Features, Comfort, and Performance in a Luxury Motorhome
Jayco, a company once known mostly for its caravan and camper trailer manufacture, changed the world of Australian motorhomes some years ago by introducing their range of motorhomes. The manufacturer certainly changed both the new and used sectors of the market by using a very sharp pencil in the production of their then budget motorhomes.
Of course the Jayco motorhome range has changed and expanded considerably since then, as has the general motorhome market. That includes the upmarket Optimum range. Dealer Jayco Sydney run under the management of Tyrone Bilbija, is almost as well known as the caravans and motorhomes they sell and it was from there that my review motorhome, a Jayco Optimum came from.
Cab and Chassis
One of the unusual characteristics of the Optimum is that it comes with tandem axles at the rear. That’s an almost unique feature of the Al-KO chassis that is bolted to the Fiat Ducato cab. It gives a better load capacity, with a GVM of 5000kg, than the standard Fiat chassis. That of course means a Light Rigid truck licence is required to drive the motorhome. With a length of 8.375m/27ft, the Ducato powered Optimum is only second in length to the 8.7m/28ft Iveco Daily based Optimum.
Being the 180 Multijet model, the Ducato comes with the more powerful 3.0 litre, 132kw/400Nm turbo diesel that is a good match for this motorhome. One benefit that motorhomers get over any other Ducato owner is that, for some reason, the 3.0 litre 132kw turbo diesel is only available to motorhome manufacturers. Everyone else has to put up with the lesser powered 2.3 litre 96kW 130 Multijet model. On the road, the Ducato powered Jayco Optimum moves along at a rapid pace and certainly accelerates willingly when the right foot is planted. One of the slightly odd features of the six speed AMT (automated manual transmission) is that it seems to shift more smoothly through the gears in heavier motorhomes. Sometimes AMT gearboxes can have the annoying habit of being very hesitant in the lower gears but the Optimum didn’t exhibit that characteristic, even when driving on mountain roads with the gears shifting all the time.
One of the slightly deceptive things about the Optimum is that its length of 8.38m might give the impression of it being a difficult motorhome to drive, whereas once on the road, apart from remembering not to cut corners and maintaining good overtaking distances, driving really isn’t a chore at all. Manoeuvring in caravan parks and car parks and the like is of a course a different matter but the large external rear view mirrors and two rear view cameras, the camera screen being where the internal rear view mirror used to be, makes those relatively easy tasks.
One thing to keep in mind with the Al-KO chassis is that it sits fairly low and whilst coping with most normal road conditions there is sometimes a problem with sharp undulations in driveways and the like. All the expected comfort and safety items are fitted to the driver’s cab, including air bags on both sides. One thing about having a light commercial background is that there are plenty of storage pockets around the Ducato cab for everything from water bottles to clipboards. Like many light commercial vehicles, this one didn’t come with a 3.5mm socket for plugging in an iPod/ iPhone/mp3 player. They are a great space and weight saving device for storing entire music collections but cannot be used easily without some modification when driving. Of course there is always the house radio unit in the rear.
Motorhome Construction
In addition to the Al-KO tandem axle chassis, the other standout feature of the Optimum is the dual slide-outs on the offside. Jayco having opted for a slightly less complex engineering arrangement in terms of body structure by having two slide-outs instead of a large single one.
For the body construction, Jayco use a vacuum bonded ply/aluminium frame/ fibreglass structure, along with moulded fibreglass components for the Luton peak and cab surround. Underneath, a timber framed/polystyrene/ply sandwich panel structure is used for the floor. Stylish and flush glazed Dometic windows are used all round and the Dometic door comes with a Crimsafe security screen. The power operated Carefree Eclipse awning is operated by a switch just inside the door and that mostly covers the external living items – picnic table, entertainment unit and slide-out BBQ.
Because the Optimum has a slightly raised floor inside, that gives quite a bit of space for external bins – three along the offside and the same number along the nearside. Two of those are taken by gas cylinders and a slide-out BBQ but that still leaves plenty of space, although being low they are a bit awkward to get at, especially those under the opened slide-outs. Difficult access to low bins isn’t only a Jayco problem, quite a few manufacturers seem to forget the age and physical abilities of their customers. There were two options fitted to my review Optimum – a towbar and in place of the standard Coleman unit, an upgraded Air Command Ibis.
