Jayco Fiat Ducato Conquest

Awesome features and quality – Purchased on 22nd June 23. So far, super impressive, it's got everything. If there has to be a winger it's the amount of literature that you get. That's challenging at my age. For the fuel conscious, I reckon on the Freeway 10-11 litres per 100km. Show details

Brand new Jayco fiat Ducato conquest 25-3 – So far no end of trouble with the new motor home. Battery in vehicle side appears to be not charging and holding charge and the lithium house battery appears to be not charging with mains or solar....not impressed. Surely these issues can be sorted out prior to handover. Also the rear electronic camera flickers on and off....living 2 hours from a… Read more

suitable fiat dealer and repairer is a concern and you have to take it to two different places to have the problems checked. That's if you can get through to them via phone in the first place. I know and expect teething problems but I also expect expeditious action on repair or warranty concerns....I hope this is not a sign of long term problems and concerns. Fiat dealership at Thebarton were excellent to deal with and fixed the battery issue in a few days. Their professional service and customer care were exceptional

Rims cracked. Wheel wrench snapped. Stranded 3 weeks waiting for replacements – 2008 Ducato Jayco Conquest. Beautiful to drive but unfortunately this vehicle is not suited to Aus conditions because of the lack of any backup and services in the event of a breakdown. jayco internal fitout is beautiful. exterior plastics are a great idea but coating keeps peeling.

Great travelling vehicle – Just traveled 16,000 kms with not a single problem. Its a 20ft Jayco Conquest with front wheel drive and drives beautifully over grass (you have a button to increase traction) takes sharp corners, drives over gravel etc. Much to my surprise went very fast, and economical on diesel.

Great service – I too had issues with my new Optimum. Greg & Craig will bend over backwards to help. Cannot fault them. Nothing is too much of a problem . Commendations to all

Around Aus for the second time – We have just returned home after 8 months and 22 Kilometres once again our Fiat did what it was designed for. In total we have travelled 61 Kilometres and have averaged just over 10 L/100 we don't travel over 100ks/h and to date hold up any traffic in the process. If your travelling in SA you wouldn't go past Manta services for your Fiat service. Continental tyres in Wannaroo excellent try to keep it original.

FIAT have history of unreliability. JAYCO only use these tug rigs, as they are cheap – Scotty Kilmer on YouTube is a mechanic of 52 years experience, see what he says about FIAT products. The main advantage is that they work ok for a while, then it's over to your luck. European vehicle manufacturing is very expensive to repair in Australia. Not many mechanics are familiar with European makes and brands and these brands are… Read more

associated with prestige and wealth, and have low reliability scores, far lower than Korean, Thai or Japanese products. Unless you are feeling lucky and wealthy do not think of buying used FIAT, see Scotty Kilmer's YT channel for details of his experience with FIAT.

Terrible van and after sales support disgusting. We got your money now we don’t care attitude – From day one nothing but problems, pre delivery inspection not carried out and we broke down within 20 mins of picking up our “Brand new “ RV, next seven years of no support paint flaking turbo seizing , injectors changed (twice ) 66000 is done , would make a great bonfire  Show details

the optimun – bought 2012 turbo, optimum, done 49.000 klm, fuel ..very good, electronics, a lot to be desired, to drive is a pleasure, radio throw in the bin, jayco side of it..very very poor quality indeed, but thats jayco, had two jayco caravans, very poor indeed, swore id never buy jayco again, but !!!bought jayco mobil, nothing has changed ....i believe… Read more

now you only get what you pay for, forget jayco until they take there product seriosly ...i have an issue of lost power, haven't really been away jet, its in limp mode , waiting for mechanic to inform me of the problem...been around the caravaning industry for years, my opinion, think twice before buying a jayco product.

