I am seriously considering a new van and am overwhelmed by the choices available (though not here in Cairns)
The Jayco dealer is around the corner and the Millard mob is in town.
I would like the best van for the cheapest price of course as i am not in a position to get the most luxurious. Requirements are simple I think I currently have a pop top and I like them for the low towing height and coolness in summer but a full van is ok with me as well.
Length around the 18ft mark, dual axles?, currently single and that is ok too, queen bed, ensuite, solar setup would be good and a reasonable sized fridge.
Some idea of what a reasonable rig of that setup would cost. If too expensive then a very good second hand one would suffice.
My Gazal Infinity is 17 years old and still doing the job but has single beds and no shower/toilet. Over to the experts.
aussietraveller said
05:49 PM Dec 15, 2015
Hi Saudi
I certainly don't claim to be an expert but have owned a couple of different vans from my personal experience I will never again buy a fibreglass van, my current one is a Jayco that spends about eight months each year under cover , the gel coat on one side has broken down to the point that the side now looks like thatched reeds the other side perfect but Jayco don't want to know about it also spoken to two other Jayco owners with exactly the same problem.
Jayco told me it happened because I didn't polish my van twice a year and considering it's a full size van and twenty one foot long I don't think too many people would polish them twice a year, probably best to avoid fibreglass and Jayco.
wauri said
06:29 PM Dec 15, 2015
Thanks for that information My storage location would cause similar exposure. Oh and its Wauri (Cone shell) I am Aussie to the core
:D :D :D
Bushpie said
11:00 AM Dec 19, 2015
Hope you research works for you wauri........ I am not in the expert category as I have just started the long planning process for retirement.
First question so others may help would be....... Are you planning to use the van off road? If so that takes quite a few vans out off the list.
The one thing i have noticed in floor plans re your ensuite requirement is that 18' vans have the combined ensuite....... A prospect that dosent thrill me.
Good luck....
grahos said
05:49 PM Dec 21, 2015
I was also thinking of buying a Jayco but now I am not so sure I want that problem.
I did not realise you had to polish fibreglass twice a year.
Bryan said
08:30 PM Dec 22, 2015
I had a fibreglass boat for years. Washed the salt water off after every use but never polished it and never had a problem. It was stored outside in all weather conditions.
I'd be getting some expert advice.
Crustie said
07:47 PM Jan 21, 2016
Look at all those boats sitting on moorings up and down the coast,
Some are 40 years old plus and still look ok
Chris
DougF said
10:42 AM Jan 31, 2016
I have a 2010 Jayco Silverline 2165. The fibreglass iws aas new now as it was when it was new. It has been around the traps a fair bit. Done th half lap a couple of times.
been through all kinds of weather. storms , red dust storms ' W/A ' strong winds and rain on the Nullarbor.
I cannot fault the van at all. Happy Jayco Owner. Doug
DougF said
10:44 AM Jan 31, 2016
DougF wrote:
I have a 2010 Jayco Silverline 2165. The fibreglass is as new now as it was when it was bought. It has been around the traps a fair bit. Done the half lap a couple of times.
been through all kinds of weather. storms , red dust storms ' W/A ' strong winds and rain on the Nullarbor.
I cannot fault the van at all. Happy Jayco Owner. Doug
grahos said
06:44 PM Jan 31, 2016
That side panel in question must have missed a process in the manufacturing.
If Jayco did the right thing they would replace that panel before more bad advertising comes to more prospective buyers.
I for one was going to buy an expanda but certainly will not buy a Jayco now.
If it was mine I would show Jayco the comments above and if that fails I would signwrite on the van about the issue.
DougF said
12:52 PM Feb 1, 2016
DougF. I would like to make a change to the purchase date of my Silverline van. I ordered it in Jan 2014 and received it 21/04/14.
It is a 2014 model NOT as I wrote 2010. Sorry for that. I was thinking of the StarCraft I bought in 2010.
David and Donna said
12:10 AM Feb 9, 2016
Ive never worked in a caravan manufacturing business, but I have a lot of experience in other fibreglassing.
