My neighbour is looking for a lightweight van for herself and the Sunseeker Pluto or Neptune look pretty good. Anyone got one, heard any opinions please? Were in the ACT and the ones for sale appear to be mainly in Qld so not a quick nip to have a look.
Tell 'em to play safe & buy a Jayco. Reliable after sales service & they don't look like going broke any time soon unlike many ''obscure brands''. Safety in numbers.
Yuglamron said
10:45 PM Jan 10, 2019
If Jayco are soo good, Yes they are the biggest producers in Australia.
Why are the ACCC taking them to the Federal Court over their redress and warranty repair practices?
Desert Dweller said
04:30 AM Jan 11, 2019
Yuglamron wrote:
If Jayco are soo good, Yes they are the biggest producers in Australia.
Why are the ACCC taking them to the Federal Court over their redress and warranty repair practices?
We didn't say they were good. They're crap, but they're way better than a lot of ''back yard'' manufacturers that come & go in the blink of an eye these days.
Baggy Bums said
06:43 AM Jan 11, 2019
Thanks but Id never tell her to buy Jayco. Really wanted to know if any comments on Sunseeker.
TheHeaths said
07:40 AM Jan 11, 2019
Keith,
as a Jayco owner it is heartening to see you recommend them ahead of some of the other mass produced vans, such as Avan, Coromal etc. Most Australian vans have issues, but many without the back up of Jayco when needed. I just wondered what experience you had with Jayco vans that caused you to have such a strong negative opinion of them "They're crap". Was it a certain model or optioned van you experienced?
Baggy,
don't be afraid to recommend to your friend to look at more vans, including Jayco, to get a comparison, and ensure they consider Silversun to be value for their money. I am afraid I am yet to see a Silversun, so cannot comment on their quality or value. I say SIlversun, as they were the target of your initial enquiry, and the models you mention appear to be their models, not Sunseeker Models.
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Friday 11th of January 2019 07:41:48 AM
Desert Dweller said
08:03 AM Jan 11, 2019
TheHeaths wrote:
Keith,
as a Jayco owner it is heartening to see you recommend them ahead of some of the other mass produced vans, such as Avan, Coromal etc. Most Australian vans have issues, but many without the back up of Jayco when needed. I just wondered what experience you had with Jayco vans that caused you to have such a strong negative opinion of them "They're crap". Was it a certain model or optioned van you experienced?
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Friday 11th of January 2019 07:41:48 AM
I think the majority of people think that Jayco vans are ''crap'' except for a few Jayco owners. We have a mass produced Avan, it's pretty damn ordinary too.
These mass produced vans don't measure up to vans like Roma or Evernew. They are however a safe bet for the average punter.
Baggy Bums said
10:12 AM Jan 11, 2019
Yep, definitely Silversun I wondered about. Photos look good for a single person towing with a Kia Sorrento.
We now have a Crusader Excalibur van which we love and tow with a Landcruiser 100 series. Would love a 200 ...... dreaming.....
the rocket said
11:10 AM Jan 11, 2019
TheHeaths wrote:
Keith,
as a Jayco owner it is heartening to see you recommend them ahead of some of the other mass produced vans, such as Avan, Coromal etc. Most Australian vans have issues, but many without the back up of Jayco when needed. I just wondered what experience you had with Jayco vans that caused you to have such a strong negative opinion of them "They're crap". Was it a certain model or optioned van you experienced?
Baggy,
don't be afraid to recommend to your friend to look at more vans, including Jayco, to get a comparison, and ensure they consider Silversun to be value for their money. I am afraid I am yet to see a Silversun, so cannot comment on their quality or value. I say SIlversun, as they were the target of your initial enquiry, and the models you mention appear to be their models, not Sunseeker Models.
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Friday 11th of January 2019 07:41:48 AM
Our previous van was a jayco 1997 and it was fantastic
The Belmont Bear said
12:08 PM Jan 11, 2019
Sorry Baggy Bums I haven't heard of those particular makes but when we were looking for lighter weight vans that were capable of being pulled with our then Kia Sorento the Jurgens appeared to be pretty well finished and was reasonably good value for money. Never ended up buying one though as the size we wanted was just over what the Sorrento could handle ended up buying a bigger vehicle which gave us more options.
