Jayco unveils $8000 caravan

Jayco is targeting cash-strapped campers with a new, bare-boned teardrop caravan that’s around half the price of its previous entry-level camper trailer.

Unveiled at the 2014 NSW Caravan, Camping, RV & Holiday Supershow at Rosehill Racecourse, the cheap, cheerful and very compact J-Pod has a Tare weight of just 395kg and 749kg ATM, meaning it doesn’t require electric brakes and can be towed behind just about any vehicle.

The blue and white painted, fibreglass body shell is mounted on a painted steel chassis with basic leaf spring suspension and 13in alloy wheels.

A strut-assisted rear door lifts up to reveal a cosy, no-fuss interior with nothing more than an innerspring double mattress, two push-out windows (with no flyscreens or curtains) and some rear shelving.

However, there’s a decent-sized boot at the front where you could possibly fit your own battery, bbq or porta-potti.

There's also room for the large rear tent or annexe that attaches to the camper body via press studs to provide a weather-tight living area big enough to place a table and chairs or stand up in.

The rear annexe is made by Napier Australia, which specialises in tents for the back of utes and hatchbacks, and will come standard with the camper.

Barry O’Donnell from Port Macquarie Jayco dealer Watson’s Caravans said the mini-caravan is a good alternative to a tent trailer for those on tight budgets.  

“It’s a new concept, it’s something we’re trying, and because of (Jayco’s) buying power we’ve created something that’s under $10,000 that will do a certain job,” he said.

“It will keep you out of the weather, and it’s got a boot in it, and at $8000 it won’t owe you the national debt!”

With a pricetag of $7990, the J-Pod camper was around $10,000 less --- and at least half the weight -- than the cheapest camper trailer on display at the Jayco stand, a four-berth, on-road Swift model priced around $18,000.

Jayco is yet to confirm full-scale production of the tiny caravan, but it could prove another winner for the Victorian RV giant with plenty of interest at the show including from two female grey nomads who were keen to replace their existing tent trailer with the much easier-to-use J-Pod.