Jayco conquest Fiat Ducato 2008 – We have had the Jayco conquest for three years, we live in Tasmania and have been to Perth W. A. a couple of years ago and this year we travelled up to Townsville via central highways then back via coast back to Melbourne then spirit of Tasmania back home. The vehicle went very well, we enjoy travelling in it. We have a few issues with it, the… Read more

white moulding also have yellowed and plastic coating is affected by the sun, it just peels in sheets, not happy about that a few other minor issues., mind you we don't take it off road or rough gravel roads, they are not designed for that as they would literally fall to pieces. The other issue I have with the Fiat Ducato is that the wheel rims keep on cracking adjacent to valve, I feel sure other owners have the same problem, Fiat doesn't recognise the problem, anyone else have this problem? would like to hear back about this problem. The water into engine bay is also a bad design problem with the Fiat ducato it causes corrosion around the injectors, not good. Also the fuel filter is crap, any in a bad place to get at plus being plastic it is so easy to damage and costly to replace. We owned A VW before the Jayco, had a good run out of that. Overall apart from the issues I have mentioned it has served us well. Cheers Rod, will appreciate any feed back.

November 27th 2018 Update: Jayco conquest Fiat Ducato 2008

We think the Jayco Conquest is a great concept and thoroughly enjoy going on holidays with it because it is very comfortable and well appointed, but Jayco could have used better materials to construct it, especially the outer finishings as they deteriate by sun damage ( Eg) the plastic coating on the decorative panels

is affected by the sun and literally peels off degrading the appearance dreadfully virtually as soon as the warranty runs out. Jayco should cover repair work to rectify this problem in my opinion. Then there is the Fiat ducato issues, water damage in engine bay and the problem with the wheel rims cracking, these should have been addressed by warranty.

Owning a Jayco Conquest for ten years – I purchased a new Jayco Conquest, with a Fiat Ducatto, in August 2018,traveled 110,000km during that time,and had the recommended,and regular servicing done. The Fiat Ducatto was a huge,expensive and unreliable part of it,please see my postings under Fiat Ducatto, transmission problems. As far as the Jayco part,I found that some of the… Read more

components fitted by Jayco,to be not very durable, ie the skylight/hatch he'd to be replaced twice,the electric step stopped working,after being replaced, all the exterior mouldings, and the bathroom turned from white to yellow.

Also experienced during this time were some water leaks.

It would seem to me that,that components available for these applications are not robust/durable enough for the purpose intended.Apart from these facts,I found the Conquest to be reasonable for the money, but let down by the above. During the warranty period,Jayco were very willing to perform rectification work,through a good network of dealers.

I should also add that,Jayco were unable to assist,with my problems with Fiat,which I found rather disconcerting, considering the number of units purchased from Fiat,and the impact it has on the product that bears their name.

Breakdown in selespeed $18000 to replace ? – 2011 Fiat Ducato Jayco conquest -70,000ks on clock (always serviced regularly and we have had it since 8000ks) We're visiting our daughter in Jindabyne from Western Australia and our vehicle Broke down at Kalkite last Saturday. Gears would not work just stayed in neutral. We are shocked to have been given a quote for $18,000 to replace the… Read more

selespeed unit this is from a Canberra repairer.

Does anyone else have any experience with this or any advice would be grateful for input

thankyou

Ducato Jayco FD19 Drives like a dream and ticks all boxes – Jaycos Top end Campervan FD19 is the latest and most compact member of the Jayco conquest motorhome line up. I bought it in April 2018 and it has all the features of a fully fledged larger motorhomes packed into a 6.4m (21ft) standard width panel van at a price tag of under $100k driveaway. Great bang for your buck. Jayco component … Read more

Functionality and design 5*

Quality 3*

Documentation 2*

Block diagram for wiring and fuses not available

Fiat component

Ducato 2017 with 180hp Drives like a dream, but

Hase some design deficiencies. Windscreen Scuttle has been significantly improved, but there is still some water ingress. Scuttle should hug the bottom end of the windscreen for the last 7mm, so it can’t move or warp and will let zero water into the engine bay ! Other parts of the engine bay should be sealed off better as well. The Navi sits in the middle of the dash which is not the best place for road safety in a rather wide van and the maps are already outdated in my newly purchased van and they are expensive to update. Instrument cluster is too small. No Apple play.

The Worst design feature is the speed limiter. Bad symbol. Should at least be red and I suggest Fiat uses a warning triangle with a red circle inside ! It should be impossible to inadvertently program (set / reset) the speed limit with the stalk switch. Only activation / deactivation should be permissible !

More on catchYaDreams.com , type Ducato into internal search box.

October 7th 2018 Update: 2018 Jayco Conquest FD19 - 2nd review after 6 months and 8000 km

Conquest has not been discontinued. I bought the FD19 Campervan in April 2018 ! It has almost all the features of a fully fledged larger motorhome and offers Great bang for your buck.