Department of the Interior
In keeping with most of the fleet, Jayco has opted for the Euro look with its curved doors and fittings, including the shower cubicle. Curtains are fitted to all windows, except the bathroom and kitchen. Being a large motorhome, there are certainly plenty of storage lockers, lipped shelves and cupboards. The cupboard and locker handles were relatively easy for aged fingers. Large windows all round give an even wash of natural light, as do the multiple number of LED fittings at night.
A double slide out in any motorhome adds to the interior space, which is certainly the case with the Optimum. For a quick roadside stop, it’s possible to use the nearside kitchen and offside dinette facilities without opening the slide-outs. However, the east-west bed in the rear blocks the walkway and so to use the bathroom means lifting the bed which is hinged right at the back.
In the driver’s cab, the standard motorhome friendly cab with the cut out and swivelling seats has been used, so getting to and from the cab is quite easy. Both the cab seats and the dinette seats are leather upholstered.
At night time the general illumination was good and most of the light switches are in obvious places, although one or two were a bit oddly located. Ditto the power sockets both 240V and 12V, although there wasn’t a 12V socket near the dinette table and the one in the cupboard in the TV corner of the bedroom was definitely an awkward location.
Sitting Back
Although not designed to be used together, having the fridge in between, the L shaped dinette and the swivelled cab seats both offer places to sit down and relax. With the floor level being where it is, the front seats don’t have the usual problem of being too high for short legs but the dinette is set off the floor being in the slide-out. For TV viewing the upper cupboard beside the entry door is fully wired for a flat screen TV but unlike the bedroom, there is no mounting bracket fitted. The latter can be seen from either the bed or the front cab seats and also the dinette seat but probably only comfortably for one person. For eating the oval table is reasonably sized but only mounted on a fixed single pole. I’d expect perhaps a more expensive any-which-way table, this being a luxury motorhome.
Catering
In a motorhome this size, the kitchen looks a bit small. That doesn’t mean it lacks for anything except benchtop working space. For general storage, it does come with three drawers, a cupboard, wire basket pantry and two overhead lockers but part of the cupboard space is taken by the hot water heater. Naturally there is also space for a four burner (three gas, one electric) cooktop and stainless steel sink. As mentioned above, the Dometic two door 186 litre fridge with microwave oven above, are located in the front slide-out between the dinette and driver’s cab.
Sleeping Hours
With its head in the offside slide-out, the bed fully extended measures 2.03m x 1.48m (6ft 8in x 4ft 10in). Certainly a very comfortable length for sure but the slight problem is that with the extension bolster in position, the slide-out cannot be fully closed up. Without the bolster, the bed loses about 200mm/8in, so whetheryou use it or not depends on how tall you might be!
In terms of storage, the person sleeping on the rear side gets both a bedside cupboard and recessed shelf but the other party gets nowt except for two overhead lockers. Making up for that slightly is a small cupboard that is mounted on the rear of the dinette seat and also a selection of narrow around-window cupboards at the foot of the bed.
Keeping Clean
In the full width rear bathroom, I like the nearside circular shower, it’s a bit space saving and looks very modern. Also circular is the centrally mounted wash basin with cupboard below. That still leaves space for a much narrower floor cupboard, overhead locker, Thetford cassette toilet and rear offside corner washing machine. Space is certainly a consideration but I did think it might have been neater to fit the washing into a cabinet.
Technology
Being a luxury motorhome, the Optimum comes with just about everything needed for motorhome travel, including a satellite TV system. 12V electrics are powered by a 100 amp hour deep cycle battery and charged by both a mains charger and a roof mounted 120W solar panel. For everything there are two control panels, one in a locker above the dinette with water tank gauges, 12V and 240V master switches and hot water controls. The other is at the end of the overhead lockers by the entry door and has slide-out and awning switches, along with various light rockers and solar panel regulator. The slide-out and awning switches are definitely on the high side, which might be awkward for shorter persons.
Summing Up
Dual slide-outs certainly add a considerable amount of interior space to any motorhome and that is certainly true here. Just about everything opens and shuts with the touch of a button and it’s to be expected that the Optimum, one of Jayco’s top line motorhomes, would come with just about everything. Which it does of course and is ready to hit the road in the style you might expect from a Jayco motorhome!
