Jayco Journey Pop Top
Verified84 reviews
Cheap jayco workmanship – Bought van new in 2023 from dealer in perth. 1st trip the table fell apart. Held on with 5mm screws and some silicone. Then it was the towel rack, again 5mm screws. Now the front window cover has popped open on its own while im driving. One of the closing tabs had broke off. Never buy a jayco again. Just ruins the well planned trips away. Show details
Second Hand Jayco review – Purchased a Jayco 17.55 8 Outback pop top secondhand from a Sunshine Coast caravan dealer in Dec 2021 . The VIN plate identifies it as a late 2014 build. By and large I've been happy with this van. The dealer managed to break the operating lever on the toilet during demonstrations, they promised to fix it but many phone calls later I gave up… Read more
and replaced it myself. The van had obviously never been even cleaned underneath despite them performing a "service" prior to pickup, it still had the red mud, stone chips, and dust which showed that it had indeed lived up to it's name for the previous owner. However the interior was clean, mostly unmarked, and showed signs of being well looked after. This van has done several trips now, to Victoria, to the NSW mid coast, and a trip to Birdsville and back as well as local camps.
What has gone wrong, one cupboard front came partially off because the plastic plug pulled out, was replaced with epoxy and no problem since, The front boot leaked slightly in very heavy rain once and I resealed. The wheel wells leaked a little dust on the leading edge, on the Birdsville trip - resealed the edges, also sealed an unsealed hole in the back which let in a little dust- looks like it had been like that since new. Had to replace the screws holding on the frame around the bed box which fell out. Had to patch a little hole in the pop top skirt (wear and tear). Put some protective corrugated tubing around the brake wiring before the Birdsville trip, which I had to replace when we returned as it was mostly smashed off by stones - not the van's fault - but glad I did it, I also lagged the PVC pipe underneath which is up fairly high but still subject to stone damage. Other than that, everything works, it doesn't leak, and tows well. So really largely maintenance items only, mostly I'm happy with the unit. Jayco construction seems to be fairly basic and plain - it's not flash, but reasonably sturdy.
A big disappointment – We bought a four month old van 17.5 outback at end of 2018 from first owner 5mths ild, we have used 4 four tines and about 6000 kns after the last use it was parked in the shed and cleaned. I moved it out 3 days ago to ready for holidays only to notice large section of interior wall had delaminated, i rang jayco warranty to get the standard answer… Read more
its out of warranty, 2 months well what a disgrace and what poor quality the vans are absolute poor quality build. Jayco warranty is a joke and when you spend good hard earned money buying there products you would a least think they may a least give some help. My advice to any future purchasers have a good look around there are many better vans available
Reviews with attachments
Wonderful van, awesome so far – We picked up our 17.55-8 in June from Adelaide Jayco. Wrapped with it so far, 3 trips, about 1200 km's total. Apart from the odd screw and bolt not 100% tight, can't fault it yet. Did add a vent to the sullidge outlet to speed up waste water draining , probably could have got it done at 1st service, but only a 5 minute fix. Tows great, hardly… Read more
affected by winds, no leaks found ( had some good windy rain1 trip)does everything for us. Towing with a 150 series Prado. Replacing a Windsor Statesman Royal we had for several years.
Great value for money – Have not had issue with the van does the job finishing are good sales team great. Great first van without spending big dollars…. Would recommend to any one looking at a jayco Show details
Positive reviews
Love our Jayco Journey … but – Love our Jayco Journey purchased August 2018. Lots of little problems, all fixed by Jayco. Several months ago realised we had a leak over shower which had been happening for a while but unnoticed by us as had hardly used van. Local Jayco could not have been better to deal with. Booked in 2 weeks later and less than a week all repaired. Are just on… Read more
our first long trip (4 weeks) to Queensland and found that 2 tyres have scrubbed out (no off road driving) had to purchase 2 new tyres 1/2 way into trip. On talking to other Jayco owners, this seems to be a common problem, due to poor manufacture of axles (Chinese). Have yet to talk to Jayco, so will be interesting to hear what they have to say. Otherwise van is travelling well.