A bit off topic but as far as Jayco go in the 10 months that I spent in Oman I saw 3 caravans on the road all of them were Jayco Outbacks. I don't know if that actually says anything about the quality of Jaycos or not but I just thought that I would throw it in there as a piece of interesting trivia.
Cheers
BB
boab said
12:57 PM Jan 11, 2019
Why would a question about Silversun caravan develop into an argument on the pros and cons about Jayco vans i really doubt there is any point in asking a specific question on this forum
montie said
01:53 PM Jan 11, 2019
Untill I read this post I had never heard of Silversun Caravans.
Having checked their website they apparently started out in 2010 building motorhomes and then moved into caravan manufacture. I have never seen a Silversun motorhome either.
They are saying all the right things on their website offering sandwich construction, Australian steel etc.,etc., so to be fair I couldn't say anything adverse about them.
A word of warning though, caravan manufacturers are falling like ninepins at the moment so be cautious and buy through a dealer, if possible, to give yourself some protection.
-- Edited by montie on Friday 11th of January 2019 03:08:33 PM
Baggy Bums said
02:34 PM Jan 11, 2019
Thank you Mountie.
I also wondered what and how Jayco got into this thread.
Wanda said
03:56 PM Jan 11, 2019
Baggy Bums, to answer your question
"Thank you Mountie.
I also wondered what and how Jayco got into this thread."
Simple - Only takes 1 post to go offside. It happens often on this forum, more than others, and it appears to be the same posters most of the time. Look back yourself!
regards and good luck
Ian
Warren-Pat_01 said
09:20 PM Jan 11, 2019
Baggy Bums,
I too have not heard of nor seen a Silversun.
As the others have said there are lots of new vans out there - with "Aussie sounding brand names". I've heard of no back up service, of phone numbers given but do not answer so take Possum's advice carefully.
You said the van looked good being towed by a Kia Sorrento - my son is buying one of these cars & I did a bit of a comparison with the car he has, mine & my future car as well as the Sorrento.
They have a MAXIMUM BALL MASS of 100kg so any van will have to be "Lightweight" - perhaps a Teacup, the little Jayco J-Pod or a traditional camper trailer would suite.
We have seen quite a few nice teacups on the road - some self built (google teacup caravans), some commercially built but one manufacturer has or is going bust. The prettiest one was a bright pink with black trims being towed by a small car (saw it twice going across the Eyre Highway) & the lady owner was very impressed with it. They are quite roomy but cannot carry umpteen solar panels, a generator, etc that some people with caravans carry.
Like some others I too have a Jayco (my second) - they are built to a price (my affordability) - not perfect but not junk either & lots of other owners are happy too.
I trust your fiend will have a good look & find something suitable.
ShortNorth said
10:13 PM Jan 11, 2019
Baggy Bums wrote:
My neighbour is looking for a lightweight van for herself and the Sunseeker Pluto or Neptune look pretty good. Anyone got one, heard any opinions please? Were in the ACT and the ones for sale appear to be mainly in Qld so not a quick nip to have a look.
thank you
A couple of years back, I started looking at potential replacements for the Avan in the future. I was very attracted to the Silversun Neptune, and made arrangements to visit the factory (in Meadowbrook, Brisbane southside). The principal gave me a whole hour of his time, I asked HEAPS of questions, every one of them answered satisfactorily. I had a look at the demo van outside, as well as two inside in various stages of construction - nothing was hidden. I was quite impressed with the standard of workmanship, build and finish.
Another thing, if you want any variations they are quite willing to talk and negotiate - for example, I said I did NOT want the front window (potential source of water leaks), or a gas installation inside the van, but a twin 240v induction plate instead of the gas stove, and 240v electric hot water and 12v/240v compressor fridge.
I ended up NOT buying one, for several reasons - the 'boss' was not convinced to spend extra money at this stage of our caravanning, I would have had to replace my tow car, as the Neptune was a cupla 100kgs over maximum ATM and the ball weight for my existing Kia Cerato, and we would have had to spend extra $$$$s to have the carport raised 600-650mm to accommodate it at home.
However, in the future sometime, if the 'boss' passes before me, I'll probably get a Neptune twin single to see out my caravanning days. What I like about Silversun, is their dedication of making sure their customers are happy with their vans - they are in for the long haul, although there is no guarantee that something may happen to cause them to fold.
