Michael Browning•17 Aug 2016

REVIEW

Jayco Silverline

Got a family that doesn't like to rough it? Try this triple bunk glamour-van on for size…

If you want the best Jayco bragging rights on your next family holiday, Australia’s largest RV manufacturer has recently answered your prayers.

The 25ft long and nearly 2900kg tare weight Silverline 25.78-6 OB with its slide-out lounge is now the biggest and beefiest Jayco you can buy following its recent release at the Sydney Supershow.

At an RRP of nearly $83,000 it’s also the most expensive model in the vast Jayco range, but like most things Gerry Ryan and his South Dandenong, Victoria team do, the decision to release it was based on solid buyer interest, not whim.

To gauge demand, Jayco last year produced a trial run of 20 full height caravans based on its range-topping, full height Silverline. The interest this generated emboldened Jayco to introduce the model officially in June and this decision was vindicated by immediate sales and the interest that the review van garnered during our photo-shoot, when its price didn’t seem to daunt curious onlookers.

However, given its cost and weight, which mandates a relatively large 3500kg-capable tow vehicle, you might wonder why Jayco didn’t instead base its ‘bunker’ on the cheaper 22ft Starcraft, priced from just over $60,000 in Touring trim that already comes with a combined double bedroom and club lounge slide-out.

The decision to use the largest 25ft Silverline as a base came down to field research indicating that the extra living space was not only wanted, but that cashed-up buyers were prepared to pay a premium for more enjoyable family holidays.

In fact the only serious choice that Jayco offers buyers of its Silverline-based Family Bunk Van is whether to have three vertically stacked fixed rear bunks, or two. If the later, the lower bunk converts to a dinette, creating a separate rear lounge for the rug-rats.

The resulting nine-metre long caravan looks huge, particularly when optioned with the 90kg heavier Outback pack, but felt much smaller and lighter than its true dimensions behind a solid ‘family truckster’ like the latest Toyota LandCruiser 200 series we employed which, with its kerb weight of 2740kg, was the perfect match for the Jayco giant.

With a massive 650Nm of torque produced by its 4.5-litre twin turbo V8 diesel engine, the Toyota was perfect for the job, making highway cruising at a genuine 100km/h a safe and comfortable option whenever the road and local laws allowed.

Meanwhile on the move, the LandCruiser’s eight seats in three rows (standard on GXL, VX and Sahara models) provide plenty of sprawling room for long towing days with a growing family and their gadgets.

The Silverline OB’s relatively low ball weight of 243kg for a van of this size didn’t impact noticeably on the Toyota’s rear ride height and unladen, the rig towed dead level and arrow straight, with surprisingly little effect from side winds – a by-product of the tow car’s weight and stability as much as anything else.

However when fully laden for a big family holiday, we’d recommend a professionally adjusted weight distribution hitch be fitted to maintain that stability.

Choosing Jayco’s Outback option for extended family touring with a Silverline Bunk van is of less benefit than ticking this option box on lesser Jayco models, as the Endurance hot-dipped galvanised chassis with its 150mm x 50mm diameter main members and the JTECH independent trailing arm coil spring and shock absorber suspension are the same on both Touring and OB Silverlines.

As far as I can tell, all you get for the extra $4064 OB option is off-road Al-Ko brake magnets, an external shower, a front stone shield and extra mudflaps – things that could probably be fitted by a dealer or caravan service specialist at less cost.

As it stands, the family Silverline has good ground clearance, both under the van and its drawbar. However, some caution will be needed with its long rear overhang when accessing steep driveways and gutters, like those you encounter in flash-flood prone Northern Queensland. A careful, angled approach usually overcomes the problem.

Another item that may limit the Silverline’s progress off the beaten track is its drop-down galvanized steel step. From past experience with Jaycos and other vans, this is the first item I would remove and replace with a large plastic step that can be stored in the step-well when travelling.

Otherwise it’s all good outside. Like all Silverline models, the van’s twin 9kg gas cylinders slide away out of sight and stone damage in a front left corner locker, while its right-hand equivalent gives alternative side access to the caravan’s large and unencumbered front boot.

Further handy storage for things you might want to access at roadside stops is provided by the long but relatively shallow storage hatch in the slide-out section – perfect for folding chairs, beach umbrellas and the like.