Great van, hasn’t missed a beat – Jayco Journey Outback 2018 18:55- 3 twin axel.ordered May 2018 collected Oct 2018. $51,800 Jayco Seaford did a perfect job in presenting this to us on handover day. They went thru every detail of the interior and exterior workings. (2 hrs) The interior was spotless, even the bed was made up. It is our second Jayco (first being a StarCraft 16… Read more
ft pop top) many new additions and upgrades and better workmanship and finish. The van tows beautifully behind the Ford Ranger twin cab. Well within the tow legal limits. Have been away months at a time, off grid for most. The van is basically stock standard and Jayco has done a good job. A few items were replaced or repaired under their 2 yr warranty but nothing that was of great concern. We did get the 5 tyres balanced after handover and had it over the weigh station same day. have had professionally fitted a truma gas heater ($2800) for the NSW/Qld inland cold nights. Excellent choice. The difference it seems between the 16 ft and our 18 ft outback is but a few inches in interior.. the layout is the same but a slightly larger en-suite . It’s the twin axles we we seeking as opposed to single. Our 18:55-3 full caravan ( not pop top) was a new addition to the Jayco Journey range in 2018 which were previously only mfg as pop tops. I would rec this 18:55-3 model to couples. Has good Aust wide warranty, and very easy to live with . Thank you Jayco…
So happy we chose this model Jayco – We have recently purchased privately, a used 2019 Jayco Journey DX Outback 17-55-8 pop top. It is a dream to tow with the dual wheel set up, even in high winds with Road Trains around. Everything works very well, we have only done 2 trips so far, and have experienced no problems at all. We have been on dirt roads, and have had no dust leaks, and… Read more
in rain with no leaks. The pop top works very well, and the van came fully decked out with all equipment. Great value for money spent, compared to other brands.
Negative reviews
Nothing but trouble – We have had our jayco journey 11 months and to say it’s been a disappointment would be an understatement , nothing but problems since day one ! Water leaks ( yet another one on this weekend trip ) from pipe fittings , things constantly falling off , taps, microwave the list just goes on and on . I now carry a full tool kit , adhesive, fuses ,to… Read more
keep this piece of junk going . We love caravanning but I have to say sadly I hate my jayco and if I could afford to get rid of it I would. Will never recommend or buy another one and I recommend you all do the same !
My Experience – Purchased a 18 foot Jayco Journey in Nov 2018. Fridge did not work correctly from go. Took 4 months to eventually get a replacement. Jayco paid for 1st service as compensation for all the running around. As the axle was underslung the stabiliser legs were longer than normal and were useless as could only be placed at angle - I replaced with… Read more
shorter legs - much better. Gaps between kitchen cupboard doors and drawer faces was very inconsistent - adjusting only improved the look but not enough adjustment to make gaps equal. Bed head fell off and needed refixing. Front 3 power points stopped working - problem was traced to "plug and play" connection at kitchen power point had come away. The front stone panel developed a crack at top where screwed on and needed replacing under warranty. The rear of the roof leaked over shower - took 4 month to get it repaired under warranty. Jayco promote their roof as one piece which is incorrect as there is a join at the top of the front which you cannot see from the ground level. The roof actually has raised edges on all 4 sides which restricts water flowing off the roof so is more susceptible to leaks if not properly sealed. The concertina door retainer stretched - I replaced with a velcro setup. Tyres were poor quality and needed replacing having done less than 10,000 klms. Jayco promote "Great Resale Value" on their web site. I asked Jayco Hobart for a cash price - they offered $44k sight unseen. Given the new replacement cost is $30k more (including fitted accessories), I would not call that good resale value. They did not have the courtesy to return my phone calls. They were obviously not interested! Jayco are happy to fix problems under warranty but it takes 3+ months to get repairs done which means that in some cases the caravan is not useable until repaired. The Hobart Service Centre was also poor at returning phone calls. It is worse if you cannot fix some of the repairs yourself. If quality control at Jayco was better then the customer frustration would be significantly less. My experience with a Jayco was not good. The van was unusable for about 20% of the time so far. I will never buy another Jayco!