As far as being in the ACT and not being able to drive to Qld to see one, it is just the same as a QLD'er not being able to drive to Melbourne to see a specific brand of van that has no dealers in the Brisbane area.
Regards, Brian
TheHeaths said
10:35 PM Jan 11, 2019
Baggy Bums,
I think Warren-Pat01 raise a good point.
Get your friend to get the specs for towing of their Sorrento, and see how they match the Silversun Vans claimed weights. That is a good place to start, and will allow them to compare any other vans if the Silversun's are not suitable due to weight.
PeterD said
11:30 PM Jan 11, 2019
Baggy Bums, There has been a report above that suggests the Sorentos only have a ball weight of 100 kg. There was no reference to which model he was talking about. The industry database we use quoted ball weights from 100 to 280 kg. It is important when you are guiding your friend to check out what her vehicle actually is. Some of the later ones have a ball weight of 120 kg or 150 kg if you use the genuine Kia HD Tow Pak. I would take little credence of weights offered here unless they quote year model AND the particular variant they are talking about.
Please check with your friend and ascertain what the actual maximum towing weight and tow ball weight are. It would assist if you could report the info back here. You should be able to find the details in the owners manual.
The Belmont Bear said
08:36 AM Jan 12, 2019
My 2014 2.2 diesel Sorento had a maximum braked towing capacity of 2T as it was an automatic (2.5T max for a manual). You needed to pay $800 for them to fit the heavy duty towing option which would upgrade the towball weight from 100kg to 150kg.
BB
Baggy Bums said
08:37 AM Jan 12, 2019
Thank you Brian, Ian and Peter. All excellent points. Ill nip next door, tell her to put the kettle on - it is only 8.30am - and show her your comments.
Warren-Pat_01 said
02:55 PM Jan 13, 2019
G'day PeterD, Belmont Bear & Baggy Bums,
I was looking through the Redbook for the towing specs. All of the specs appear to be the same regardless of the model (FWD & AWD) - 2000kg braked towing capacity but the max ball weight is 100kg! So it might be able to tow a smaller Jayco on-road camper or similar legally.
The vehicles I looked at were 2018 models with the auto transmission, both diesel & petrol engines. According to the Redbook, there is no manual transmission offered now.
The petrol engine'd one luckily, has been chosen by my son & his wife as they don't do enough driving to warrant buying the diesel. When David asked me about a year ago as to what he should replace his Subaru Forester with, I gave him the choice of two cars - the IZUZU & Kia Sorento. As he didn't use the 4WD facility on the Sube, I said to get a Sorento.
PeterD said
03:15 PM Jan 13, 2019
We don't know how old her Sorento is. The OP has not revealed it. Don't necessarily assume it is a brand new one.
The Belmont Bear said
08:52 AM Jan 14, 2019
PeterD wrote:
We don't know how old her Sorento is. The OP has not revealed it. Don't necessarily assume it is a brand new one.
At the risk of further accusations about being off topic - as I said in my earlier post when I bought my Kia Sorento in 2014 the dealer offered me an $800 upgrade to increase the maximum towball loading to 150kg. If that has changed in latter models I don't know or if earlier models had the same I dont know. The towing capacity for a manual that I quoted was straight out of my owners handbook I really have no idea if Kia still offer the manual transmission in Australia. It's shouldn't be that hard for the actual owner of the vehicle to read the specifications in their manual then if required talk to their dealer (or suspension specialist) about the option of upgrading the towball weight just like I did back in 2014.
BB
Sorry PeterD that was supposed to be a response to Warren's post not yours.
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Monday 14th of January 2019 08:56:50 AM
Baggy Bums said
04:35 PM Jan 14, 2019
Its 2018 Sorento
montie said
05:12 PM Jan 14, 2019
Baggy Bums wrote:
Its 2018 Sorento
The best I can ascertain is 2000kg but check with Kia to confirm.