Jayco component (2nd review after 8000 km)

Overall rating 3* (downgraded)

Features and design 5*

Quality 2*

Documentation 2*

Customer service 1*

Unresolved after 6 months

Issues with Battery management and water ingress. Block diagram for wiring and fuses not available and no support so far on queries re above problem.

Fiat component 4*

Ducato 2017 with 180hp Drives very nice. Windscreen Scuttle has been significantly improved, but still some water ingress, so I had it glued down. The Navi sits in the middle of the dash and is far out of view. Instrument cluster is too small. No Apple play. The Worst design feature is the speed limiter that can be activated by mistake. Biggest concern is repair costs when the vehicle ages and some horror stories about Fiat component quality, professionalism and excessive repair costs due to poor design.

Good but not good – Runs and drives great till you get onto grass or grass slopes front wheel drives just spins up the front wheels. Noisy motors fittings etc is good good fuel economy everything apart from the spinning front wheels is good

Why not stick the handbrake up my butt next time – Why would you put a handbrake right on the side of the seat, I've come unstuck numerous times when the lever gets in your shorts, aircon is crap, they are reasonably comfortable to drive.

Water ingress – The issue of water ingress over the top of the engine onto the injectors is a serious issue that fiat refuse to accept responsibillity for,the water runs off the screen and onto the alloy engine and has no where to go.it also gets into the electrics via fuse box and ecu unit and will cause a complete fail of engine forcing replacement of ECU,ABS… Read more

module fuses and junction box also engine harness.most parts ex Italy.6 weeks and very expensive.(caveat emptor) buyer beware.!!!!

Fiat Optimum, Twin Slide Outs – I'm Thinking of buying a secondhand Fiat Optimum with twin slide outs, 2012 - 15 model. Like some advice and comments and what was the retail price new and towing capacity? Paul

Unreliable Garbage- both Fiat and Jayco Conquest require constant expensive repairs – 70,000 kms driven in 9 years due to constant breakdowns and is too unreliable and expensive to risk what a Motor home should do, travel- Fiat component has had 2 replacement Air conditioners one under warrantee , front wheel breaks replaced including disks which were ground twice from rust and debris causing excessive noise one in warrantee… Read more

$2000, 2 Throttle cables one under warrantee $1300, $5,000 Clutch replacement at 63,000 kms, Plastic Fuel filter just under passenger side bonnet hinge cracked and exploded diesel all over car as they are the only car manufacturers that use plastic housing not standard metal with glass viewing bubble, love job $600, off on side of road now waiting for rear suspension to be fixed - leaf springs flat and need reset, front eye bushes on rear leaf springs collapsed but are not manufactured as individual part by Fiat and can only be purchased as bush and coil set at $2000 per side, this price does not include resetting leaf springs and rear bushes on leaf springs am hoping a Toyota coaster eye bush will fit if not another $4000. Requires bushes etc for front suspension $900 is not urgent but will have to do eventually. Wiper blade and motor assembly replaced approx $600. This is part of the list of Fiat problems and does not include the water that constantly pours through bonnet and over injector well of motor explained by another product reviewer or the very expensive servicing, oil, filters etc.

Fiat Ducato is too unreliable to travel anywhere parts are not easily attained and are not able to be substituted for generic in many cases with an unreasonable cost via Fiat Commercial repairers.

However compared to the construction of the Jayco component this is minor.

Jayco as said by the local Jayco dealer is the MacDonald's of Motor homes.

This is an extensive story and below is a very simple report not comprehensive- all problems with the Jayco existed and began from day 1, brand new with Fiat as above and was undrivable from showroom.