Too many problems. Spends more time in repair than on road – Have had the Outback Journey 20ft since new 2018. Took it out for test run and found list of about 5 faults including wiring reversed, cupboards falling out or not opening due to not fitter correctly. These and others were eventually repaired. Then came the bigger items, outside cladding de-laminating on numerous places, front of van punching… Read more
holes through roof (screw left under cladding), front wind screen cracking either side, windows cracking each corner (washing windows blamed for this). Admittedly all have been fixed by the dealer, some 2/3 times as they continue to happen. Worst problem has been the front of the van having holes being punched though the roof from an inside cupboard(4 times so far). Now water has gotten in and created electrical problems. 4 1/2 years of issues and still going. Would I recommend or purchase another Jayco -no way. They seem to rely on their customers to do the quality control and if they don't complain all the better.
Recent reviews
Aluminium siding electrolysis – Brought new mid 2015, Starcraft outback. Recently displays hole in aluminium siding and bubbling of paint. Asked Jayco for advice and assistance as this should not have happened. Jaycos advice from customer support debt was van just out of warranty...sorry ,ask dealer for repair quote next service. My advice would be dont rely on support from Jayco. Show details
Not real happy – Brought a 2021 Jayco journey, had it for less than 10 months, roll out awning is leaking along the stitching, was told it could take up to 8 months for a warranty claim. Now waters leaking inside around a window that is under the awning. Not real happy
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Lack of Quality Control – We bought our new Jayco 17' pop top in 2010 to tow around Australia. Looking at all the complaints today, nothing has changed at Jayco. Their dealer pre delivery was non existent, combined with very poor quality control at the factory made what was basically a well designed van extremely frustrating. Come on Jayco as one of Australia's leading… Read more
caravan manufacturers, just a little more care with quality control would stop all the negative customer experiences."Doing just enough is not good enough".
Be prepared for problems – Brake failure, scrubbed out tyres, leaking water pump, twisted hoses under sink, laminex peeling off cupboards, all within 2 months of delivery. Then electrical problems, no 240 power, water leaks etc. Show details
Can’t even get a quote – I have rang a local Jayco dealer several times to get a quote on a new journey outback I have still not received a quote or a phone call back. After reading these reviews I’m not sure buying one of these is such a good idea anyway. Very disappointed
Unhappy with build quality – Purchased our Journey Outback in Aug 2020, received it in Feb 2021 due to Covid delays. On receiving the van I noticed the rear trim poorly fitted and was distorted. We where advised to put a warranty claim in as it required replacement. Still waiting. Our first trip away the gas fridge failed to work, regulator issue..!! Had fixed through… Read more
warranty after a few weeks. 2nd trip away we went to use our shower and the corners had cracked so unable to use.. Warranty claim submitted through a recommended repair agent in July and still waiting for repair. Started preparing for our Xmas/New year trip and a large gap has appeared between the Kitchen worktop and wall..!! Yet another warranty claim to submit and painfully go through..!! Has definitely took the shine off buying a new van..
Very happy with my13ft outback journey – Purchased in April 2021. We then set off on a trip down through Mildura across to Renmark(on dirt track for 200km due to covid lockdown in SA) up to Alice Springs on to Darwin. Then headed back down via Longreach Lighting Ridge Glen Innes & home to Sydney. The only issues we had was the hand pump in sink became a bit stiff to pump & the awning had… Read more
perforations from roof clips. Contacted Jayco dealer but due covid couldn’t do straight off but referred me to another service agent who was able to repair in a shorter time. All was repaired under warranty no questions from Jayco. This is our first caravan. My wife & I are very happy with the van & service received from Jayco. Highly recommended.