They seem to have a lot of models.
grabar said
09:06 AM Apr 17, 2019
my daughter ( now a widow) has her Silversun Neptune 402s for sale in Hervey bay Qld .Its 2 years old & has had very little use If you like you could give me a ring on 0427169986
My neighbour is looking for a lightweight van for herself and the Sunseeker Pluto or Neptune look pretty good. Anyone got one, heard any opinions please? Were in the ACT and the ones for sale appear to be mainly in Qld so not a quick nip to have a look.
thank you
Tell 'em to play safe & buy a Jayco. Reliable after sales service & they don't look like going broke any time soon unlike many ''obscure brands''. Safety in numbers.
If Jayco are soo good, Yes they are the biggest producers in Australia.
Why are the ACCC taking them to the Federal Court over their redress and warranty repair practices?
We didn't say they were good.
They're crap, but they're way better than a lot of ''back yard'' manufacturers that come & go in the blink of an eye these days.
Keith,
as a Jayco owner it is heartening to see you recommend them ahead of some of the other mass produced vans, such as Avan, Coromal etc. Most Australian vans have issues, but many without the back up of Jayco when needed. I just wondered what experience you had with Jayco vans that caused you to have such a strong negative opinion of them "They're crap". Was it a certain model or optioned van you experienced?
Baggy,
don't be afraid to recommend to your friend to look at more vans, including Jayco, to get a comparison, and ensure they consider Silversun to be value for their money. I am afraid I am yet to see a Silversun, so cannot comment on their quality or value. I say SIlversun, as they were the target of your initial enquiry, and the models you mention appear to be their models, not Sunseeker Models.
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Friday 11th of January 2019 07:41:48 AM
I think the majority of people think that Jayco vans are ''crap'' except for a few Jayco owners. We have a mass produced Avan, it's pretty damn ordinary too.
These mass produced vans don't measure up to vans like Roma or Evernew. They are however a safe bet for the average punter.
We now have a Crusader Excalibur van which we love and tow with a Landcruiser 100 series. Would love a 200 ...... dreaming.....
Our previous van was a jayco 1997 and it was fantastic
Sorry Baggy Bums I haven't heard of those particular makes but when we were looking for lighter weight vans that were capable of being pulled with our then Kia Sorento the Jurgens appeared to be pretty well finished and was reasonably good value for money. Never ended up buying one though as the size we wanted was just over what the Sorrento could handle ended up buying a bigger vehicle which gave us more options.
A bit off topic but as far as Jayco go in the 10 months that I spent in Oman I saw 3 caravans on the road all of them were Jayco Outbacks. I don't know if that actually says anything about the quality of Jaycos or not but I just thought that I would throw it in there as a piece of interesting trivia.
Cheers
BB
Untill I read this post I had never heard of Silversun Caravans.
Having checked their website they apparently started out in 2010 building motorhomes and then moved into caravan manufacture. I have never seen a Silversun motorhome either.
They are saying all the right things on their website offering sandwich construction, Australian steel etc.,etc., so to be fair I couldn't say anything adverse about them.
A word of warning though, caravan manufacturers are falling like ninepins at the moment so be cautious and buy through a dealer, if possible, to give yourself some protection.
-- Edited by montie on Friday 11th of January 2019 03:08:33 PM
I also wondered what and how Jayco got into this thread.
"Thank you Mountie.
I also wondered what and how Jayco got into this thread."
Simple - Only takes 1 post to go offside. It happens often on this forum, more than others, and it appears to be the same posters most of the time. Look back yourself!
regards and good luck
Ian
I too have not heard of nor seen a Silversun.
As the others have said there are lots of new vans out there - with "Aussie sounding brand names". I've heard of no back up service, of phone numbers given but do not answer so take Possum's advice carefully.
You said the van looked good being towed by a Kia Sorrento - my son is buying one of these cars & I did a bit of a comparison with the car he has, mine & my future car as well as the Sorrento.
They have a MAXIMUM BALL MASS of 100kg so any van will have to be "Lightweight" - perhaps a Teacup, the little Jayco J-Pod or a traditional camper trailer would suite.
We have seen quite a few nice teacups on the road - some self built (google teacup caravans), some commercially built but one manufacturer has or is going bust. The prettiest one was a bright pink with black trims being towed by a small car (saw it twice going across the Eyre Highway) & the lady owner was very impressed with it. They are quite roomy but cannot carry umpteen solar panels, a generator, etc that some people with caravans carry.
