Can anyone offer any advice

Gee now that would be the worst fuel economy what I meant to say was 22 litres per 100 k......

Suggest you check out myswag.org. Many jayco owners on there.

Why not go to a Jayco dealer and get them to show you how long it takes?

What is a chore to one may be a pleasure to another.

BYW - 22Kms/100ltrs probably isn't that bad for towing a caravan. I'm sure I've seen that sort of number bandied around often. What do you get when not towing? If the difference isn't significant the Jayco may not improve things by much.

Actually 22/100 is probably not too bad towing with that kind of rig. A diesel of the same vintage would probaly save you 5-6L/100 if that.

The other thing is that the Jayco will still not cut the air all that well either and you may be disappointed in the saving. You may be better to just live with the economy and go with a rugged normal van (like Goldstream or Supreme) and get both off road ability and ease of set up. They are not running out of unleaded last I heard and if you spend an extra $1K over a lap it will probably be worth the saved effort of a pop up.

OBT

Hi Andrea

One thing i would consider in going from caravan to fold up is the issue of room for packing requirements, if you are going out bush or travelling for long periods.

Also consider the climate where you plan to go.

We went from an old wind up (which was very small) for short holidays to a full sized off road caravan for longer touring.

The only place we haven't been able to take it so far is Purnululu in the Kimberley, where camping out for a few days was an easy option. Other places we couldn't take the van were done on day trips (similarly we would have left a trailer to do day trips to these places).

The setting up was a chore (winding up on our older camper hard work, even when we changed to a geared winch), but once we got into a system, setting up or packing down probably took us about ten minutes. This estimate does not include time needed to put up the annex as we didn't use it. We were lucky we didn't meet any rainy weather, hence never had to put up the over bed flies, not set up in the rain. The slide out beds (and i presume the Flamingo is similar) are not good in cold weather. We nearly froze one camp, whereas in the full van we don't even notice it is frosty until we look.

This tiny trailer (smaller than the Flamingo) was cheaper to pull that a 3 tonne loaded large caravan; which by the sound of your tow vehicle is much bigger than your caravan.

Motherhen

Hi Andrea,
we had an old Golf windup similar to the Jayco style camper. And yes we found the setting up and packing up can be a real pain. While winding the roof up and sliding out the ends doesn't take all that much effort, it it all thew extras that take up the time. End flies etc all add up, and don't forget that all your storage is down low so many things need to be packed away each morning and unpacked when you setup.
Our last trip with the old camper we encountered a lot of wet weather and found packing up and setting up in the rain was beyond a joke.
We now have a poptop van and wouldn't go back.
Having said all that we have a friend with a Jayco Swan which he swears by.
There are businesses that rent out campers. Why not rent one for a week and see if it really suits YOUR needs.
cheers
Alan

Hi Andrea 11, We tow a Jayco Swan Outback behind our T/D Pajero auto & use about 14 L/100 sitting on all speed limits. It tows very well & doesn't seem affected by wind & is stable when big rigs roar past. There is a bit of winding,pulling & pushing setting up & down but that's the way it is, everyone seems to put a big importance on time....What is the hurry? It all depends on the $$$$ horses for courses so to speak.....if we all could afford the latest T/D Sahara Toyota & a nice heavy bushtracker..Hmmmm!! We have had our Jayco for a few years & have taken it into some country where you would probably not take a on road van. For a start Jayco make these items in a mass produced situation they are not OFF ROAD hence the name outback & the reponsibilty rest with the owners how they treat them. We put underlays under both beds & use our bagged flies this is good insulation we have found. I really like the open air scenarion with all the flaps zipped down the air flow through the Swan is great. The twin beds are good too. We have queen beds both ends & sometimes use both beds especially good when the weather is really hot we find sleeping together on a very hot night uncomfortable. The extra room when the beds are out is also handy. Storage is a bit of a problem because there are no over head cupboards...everything is below the waist. A bonus with a Jayco is that parts & accessories are available everywhere. On rough roads,mud & sand just drop your tyre pressures on the Jayco & vehicle take it easy, you shouldn't have a problem. Ask the dealer to show you how to set it up & down. Try and borrow one or hire one for a few days. Good luck

Hey Andrea

Weight and size is your enemy when towing.

I'd look for lighter options if I were you, here's one, there's a few around:

http://www.polycampers.com.au/photos.htm

good luck.

paulPoly type camper trailer