shakes everything loose mate. Even on 25 down to 15 psi! The wider wheel track is also a bit of a  downfall. Depends on what tow vehicle you got. But like others have said. Depends on how and what you do with it.

But I still love the OB swan to bits.

As you said "it's your opinion".

[Gohard]

As you said "it's your opinion".

Whatever makes your camper rock buddy

[cruza driver]

That's what he was getting, wasnt it? 

Yep and its funny hearing everyones experiences who hasn't had one LOL

Been a while since I've seen you on here to mate

[Jakster1]

Righto, so what size is adequate for 2adults and 2 little kids? I want to try to stay as small and light as possible, but also with enough room to be comfy? We don't spend much time inside the current camper anyway. Swift will probably be too small??? So maybe the dove or hawk will be the go. Any Jayco family of 4s out there with tips?

[bak79]

Righto, so what size is adequate for 2adults and 2 little kids? I want to try to stay as small and light as possible, but also with enough room to be comfy? We don't spend much time inside the current camper anyway. Swift will probably be too small??? So maybe the dove or hawk will be the go. Any Jayco family of 4s out there with tips?

we've got a 2008 OB hawk for a family of 4.  Youngest is 4 oldest is 6.  I was looking at a swan and flamingo but neither would have fit in the garage.  Plenty of room for us inside and kids like sleeping at one end together.  we actually use the table inside when it's cold or wet and only have the fiamma wind out awning.  we love it  and since the set up is so easy we usually get away at least once a month.  i was set on buying a forward fold but once we saw both set up we were sold on the hawk. 

brett

[Swogjb]

We went from a soft floor camper to a Jayco Hawk Outback back to a soft floor Trackabout.

I really liked the idea of the Jayco at the beginning.
But quickly worked out that this style of camper was not for us and our style of camping.
Setup times were no quicker, I hated the build quality, small awning size, bed flys pi$$ed me off and the overall width of it for getting off road was very limiting.

IMO the Jayco is more caravan park friendly than our Trackabout Extenda. But for the remote type camping that we mainly do the Tracky wins hands down.

 

[Jakster1]

Righto... So have any owners actually taken their jayco say, Up and down Fraser or on a soft sandy beach?  Sounds like they're upto dirt road type stuff no worries but I'd still like to be well setup for beach camping trips. At this stage looking at a hawk or eagle.

[Bird]

Righto... So have any owners actually taken their jayco say, Up and down Fraser or on a soft sandy beach? 

Millions have.

[GeoffA]

Millions have.

Yep. You see them all over the country....

[Joff]

Righto... So have any owners actually taken their jayco say, Up and down Fraser or on a soft sandy beach?  Sounds like they're upto dirt road type stuff no worries but I'd still like to be well setup for beach camping trips. At this stage looking at a hawk or eagle.

[Mandrake]

Change tyre pressure and they'll go anywhere within reason ...

[Jakster1]

Thanks guys, been researching these and reviews vary from " they will go anywhere"  through to "only suitable for dirt roads", and they're " the bees knees" through to "what a pos". It's hard to know what to believe.
Anyway stopped at the local jayco dealer today, probably lucky for me, we were too late and they'd closed shop for the day.

[JB]

We owned a Finch for about  6 years.   Is was our second camper after a few years of owning a soft floor. We thought it was good at first, but we came to realise that our camping style didn't suit it.   

We like to spend our time camping outside including cooking and eating.  We would therefore drag everything out of the Finch and set up in the annex and a tarp beyond.   We found that it was a pain to go in and out to grab anything that we forgot, particularly kitchen stuff.  For our longer camps, we would end up setting up a camp cupboard under the annexe to avoid the trips in and out.

It terms of sleeping.  It was good when the kids were young and we could "top and toe" them.  But after a while, the kids didn't want to sleep with us (or each other) and wanted their own tents/swags.   We also found that the front bed of the finch is too narrow for two adults to sleep comfortably, particularly when it was hot.  The Dove front bed is wider, and would be better.

So, over time, we found that we would only use the camper to drag our gear around in and to sleep in (although not comfortably).  The set up and pack up was just as long and annoying as our soft floor camper trailer.

We have recently moved on to a canopy/rooftop tent set up.

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=45966.0

We read on here many years ago that it takes a few campers to work out what really works for you.   

On our third go, we worked out the key things for us were: light weight and more compact (our finch was about 1200 kg loaded up and over 2m wide, our current set up is about 900kg and 1800 wide); everything very accessible from outside; both at home and at camp (the finch didn't tick this, our canopy does), a bigger bed for my wife and I (the roof top tent is huge) and a quick set up and pack up (another tick because almost everything stays in the canopy).

It's horses for courses though. 

Cheers


JB




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