Great compact van – Having read the reviews for the jayco journey as was very apprehensive about buying one. One came up second hand and I thought they must be selling it coz they want to flogg it off. It was only 18 mths old and had been very well looked after the 15.48.6 model with bunks We've only had it a couple of months and taken it away once but we are very… Read more · 1
happy with it. It's been shocking weather and lots of rain and there appears to be no leaks. This is our 3rd Jayco van and yes they are made to a budget but you get what you pay for. I also was concerned there might not be enough storage in the van being only a 15ft but it's surprising good. You just have to think out the box a bit. Don't let the negative reviews online put you off. I guess there will always be some lemons put there. That's why I prefer to buy second hand as you can check out the quality and all the warranty work has been completed
Rubbish caravan not fit for purpose too many problems to mention – less than 3 years old when problems started to occur would never buy another Jayco, leaks & cracks front & back which in turn delaminated the ensuite ceiling. Workmanship in my opinion cannot have adequate quality control before leaving manufacture workshop. only used once every two months from A to B & back home. Imagine if your new car could only be used once every 2 months for fear that it would start to fall apart. Show details
Hello Ray, thank you for contacting us. So that we can… Read more
Please do yourself a huge favour. Don't buy a Junko. I purchase lots of things this van is the worst – As stated I purchased a Jayco Journey 17.53 from Canberra. The van leaked from the poorly connected instant gas hot water unit. Damaged the floor. Leaked into the boot. Leaked so bad that the entry step became soaked. Their is no warranty. Forget it. They aren't interested. Very fake after sales service. Not helpful or sincere. No one should have… Read more
to wait 3 months to have an item fixed. That's not warranty. Fixed it ourselves at our cost. Please don't buy a Junko. Good concept. Poorly built.
OK van, very ordinary customer service – First caravan I looked at. Bought at Jayco Newcastle 30 minutes after seeing for first time. 13 ft was exactly what I was looking for to tow behind my Hyundai Santa Fe. First shock was when I was told I couldn't have the van for 3 months, so 6 months old when I took delivery, and it showed. Very much a demonstrator but charged full price. Not… Read more
clean, hand print on window, coffee stain on table and floor, seat cushion squashed where everyone had sat, front step bent under the weight of hundreds of people in and out. Door and drawer catches not working, stove knob broken, light fitting broken, pantry door laminate faulty.
Did first 1000K, and on the way back to Newcastle for first service a front stabiliser fell off while doing 100km/hr. Thankfully no-one behind - imagine if that hunk of steel had hit a motor bike rider! Went under the wheel and destroyed the tyre. Changed the wheel and the jack broke at full extension. Had to use car jacks under chassis to get the van down.
Jayco Newcastle replaced stabiliser under warranty, but had the hide to charge $16.50 for screws! They also did my pet hate when they told me the other stabilisers were bent - and that it was my fault! After using them exactly 3 times apparently I bent them - despite 6 months of being set up rock solid on the lot. Any company which automatically blames the customer for a fault has a major customer service problem.
Have now travelled a month and another 6,000 km across to W.A. Do I like this van? Yes, it tows great, and has a good layout with a surprising amount of space for such a small van. edit: see below. Will I buy another caravan? Have already selected my next car to tow a heavier van. Plan to upgrade later this year. edit: see below. Will I buy another Jayco? Undecided. Will be looking long and hard at the competitor's offerings. edit: see below. Would I allow a dealer to keep a van for display? Absolutely not! edit: see below. Would I buy again from Jayco Newcastle? Unlikely.
Update (Nov. 2021): In early April I was phoned by Jayco while in outback W.A. and asked to remove this review as they wanted the opportunity to address the issues raised. I agreed, and at the end of the call the caller promised to send me his contact details in case I wanted to talk further. Contact info was never sent. In late April, prior to leaving WA, I rang to arrange for additional warranty work to be done when I returned to NSW. Was told next available service was in August - 4 months away! As I was relocating from the area in early August asked if they would help me find someone to do the warranty items at my new location. Receptionist promised someone would call back. Call never happened. I've now given up on Jayco and the van is for sale.