Cloth print-through on one panel of one van produced means that it is not a mold problem. It is a fault with the manufacturing process. It is caused by the gelcoat for that panel being mixed too vigorously in the pot before spraying commences (air bubbles in the gelcoat), then the gelcoat layer being sprayed on too thinly (didnt stick to proven quantities, didnt follow strict even spraying techniques, didnt use a depth gauge to check and sprayed in poor lighting conditions). Then the tie layer of 225gm csm was rollered down too vigorously into gelcoat which wasnt fully cured with not enough resin and too much catalyst poorly mixed (a hot mix which shrinks and pulls on the gelcoat). They were very lucky to not get gelcoat crazing. They may have even used white pigment in the resin to try and give more depth of colour to the thin gelcoat layer and hide gelcoat crazing. They probably then laid the core material straight down onto the wet resin. If they used a core material like unprimed 4mm mdf board, (which is porous), that would have sucked the gelcoat away from the mold and impressed the cloth fibre into the gelcoat. All these mistakes done together, causes print through and are the result of trying to reduce costs and delays, using inexperienced labour working under too much pressure to produce a panel in hot working conditions with poor lighting. Inadequate factory lighting (and a tight time schedule which doesnt allow examination of the panel off mold before further work is invested in it) can mean that panels like this escape early detection and are less likely to be rejected.
The panel should have been rejected because it will only get worse as the thin porous gel coat breaks down under uv light, dulls off and is abraded away during further vigorous polishing. It has probably already been sanded and vigorously polished in an attempt to reduce the print through effect. If it was a flat panel formed through vacuum bagging, I would say it is a classic example of too much vacuum pressure being applied. The only viable repair option is to key the surface with a 400-600 aluminium oxide paper applied dry, apply two coats of highbuild 2 pack primer, buff flat, and then spray two coats of two pack paint. Your problem there is that it will never look the same as the other panels and age/fade at different rates. I wouldnt have taken delivery of it. The cheapest option, is keep that side polished with white car polish and dont look at it. My 2 cents worth.
-- Edited by David and Donna on Tuesday 9th of February 2016 12:22:18 AM
grahos said
06:59 PM Feb 16, 2016
Jayco have certainly lost brownie points over this disaster.
Two Strays said
12:26 AM Mar 23, 2016
Wauri
First sought out what vehicle your are going to tow the van with. A must. E.g. 2 wheeled sedan or 4x4, light or heavy.
Have it fully fitted to accommodate your proposed van.
Write down what you must have, what would be nice and luxury items.
Keep the weight to the legal limit. Remember you only have a small box on wheels to play with.
Question other caravanners. There are no silly questions on this matter.
Buy the best you can afford, its your money.
Be VERY wary of sales persons antics. Take an experienced caravanner with you for a second opinion.
Happy hunting Wauri
Two Strays said
12:38 AM Mar 23, 2016
Wauri a bit more info
You first consideration must be the vehicle your going to tow your new van with. Two wheeled sedan or 4x4, light or heavy. That must govern what type of van you will purchase. Which brand is your choice.
Write down your wants,
1. Must have,: Around 18 foot internal (front to back). Tandem, Solar. Provision of 1 or 2 batteries, solar panels, (total amphr plus 10% e.g. 200 amphr battery 220 watts solar panels). Air con, fridge size, microwave 800-1000watt. Battery charger 240 volt, shower and toilet (full ensuite or combo) all 12 volt lights, tv, a couple of 12 volt outlets. Water pumps, combined Gas/electric hot water system. queen bed with innerspring mattress, awning
2. Would like: Oven, gas or diesel heater, washing machine (may be a must).
3. Other considerations: Tray on "A" frame. Two spare wheels, annex, wind screens.
Do your research. Ask many questions from caravanners. NO question is a silly question. Its your future pride and joy, your comfortable home away from home and above all it is your money, Wauri
Best of luck.
iana said
11:03 PM Mar 24, 2016
Quite simple, go to Jaycos own forum site and read the complaints.
ken thomas said
02:38 PM Mar 25, 2016
I have a Condor caravan and very happy with the build and quality
They have a dealer in Bris Arrow caravans
Ken
Hi Advice time from the experts please
I am seriously considering a new van and am overwhelmed by the choices available (though not here in Cairns)
The Jayco dealer is around the corner and the Millard mob is in town.
I would like the best van for the cheapest price of course as i am not in a position to get the most luxurious.
Requirements are simple I think
I currently have a pop top and I like them for the low towing height and coolness in summer but a full van is ok with me as well.
