A great little unit
I have a JPOD Sports have done several thousand ks on and off road so far few minor problems a lose fitting here and there but nothing major. Packed the tent away never used it and and went straight out and had a new one made attaches to existing clips and runner suported by rear door on two poles has 2 windows floor and zippered door.Custom made $ 850 works a treat also had cooper stt tyres new springs and air bags fitted 120 watt solar pannel to roof stone guard and extra gas bottle.Tyres liffted the ground clearence and new springs with air ...Read more
bags absorb the the load and corrigations Probably owes me 21 to $22,000 now but its all I need had a TVAN $68,500.00 NEW go anywhere unbrackable but smaller inside harder to set up finishes much the same.Never in 5 years did I ever go anywhere I couldnt go with my POD its all about what you expect were you want to go and what your prepared to pay.The POD comes in several configurations from an empty shell through to the Sport like I have, you get what you pay for as to gaps and bad seals poor workmanship I must have been lucky. As to the physical side of monovering and setting up the POD which is about as simple as it gets if you are dissabled and have limitted ability and physical strength I dont know of any unit that addresses these issues stock of the shelf. THIS REQUIRES ENGINEERED MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS THAT CAN BE EXPENSIVE AND DIFFICULT TO INSTALL. The TVAN was top shelf but I can assure you Its not as simple a SET UP or physically easy as made out in the video if you have disabilitys I doubt you could do it on your own without help. Old saying buyer beware research what you want look at what you need and never buy on impulse. PS. As to Jayco I delt through St Marys they are proffecional people who did everything to help and have been pro active in following up the purchase to ensure Iam happy with the product.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Ian bywaters
- 3 reviews
great little camper to two and child
After selling our old jayco finch two a lovely young couple who are giving it a new
life and a make over we bought a jayco swift 3 years old tows real well behind four cylinder petrol hilux it's great for two adults lovely and warm on cold nights .electric brakes work well has battery pack at everything Al the big vans have except air con. Tows really well recommend it to anybody who want a small camper.it actually Unfolds and sets up better and easier than the old one reversing is easy to as it has a long draw bar.really happy with it and I know I can always sell the far what I paid or a little less.again really happy highly recommend it.
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have not got one yet cant wait for the day
g/day looked at flamingo/swan/eagle cant go past the swan outback i like were the fridge is lol roomy full size beds van looks compact and easy to tow quick set up mixed reviews iam going with the good comments some people just can not be pleased .prices are great resale great .well back to work so i can get out and see more of our wonder land sooner go the swany
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Great Camper
Absolutely love it. Tows great, Easy to erect, good quality build. Fits in the garage out of the weather. We added a few upgrades like drop jack legs, battery pack, windgard TV antenna, a frame tap, black Rhino roof racks, mud flaps, and so on would highly recommended it.
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KerryPerth
- 3 reviews
- 4 likes
Good Bed in a box
I have had my JPod now for 2 years. I am unable to use it very much as I am unable to erect the tent. I had had tent poles replaced by Jayco & still now have bent poles. I was told by Jayco that it is easy to put up just watch the video. Ha ha after putting in the 4 poles the tent then stands up ON ITS OWN
Does anyone have any answers as to how a single female puts up the tent or is there another tent available that would suit
I would use I more if I could get a tent
I
The pod is in my backyard & is being used as a spare bed for visitors, a very expensive bed
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MarshyMetropolitan Adelaide, SA
- 2 reviews
- 3 likes
Dissapointed
Purchased new in 2015,
Before hand over the water tank had to be replaced, faulty.
We could not use the Swan for a year owing to medical reasons, soon after the 12 mth warrantee, and on the second trip, the Gremlins hit.
The pump tap was not installed properly, the main bolt holding it fell off, I had to fix this.
Screws falling out of both beds.
On the forward bed one of the bolt locations damaged the bench top, near the fridge, I had to move this to stop further damage.
Screws on the door frame fell out (overtightened at build)
This may have caused the door to be damaged when closing up.