4 month old Luton peak completely pulled down and completely rebuilt due to water infiltration lying inches deep under bed frame causing excessive mould and wood rot, leak remains mould continues to grow up luton peak walls which is a bed area, day 1 plumbing from bathroom sink comes up through floor and was completely re plumbed (Avida use larger outlets and piping), no water fall in kitchen sink so was re plumbed, 12 volt to TV burns out smokes cabin out so no TV, rear camera not working with monitor mounted poorly so as to swivel and not remain stable on dash but doesnt work anyway, draws rails fell off so draws fell off, clothes hanging rail fell down, leaks around every window has caused the walls to develop mould, leaks through air-conditioner and skylights need to carry buckets to catch water, 2 skylights have wind up handles which do not wind so are unopenable, narrow roof strip moulding and minimal silicon sealing along roof and wall edge causes leakage through walls, walls do not extend past floor so water flows onto floor causing devastating rot around all floor surfaces with floor under dinette completely rotted and visual to the road, ?? incorrect waterproof floor material to have this occur, 2-pac paint on all plastic mouldings around outside turned brown which I have had repainted at a love job of $3000. Many minor repairs from latches lights and handles toilet falling off wall etc are included basically the list of repairs and remaining repairs including fixing major leakage and floor rot goes on and on, never stops

The only working product was/is the Thetfod toilet

That is why THE JAYCO CONQUEST IS A $120,000+ PORTABLE LOO

The story of repair and dealing with the local sellers, Jayco and then Ateco for Fiat is a very bad story and too long for this product review.

Needless to say it ended very very very badly.

THIS IS A PRODUCT THAT WILL SEND YOU BROKE

Fiat Ducato 180 MultiJet 180 – My Jayco Motorhome still under warranty has a Fiat MultiJet 180 in it, last year I went up the East Coast as far as Cooktown then through Longreach Mt Isa Uluru and back to Victoria with no problems and the Fiat was great to drive, this year I'm doing the West Coast and I've had nothing but problems since I left Victoria but I'll try and make a… Read more

long story short, first I had an engine warning light come on near Port Lincoln and had to drive back to Port Augusta because that was the nearest place with a computer (going West it was Kalgoorlie or Perth) to analyse the problem but when I arrived there the guy said because the warning light had gone off and was no longer on there was nothing he could analyse (backtrack and a waste of time and a full tank of diesel), I headed off across the Nullarbor and the light came on again between Balladonia and Norseman in the middle of no-where I finally got a signal on my phone and rang Fiat Roadside Assist who told me to go to Perth to get it checked out which I did with the warning light coming on and going off another 5 times on my journey, at Perth they analysed it and said it was the actuator on the turbo which they replaced and I thought that would be the end of my problems but alas I was so wrong I got to Karratha and the light started coming on and going off again so I rang Fiat roadside assist only to be absolutely shocked to find there is no Fiat dealer or Fiat repairer with a computer to analyse the warning lights on any Fiats between Perth and Cairns and they said they wanted me to go 1500 kms back to Perth to get it checked out but by this stage the light had gone out again and there was no way I was driving back to Perth, as I said to Fiat roadside assist if you sell vehicles in this country why haven't you got anywhere between Perth and Cairns where you can service those vehicles and in my opinion they shouldn't be allowed to sell these vehicles in Australia if they aren't willing to supply adequate servicing facilities for them (nothing between Perth and Cairns is a bloody disgrace) as I said to the guy you want me to return 1500 kms to Perth to get my Fiat checked out (for what could be a fuse, sensor or some other minor cause of the light coming on) but what happens if they fix it and next time I get to Broome and it comes on again does that mean another trip back to Perth, and then next time I get to Darwin before the light comes on is that another trip back to Perth etc, etc, etc, also he said I could drive the vehicle as long as the warning light was orange but if it turned red to immediately stop the vehicle and it would have to be towed back to Perth at my expense if it turned out to be something that wasn't warranty related, this is the short story of my predicament but the main point I'm trying to get across is Fiats lack of places to get your vehicle serviced with the proper Fiat testing equipment which is essential, in my opinion it's criminal they they are allowed to operate with no service facilities between Perth and Cairns which is approximately 6500 kms, through this drama I've been asking a lot of questions and have been told the reason Fiat doesn't have adequate facilities around the country is that no-one is willing to pay what Fiat demand for them to become a Fiat agent, I've been told the computers to analyse Fiats costs about $1200 but it's the huge amount of dollars that Fiat Italy is trying to charge prospective agents for the software that's the problem, apparently they can't get anyone to take on their repair work because no-one is willing to pay them the excessive amount they are demanding for their software, at the moment I'm at Broome and the light is off again but if anyone is thinking of buying a Fiat I'd be asking questions about their after sales service, I wish I had, I don't know how long this will last so it's still an ongoing saga for me and when I get back to Victoria will be taking this matter further I've already contacted the ACCC but it's to hard to get things done when you're on the road so I'll try and enjoy my trip the best I can under the circumstances and leave further proceedings until I get home. As for the rating? good when it's going but a disaster if you have problems in the West of the country.

