At present Jayco claims to build approximately 700 motorhomes a year to service a total Australian market estimated at around 1800 units, but how many of these are sold to private buyers and how many are
for holiday rental market is not clear,
Increasing Jayco’s presence in the luxury large motorhome market is the new 9.0-metre long Optimum Iveco 29-5 which, as its name identifies, now sits on a new Iveco cab/chassis, rather than Fiat Ducato underpinnings.
These include a new 1100mm super-wide fibreglass shower module as part of its separate shower/toilet/vanity bathroom that extends across the motorhome’s rump, while ‘His’ and ‘Her’ wardrobes flank the queen bed that forms part of the Optimum’s large combined bedroom and loungeroom right-side slide-out wall.
As with the previous Optimum, the kitchen is fully equipped for luxury living and includes a 218-litre compressor fridge, a dishwasher and twin gas burners and a single induction cooktop.
A top-loader washing machine, an external slide-out BBQ, a satellite TV system, an electric step, built-in Onan 3.6kVa generator and twin 150 Watt solar panels are other standard features in this motorhome that retails for $215,000.
At a more affordable price-point, Jayco has also unveiled a new Fiat Ducato van-based campervan model – the FD19-1 – that represents sharp value in the present market at its RRP of $96,990.
Featuring a transverse rear queen bed, the FD-19 has a combined shower/toilet/vanity behind a full-height mirror door, a two-seater dinette and a galley with a three-burner gas cooktop and a Vitrifrigo 85-litre compressor fridge.
A 100AH battery, a single 120W solar panel and 90L of both fresh and grey water capacity should enable FD19 occupants to free-camp by the roadside or in National Parks for several nights on end.
Meanwhile, local motorhome rival Avan
also displayed a new version of its range-topping Ovation Titanium M10 model at Leisurefest. Built expressly for semi-retired Avan founder Jeff van Baardwyk, the new M10 with its single lounge-slide was built on an Australian-assembled AL-KO AMC chassis fitted with independent steel torsion bar rear suspension.
Van Baardwyk’s motorhome was additionally equipped with AL-KO’s optional four-wheel air suspension to allow it to negotiate steep service station driveways in places like Tropical Queensland without dragging its tail.