Jayco Crosstrail 2026 Review

Jayco has a broad market appeal for its cost-effective products and offers models in just about every category of the Aussie RV market. This now extends to the Crosstrail - essentially a heavy-duty trailer for carrying motorbikes that can be easily accessorised to enhance your camping experience.

I am an old dirt bike rider, having towed a variety of bike carriers over the years from basic lightweight trailers that didn’t even need electric brakes through to impressive multi-berth haulers.

So I suspect this mid-point configuration will appeal to a lot of users. Let’s explore why...

First up, the 1845kg ATM means most vehicles on the road with a tow bar and electric brakes can handle the Crosstrail. It’s a nice alternative to full-blown garage-style toy haulers that often realistically need 4500kg towing capacities to get the job done.

The compliance plate on the Crosstrail we borrowed from Bayswater Jayco showed a 1091kg Tare, which allows a payload of 754kg. The guys at the dealership told me that the factory-fitted accessories, including the 180-degree awning, toolbox, outdoor kitchen, water tank, and 12V power pack, were included in the Tare weight.

The rooftop tent was fitted by the dealer and weighs around 70kg, leaving about 680kg payload. Add 80kg of water and you're back to a 600kg payload for bikes, riding gear, fuel and food, which is pretty reasonable.

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The Crosstrail is designed to carry three motorbikes, one quad bike or a bunch of other things that take your fancy.

It has a heavy-duty tread plate floor with three integrated front wheel holders. When you need them, you just fold them out, and when you don’t, they sit flush on the floor.

There are plenty of tie-down points to strap the front of the bikes down securely. The recessed tie-down rings at the rear are also nice and tidy.

The floor sits between the trailer wheels rather than above them. This keeps the floor relatively low, making it easier and safer to get bikes on and off.

The frame holding the rooftop tent can be hinged up to provide more headroom when wheeling the bikes on. I am 175cm tall and didn’t really find it necessary, but anyone taller would appreciate the feature.

There is a neat spot to fit two jerry cans, with slots to strap them down. A single storage box comes standard and has a firewood tray on top. The box on the review trailer is fitted out with the optional slide-out kitchen and fridge slide, which is great for camping comfort but eats up storage space.

Fortunately, a second A-frame storage box has been optioned on the review trailer, which is great for securely storing riding gear. The front of the box has a pair of handy racks to carry the two supplied motorbike ramps, and on top of the box are a pair of optional Maxtrax.

Big caravan-style toy haulers can seem very appealing with their impressive living quarters. However, I'm not a fan of sleeping/living in an enclosed space where I am exposed to the petrol fumes of the bikes.

The simplicity of an open trailer means it will vent away fuel vapours, and I suspect have minimal impact on the rooftop tent above.

Of course, the downside of an open trailer is that it offers no protection against the elements or the risk of theft.

However, to use the living space in many toy haulers, the bikes need to come out which means they are now also exposed to the elements and opportunistic thieves.

Again, with this simple set-up there is no need to remove the bikes from the trailer until you're ready to use them.

While adding a few thousand bucks to the price, all the optional extras fitted should make for a quite pleasant camping experience.

I'm a big fan of rooftop tents - the combination of comfort and convenience at camp is hard to beat. I must confess I ran out of time to set up the rooftop tent, which is part of Jayco's Escape range, so I can’t tell you about this one specifically.

However, the Ironman 180-degree awning sets up quickly and provides excellent coverage. I did, however, find there is a bit of a learning curve to pack it back up, and at my height, I needed a folding stool to reach.

The optional camp kitchen is a winner with its two-burner cooker, sink and tap. The deep drawer is tops for storing pots and a bit of food, and the fold-out work surface is handy to have.

The review unit came with a fridge slide but no fridge. Most people would find a chest fridge of their choice a welcome addition.

Power demands for the Crosstrail are basic, with just a chest fridge and a bit of lighting to worry about. The optional power pack with 200W solar, 30A DC/DC charger, 4in control panel and 100Ah lithium battery will more than do the job.

The optional plumbing pack is effectively a must if you opt for the kitchen, and comprises an 80L water tank, 12V pump, mains pressure inlet and the obligatory A-frame mounted tap.

The lack of a grey water tank may be limiting in some camping locations, and it's not listed as an optional extra either. If it was ours, we'd rig up an aftermarket hot water service plumbed to an external shower -- the ideal solution after a big day in the dirt!

For starters, you get a robust Australian-made trailer with a galvanised chassis and proven JTECH 2.0 independent trailing arm coil suspension.

The Cruisemaster DO-35 hitch, electric brakes, alloy wheels and 245/70R16 all-terrain, light truck tyres all make for solid running gear, while the underslung spare keeps weight centralised and low for optimum towing stability.

The khaki paint job with contrasting black trim, combined with the sweeping angular lines of the aluminium frame, make the Crosstrail look rugged and purposeful. The matching khaki Maxtrax are the must-have accessories – and pretty useful if you do get stuck.

In base format (from $22,766 tow-away), the Crosstrail is more or less just a heavy-duty trailer. Alternatively, you could go and buy a basic flatbed trailer and create a DIY equivalent on a budget.

However, the value in the Crosstrail comes through in that Jayco has done all the hard work for you. Plus, it has been well thought through with many nice features that make it user-friendly for transporting motorbikes.

A key benefit of the base trailer is that it's an excellent platform for adding on accessories to enhance your camping experience. All the options fitted are itemised below and bring the price up to $33,608. You can spend more -- there are 12 options (either single accessories or packs) in total to choose from.

As a turnkey, drive-away solution, I think it's pretty good value, and certainly much more obtainable than one of the fancy garage toy haulers.

Price: From $22,766 tow-away ($33,608 tow-way with accessories as shown)
Options fitted: 200W solar panel, 100Ah lithium battery, 30A DC to DC charger, 4in control panel, front and rear light bars, outdoor kitchen with twin-burner gas cooker, 80L water tank and 12V pump, 9kg gas bottle, rooftop tent, 180 degree awning, slide-out fridge tray, front toolbox, slide-out storage tray, Maxtrax recovery boards.
Travel length: 5200mm
Travel width: 2210mm
Travel height: 2300mm
Tare: 1091kg (without options)
ATM: 1845kg
Ball weight (Tare): 173kg
Body: Powder-coated aluminium frame
Chassis: Hot-dip galvanised
Suspension: JTech independent coil, DO-35 pin coupling
Brakes: Electric
Wheels: 16in black alloy, 245/70R16 AT tyres
Supplied by: Bayswater Jayco
More info: Jayco Australia