Front boot had to be reset, leaked in rain.
Hydraulic ram in boot failing.
...Read more
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geoffmelbourne
Raising the roof
Reading other reviews will share our experience with the Jayco Penguin. We bought ours 6 months ago and spent several long weekends and longer travelling, without incident. Heading for NSW southern coast we stayed in Orbost for the night. Trying to wind up the roof 3 corners rose but one wouldn't. Fortunately being tall I was able to slowly raise it by hand ( its quite heavy) whilst my partner was the monkey grinder, and we jammed the support pole in place to prop up the corner. This meant the door wouldnt fit the space but least of our proble...Read more
ms. We were able to reduce it to lowest level next morning again by me manually holding it up as the other 3 sides lowered. Getting to Ulladullah later in the day and repeated the same process. Rang dealer to refer our difficulties, they referred us to a local RV repairer. We visited them and they said would look at it but we would have to pay; they weren't prepared to try and claim under warranty from Jayco. Due to other circumstances we had to leave earlier than expected so we agreed to return it to the dealer for repair and booked in accordingly - despite some suggestion it may end up being a result of operator error causing the fault we did take it back and the cable ( I think) was replaced without cost. I now understand from other blogsites JAyco did a total recall over the winder systems of the camper range (eg :Penguin) so I thank them for fixing the issue gratis. I also found the JAyco dealership to be very reasonable to deal with. Further issue 12v roof internal lights now not working - it was prior to the last repairs.! So we have to return it again to check if somewiring is loose or pinched or something. What have we decided: to treat the winder/ roof raising/ lowering with kid gloves . We will give it several more opportunities and if no further problems will depart on our long planned round Oz trip. Low behold if it plays up again when we get to WA or similar!!. If it causes problems next few trips away we will have to reassess if we want to persevere or look at other alternative vans. Other than that I can only think of carrying a small 2 man tent for out and out emergency accommodation. Better than sleeping in a chair all night! So that's our experience - would appreciate if other penguin owners have had similar problems and if or how they overcame them? CheersSimilar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Greg Davis
- 2 reviews
- 1 like
Never buy Jayco
Bought the van new and built to our specifications. Motorised roof didn't work, motorised awning didn't work, television antenna didn't work, sound system was positioned in such a way it was unusable (we are a couple in our mid 60's). Contacted Jayco customer service manager who stated "there is no problem". WHAT???? Television antenna eventually repaired. After two years I contacted the Dept of Consumer Affairs who compelled Jayco to take the van in which they did. The boys at Jayco Newcastle were great, repaired two major faults they identified. We are now travelling the outback with a van that almost works as it should, however the awning continues to jam and the sound system remains inaccessible. NEVER buy Jayco.
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Jcl13Wollongong
Quality and functionality
This is the best midlife purchase I've ever made.
Fantastic customer service and after sales support.
The quality and attention to detail has far exceeded my expectations.
I wish we had of purchased the jayco Hawke when my children were smaller but still the four of us find this model to be very spacious.
I love it.
