Sad News : 5 vers are really struggling in Australia

Jayco drops fifth wheelers

Less than three years since launching them Jayco has ceased production of its over-sized, fifth wheel caravan models following disappointing local demand.

Australia has been slow to embrace the USA’s love affair with large RVs and fifth wheel behemoths due in part to the width and condition of our secondary road network and the lack of space in most of our caravan parks – many of which were mapped out in the 16ft ‘Bondwood’ caravan days of the 1980s.

The strength of our 4WD market has been another factor. While dual-cab utes are buyers’ favourites, many share double work/play duties that could be compromised by the fitting of a more expensive fifth wheel load-bed hitch, even though these are quite easily removable.

Competition from top-spec caravans, spearheaded by Jayco’s own Silverline premium models, is understood to be another factor in the below sustainable demand for locally-built fifth wheelers.

While well-priced against similarly-sized imports in the $85,000-plus price range, Jayco’s fifth wheelers were still priced around $10,000-$15,000 more than similarly specced Jayco Silverline caravans.

It is understood from the Jayco dealers authorised to sell them that the fifth wheelers were particularly liked by former semi-trailer drivers because of their maneuverability and towing stability.

However it's understood that the numbers – not to mention the cost of having a separate production line at Jayco’s Dandenong HQ – just didn’t stack up.

On the Jayco fifth wheeler’s introduction in mid-2013, the plan was to produce up to 250 units a year in a total fifth wheeler Australian market at the time much less than that. However in a total local RV market exceeding 20,000 units, that was just a drop in the bucket for Jayco.

The Jayco move leaves few local manufacturers apart from the likes of Sunliner and Summer Life RV, along with a decreasing number of American imports, battling it out for a share of the diminishing fifth wheel caravan market down under.

According to Caravan Industry Association of Australia figures, just eight fifth wheelers were built in Australia in the first nine months of 2015, although it’s unclear whether that included Jayco production.

Jayco’s decision to drop the fifth wheeler isn’t the first time that Australia’s largest RV manufacturer (with more than 44 per cent of the total market), has been prepared to make bold decisions.

In October last year, founder Gerry Ryan imported a batch of cut-price $10,999 US-built J8 camper trailers to test market reaction, but when this was poor, the campers were sold off via Jayco dealers as used stock and the project was scrapped.

On the upside, Jayco is kicking goals with its locally-developed JTECH independent trailing arm coil spring suspension that is now being fitted to the majority of Jayco caravans, Expandas and pop-tops.

Initially introduced on Silverline and Outback spec models two years ago, it is now available since mid last year as an option on all Jayco touring models, with the expectation that it will ultimately become factory spec.