Jayco Starcraft

Jayco Starcraft 2017 – In December 2017 we received our new Jayco Starcraft Outback 2017 from South Auckland Caravans in NZ. This was a stock ordered caravan, so when we signed up the agreement, it was already on the factory line with no chance to change anything. The handover was fantastic by South Auckland Caravans, the young lad took us through everything and during… Read more

the process fixed 2 items. 1. the smoke detector wasn't installed, 2. the radio needed adjustment so it didn't hiss. These fixes were instant. He was knowledgeable, patient and it was an excellent handover. Even though we had owned 2 previous caravans we found the 2 hour handover essential.

So what don't we like about our new caravan:-

1. The silicone use by the factory in Australia is messy. After our first trip I polished the van and seriously someone had very sticky fingers that day in the factory. There was silicone "bits" everywhere. The roof had an excessive amount. It was like dirty children's hands over a table cloth. Not noticeable until you get up close and see the "run" marks. Very disappointing.

2. The drawer fasteners - you must make sure that all drawers and cupboards "click" otherwise you will end up with the contents on the floor and indentations and marks accordingly.

3. The shower-head pipe, was not fixed correctly.

4. The picnic table is in a stupid location, when the awing is extended you can not sit a person on both sides of the table. So it becomes a table for 1 persons use.

5. The waste difter control is not working and we currently have this as a warranty claim.

6. I miss the gadgets that UK caravans have, like wine bottle holders, wine glass holders, plate racks, already installed ready to go

7. Jayco Australia, have been near on possible to get any help from. We want to install a Satellite dish and my husband wants some wiring information. We are always referred to the dealer. We have read many complaints about the poor communication that the Jayco factory have and we reaffirm this is also our experience.

So what do we love about our new caravan:

Everything else! Okay it's our first "New" caravan, so there's nothing like that. However the layout is great. All the way through boot box very handy. Its a dream to have.

What to think about when buying an Outback:

1. It's really tall, like 3 meters and it's a step up to get inside. Because of it's height you need to think more about over hanging trees.

2. Great to have a bike rack installed on the back, but because of the height it's impossible to use without a step up stool, unless you are over 6ft tall!

3. It's more protected on the road, there's a plate on the front and combine with height, going over metal/tar roads it is more protected and less damaged.

4. Plenty of room underneath the caravan. Storing gear or even making up a small dog kennel provides an excellent shaded area.

Excellent...love this van – Ordered from Horsham Jayco whilst travelling in Feb 2017. Collected it in August 2017. The team at Jayco Horsham are fantastic, can't fault Richard and his team. They ensured the van was road ready once they receive it from the factory and it was spotless. A few slight issues to be rectified (curtains weren't fitted to the bunks and one bunk was… Read more

missing a 12v light). Other than that, everything appears to be working as it should. I've gone through trying to find fault and am satisfied that the workmanship is very good. This will be tested over the following 12 months but on our recent 3 day/night trip - all good. Tows well, all the extras and things ordered work well and were supplied! Diesel heater fitted at Horsham is magnificent. Looking forward to many years in this van with our family. Highly recommend this floor plan if you need space but don't like the idea of towing a 22 ft version. It packs a lot in for a reasonably small van. Don't hate Jayco for hating Jayco's sake - the customer service and support is, so far, first class.

**UPDATE**

We've now had the van for 6 months and have done a heap of travelling in it. I changed the water reducer valve under the van as they are renowned for breaking down - no problems. Had minor issues with the internal ceiling lights. They were pitting around the edges and starting to crack. Replaced on first service no worries. The surround from the mixer tap in the shower came loose. Again, replaced on first service. The drifter panel was not working (water tank levels not displayed). Fixed on first service. Turned out they had been wired upside down at the factory! The hot water release pipe in the hot water housing burnt through. Again, fixed on first service. Apparently the flame connection needed adjusting. All under warranty. Have had absolutely no problems otherwise. We have free camped several times for a week at a time and have had not issues. I am very happy with the van and for the price (still not cheap but you'd pay a lot more elsewhere) and would certainly buy another down the track. This van will hopefully last us another 10 years.