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cracked roof
recently went to NT on some dirt highways with what you would expect corrugated but not heavy we were not happy with our swan when we picked it up from the dealer new in 2015 we had traded in our hawk 2009 we loved this but thought we would trade up to an outback version for better clearance on dirt roads behind the4wd anyway we were on the Oodnadatta track when we first noticed one of the shockers on the camper had torn the strap we then cable tie this together to hold but further on we then lost the electric breaks the wiring had gone so we o...Read more
nly had breaks on one side which later on also went wire pulled out, the top of the door where attached to the roof with pop rivets broke off, the microwave was only held in with 3 screws that we could find after it had come adrift we had the recall done on the winder before we left but this is still very clunky I don't like the sound of it at all the spare wheel bracket on the back also had cracked and lucky we stopped for a break as it was sitting on the bumper bar it could of been a lot worse we also experienced the roof cracking on all four corners this happened one by one not all at once and this was our main concern then we got into kings canyon we were greeted by a bloke from QLD he had a 2017 penquin 6 weeks old and low and behold had the same issues as us he came a different route than ours we got in touch with jayco on our return and pointed out our issues but of course our warranty had run out and yes we do accept that as they say in their warranty dirt roads not 4wd tracks but for a van that has only done 1 trip like this and only 2 years old really should not have these issues and all we got in a reply from jayco was take it to your nearest dealer to be fixedSimilar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
HendoGreater Melbourne (Outer), VIC
- 17 reviews
- 1 like
Good budget option
We took our new Penguin around Oz last year. Most things performed above expectations for a budget buy. We had really no problems except for one major issue in outback WA when one night the roof wouldn't wind up on rear corner. Rang Jayco Assist but they were NO use telling us to take it to nearest dealer in the morning. Luckily the weather was warm as we had no option but to sleep outside in our chairs. After a very uncomfortable night we took the camper to the nearest Jayco dealer. They were so busy and told us it would be weeks before they c...Read more
ould help us. Great!?!?!? So much for Jayco customer service! They did give us the name of a caravan repair place that may be able to help us. Fortunately this place very kindly helped us and fixed the issue at our expense and we went on our way. No thanks to Jayco. Interestingly the guy said this camper should not be sold with air conditioner on the roof which we did have. After we got home months later we found a recall notice in the mail for the roof winding system. Too late for us warranty had expired. Except for this everything worked pretty much as it should and the Penguin performed well and was very easy to tow.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
Sharon
- 2 reviews
2010 Jayco dove- cheap fittings
Hi - is anyone having issues the same as me with their fittings inside newer model jayco camper trailers?
My jayco Dove 2010 has ridiculous curtain attachments that don't slide along and are forever falling out of the slider pipe.
The silver pop out cupboard and drawer handles are always stuck shut and won't open.
And I hate the square short water tap....
Not like the lovely old gooseneck style in my 1980 jayco Dove that pumped beautifully.
I've just installed an electric pump as it takes ages to get the water to come through.
PS. Very impressed with reply service from Jayco themselves advising where to buy new parts and fittings.
Pity the product is crap in the first place...
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RonnyAU
Roof won't wind down
I have a problem with my Eagle Outback 2004 > I can wind it up fine, but when I wind it down it only goes a short way down and then the handle mechanism becomes totally loose (no tension at all the and handle winds very loose) and the roof remains up (approximately 80% of its full opening height). Luckily it is in my driveway at home and not out remote.
Any ideas what the problem is?
Otherwise, my Jayco has been great, travelled Cape York no problems at all!!
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Perfect van to tow in all facets of conditions
Bought a Outback Jayco Hawk in Nov 2015. Just retuned from a 5 week holiday to the tip of Cape York. Being our 3rd Jayco van this surprised us with the suspension in corrigations, water, sand and bull dust. Retuned with no damage and absolute minimal dust inside. Well done Jayco
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Great time away at Wilsons Prom!
Arrived in middle of night. Nonetheless easy setup in the dark without having done this before. Took maybe 45 minutes overall, including parking the van. Then we woke up the next day to the beautiful panorama of Moubt Oberon when opening the curtains. It was raining a little at the time but no issues for us as we just flicked on the internal stove & cooked up a nice breakfast. Very cosy feel. Easy to tow van. Pick up & drop off worked beautifully. Very nice owners. Will definitely do it again as prices are reasonable, however, minimum retail periods can be a problem as they are sometimes quite long.
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RoscoEyre Peninsula
Built to a price not a standard
I have had many problems with my Penguin but keep reminding myself it was purchased for a budget price. On the road three out of four vans seem to be Jayco so they must have a good formula for selling vans.
The roof bolts on my camper broke, I replaced them with better s/s bolts but intend to add angle supports between the top of the raising rods and the roof. Expecting the small "gutter bolts" to support the roof is poor engineering. The door fell apart. I am on the 3rd set of shock absorbers the pieces of metal screwed to the plywood floor l...Read more
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DannyMoranbah
- 3 reviews
Our Swan from Jayco Mackay -
Received our Outback Swan in March 2017 - 3 trips away and love it immensely.