Like some others I too have a Jayco (my second) - they are built to a price (my affordability) - not perfect but not junk either & lots of other owners are happy too.
I trust your fiend will have a good look & find something suitable.
A couple of years back, I started looking at potential replacements for the Avan in the future. I was very attracted to the Silversun Neptune, and made arrangements to visit the factory (in Meadowbrook, Brisbane southside). The principal gave me a whole hour of his time, I asked HEAPS of questions, every one of them answered satisfactorily. I had a look at the demo van outside, as well as two inside in various stages of construction - nothing was hidden. I was quite impressed with the standard of workmanship, build and finish.
Another thing, if you want any variations they are quite willing to talk and negotiate - for example, I said I did NOT want the front window (potential source of water leaks), or a gas installation inside the van, but a twin 240v induction plate instead of the gas stove, and 240v electric hot water and 12v/240v compressor fridge.
I ended up NOT buying one, for several reasons - the 'boss' was not convinced to spend extra money at this stage of our caravanning, I would have had to replace my tow car, as the Neptune was a cupla 100kgs over maximum ATM and the ball weight for my existing Kia Cerato, and we would have had to spend extra $$$$s to have the carport raised 600-650mm to accommodate it at home.
However, in the future sometime, if the 'boss' passes before me, I'll probably get a Neptune twin single to see out my caravanning days. What I like about Silversun, is their dedication of making sure their customers are happy with their vans - they are in for the long haul, although there is no guarantee that something may happen to cause them to fold.
As far as being in the ACT and not being able to drive to Qld to see one, it is just the same as a QLD'er not being able to drive to Melbourne to see a specific brand of van that has no dealers in the Brisbane area.
Regards, Brian
Baggy Bums,
I think Warren-Pat01 raise a good point.
Get your friend to get the specs for towing of their Sorrento, and see how they match the Silversun Vans claimed weights. That is a good place to start, and will allow them to compare any other vans if the Silversun's are not suitable due to weight.
Baggy Bums, There has been a report above that suggests the Sorentos only have a ball weight of 100 kg. There was no reference to which model he was talking about. The industry database we use quoted ball weights from 100 to 280 kg. It is important when you are guiding your friend to check out what her vehicle actually is. Some of the later ones have a ball weight of 120 kg or 150 kg if you use the genuine Kia HD Tow Pak. I would take little credence of weights offered here unless they quote year model AND the particular variant they are talking about.
Please check with your friend and ascertain what the actual maximum towing weight and tow ball weight are. It would assist if you could report the info back here. You should be able to find the details in the owners manual.
BB
I was looking through the Redbook for the towing specs. All of the specs appear to be the same regardless of the model (FWD & AWD) - 2000kg braked towing capacity but the max ball weight is 100kg! So it might be able to tow a smaller Jayco on-road camper or similar legally.
The vehicles I looked at were 2018 models with the auto transmission, both diesel & petrol engines. According to the Redbook, there is no manual transmission offered now.
The petrol engine'd one luckily, has been chosen by my son & his wife as they don't do enough driving to warrant buying the diesel. When David asked me about a year ago as to what he should replace his Subaru Forester with, I gave him the choice of two cars - the IZUZU & Kia Sorento. As he didn't use the 4WD facility on the Sube, I said to get a Sorento.
At the risk of further accusations about being off topic - as I said in my earlier post when I bought my Kia Sorento in 2014 the dealer offered me an $800 upgrade to increase the maximum towball loading to 150kg. If that has changed in latter models I don't know or if earlier models had the same I dont know. The towing capacity for a manual that I quoted was straight out of my owners handbook I really have no idea if Kia still offer the manual transmission in Australia. It's shouldn't be that hard for the actual owner of the vehicle to read the specifications in their manual then if required talk to their dealer (or suspension specialist) about the option of upgrading the towball weight just like I did back in 2014.
BB
Sorry PeterD that was supposed to be a response to Warren's post not yours.
-- Edited by The Belmont Bear on Monday 14th of January 2019 08:56:50 AM
The best I can ascertain is 2000kg but check with Kia to confirm.
They seem to have a lot of models.
my daughter ( now a widow) has her Silversun Neptune 402s for sale in Hervey bay Qld .Its 2 years old & has had very little use If you like you could give me a ring on 0427169986