excellent strong van.. jayco starcraft 1996 – we have owned the starcraft fully framed model for 6 years out of its life (1996 model) . it has the bed to one side with a small ensuite in the corner. kitchen in the middle with fridge opposite and front diner. by far the best van we have owned everything works but we recently changed the hws to a system that has an inside switch (because we… Read more

could)

single axle and tows like a dream. fully loaded @ 1650kg (we put it on scales) and I have not been fussy about where I put things

well balanced

had a flat tyre that broke the wheel arch mould. next major town bought replacement.

partner left the water cap on top of wheel and we lost it. next major town we got another one

the older vans are far more superior with framed walls being better... parts are readily available.. I am happy

we have done many trips and kms. the panel on the cutlery draws is worn but the rest is still good.

found "new age" widow covers x 2

found coromal parts

found other parts of vans on road sides but never jayco

Great van – This is the best van I’ve bought so far. We’ve been off road & van parks from around Tasmania, Vic, NSW through to qld & NT. Only complaint is that the bed is a bit small. We towed with a Mazda CX-9 with great ease. Just the fuel was a bit heavy.  Show details ·  1

Good value – Our Starcraft is suiting us very well due to it's light weight and ease of set-up. Tows very well and has given us no hassles after our first trip of 2000km around Vic & SA  Show details

very happy with 2nd choice of Jayco – tows beautiful had minor issues with fittings inside but hopefully jayco will fix next service. comfortable for 2 no major issues. Would change some things if had the offer too.  Show details

JAYCO Starcraft 17.58 / Journey -Great features but quality lacking & factory warranty non-existent – Jayco Pro-shade (front window cover) blew off in transit during maiden voyage. Only 20km out of Ballarat when my friend travelling behind called to say something come off our van. Show details

I love this van, but Jayco need to lift there game – The van is great, some great ideas and design. Service department in Bayswater are great, but only if you can get a booking, there’s such great delays that I don’t go back to them. The cupboard door press buttons are terrible, the radio panel came off from the weight of the radio. The first service was to fix these issues, they are just the… Read more

same. I fixed the radio and some other small issues because it was going to take them to long.

I would hate to have a major problem...

We do love the van and go away as much as possible. But now there’s a lot more competition and other companies making great vans. Just wish they listed base pricing like Jayco does on there websites.! Don’t have time to go calling all the sellers....

2025 starcraft 17foot bushpac semi off road van have been very happy overall with this van good value cant fault so far we did a 100kms of dirt road and no problems no dust inside and nothing broken . jayco have been doing vans for 50 years and there quality is getting a lot better. other campers had dust in there 100k full off road vans . also… Read more

100 or so dealers and workshops everywhere around the country if you need parts or warranty work done hard to beat that

Suspension – I know the Outback was not suppose to be an extreme off road caravan, however, our 2012 model needs a few things mentioned. Microwaves jump out of their openings when on dirt/rough roads. The shear pins on the suspension spring and the axle intersection break/snap/shear with DIRE RESULTS. Our axle moved back 100mm, our caravan was crabbing down… Read more

the road. I replaced all four with HIGH TENSILE shear pins. This should have been the case originally. Never had much satisfaction when dealing with this company.

Perfect – Our Jayco Starcraft keeps blowing the fuse for the hot water when the hot water tap is turned on. Is this an easy fix or does the caravan need to be taken to a dealer. Otherwise the van is superb, comfortable, tows well. Show details

Leaks & poor quality – Water leaks noted at 2.5 years & Jayco wont repair, never been off road & low mileage. Insurance cant fix as its a manufacturing fault. Joining trims very poor quality & shows age at 2 years just poor quality.  Show details

Perfect van for us – We have been all around Australia 2013, and many long trips since QLD,WA again , SA Cook town a very comfortable van , never had any trouble while travelling so easy to tow this van has everything you need for a perfect holiday ,and here we are 2023 still love this van and still no problems ,no need for us to trade up, have done many many trips… Read more

since the first review ,and still very happy absolutely no issues at all ,the only thing we need to replace is the water pump but not bad for a van now 10 yrs old .

happy camper with starcraft outback – We have now done 7000Km with our jayco, and really love it..had a few small issues that have been fixed no problem. The van tows really well, all equipment works as it should, and is very comfortable to live in..The fit and finish is fine and had no problems with any furniture..I believe the brand is good value for money with good after sales service. We purchased our van in Brisbane.  Show details

Very basic van but cant do the basics right – I jave owned a jayco starcraft 2017 model for 6 months now. I paid 50k plus GST which i understand is the basic entry lv. But they have failed to do the basics properly. I have hairline cracks apperaing everywhere on the ceilings. My water pump has stopped working, one stabalizer leg doesn't click onto place unless i use a hammer. Also there was a… Read more

mess is all the cupboards from there cutting. Also i paid for a starter kit where the drain hose is 27mm and the addaptor is 25mm. This results in it not draining properly sometimes.They have to pull out all my cupboard and re do the ceiling. Just should have bought a second hand caravan because i feel like i will have one at the full price.