We have had some Very Minor issues, drawers not unlocking, top of door locking mechanism screw broke, and the bed end screws slightly loose letting it be a bit sticky pushing bed back in. These things where rectified without any issue by Jayco Mackay. (they also fixed my fiamma Awning swivel leg attachment that I broke free).
The 15 year old loves having a big bed for going away and the 7 year old loves her (dinette) bed. The wife loves the simplicity of the set up and pack away and NO fights have happened - Unlike the camper trailer experiences.
Thank you Jayco Mackay for making the purchase of the Swan very easy and pleasurable from start to delivery .
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prydeyAdelaide
- 3 reviews
- 3 likes
First camper trailer. Very Happy.
We bought a 2009 Jayco swan a couple of weeks ago after having previously camped in tents. We took it for its maiden voyage last weekend and loved it. Prior to leaving we watched all the clips on YouTube from Jayco and others about how to set it up and pack it up, and this proved very helpful, especially the pack up procedure. Our van isn't new so can't comment too much on build quality from new etc, but it has clearly been well looked after and we had no issues setting it up or camping in it, or packing it down. It has a bagged awning and ...Read more
bed ends, and as per the youtube clips, we undid the awning before winding the roof all the way up. I'm 6'2 and in the future we won't be doing this as it actually made things a bit more difficult, probably made worse by the fact we were in a bit of a hurry. Being tall, i can actually reach all the zips and velcro to be able to do the awning with the van fully up. It was the first thing to get packed up at the end of our camp and i was able to do it by myself, rolling it up, looping the velcro strap around and then doing up the bagged zips far enough to hold it all in,and then finished it off once the roof was lowered. The push locks for the doors and drawers are a bit random however i like to work out how things work (esp when they aren't working) and was able to figure out how to fix them in a matter of seconds so no big deal. we have 2 or 3 spares ready to go when one starts playing up. They are only $7 to replace anyway, but its always satisfying to fix something yourself. I tow the van with a FG Ford Falcon, and whilst you can feel it there, esp through hills, it does it easy enough averaging just under 14L/100km from adelaide to narracoorte and return. As a family of 4 this van was great. It was a cold and wet weekend so we spent a fair bit of time inside and we never felt cramped. Lots of room to play games or just read etc. Hopefully subsequent trips will be as hassle free as this first one. Worth noting also that although my wife helped to set the van up at the campground, I have done it single handed at home, so most blokes shouldn't have any issues. I think the popularity of the Swan speaks for itself really.Similar opinion? Write a review on ieatwords.com.au!
KarlsAU
- 7 reviews
- 3 likes
Great well priced van
I have to admit that I was worried when we bought this van due to the variable reviews that you can read around the traps. But honestly for the money nothing comes close, so we bought a new one from Jayco Prestige.
We have the outback version, which from my understanding has a beefier frame, and offroad suspension and tyres. Although you are advised this is not suitable for real off roading, but ok on unsealed roads. Also comes with a deep cycle battery to run lights off when not plugged in.
We included the bag ends for the beds, and t...Read more
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jillypSouthwest, VIC
- 3 reviews
- 2 likes
Outback Finch Problem
We have a 2007 model Finch Outback. We like the concept and the inside space but have a problem with it collapsing either when being wound up, or even once it is fully opened. We have had to repair it 5 times now partner is a retired engineer luckily. Problem is with the cable and it comes off the pulley system. We now have to put lengths of timber at each corner to reassure us that it won't collapse while we are in bed. I think it is a design fault but we have not found a helpful Jayco dealer to advise us.
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Questions & Answers
Markasked
Does anyone have the cupboard dimensions for a Jayco Penguin Outback 2018. Thanks
No answers
Carmel Saulasked
About to purchase a jack dove outback 2003.. any advice would be really appreciate
Sweetsasked
Hi I'm looking at a 2008 Flamingo. I can only tow 100kg ball weight. Will I be ok?
Thanks
No answers
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