Time to Roam Magazine Issue 5 - October/November 2013 | Page 29

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Daniel Linnet

tried + tested caravan review

Starcraft incorporates many Jayco-designed improvements, note the neat fiberglass cover over the gas bottles, push button hand break and a easy to
access water tap on the chassis. Inside, a high-standard of finishes including premium fabrics

construction materials, this Jayco has
almost nothing in common with those
classic trailblazer models from years
gone by.
There are an incredible 32 different
models in the Starcraft range ranging from
13ft pop tops up to 22ft luxury off roaders.
We tested the single-axle 16 foot model. Its
good-sized rear bathroom with separate
toilet and shower have made it the second
biggest seller in the range. It is relatively
easy to manoeuvre and weighing just over
1.7 tonnes, it can be towed by a Falcon,
Commodore – or even a classic Monaro.
Jayco has added many of the popular
refinements and features developed for
the Sterling.
What impresses outside are the auto-style
handbrake, the fiberglass streamlined nose
cone, the cover that neatly conceals the two
LP gas tanks and a decent-sized fully-line
boot compartment.
For a budget-priced van there are lots of
neat inclusions like an outside water tap on
the front chassis and also an external 240v
power point. It comes with 14 inch alloy
wheels and three good quality tyres, the
spare mounted on the back right above the
rear bumper. All the tyres are nitrogenfilled which reduces blow outs and make
them last as much as 20 per cent longer.
Inside, the Starcraft is air conditioned and
fully insulated. The double- glazed Dometic

widows come with concealed blinds that
pull up and insect screens that pull down.
There’s also a skylight above the bed.
The combination of insulation and double
glazed windows makes it remarkably quiet
inside even when stuck alongside noisy
neighbours or busy roads.
The double bed is comfy and cleverly
designed with a bolster coming off at the top
to give you more than six feet in leg room. It
can be neatly stored underneath, with gas
struts giving easy-to-lift access to storage.
The kitchen is compact as you’d expect
in a van this size, but well equipped. The
SMEV stove is better than most homes I’ve
lived in, with three gas burners and one
electric hotplate along with a grill and oven
with a turntable. A glass lid comes down
to neatly conceal the hotplates and give
more preparation space. The microwave is
standard along with a 3-way (gas, 12v and
240v) 150 litre Dometic fridge.
There are two 82 litre water storage tanks
along with a 22 litre hot water tank which is
more than enough for a decent shower and
it re-heats in 30 minutes, powered by either
240v or gas. The battery back-up can last
2-3 days if you’re camping away from mains
power. A solar panel pack would set you
back approximately another $900.
For a small van, the shower is a decent
size and a there’s a Thetford cassette toilet
opposite. The basin has a flick mixer, as

does the kitchen sink, which also has a
pump tap for when you’re away from
mains supply.
The quality of finishes is impressive. The
furniture is all aluminium framed, there
are synthetic edges on corners to make
them ‘bump proof’. The fabrics really
stand out including rubber-backed curtains
and matching fabric pelmets. Leather is
available as an option for an extra $1400
Jayco is obviously the most mass
produced caravan in Australia, but the range
of different floorplans and optional extras
effectively lets you customise it the way you
want. You’d have to be extremely fussy not
to be able to order and create exactly what
you’re looking for.
The value though is hard to beat. Consider
the option of an off road kit with 18 inch
alloys and upgraded ALKO suspension,
combined with an optional outdoor shower,
slide out barbeque and bike racks on the
back. You get a caravan that’s durable and
better equipped than what you might find for
twice the price elsewhere.
Pulling up at a caravan park, owners
of other vans will sometimes have a shot
at Jayco because there are so many on
the road; the inference being that mass
production means quality goes out the
back door.
But these criticisms are not really borne
out by the facts. Jayco caravans hold their
Issue 05 Oct/Nov 2013

29