Jayco Fiat Ducato gear box – I wrote in 2014 of how the gear box stopped working. After months of negotiation Fiat Australia supplied the parts and the dealer where I bought the motorhome paid for the labour. I am very happy with the outcome and the gear box is working perfectly.

bunch of trouble but a head turner – Similar complaints to others. Was told that because of the high demand for these vehicles they are pushed out as fast as possible ,not much quality control re assembly, but, the warranty and backup is good and is everywere to take care of the constant after purchase complaints. Good if you have the time to waste.

This is perfect I can't live without it – I purchased my Fiat Ducato new in 2005 it has been perfect but I was not so pleased with the Jayco fitout, all of the cupboard doors fell off within the first 6 months. I doubt if I would purchase another Fiat Ducato as there have been a lot of complaints about the later models and it is difficult to have the Fiat serviced by a Fiat dealer as… Read more

they are few on the ground. I am fortunate to live in Harden NSW where I can get my car serviced by excellent reliable mechanics. My wonderful Fiat has travelled 145,000klm.

Fiat Ducato X 250 3.0 2013 With An Avida Eyre Motor Home Attached – I purchased a brand new avida eyre motor home in December 2013 and as soon as I drove it up, my driveway only an hour after purchasing the motor home I had problems with the brakes of the fiat 2013 x250 3ltr. The brakes kept slipping down the drive way. I tried everything such as putting it into first, etc. I straight away telephoned Sydney Rv… Read more

centre and a gentleman explained that as the fiat was only new, the brakes would have to be worn in. The brake problem continued. In February a gentlemen from Avida drove the car down to Avida to have the motor home serviced and he mentioned there was something wrong with the brakes. The brakes kept slipping when parked. Eventually the Avida Eyre was towed to Tynans for repair. The repairer said that all the brakes had to be re surfaced.

I booked the fiat in again in September 2015 to Tynans because the fiat was losing power when changing the gears. The fiat is an automatic engine I drove the motor home to Kirrawee to have the motor checked. It was there for the day and I was asked to bring the fiat back because the workshop had not noticed that the orange light was lit up on the dashboard. I mentioned that when I drove it into Tynan's. I also mentioned, would the vehicle be safe to drive home and I was assured it was. The fiat chugged all the way until I began to ascend up lapstone hill. Then it lost power and dropped into first gear. A car coming up from behind me beeped loudly and nearly rammed back of me. I had to put on the hazard warning lights as I could hardly drive up the hill. The fiat had to be towed back to Tynan's for repair. The work shop found that the turbo diesel had clogged up badly. The turbo had to be replaced. Fiat replaced it with a reconditioned one. Which is quite disgusting as the fiat engine has only done 4,000 km. The workshop also found that the engine coolant pipe had rusted and was ready to blow. I had to wait for weeks for the part to come from Italy. Thank God I have a 5 year warranty with fiat, problems with fiats turbo diesel can be found on the web going back to 2007, why is fiat still selling the engine with this problem.

King springs on Fiat Sunliner – I was always hitting the gutters going into the service stations Bought the King springs heavy duty Had them fitted by Newcastle busses fab job all help and lots af advice Free parking and power overnight so they could start at 8am Just a slight pull to the left but a much better ride otherwise no problems

Totally agree with Darren – After listening to Darrens complaints at the South Coast and taking his advise seriously I have checked the downpipe in my Ducato and surprise surprise it was clogged. The water was overflowing instead of draining, so I cleaned it and hope it I can save the injectors from being damaged. I'm totally convinced that Fiat is fully aware of this faulty… Read more

design and should compensate Ducato owners for any damage resulting from this fault.

Thank you Darren.

2012 Fiat Ducatto Maxi – I have a 2012 Fiat Ducatto Maxi, which has just had 4new injectors put in (under warranty). Apparently water can over flow from water gutter below windscreen onto engine and causing seals around top of injectors to corrode. This Gutter has a downpipe on the drivers side (in Australia) and at the top it starts off round but at the bottom it turns… Read more

to an oblong shape, which causes leaves and other debris to become stuck, hence the back up and overflow onto engine!