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in my case i view very poor warranty – First trip water leaking into caravan and shorting 240v . Air locks stopped water entering tanks, Crack appeared in front panel ,too many problems to list. When we rang jayco st marys we where informed they could not see the van for 4 months. Now two years i was advised the waiting time is 6 months. If you haven't got the ability to fix it yourself , put homework in choosing your van as i class my van as having NO warranty Show details
Hello Vic, thank you for your review and I am sorry to… Read more
Workmanship – I Have just put my Jayco Journey caravan in to have a bedroom window replaced after finding it cracked. Now have also been told that all but one window needs to be replaced due to cracking in all top r/h corners all due by pressure marks in similar places on other windows The.repairer claims that this is a notorious fault with the Dometic… Read more
windows. The caravan was purchased in Aug 2018. Now just out of Warranty also just had front fibre gass section replaced due to stone chip that opened up allowing water to run down van inside the painted surface. Also . Upon inspection on top of the roof the factory workmanship in sealing the plastic beadings was nothing short of pathetic. The van has never been off the road and has only done around 5000 klms and already it has had 2 tyres replaced due to the flimzy axel alighnment. I am thinking of replacing this by buying another van BUT..all caravan makers use Dometic windows/doors/fridges etc,etc. Its a nice looking van.,disguised as a LEMON.
CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR JAYCO IS NON EXISTENT.
Hello Wayne. Thank you for writing to us and I am sorry to… Read more
18 month review. Meh – Looks great. Presents well. Easy to tow. Weighted very well. Over all it suits the purpose. Very good reason they are cheaper it’s the lack of build quality and the after sales service is disgraceful. Smarys Sydney. . Mostly minor things with the build. Tiny screws hanging into the table and doors. Tiny hinges through out, laminate, tap fell off… Read more
ect. Servicing hahaha don’t bother. Was the worst experience of my life. Kept the van for 4 weeks to fix some minor things including the awning feet. On pickup was fed lies about nothing being in stock to fix. Only when I jumped up and down did I get anywhere. Top Quality air con, fridge and stove all Dometic. Lighting, wiring, tv antenna all great. I have ironed out all the kinks now so hopefully some happy times. 18 month owner.
Hello Matt, thank you for taking the time to share your… Read more (+1 reply)
Windows leaking – 2015 Journey with en-suite - have been in van park on NSW Mid North Coast for past 4 weeks. We have endured rain every day (at times heavy) Large window on near side leaked terribly through seal and in onto the floor. Cost me $200 to have it removed & re-sealed. Very helpful mobile repair man showed me that problem was hole cut for window was too… Read more
big ! (Stated window leaks were very common with the Journey) Following day, curious me puts hand between lounge cushions under other window on same side.........cushions saturated, mould on underneath, timber all mouldy & rotted due to exact same problem with water leaking in window seals and tracking down into inside of van ! Looks like I am up for more money to remove second window and re-seal ! Obviously poor workmanship & non existent quality control. Very poor product, no more jaycos for me !
Poor workmanship and faulty parts – Picking up a new van should be exiting but on walk in noticed immediately 20mm gash in floor and sagging roof joint tape delaminating ,also beed of water around washing machine . I mentioned this to the salesman and he said use the van and bring it back with a list and we will fix it (no warm and fuzzies after spending 70 k) so got it home and we… Read more
got rain hatch leaked aircon failed pelmet on window fell off toilet full light not working and I’d only traveled 26 km. Not to mention the rough job on the trim no glue cleaned off the cupboards and silicone looked like a toddler or maybe a infant had used the corking gun absolutely garbage job . Took it back to jayco and 6 weeks later got it back and was told where the ceiling joint tape was coming off someone had drilled holes by mistake and covered it up not actually a join in roof , but to fix the problem the roof has to come off 4000$ Jayco you really need to wake up the quality control staff it’s no joke , and as for the lemon van unused ,missed out on the lap round lost job though COVID ,going cheep 60k
Good bang for your buck ! – Purchased a 2015 16.52 Jayco Journey Outback JTech dual wheel ,four years ago..Dealer couldnt sell it because it had no ensuite .Have done over 25000 klms,which include three seven thousand klm trips around Qld.Only real problem s forward opening door flew open,triple outer door clips were worn.Tows well easy to manouvre .Finish and interior… Read more · 1
materials average ,yes some screws came out etc ! Exterior fibreglass is still in good condition. Hail has /did not damage the fg exterior .I agree Jaycos quality control is not the best ,however I have two mates with high end $100000.00 brand vans who have had never ending problems.Would I buy another Jayco,yes.
