A couple of weeks ago, the Explore Australia team went on a tour of the Jayco factory.
Jayco is Australia’s leading manufacturer of caravans. You’ve probably seen their caravans cruising highways all over the country.
We headed out to Jayco’s factory in Dandenong, Victoria, to find out what goes into making Australia’s favourite caravans.
The Jayco headquarters are housed in an impressive complex – the reception area is fronted by a lake, lush greenery and some topiary trees. Our tour started up the road at the maintenance centre.Our tour group was made up of a mix of people from those thinking of buying a caravan for their retirement, to those who have already purchased a Jayco caravan and are eager to see the process that will go into making their vehicle. We introduced ourselves and met our friendly tour guide, Brian.
We started our tour in Jayco’s on-site gym, which caters to its 800 or so workers, as well as visitors.
After the gym, we got straight into the really good bits – the nitty-gritty of making a caravan. Brian took us upstairs into the sewing room where all of the seat covers, awnings and pop-up canvas tops and sides are sewn together.
It was great to discover that all elements of a Jayco caravan are put together on-site.
Then it was time to head downstairs, to the factory where Jayco’s flagship caravan, the Sterling, is put together. The first thing we saw was the clever way that foam is inserted into the caravan’s seats – we don’t want to reveal any secrets, but it shows the careful consideration that goes into every element of Jayco’s caravans.
From the carpenters putting together the cabinetry, to the quality-controllers inspecting each caravan on Jayco’s production line, everyone who works at Jayco knows what role they have to play to build a caravan.
This efficiency results in approximately one caravan being finished every 11 minutes.
You can see every element of the Jayco line come together on this tour of the five on-site factories.
We saw a chassis being welded; cabinetry being drilled onto the frame; walls being made, coated, and then added to a caravan; vehicles being made watertight; air-conditioners being put on; and so much more.We also saw the maintenance area, where caravans are serviced. Brian assured us that maintenance is an integral part of the Jayco package, something the team is happy to offer their customers.
But our favourite part of the tour had to be the shake, rattle and roll stations.
This is where Jayco’s caravans undergo quality control to make sure they can withstand the elements, whether it’s rain, sun or being jolted about on some of Australia’s unsealed outback roads.
While a complimentary gym has to be a nice perk for Jayco factory workers, Brian told us about another great perk – there are 40 or so caravans that staff can borrow for trips around the country. That’s got to be nice!We finished our Jayco tour ready to jump in a caravan and hit the road, but alas, it’s time to go back to the office, complimentary Jayco cap in hand.
You can book a Jayco tour by visiting Jayco Australia’s website.
Do you own a Jayco caravan?