Length around the 18ft mark, dual axles?, currently single and that is ok too, queen bed, ensuite, solar setup would be good and a reasonable sized fridge.
Some idea of what a reasonable rig of that setup would cost.
If too expensive then a very good second hand one would suffice.
My Gazal Infinity is 17 years old and still doing the job but has single beds and no shower/toilet.
Over to the experts.
I certainly don't claim to be an expert but have owned a couple of different vans from my personal experience I will never again buy a fibreglass van, my current one is a Jayco that spends about eight months each year under cover , the gel coat on one side has broken down to the point that the side now looks like thatched reeds the other side perfect but Jayco don't want to know about it also spoken to two other Jayco owners with exactly the same problem.
Jayco told me it happened because I didn't polish my van twice a year and considering it's a full size van and twenty one foot long I don't think too many people would polish them twice a year, probably best to avoid fibreglass and Jayco.
Thanks for that information
My storage location would cause similar exposure.
Oh and its Wauri (Cone shell)
I am Aussie to the core
:D :D :D
First question so others may help would be....... Are you planning to use the van off road? If so that takes quite a few vans out off the list.
The one thing i have noticed in floor plans re your ensuite requirement is that 18' vans have the combined ensuite....... A prospect that dosent thrill me.
Good luck....
I did not realise you had to polish fibreglass twice a year.
I had a fibreglass boat for years. Washed the salt water off after every use but never polished it and never had a problem. It was stored outside in all weather conditions.
I'd be getting some expert advice.
Some are 40 years old plus and still look ok
Chris
been through all kinds of weather. storms , red dust storms ' W/A ' strong winds and rain on the Nullarbor.
I cannot fault the van at all. Happy Jayco Owner. Doug
If Jayco did the right thing they would replace that panel before more bad advertising comes to more prospective buyers.
I for one was going to buy an expanda but certainly will not buy a Jayco now.
If it was mine I would show Jayco the comments above and if that fails I would signwrite on the van about the issue.
It is a 2014 model NOT as I wrote 2010. Sorry for that. I was thinking of the StarCraft I bought in 2010.
Ive never worked in a caravan manufacturing business, but I have a lot of experience in other fibreglassing.
Cloth print-through on one panel of one van produced means that it is not a mold problem. It is a fault with the manufacturing process. It is caused by the gelcoat for that panel being mixed too vigorously in the pot before spraying commences (air bubbles in the gelcoat), then the gelcoat layer being sprayed on too thinly (didnt stick to proven quantities, didnt follow strict even spraying techniques, didnt use a depth gauge to check and sprayed in poor lighting conditions). Then the tie layer of 225gm csm was rollered down too vigorously into gelcoat which wasnt fully cured with not enough resin and too much catalyst poorly mixed (a hot mix which shrinks and pulls on the gelcoat). They were very lucky to not get gelcoat crazing. They may have even used white pigment in the resin to try and give more depth of colour to the thin gelcoat layer and hide gelcoat crazing. They probably then laid the core material straight down onto the wet resin. If they used a core material like unprimed 4mm mdf board, (which is porous), that would have sucked the gelcoat away from the mold and impressed the cloth fibre into the gelcoat. All these mistakes done together, causes print through and are the result of trying to reduce costs and delays, using inexperienced labour working under too much pressure to produce a panel in hot working conditions with poor lighting. Inadequate factory lighting (and a tight time schedule which doesnt allow examination of the panel off mold before further work is invested in it) can mean that panels like this escape early detection and are less likely to be rejected.
The panel should have been rejected because it will only get worse as the thin porous gel coat breaks down under uv light, dulls off and is abraded away during further vigorous polishing. It has probably already been sanded and vigorously polished in an attempt to reduce the print through effect. If it was a flat panel formed through vacuum bagging, I would say it is a classic example of too much vacuum pressure being applied. The only viable repair option is to key the surface with a 400-600 aluminium oxide paper applied dry, apply two coats of highbuild 2 pack primer, buff flat, and then spray two coats of two pack paint. Your problem there is that it will never look the same as the other panels and age/fade at different rates. I wouldnt have taken delivery of it. The cheapest option, is keep that side polished with white car polish and dont look at it. My 2 cents worth.
-- Edited by David and Donna on Tuesday 9th of February 2016 12:22:18 AM
They have a dealer in Bris Arrow caravans
Ken