Now my 2cents worth is that the designers know that this is going to cause problems, then it's up to the poor customer to argue it's not their fault. Good money spinner for dealerships and repair depots, a win win, except if your a customer who cannot argue your point effectively!

Jayco Motorhome Spacious Design – Purchased 2010 Jayco Conquest Motorhome and have found the motorhome design which has a large dinette at rear to be very open and spacious, plenty of cupboards for storage and very liveable for trips away, good design work Jayco. The Fiat is easy to drive and also very comfortable on long trips with the 3litre turbo hills and distance are no problem.

My 2007 Ducato is a good machine – I have been so pleased with my 2007 Fiat Ducato 3lt. manual, turbo diesel, with Jayco Conquest Euro special edition body that I am afraid to purchase a new one reading all the bad reviews on the later models, We have travelled Twice all round Australia &Tasmania (Once towing a 4 WD), out to Allis Springs, & several trips up North, with only minor… Read more

problems. Till now

I live on the Gold Coast QLD. sorry to say that Fiat have no longer a commercial service, (only for passenger) the nearest is East Coast Commercials, Brisbane, where I am waiting Three Weeks for them to get 3 turbo rubber hoses from Italy.

(Come on Fiat stay in business)

(9th May 2015)

Good vehicle! – A pity that we generally see many bad reviews perhaps because happy people fail to comment. We have a 2008 20 Ft, 3 litre Jayco Fiat Ducato with, an admittedly low, 54K km but it has been regularly used interstate, achieving on average 11.5L/100 Km even while cruising at 100 kph on highways! It has been an excellent, comfortable vehicle which is… Read more

wonderful to drive with smooth automatic gear changes even in steep terrain. I believe our success has been helped by regular, expert servicing by [Name removed], the Hobart Fiat agent. (Probably the secret ingredient!) We have had a problem with leaking aircon gas due to a faulty seal at the engine firewall, an unexplained computer alarm light which I discovered was, unknowingly, caused by putting my foot on both the accelerator and the brakes at the same time: because they were so very close together! Once known we have had no further incidents. And tyre wear has been heavy at the front but this has been corrected to some extent by replacing with better Japanese tyres - the originals are still on the back. Jayco quality control is another matter but the problems, especially initially, were generally minor which I was able to fix myself - however, Jayco's after sales assistance from the Melbourne Jayco Customer Service Manager has always been great (via email and phone).

Gear box – I reviewed the gear box of the Fiat Ducati used by Jayco for their motor-home. After 27k the gear box stopped working. Update: After pressure from various organisations Fiat decided to supply to an authorised Fiat dealer the damaged parts free of charge although they didn't admit fault. I was happy with the result and the Fiat mechanic has given… Read more

me six months warranty on the gear box. I have driven over 4000k since and am happy with the way the gear box is working. Thank you Fiat Australia and thank you Country Motor Company for paying for the labour. During my 4000k traveling around Tasmania we didn't have any trouble with the Fiat or the Jayco motor home. Others we travelled with in another brand motor home had many problems.

Ducato faulty gearbox &lack of dealers – Yes same happened to my gear box 3mthsout of warranty 23000 kl locked up box on the sth east coast 2weeks off road & $6000.00 repair bill plus accomodation &and 2 weeks car hire .Fiat only offered parts at wholesale price but dealer charged me full retail for parts

New fiat service dept didn't have a clue – Only after 30,000 Kim's. blew the trans Massive trouble to cut a long story short. We were. Broken down in Townsville for 3 months. Built trans. Twice. Still no good finally replaced with later model trans no problems. Since. Very happy. Now wasn't back then

Jayco is Junco – Had the Conquest 10 months, and already spent thousands on things Jayco wont cover in warranty.No mirror in MH. Cheap fittings, timber on doors peals off, Sink in bathroom yellowing from sun, Had to have silicon replaced all around edges. Table had to be lowered as bench seats to low. Fly screens on windows let in insects. Drain hose on fridge… Read more

was never fitted , it was still rolled up on back of fridge.Keep getting air locks when trying to fill water tanks. Jayco covered a lot under warranty but replacing cheap with cheap is no fix.

Would never buy another and never recommend one.