Caravan review: Jayco Discovery 17.55-8 Pop Top Outback

The Jayco Journey has made way for the Jayco Discovery, and we tested the 17.55-8 Pop Top Outback to see how it stacks up both on and off the road.

In brief: 

• Pop-top van with a body length of 5.52m (18ft)
• JTECH 2.0 independent coil suspension
• Front bed, rear bathroom layout
• Aluminium frame and fibreglass composite construction
• ATM 2556kg, tare weight 1956kg

Jayco Caravans is celebrating big time this year. Founded by Gerry Ryan, the manufacturer is celebrating its 50th anniversary. As part of those celebrations, several new models have been rolled out of the factory door. Among those is the Discovery range. It replaces the Journey lineup and sits mid-range between the Starcraft and the All-Terrain and Silverline models.

The Discovery vans are available as both a full caravan and a pop-top, and for this review, I opted for the pop-top. It’s an Outback model, designed for rough road use, with an external body length of 5.52m (18ft).

The build and exterior

Like all the Jayco range, the Discovery is built very much in the manufacturer’s style. The walls and roof are fibreglass (coloured ‘Dune’) composite, the latter being a single sheet. For the walls, additional checkerplate is included in the Outback version. There are no timber concerns in the frame; it’s aluminium. Polyethylene terephthalate — PET for short — is used for the flooring. It has the dual benefits of strength and effective insulation.

The Jayco Discovery 17.55-8 Pop Top Outback

Underpinning the Discovery is Jayco’s familiar Endurance chassis. It’s hot-dipped galvanised with 150mm x 50mm (6in x 2in) main rails and, for a bit of weight saving, dimple-pressed cross-section members. For a good ride quality, Jayco’s JTECH 2.0 independent suspension with coil springs and trailing arms is a standard feature on the Outback model.

There’s a very clean look to the front of the van. The setup includes the usual features like the ball coupling, jockey wheel and handbrake. The only other feature is that the two 9kg gas cylinders are neatly hidden under a moulded cover. The spare wheel, sometimes seen on the drawbar but more commonly on the rear bumper, is stored on a rack under the rear of the van.

The JTECH 2.0 independent coil suspension and spare wheel mounted under the rear chassis

For customer care, Jayco offers a five-year structural warranty, as well as a two-year manufacturer’s warranty. There are the usual OEM warranty times for supplied components. While the manufacturer’s warranty is transferable to a second owner, the structural warranty is not. A benefit of being the largest caravan manufacturer in Australia and New Zealand is that there are Jayco dealers everywhere and a good number of authorised repair agents.

Power and water systems

The Discovery 17.55-8 comes with a 100Ah lithium LiFePO4 battery and a 200W solar panel. That lithium battery/solar panel combination will keep the fridge and lights running for several days without a problem. There’s an external Anderson plug for a solar panel and a PM535J with integrated 30A DC/DC charger for controlling it all. For communications, there’s an offside 12V power socket thanks to the Outback pack, along with a waterproof lead, for fitting a Starlink Mini.

For water storage, two 80L freshwater tanks keep the water flowing and a Suburban instantaneous heater delivers hot showers.

How easy is it to set up the pop-top?

Like all pop-tops, the roof of this Discovery 17.55-8 has to be raised once you reach your chosen campsite. Setting up is relatively easy; just set the awning to the open position and undo the corner clips. There’s a slight problem for shorter people here and a small portable step may be necessary to reach the clips.

Inside, it’s a matter of raising the roof, literally, and opening the zippers on the gusset windows. The ceiling height is a generous 2.1m (6ft 10in).

A spacious interior layout

The layout of the Discovery 17.55-8 is a fairly standard arrangement with a double bed up the front and a rear full-width bathroom, with the dinette and kitchen in between. The rear door entry is a green tick for those who prefer not to have the access door open straight into the bedroom. Being a pop-top, there’s a curtain for the bathroom door and shorter curtains above the walls on either side. Although a pop-top does have less capacity for overhead lockers, it does have the benefit of a generally more spacious headroom — great for those who struggle in confined spaces.