Great allround van – Being an owner of a number of vans (6) we had a fair idea of what we wanted. Reliability. Build. Safety. Modcons..a toilet and shower for the wife. The starcraft outback is prado friendly..easy to tow and all in all a good product. Yes like all vans you treat them well they last..all the vans weve had either new or secondhand have had some issue… Read more

or another..some better some worse.

Jayco are like Toyotas to me.. parts are readily available across Australia..even ebay.

Reliabilty comes back to the build and quality control yet sometimes you just get a dud..I could name a few top end vans who are no different.

For us to be honest weve had no issues with our outback on or offroad. No serious tracks yet like the gibb yet no matter what the manufacturers say about their offroad rigs its how you treat them..nothing Ive seen yet is 100% offroad proof.

Jayco.. keep on making the van for the people.

Thumbs up.

Unfortunately you get what you pay for – Quality is basic, pop out bed jams occasionally and has broken base of bed. Had to search on line how to sync. Motors. Never told about it at delivery. Had to add Anderson plug and heavy wiring to run fridge on 12v. Was shocked to find wiring held together with bullit connectors and wrapped in tape under metal flap 1/3 way down drivers side.… Read more

No protection form elements.

From day one ours scraped its bum on anything but a flat driveway exit ( yes even service stations )

$800 later it has a 75mm lift. 100% improvement.

Now cd in radio has gone and as its 2 years old no warranty.

Internal walls bubbling under external speakers

Wheel Jack for Outback Starcraft – We have previously owned 2 touring Jayco vans. Our new Outback only has the standard scissor Jack. Has anyone challenged Jayco asking how we are expected to change tires on the higher van? Have they replaced the small jack with a more suitable one, or at least given a big discount on a new purchase of an appropriate Jack? Would be interested in… Read more

other Outback owners thought and experiences as I will be contacting my Jayco dealer this week. Thanks

Would Not Recommend I bought a Lemon – Bought brand new Nothing but trouble since. The first dirt road there was dust in every possible place you could imagine inside, kitchen cupboards coming away from wall, draws and doors don't shut properly, leaks in windows, leaks through shower light, brakes fixed 5 times, hot water system fixed twice, stove electric element not working now,… Read more

fridge fixed twice, the step has broken come away from the van and I could go on and on because its never ending. Once they have your money they don't seem to want to know you. They are called Junko's bu most caravannas I have met and I agree. Never ever buy one again. NO STARS if i could give a minus I would.

Isolating outside speakers – First time van has been out and all is going really well after a 2 hour trip. One question if anyone can help please. How do we isolate the outdoor speakers. Thanks in advance.  Show details

No Quality Control ! – I bought a 2017 jayco starcraft outback picked it up on 7 12 2017 and have found a lot off faults in the first week. Have returned van for repairs. They include: Reseal roof; Put sealer around wheel arches as there was none from factory and can see day light from inside van. High spots in cladding . Missing screws, and loose screws . Under van… Read more

is very rough, rail needs replacing. Cupboard hard to open, stove hard to open, laminate peeling, TV blew up after 2 hrs and one window won't stay open. We bought an unusable van ! Paid a lot of money for a defective van.

