Jayco Australia Is Better Than Its American Brethren!? The Hybrid CrossTrak Might Prove It

Folks, back in 1968, America would begin to witness the rise of an international RV power, Jayco. Fast forward just a few more years, and in 1975, this American name established another headquarters in Australia; they saw something out there and, these days, are responsible for countless units roaming around the bush.

Well, one of this team's freshest additions to their lineup is the hybrid CrossTrak, a pop-top camper with the ability to combine soft and hard shells, off and on-road capabilities, and park and off-grid living; truly a hybrid.

Now, to kick things off, the CrossTrak is available in three different floorplans, a 14-foot model and two 16-foot units, but what's most impressive is the starting price tag for the lineup, no more than $53,455, and that's in Australian Dollars, which equates to roughly around $34,700 American. I told you they do things differently out in Australia.

To keep things easy to understand, I've chosen to bring to light the 14-foot layout as a sort of basis for what the lineup has to offer, and everything starts off with a hot-dipped galvanized chassis. This ensures you can trudge through dust, dirt, grime, and water itself and not fear you'll end up with rusted bits at the end of the season.

Speaking of pushing through whatever comes your way, since Australians love their off-road adventures, Jayco drops their signature JTech suspension in place, bringing a trailing A-arm action to the game with shock absorbers and coil springs. That's the good stuff right there.

Once that solid base is in place, Jayco goes to town laying down their fully-insulated Toughframe which is hail and dent-resistant. The sandwich roof design is all one piece, so don't worry about the elements getting in.

But, the real attractive features of the body are aspects like that "enhanced" departure angle, stone guard, underbody protection flap, and all the outdoor living features integrated into the shell; Australians love their outdoor living, and this Jayco unit is filled with the brim with goodies just for that.

I'm talking about features like that large outdoor cooking setup, all arranged on slide-outs at the front of the unit, an awning overhead, storage for all your campsite gear and toys, and things like 400 W of solar panel power, all standard. Did I mention the BMS center and a Projecta LCD control panel? Even a battery and tank monitoring app is available for this one. And we haven't even begun to scratch the tip of the iceberg, so be sure to dive even deeper into all that makes up one of these babies.

As for the interior of these units, it all depends on the sort of layout you ultimately choose. As for the 14-foot model, future owners will be able to look forward to a North-South bedding arrangement found at the front of the unit, a dinette at the foot of the bed, and even a little galley block and wet bath at the front. One thing to note is that the indoor galley block is only complete with an optional two-burner stove.

Now, all that's great for a couple, but if you're traveling as a family, one of the 16-foot models is what you want, boasting a bunk-bedding option that's perfect for the kids. That unit is priced starting at around $38K American.

If we put all this together into one neat package, what do we have? Well, let's take a minute or two out of our busy days and relax the mind and body, if only for a moment. As you do, picture yourself and your significant other in your 4x4 driving along the highway with a CrossTrak hitched up behind you.

Suddenly, you notice you're approaching a dirt road, and intrigued, you pull over to the side of the road and ask the Mrs. what she thinks; with a smile on her face, she responds, "Baby, you know she'll handle it, so hit it hard!" and so you do. The suspension won't have any issues hauling wheeled home and its cargo.

You follow the road for what seems like an hour or so, with twists, turns, mud, debris, and even a river crossing, until you finally arrive at a hidden natural haven that's not even on the map. Stop the truck and listen for a bit; nothing.

There's no hum of city life, no airplanes overhead, just you and the Mrs., the crunch of debris under your shoes, and the local wildlife buzzing about in the trees. According to one of our readers, be sure to check for the countless crocs hanging around the bush.

From here, get started on setting up shop for the next few days, pull out the galley, get to cooking, and enjoy the view of the setting sun. As night falls, the glow of a fire replaces the sun's hot gaze, and you can't remember when the last time you saw this many stars in the night sky. If you're traveling with the kids, it's the perfect time to embark upon an activity that humans have been carrying out for millennia: peering into the night sky and asking a whole lot of questions; thank god for Google.

Listen, there are countless variations to what sort of adventures you can have with a CrossTrak, but there's really only one way to find out: to go out and buy one. But, there's a bit of a catch for interested buyers outside of Aussieland: this unit is built for Australia and abides by those local road laws and regulations, too, so even if you get one shipped to another country, you may do it all for nothing.

Nonetheless, it's one heck of a machine, and for this sort of price, it makes you think when the rest of the world will make the same moves as Australia's Jayco.