A spacious and light-filled interior

There’s plenty of room up front for the island north–south bed. It has large windows on either side and two smaller windows on the front end: one in the wall and one in the gusset — no shortage of natural light and ventilation. There’s just enough walkaround room around the bed with the extension bolster in position that gives the bed a length of 1.88m (6ft 2in), and even more when the bolster isn’t used. There’s a smaller version of the usual bedhead layout, except that there’s no bedside cabinet. Shelves and drawers are fitted in the side wardrobes. Lifting the posture-slat bed base gives access to the underbed storage area.

The open storage area under the bed is good for larger items

Interior comforts: kitchen, dining and bathroom

The L-shaped dinette works well in this layout. It’s large enough for two people, yet not obtrusive in the overall design. The table is on a fixed height mount but it can be swivelled around. For storage, there are three overhead lockers and a drawer under the seat end. Opposite the dinette, the swivel arm-mounted TV can be seen from either the dinette or the front bed.

For whipping up a meal or even just making a cup of tea, the Discovery 17.55-8 kitchen is well-appointed and a decent size. There’s the usual level of appointment with a Thetford four-burner hob/grill, sink and an under-bench Sphere microwave oven. A couple of overhead lockers, two drawers, a cupboard and a wire basket pantry form the storage capacity. Across the walkway, the Dometic 146L compressor fridge/freezer  sits between the dinette and bathroom wall.

The L-shaped dinette will seat two comfortablyReasonably sized kitchen bench with all the essentials

Jayco’s cabinetry uses 15mm sheeting and is all interlocked for strength and durability. The colour scheme is very much in the Jayco style with ‘Coastal Beach’ cabinetry, ‘Stone Grey’ benchtops and the interestingly named ‘Lola Galaxy’ upholstery. The result is quite pleasing to the eye.

At one time, bathrooms were rare in a pop-top caravan, but the Discovery 17.55-8 has the complete kit with a separate shower cubicle, Thetford cassette toilet and a small vanity cabinet. The full-width setup is also fitted out with a cupboard and open compartments for all your bits and pieces. There’s a decent-sized wall mirror behind the wash basin.

Tow testing the Jayco Discovery

For my test run, I used my favourite test loop across the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney. It gives a good combination of freeway driving, winding roads and gravel tracks. A Nissan Navara ute, well capable of towing the 1956kg Discovery 17.55-8, performed the towing duties. It proved to be a good, no-stress towing experience; the Discovery behaved very well under all conditions. Indeed, quite a pleasant drive.

Check out our guide to dual cab utes for towing here.

Is the Jayco Discovery 17.55-8 Pop Top Outback worth it?

The Jayco Discovery 17.55-8 Pop Top Outback has quite a spacious interior, is well-appointed and has a reasonable starting price point of $68,790 plus on-road costs — something many couples will consider a good thing. The towing weight also means you won’t need a heavy-duty vehicle to hitch up this pop-top.

Jayco’s Discovery range scores well on several fronts, and with the Outback version, it’s ready for rough road travel while offering all the creature comforts you’d expect.

Tow testing the Jayco Discovery 17.55-8 Pop Top Outback with a Nissan Navara

Measuring up

Pros

• Great towing caravan
• Not excessively heavy
• Fitted out for rough road travel
• Spacious interior

Cons

• The high roof clips can be hard to reach
• The spare wheel is a bit awkward to get at

JAYCO DISCOVERY 17.55-8 POP TOP OUTBACK RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

Well priced for what is offered in the van

TOWABILITY

Tows well behind a mid-sized vehicle

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING

Ideal for those who want the ability to enjoy a bit of rough road travel

BUILD QUALITY

Everything opened and closed as it should. A few minor finish issues

LIVEABILITY

Practical layout inside. Storage space is a bit limited due to the pop-top design

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Has all the necessary gear, except for a grey water tank which can be optioned on

CUSTOMER CARE

Five-year structural warranty and a two-year manufacturer warranty

INNOVATION

For the most part, Jayco has stuck with the tried and trusted on this van

X-FACTOR

It’s not new, but the pop-top component is an attractive feature in this case

JAYCO DISCOVERY 17.55-8 POP TOP OUTBACK SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Jayco Discovery 17.55-8 Pop Top Outback price from $68,790 plus ORC in NSW 

OPTIONAL EXTRAS FITTED

• Water filter

Jayco Discovery 17.55-8 Pop Top Outback price as shown $69,631 in NSW rego included 

MORE INFORMATION

Jayco Sydney

63–67 Glossop Street

St Marys NSW 2760

P: 02 9623 1971

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