Generally very good – I Picked up the van 7 days ago from Ballarat Jayco, packed up caravan ready for a weekend away ,towed van to petrol station to fill car with fuel. Went back home approx 30klm, l/h brake drum was very hot rang Ballarat Jayco they wanted me to take the van to them next week Thursday. I said I will not tow the van anywhere with faulty brakes they… Read more ·  1

said they will send a mechanic to fix the bakes on Tuesday. So we cancelled our weekend away what a disappointing outcome

Their predelivery is not very thorough as I found many loose fittings etc

Jayco Starcraft Poptop – We bought this van (new) because the layout, size and price suited us well. I had a few doubts because we had some issues to do with our previous van (Jayco Journey) - mainly poor quality workmanship/leaks/things not working as they should. However, our experience with the Jayco Starcraft has been very different. It appears to have been quite well… Read more

put together. A few little things have needed attention eg loose taps but these are basically due to vibration and using the van under normal conditions. No major issues/leaks etc have been evident. It is by no means a luxury van but is quite functional and tows well.

terrible plastic taste in water – apart from anoying things like cheap securing screws and plastic fittings that are useless the water in the van no matter how many times i flush with fresh tank water it still tastes like plastic, if jayco are using inferior water hose they need to stop using it, any suggestions from customers , i rang my seller and he said he has the same problem… Read more

with his van and buys bottled water, really, that did not help I will now try the company head office

Great Van poor finish detail – Purchased April 17 Newcastle, first trip Darwin / Perth so on. Excellent van to tow, secure and stable, layout was the main reason for purchase, very comfortable. First service Darwin the front window cover latches needed replacing, nearly blown off. Held together with gaff tape,two cupboard latches fell apart both top draws, stove griddle… Read more

blistered, replaced under warrantee, awning would not roll up, had to be retentioned .

By mobile repair service, Katherine, Radio would not accept cd, fitting screws left in CD player. Contacted Furrion USA for help. Drop down leg not locking in, Hose inlet to ensuite leaking, window screen not latching, A/c Coleman mac9 direction flues broken. Picnic table o rings broken , replacedDarwin $4 ! Cushion in club lounge gone soft.

Other than that the van is great, so far? See whats in the next 5000 ks hold.

VERY PLEASED – Bought this new in early 2016,the small 13ft two single bed Starcraft outback model. The size and layouts meets our needs perfectly, we do not like carrying tons of stuff around the country and are happy with this small van. We have traveled 10000 kms mostly on hardtop outback roads without any problems, the van tows very well, it is easy to get… Read more

on and off the Ranger and the ground clearance is fantastic. In my opinion both the interior and exterior quality is excellent. We have not had a drawer come out, all the electrics including the solar system have performed as you would hope and the interior and exterior looks as good as new after nearly two years. Bought the van, (our fourth camper/poptop) from Watsons the Jayco dealer in Coffs Harbour, they have exceeded our expectations in every respect over the last 10 or so years. Jayco may well be cheaper than many of the other options, but the technology is right up there.

This is our second Jayco Van – We purchased our Jayco 17 ft caravan 2014 second hand locally...It was 2years old and towed for only 2000 ks...The shower had never been used and the stove and grill had never been used...The van actually looked brand new...These were the good benefits.. On our first journey the toilet leaked, the hose came off the back of the toilet and… Read more

flooded our new van...It rained the following day and the skylight leaked onto our double bed.....Our next trip went well until I tried to open the struts outside on the front window....I expect this have never worked..Beautiful van poor workmanship...Not enough space to tell you what happened to our brand new van...

Love it – Ok... i love the caravan life for myself and my young little family... the van is great but we have had a few ups and downs with just little things and one big thing..my on roof A/C unit didnt work but jayco brisbane took care of it so fast i didnt even get a chance to be upset... thank you jayco brisbane.. SAM the sales man.. great guy and does… Read more

care about you when you do drive away with van in tow...most of the little things are realy my own falt as im a little heavy handed on things.. ok.so the things you want too know... the finish is great... iv been off road and it tows AWSOME.. i went from brisbane to vic in 2016 with the floods and didnt have one prob with it, did not leak one bit was so dry, was sealed well tight...as a bigger guy i do wish the bed was a bit bigger but you know what they say "only faiys wish" so i give it a 5 star..

