11 things you didn't know about Jayco
From Olympic Gold to mystery sinkholes, Jayco's done a lot over the past 45 yearsBuyers still queuing up
With a current, four month order backlog and orders still trickling in from dealers during the coronavirus crisis, Jayco has continued to pump out caravans at its Dandenong, Victoria mega-factory.
Celebrating its 45th anniversary in 2020 and Australia's top-selling RV manufacturer for many years with an estimated 35 per cent of the market, Jayco currently employs around 1000 people, including six apprentices at its head office and manufacturing plant.
And it must be a decent place to work as some staff have been there almost since the start, like Gary Cameron who currently holds the 'longest standing employee' title at 35 years, and counting...
Sometimes you gotta back yourself
Sent on a fact finding mission to Jayco USA as a young employee at Melbourne’s Sunwagon Camper Trailers in the early 1970s, Jayco founder Gerry Ryan came back brimming with fresh ideas.
But it fell on deaf ears so Ryan decided to take the plunge and build his own campers from a farm shed in Cranbourne. The rest, they say, is history…
From a cow shed to RV estate
After an inauspicious start in a ‘cow shed’ in Cranbourne, Victoria, Jayco has had four major moves and numerous factory locations before re-locating to the current 50 acre, 'Jayco-plex’ production site in Dandenong, Victoria around 10 years ago. It's so big it has a street named after it – Jayco Drive.
Investing in the recreational lifestyle
Now with an estimated family fortune of $380 million, Jayco founder Gerry Ryan has fingers in many business 'pies' including hi-tech theatre production company Creature Technology, hospitality venues including Mitchelton Wines, sports clubs like the Melbourne Storm rugby league club, and recreational venues including Nagambie Holiday Park and Gumbaya Park.
You can't win 'em all!
As far as products go, Jayco has had plenty of success stories, from the original wind-up camper trailers to the latest 'smart' Silverlline caravans, which accounts for as much as 20 per cent of Jayco's overall RV production.
But there's been a few sales 'duds' along the way, including the short-lived American-style fifth-wheeler and Kombi-style Hiace Camperan. While it's early days, the jury is still out on the latest premium-priced, American-built imported Jayco Airstreams...
No cracking under pressure
Prototypes of new Jayco models are subjected to up to 14,000km of torture testing at the automotive proving ground near Anglesea in Victoria to see if anything cracks or falls off. It can take up to four hours of corrugation-style punishment to determine if a fitted microwave is up to the task…
Sour taste of court battle
Court proceedings continue more than two years after the ACCC accused Jayco of "unconscionable conduct" towards four customers who bought defective Jayco caravans.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission alleged four owners were refused refunds or replacement between 2013 and 2015 for their defective Jayco caravans; claiming the company did this despite knowing they were defective and not functioning properly, even after repeated repair attempts.
We're still waiting for a resolution after a Federal Court judge in late-2019 reserved judgment on whether Jayco breached the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) by its conduct.
Series of firsts
No overnight success, the first humble Jayco camper trailer was built in 1975, followed by the first pop-top in 1979, first fixed caravan in 1983, first Outback camper (1988), first aluminium framed van (1991), first Expanda (2002), and first motorhome (2004).
More recently, we’ve seen the top-spec Sterling (now Silverline) arrive in 2006, Toy Hauler (2008), 5th Wheeler (2013), Teardrop Camper (2015), Forward Fold tent trailer (2018), Hybrid (2019), and first off-road motorhome (2020)
Making caravans smarter
While Jayco is not always a leader when it comes to latest technology (lagging years behind competitors with lithium batteries and airbag suspension adoption), it's certainly leading the way in 'smart' technology, including voice activated control of lighting and the electric awning, and 360 degree views when driving.
Jayco is also behind moves to introduce to Australia a world-first plug-in tow scale using smart phone app which should be available at Jayco dealers soon.
200,000 RVs and counting
Jayco boasts having built more than 200,000 RVs and park cabins over the past 45 years, and quite a few of the early models remain in service today. But others have been less fortunate, like the forlorn, 30-something Jayco camper discovered abandoned on a corrugated track near the Central Arnhem Road, around 400km from the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory.
The owners of the well-travelled, broken-down camper were inspired to write the following epitaph on the body: “We got our money’s worth. R.I.P beloved caravan 1980-2009”.
While in another well-publicised incident a few years back, one very unlucky Jayco owner discovered his van swallowed up by an Inskip Point ‘sinkhole’,!
Playing the sponsor game
Jayco founder Gerry Ryan has also sunk many millions of his personal wealth into supporting countless sports teams and athletes and sponsoring many a good cause over the years.
But it all started with a helping hand to cash-strapped cyclist Kathy Watts prior to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
She repaid Ryan in spades by winning silver and gold medals. Gerry's response: “What a great return on investment.”
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