Jayco Caravans and RVs for Sale in Australia

Jayco in Australia

Jayco's history page says the company was founded by Gerry Ryan in 1975, when the first camper trailer was built in a small shed in Cranbourne and the business moved to Springvale ⁴. It says Jayco built 526 camper trailers that first year ⁴. The first Jayco caravan followed in 1983, and by 1985 the page puts the workforce at 160 people building 2,800 RVs a year from a base in Dandenong ⁴. In 2007 the company moved to Jayco Drive in Dandenong South ⁴.

Jayco reached its 100,000th RV in 2008 and its 200,000th in 2018, according to the same page ⁴. Its home page describes the brand as Australian owned and operated for more than 50 years, with 29 dealerships and more than 100 authorised service agents ⁵.

The milestones you see in used ads

Many of the names in used Jayco ads trace back to a launch on that history page ⁴:

• the Outback Camper Trailer in 1988, with a thicker chassis and more ground clearance ⁴
• the Designer series in 1991, the first with an aluminium frame instead of timber ⁴
• the Westport in 1997, built until 2003 ⁴
• the Expanda in 2000, which Jayco describes as a hybrid of camper trailer and caravan ⁴
• the first campervan in 2004 and a new C class motorhome in 2005 ⁴
• the Basestation toy hauler in 2008 and the Sterling, redesigned for 2010 ⁴
• the 5th Wheeler in 2013, then the Silverline caravan and the Journey pop top in 2014 ⁴
• the Adventurer in 2018, which Jayco calls its first true off-grid caravan ⁴
• the J-Pod X in 2023 ⁴

The current Jayco range

Jayco's site groups its current models like this ⁶:

• Camper trailers: Lark, Wren, Swan and Penguin
• J-Pod: J-Pod X and J-Pod XL
• Pop tops: Starcraft Pop Top, Expanda Pop Top and Discovery Pop Top
• Hybrids: Crosstrak Hybrid Pop Top and Crosstrak Hybrid Caravan
• Caravans: Starcraft, Discovery, Adventurer 48V and Silverline
• Toy haulers: Crosstrail and Basestation
• Motorised: the JRV, JRV X and JRV AV campervans and the Destiny and Signature motorhomes

The home page also labels a CTX-2 camper trailer and a J-Pod XC as new releases ⁵. Most of these groups have a hub of their own on Caravan Domain: Jayco pop tops sit with all pop top caravans, and the Crosstrak sits with the hybrid campers.

Older Jayco names in used ads

Plenty of Jaycos for sale are from ranges that are no longer on Jayco's site. Our make register keeps their names so ads can be filed under the right model, among them:

• caravans: the Journey, Sterling, Westport and Heritage
• camper trailers: the Hawk, Eagle and Dove
• motorhomes: the Conquest and Optimum

When a used ad names one of these, ask for the build year from the plate rather than the year it was first registered, and compare the spec with the brochure for that year.

Published weights for some current models

Jayco publishes a tare and a towball weight on its model pages, usually for one layout. These figures were on its site when we checked, and Jayco warns on each page that weights and dimensions are a guide only and change with the accessories fitted ⁷.

None of those pages gave an ATM for the layout shown, and the ATM is the figure your vehicle's towing capacity is measured against ⁷. On a used van, read both figures off the plate. The Western Australian Department of Transport's towing guide defines the payload as the ATM minus the tare, and says it must not be exceeded (Department of Transport WA). Our tow-match tool finds the towables whose ATM fits your vehicle.

Jayco campervans and your licence

The JRV campervan on the Renault Master has a GVM of 4,000 kg according to its model page ⁸. In NSW a car licence covers vehicles up to 4.5 tonnes GVM (NSW Government). Heavier motorhomes need a light rigid licence or higher, so check the GVM on the plate of any Jayco motorhome before you book an inspection, and see our motorhomes for sale for the licence filter.

Buying a used Jayco

A Jayco is no different from any other van when you buy it second hand. The plate and the chassis matter more than the badge. Before you pay:

• Match the VIN on the plate to the rego papers, and run a PPSR search before any money changes hands.
• Look at the chassis and drawbar for cracks and rust, especially on an Outback model that has done dirt roads.
• On a pop top or a camper trailer, raise the roof and check the canvas, zips and lifting system work smoothly and show no water marks.
• Check the walls and floor for soft spots and the seals around windows and hatches for leaks.
• Test the brakes, the water system, the fridge on each power source and the batteries.
• Ask for the service history and receipts for any warranty work.

Who sells it matters as much as what it is. Consumer Affairs Victoria says goods bought from an Australian business are automatically covered by the consumer guarantees, while a one-off sale by a private seller may not be ³. Jayco's own warranty is what it calls 2 years manufacturing and 5 years structural coverage, so on a recent van ask whether any of it is left and whether it passes to you ⁵. Our safety tips for buyers and sellers explain how to pay safely.

Selling your Jayco on Caravan Domain

Private ads cost $23 a month for Basic or $35 a month for Premium, and you can cancel at any time. You can upgrade a Basic ad to Premium at any time and pay only the difference for the rest of the month. Billing and renewal follow our terms of use ⁹.

Jayco buyers search by model, so put the exact range and layout in the ad heading, such as Expanda Pop Top or Swan Outback, followed by the year from the plate. Give the weights from the plate and the number of beds, and list what has been added since it left the factory. Sell your Jayco.