Production-ready Jayco Silverline revealed

After first breaking cover at the recent Perth Caravan & Camping Show, the updated 2023 Jayco Silverline has been revealed in production-ready form, with the top-selling brand's new flagship touring van boasting a number of updates not previously seen in the pre-production model.

Showcased to journalists at a recent Jayco media event at its national headquarters in Melbourne, production of the updated model has now commenced, with the first examples due to reach dealerships over coming weeks.

Highlighting Jayco’s ability to quickly and efficiently incorporate changes into its production processes, the 21-foot tandem-axle caravan shown to local media featured some important additions not seen in the show van in Perth, including a large offside hatch for more flexible front boot access, cubby holes either side of the east-west slide-out bed, and a lighter tone (known as ‘Braun’) for the lower cabinetry.

“The trunk [offside] door was probably one of the most important changes,” Jayco’s National Sales Manager, Scott Jones, told caravancampingsales. “People wanted big storage on both sides, so they have better access for heavier items – maybe a barbecue on one side and then anything else that may be heavy, like a generator, on the other.”

Mr Jones said Jayco wanted to “reinvigorate” its premium caravan line, and so the company sent its Senior RV Designer, Heather Barrett, to the Dusseldorf Caravan Salon in Germany to draw inspiration from the latest European styles and trends.

Jayco said Ms Barrett assembled a colour palette and externally worked from the front to the back to achieve a look that was “more aggressive, more automotive”.

While the Silverline’s independent coil-spring suspension and hot-dipped galvanized chassis continue, perhaps the single biggest change lies with the updated model’s new PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) flooring, which is essentially made from ground recycled plastic bottles.

The new 20mm-thick flooring is router cut and installed as a single piece, as opposed to the multiple ply panels used previously.

“Being one piece, you get better insulation properties, so if you’ve got your air-con on in summer or your heater in winter, it’s going to cool the van or heat the van a lot more efficiently,” said Mr Jones.

“It’s also a nice, flat surface from front to back, while the density [of the PET material] we use delivers excellent screw retention.”

He said the PET flooring was initially rolling out across Jayco’s Silverline, All Terrain, Crosstrak and pop-top lines, but would eventually filter down to other model families in time.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Silverline's updated interior incorporates several aspects gleaned from the RV industry in Europe.

“We really wanted to focus on our styling, and one thing that was really prevalent in the European product was that they’ve gone to a horizontal wood grain as well as concave [cabinet] doors, as opposed to convex doors,” Mr Jones said.

“And we went with a colour palette that was popular with some of the larger manufacturers, going with something that was a bit lighter than we had previously to give the van that lighter and more open, airy feel.”

Improving the van’s functionality are lower cubby holes with charging and power outlets now either side of the slide-out’s bed, complementing pockets to accommodate books, magazines and tablets.

In a similar vein, there are also corner storage boxes over the forward U-shaped dinette, complete with USB outlets in the lighting and power sockets. The latter are also ideal for storing reading material, or for charging devices in a handy yet unobtrusive space.

In all, Jayco says there were around 15 changes implemented in the 2023 Silverline since its initial pre-production appearance in Perth, including the decision to go with black tapware and lighting fixtures.

Other Silverline upgrades include the addition of two 100Ah lithium batteries and two 200W solar panels on the roof.

“There’s plenty of power up there when the sun is shining to run most things we’ve got in this van,” he said.

“And this being our premium model, it’s got just about everything. So it’s got the 216 litre fridge/freezer, the lithium batteries, the full oven, the washing machine – from an options point of view there’s really nothing else to add, unless you want to go to things like satellite reception or a gas heater, which not everybody needs or wants.”

Interestingly, the 2023 Jayco Silverline represents the first overhaul of the Silverline family since its introduction in 2014.

“The goal was to create that ‘wow factor’ for our premium product, literally starting from the chassis up,” he said. “The front, the back, the interior – we wanted to do something that really hasn’t been done here before.”

Full details on the new 2023 Silverline model range should be available on the Jayco website soon.