Never buy a Jayco product again – Purchased van at the 2020 caravan show. Handover 23rd March. Could not use because of virus shutdown. Noticed no covering on window above sink. Six weeks of negotiations and 4 days in workshop to get a curtain installed. First trip away (150ks). Wiring for water tank levels fell off and near scraping the ground. These were held on by pieces of… Read more
tape. Told not to worry and to continue trip. TV antenna would not turn. Massive leak from shower drain. Do not know if any damage to floor. Shower drain pipes go under chassis and not through it. They were held on by 2 cable ties. Not fixed. Water leak from behind awning. Front near side floor of van dropped.. Not secured. 15 days in workshop. Another small trip away. Back to workshop. Water leak from flexible hose in shower. Radio antenna hanging off side on van. Cracked silicone on rear corner of roof. Clearance light loose. Rear roof lock clip held on by 1 screw and glue. Aircon revving up to turbo while running on low. Told that they could not hear any problem. 13 days in workshop. Shower drain pipes still run under chassis, but now secured better. Aircon still a problem. 32 days spent in workshop. Even after booking the van in for repairs it appears nothing was done for 4 1/2 days. All other problems fixed we think. Have to wait until our next trip to see whats next. Will not be going back to Jayco Adelaide.
Hello Dave, We are disappointed to learn that you have… Read more (+1 reply)
Good little van – 2017 Journey from new. Haven't had any issues. Tows well behind the Pajero. My only concern would be the glass windows but haven't seen another with them to compare. No issues with them so far though. Show details · 1
Nothing but trouble – So excited to pick up our new 16' Outback Journey in 2019 All downhill from there. Dometic air/con, that was supposed to heat, didn't Fridge freezes up on long road trips. Scratches on doors. Knobs falling off the oven. Poor quality finishes inside Has been in service centre for wks since we've had it. Never again Jayco Show details
Hello Sharon. Thank you for reaching out as we would be… Read more
best thing I bought cheap holiday touring – 2 axles, great to tow, has oven ,not too bad when wind blowing badly best thing is being able to leave and tour around . toe with a ford territory diesel 2.7 ltr Show details · 1
Disappointed Jayco purchaser – We bought the new 2019 Jayco -journey/outback at the camping show in Bendigo, we picked the van up a few weeks later after having a few minor repairs and a detail, ,including a very noticeable hole in bottom corner of the vinyl when the pop-top is up. our first trip ( 4 days ) it rained for a few hours and my mattress, doona and pillow were so… Read more
wet as if a bucket of water had been tipped on it , we could see a stream of water coming in. we took it back to the dealer in Bendido/Epsom that told me they could not find a leak, so I got the van home put the pop top up ,got a hose and sprayed the vinyl and with-in seconds the water was entering again but at the opposite diagonal corner where the original gap was. they did say it has been reported to Jayco and if it still leaks take it to a closer Jayco repair place which really disappoints me. I wont rate the van/service yet until I call a Jayco repair place in Melbourne and see what they can do. I was biting at the bit to get away after COVID19 ends, hope this isn't one of those horror stories we sometimes hear about. Happy travels to all grey nomads. PS---This review must be star rated so until my review after repair hopefully is completed i will rate mid- range.
Update on the above review--- We had some more rain over the last few days and with help from my… Read more (+3 replies)
Can't fault it – Haven't had any problems with my 2018 18:55 comfortable for the wife and me bought new Tows great,looks great easy care and find jayco service very good people to deal with Show details
First caravan experience – Easy to tow, manoevre. Systems all work correctly and reliably. Solar charging maintains battery remarkably well Show details
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