Is America's Jayco Ever Going To Catch Up to Its Australian Brother? Check Out This Beast

Folks, the fact of the matter is that nearly every inch of Australia's natural landscape is out to protect its precious resources. Heck, even the elements themselves seem to have a mind of their own; it's alive! So, to cope with the perils of this land, RV manufacturers really have to step up their game. One team that most of us know of is Jayco, but this is the Australian branch, and with that, expect to witness a travel trailer that's a bit different than what you might see from its American counterpart.

Oh, and if by the end of this article, you happen to fall in love with this unit, let me just get things out of the way and say that you can't place an order for this and get it shipped over to the US. Well, you can, but since it's tuned to Australian road laws and regulations, it'll end up sitting in your garage until you've made the necessary modifications, and that means more time and money.

Speaking of money, allow me to point out that a new 2024 Silverline, depending on the features and packages in place and how deep your dealership's pockets may be, can end up costing you around $100K or more. But that's in Australian Dollars, so it's priced somewhere around $65K American (at current exchange rates).

Now, in all, five different floorplans are available, and even then, there's a Touring and Outback version, with the latter obviously being a tad more resilient against the elements. So, to make things easier to understand, let's take a moment out of our busy day and picture a life lived out of a Silverline. Which floorplan you end up choosing for this experience doesn't matter much as all of them include a slide-out, and some can even accommodate a family of six.

But no matter the setup, all will be based upon the same hot dipped galvanized chassis with signature JTech 2.0 suspension that brings an independent coil action to your driving experience. It's enough to handle off-road excursions, so go ahead and take that dirt road that pops up in the distance.

Once making it into the middle of some hidden oasis, it's time to stabilize your unit and set up the rest of your campsite. But, before you do, take a step back and take in the wonderous shell. It's crafted with nothing other than an aluminum frame onto which hail and dent-resistant walls are added, fully insulated, too. On top, a sandwich panel roof with a one-piece fiberglass skin ensures an airtight enclosure.

But, like most campers and caravans to come out from the land down under, the Silverline is designed to meet the needs and wants of the outdoor lover. Not only are there countless storage lockers scattered all over the shell, but these hatches hide picnic tables, slide-outs for an outdoor galley, fridge/freezer, or just plain old tools, and access to important systems such as plumbing, electrical, and outdoor shower.

Considering I mentioned that this habitat has an outdoor shower and possible galley setup, you could be thinking that the interior doesn't include these features; it does. While the exterior, with its awnings, solar panels, and campsite goodies, may give the impression that this is all you'll need, the interior doubles that sentiment with a design that reminds me of European campers and RVs.

Spaces are clean-cut and well-defined and furniture and features too, and as I pictured myself inside, the sound of jazz music came to mind, and mornings spent looking out the window with a coffee in hand and birds chirping nearby, and the Mrs. doing her thing and... you get the idea; I could go on and on.

Speaking of features, it's important to note that residential-sized gear is at our fingertips and can include four-burner tops and massive fridges, not to mention goodies the likes of washing machines, water filtration systems, all the hot water your tanks can deliver, and entertainment centers too. And I haven't even started talking about modular dinettes and queen beds.

While all that sounds so much like what you'd find in a park-ready unit - this one is as well - the Silverline is stocked with the necessary gear to handle off-grid living, too. For example, a BMS with an inverter/charger, 200 Ah battery, and solar panels are standard in every layout I checked out.

Sure, I could sit here and bore you with other details, the likes of 190 liters (50 gals) of fresh water and what kind of door knobs are in place, but honestly, I feel it's safe to say that Jayco Australia really knows how to create one heck of a travel trailer. When's America's Jayco going to catch up? Don't get me wrong, the American counterpart has its own bag of tricks, but the Silverline seems to be in a different class of its own.