Sunday, Aug 10, 2008 at 17:41
We had a Jayco
Penguin Outback which we bought new, had for 2 years and just traded on a new 20 foot Jayco Sterling Outback.
We did have a few very minor issues, but after a number of trips around SA, NSW and Vic from the ACT, including some pretty interesting corrugated country roads, we expected some.
The first issue was when Pam pulled the leg off the table trying to drag a bag out which I had packed behind the leg while it was up. The screws pulled out from under the table, and I replaced them with bolts through from the top. Hardly a major issue.
The second issue was that I fitted an ALKO Powermover jockey wheel, which eventually tore the thread out of the clamp on the A frame. This was a bit more serious, but it is the standard ALKO clamp which everyone uses, but which is not strong enough for a Powermover. I any event, Jayco did not fit the Powermover so I can't blame them.
The third issue was a blocked gas regulator which Jayco fixed under warranty. This is a standard problem which affects just about everyone using the particular brand of regulator with a flexible pigtail from the gas bottle. The fix is to fit a copper pipe in lieu of the flexible hose.
The fourth issue was the TV connection. We bought a nice external antenna with a booster, but the booster didn't work. Eventually I read on the Jayco
forum about someone who found his van antenna wiring had not been installed properly, and that was our problem also. The internal socket had been installed without removing the insulation from the braided cable, so there was no way that the antenna could be powered. Once I fixed that it was fine.
The final issue was the sullage outlet which is hidden under the van so that you have to kneel in the mud to fit the hose, and do this frequently since it is only a push on fit, and since it is vertical, the hose drops off from time to time. I re-routed the outlet to come out the side of the van behind the RH whel, and fitted a screw-on fitting which made it very easy to use and secure as
well.
I also did a few other mods to make it more comfortable.
Jayco builds to a price, but in our personal experience, they provide good value for money. I don't mind a few minor handyman jobs when I look at the savings compared with other brands, and we looked at many before deciding to stay with Jayco.
Having said that, our Outback Sterling appears very sound structurally, and has just about everything we want internally, although surprisingly, Jayco would not run the rear view camera cables for our Eclipse system at manufacture, but it was very simple to run it along the chassis so thatwasn't a problem in the end.
I am quite impressed with some of the very clever design features in the Sterling, but also disappointed that Jayco has not "followed through" on so many little things. For example, underneath the van is a bugger's muddle. Everything works, but for a van supposedly designed for dirt roads, it is a big disappointment. There are fine wires from the
water tank gauges etc flapping in the breeze where they are exposed to flying stones, and there is even a rigid PVC pipe running the full width of the van from under the shower in the near side rear corner to the off-side outlet, below the level of the chassis and completely unsupported and unprotected from rocks, as issome of the other wiring and plumbing.
The quality of the new van smacks of inadequately trained and supervised staff, and a lack of care and quality control. This is disappointing, but can be easily fixed with a bit of effort, and I am at least $10,000 ahead of where I would be with any of the other similar sized vans we considered, none of which came with a dirt road option included in the price. I can buy a lot of fuel with that saving.
The final reason we stayed with Jayco is that we have a very good dealer here in
Canberra (actually Queanbeyan), so servicing etc is a breeze.
This is just our experience, for what it is worth, but we are happy overall with Jayco.
Terry and Pam
AnswerID:
320143
Follow Up By: AndrewX - Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 23:36
Monday, Aug 11, 2008 at 23:36
Problem is Terry and Pam all those things you've listed are the things you can see. As you say they smack of inadequately trained and supervised staff, and a lack of care and quality control. My worry would be did the same staff lift their game when working on the areas which can't be seen and was the poor quality control improved for the hidden areas? I bought an Evernew. It cost more than a Jayco and it will be worth more at resale time too. I didn't even consider Jayco because of hearing so many stories just like yours and it amazes me that people are still buying them.
FollowupID:
587138
Follow Up By: Member - Terry W (ACT) - Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 09:05
Tuesday, Aug 12, 2008 at 09:05
Andrew I have no doubts at all about the structural integrity of both the camper and the van, which is the most important aspect. I did not have anywhere near the same confidence about the other brands that we looked at, where cosmetics such as admittedly lovely Tasmanian Oak kitchens and refrigerated wine coolers etc were clearly seen as more important than an adequate chassis for long life.
The point I was trying to make was that in our experience at least, Jayco does the important things
well. The less important things are a source of disappointment but no more than that. Any half way competent handyman couuld tidy up the minor things that we found, and have a significant saving over buying a different brand. Others will no doubt have a different view on this, but that is how I see it. Proposed use is also important. If we were only planning on travelling on sealed roads, I might have been more amenable to some of the other brands, but we do a lot of dirt roads, and I am comfortable with the Outback Millenium chassis on the Jayco.
Finally, we continue to be astounded at the very low depreciation on Jayco products. We traded our camper after two years for only $1,500 less than the new price we paid for the camper, although we included the annexe ($1500), cover ($560) and Trigg Hitch (around $300 from memory) with the deal.
In the end I guess the choice comes down to whether you are happy with "off the rack" or want (and are prepared to pay for) "tailor made" for your particular application. Each has advantages and disadvantages, but we wanted "off the rack" so we could see what we were getting before we were committed to paying for it. We also got proven support and the convenience of dealing locally with a great team at Jayco
Canberra.
Cheers,
Terry and Pam
FollowupID:
587158