Poor Service and build quality – Purchased 19 ft. Jayco Starcraft Touring caravan in November 2015. Took away for first trip to Maroochydore on 6/2/2016. Numerous faults in van, rang Brisbane Camperland the selling dealer from Maroochydore to arrange them to repair the van under warranty as was going south the following week. Given date 12/4/2016, some 10,WEEKS LATER . Brisbane… Read more

Camperland don,t care about customers, or warrant work once they have sold the van. Had the van 18 months, Faults include ,water leaks on plumbing, broken catches, fridge difficult to set operating functions, water valve under van faulty , plastic covering on fridge door came adrift,TV power cable in roof sawn through in 2 places on assembly,TV wind up aeriel came adrift on hinge as had no retaining clip on pin assembly,. These vans are not checked or tested before leaving factory and are sold with faults in them.

the worst caravan to buy do not concider and certainly do not purchase from jayco gold coast at the – It is of extremely poor fall apart quality, caravan is unreliable, van is reasonably comfortable, because of its shape and less thought in aerodynamics its only reasonable to tow. It is obvious that because jayco are such a large caravan/spare parts company that so called industry governing bodies of which are heavily supported buy jayco allow… Read more

such poor workmanship. There is no quality control in there production line and this is such a corrupt unregulated industry. I am going to build an extremely large case on this matter. I am not now but will be a grey nomad, I am sick of them being ripped off with the excuse such as it only cost.....$ . It is still a new product and is driven on our roads. Imagine how dangerous cars would be if they had this quality. I will be keeping the best for my barristers. The reason I have waited patently until now was to allow more defective work to occur. Good luck Jayco gold coast you owners down there think you are wealthy think again.

Great holiday van for a family – We upgraded from a Jayco Swan Camper just after Christmas 2016 and have not regretted the move. The ease of set up is fantastic, especially when you have young children. For us the main issue is that we are time poor, so when we want to get away the easier it is to pack up, set up and then unpack when we are back the better. The van as opposed… Read more

to the camper allowed us to gradually get things done a few days prior to heading off without requiring me to set the camper up and then pack it up just before heading off. Obviously it is the same benefit once we are back and cleaning out the van.

As with most of the posts we have had some minor issues with quality and finish such as the table coming off the wall, a couple of draws coming apart, screws pulling out of one of the cupboard doors and the bed not being aligned properly but between Watson's Caravans in Coffs Harbour (selling dealer) and Jayco Mackay (closest dealer) all the issues have been fixed with minimal hassle.

The van has been extremely reliable for us thus far and we use it on average every second weekend (including holidays) and rather than sitting in a hotel room when away for work on 3 occasions I have towed the van and set up at a beach van park.

The double bed is a bit small and is probably the only major downfall/issue that the wife and I have identified. If you are a tall couple then this is a definite show stopper. The bunks have plenty of room length wise and on a couple of occasions when we have an unsettled child I have had to do the swap (the double bed cannot sleep 2 adults and 1 child). Our eldest is only 4 therefore size is not an issue for them but our kids love the bunks.

The shower and toilet is a good addition and something new for us. We had heard a lot of negative feedback about the shower/toilet combo and were a bit worried but it is fine. If we were travelling around Australia or living in the van I would want something better but for a weekender/holiday van it is more than adequate.

The van has the fibreglass walls which looks really good and I did hear a Jayco employee make a comment that they tend to have less water leaks around the windows. To date no water leaks at all.

We also opted the larger fridge which I highly recommend.

We tow the van with a Prado and it tows beautifully. When all loaded up we run a little close to the ATM of the Prado but still tows well.

Apart from the bed size which we manage with, we love our Starcraft Pop Top 17.58-3.

For us it is a great van for weekends away and holidays.

Perfect, love it – Ive found the van to be perfect for what we want, its very comfortable, lots of cupboard space, great mattresses, I cant complain, but one or two things, the window blind played up since we bought it, but under warranty was replaced by Jayco, we did not understand how to use water tanks thinking that they empty separately or empty together still… Read more ·  1

we do not know its a bit mysterious. Any answers would be appreciated. Indication showas that one of the tanks is full but we cant use it.. also the grouting around the sink seemed to edge away, we also had that replaced by Jayco under warranty, overall I'm happy just need my questions answered, re water tanks....

3 year old caravan what do you expect Told by guy at jayco head office – Heron 2.2 air conditioner face cracking tried to deal with page Bros jayco service but the service manager doesn't reply to email and just doesn't follow up so tried to go thought jayco headofffice and 3 phone calls and a email with photos after all that to be to be told by person in there service department quote " it's a 3 year old caravan what do u expect" jayco = junkco don't waste your money  Show details

Van is ok but ridiculous in regards to payload. After gas and water they allow next to nothing for a few minor extras. Will look elsewhere next time. Show details