On the door side there’s a handy drop-down external picnic table and an entertainment hatch containing a swivel arm and the necessary power outlets and connections for an external TV, while the windowless rear wall of our Silverline review van was dedicated to a multi-bike rack.

Stepping inside, the very first thing you need to do is operate the 12v power slide mechanism via a wall switch, moving the section containing the central lounge out of the offside wall; otherwise your access to the interior is limited to the bedroom. Fortunately this takes less than 25 seconds, so it’s not really a chore.

Once opened up, the Silverline Bunk Van displays its roomy interior, although the inclusion of the double or triple-stacked single beds in the left hand rear corner effectively makes the living areas about the same size as a regular 20-21ft van.

The U-shaped club lounge also takes up more space than a regular L-shaped lounge or dinette, but given its ability to seat up all five occupants for dinner, it’s a price well worth paying. It could potentially seat six but for the single pedestal for the square shaped table that limits leg space in the centre of the ‘U’.

On the credit side, the slide is at floor level, so there are no raised areas to trip over and once expanded, the lounge and its three overhead cupboards integrate perfectly with the overall décor of the van.

That’s not totally true of the fixed kitchen, where the use of flat-faced cream overhead cupboards looks at odds with the stylish two-tone curved timber used elsewhere in the overhead areas.

The kitchen itself is up to the task of catering for family needs, with bench space on each side of the stainless steel sink and drainage board and the Dometic three gas/one electric burner cooktop.

There’s also good storage space below, with a visual highlight being the three curved-front soft-close drawers under the cooktop and grill. All cupboards and drawers feature stylish chrome hardware, although left handers may find them harder to operate at first acquaintance.

The bunk area of the van is separated from the kitchen by a concertina door, as is the bathroom, which incorporates a separate shower cubicle, a central cassette toilet, a top-loading 3kg Camec washing machine and a vanity basin with flick-mixer tap.

There’s not a lot of space here, but it’s adequate for the job, especially if you leave the door open and use the area between the bathroom and bunk beds for toweling down.

As each bed has its own opening window, reading light and curtains to close it off from the rest of the van, there’s space for everyone to call their own on a long road trip.

On the triple bunk version, a security board on the upper bunk keeps restless sleepers safely in place.

Finally, the area on the rear wall between the bunks and the bathroom is taken up by a handy cupboard with four large wardrobe shelves.

WE LIKED:

>> Overall packaging and interior style

>> Family living space and floor-level slide-out

>> Towing ease (with latest LandCruiser!)

NOT SO MUCH:

>> A power step would be nice at the Silverline’s price, as would solid, sound-proof rather than concertina doors to bunk and bathroom areas

>> Kitchen window very small

>> TV hutch looks unfinished without TV in place

VERDICT

The Silverline Bunk van packs a lot of family living into its 25ft and with the right tow car and some careful ‘off-road’ driving, is the perfect family haven for that big lap you’ve been planning.

JAYCO SILVERLINE 25.78-6 OB BUNK VAN

Travel length: 9035mm

External body length: 7750mm

Interior length: 7025mm

External body width: 2470mm

Travel height: 3055mm

Interior height: 1978mm

Tare weight: 2870kg

ATM: 3296kg

Ball weight: 243kg

Body: Vacuum-bonded fibreglass composite with interlocking roof system

Chassis: 150mm x 50mm galvanised

Suspension: JTECH trailing arm independent coil spring and shock absorber

Brakes: 12in electric

Wheels: 16 x 7in alloy with 245/70R16 tyres

Fresh water: 2 x 85L

Battery: 1 x 100Ah deep cycle AGM

Solar: Single 120W roof-mounted panel

Air-conditioner: Roof-mounted, reverse cycle

Gas: 2 x 9kg

Hot water: 22L Suburban gas/electric

Cooking: Dometic 3+1 gas/electric cooktop with griller and oven

Fridge: 190L Dometic 3-way

Microwave: Sphere

Toilet: Thetford cassette

Shower: Separate fibreglass interior cubicle plus external hot/cold shower Washing machine: Sphere 3kg top-loader

TV: Sphere 21-inch

Lighting: LED

Options fitted: None

Price (As reviewed, ex-Melbourne): $82,966

Supplied by: Jayco Page Bros, Seaforfd, Vic

More info: Jayco Australia

Jayco Silverline

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