Caravan review: Jayco Silverline Outback 21.65-3

The 2024 Jayco Silverline Outback 21.65-3 couples van is incredibly luxurious for its price point. Let’s take a look inside this comfortable and stylish rig.

In April this year, the Caravan World team and I reviewed two new 2024 Jayco vans over two days and about 500km up and down Victoria’s Great Ocean Road. One of those vans was the Outback 21.65-3 caravan in the Silverline series. It was striking from the moment we towed it out of Jayco’s headquarters in Dandenong, Victoria. With its glossy white finish, straight off the factory line, it’s a van that looks sturdy and comfortable — and has the specs to back it up.

Jayco says this van’s “features are designed to complement the way you choose to live and aims to reflect the luxury of the modern home”, and I agree. After a few days of exploring the van, it’s clear it has everything you need to enjoy a comfortable holiday. From the LED strip lights everywhere you could need them, to the well laid-out and visually pleasing panel from which you can control everything and the pillowtop mattress, this van is about being comfortable and doing it in style.

The Jayco Silverline looks the part

Liveability

One of the main features of the Silverline is the electric slide-out bed. With just the push of a button the van opens up (56cm/1ft 8in) creating ample room to walk around the east–west queen size bed with premium pillowtop innerspring mattress to reach the rear bathroom. We know caravanners will appreciate not having to climb over their partner when they want to use the bathroom in the middle of the night — one of those things that really affects liveability, but you don’t realise how much until you’re on a long trip. The convenience of having this extra space (while stationary) which then retracts easily for transport gives the van a special touch.

Extra room inside with the slide-out bed

There is also ample storage around the bed and on the opposite wall, with massive cupboards/drawers/nooks that can fit clothing, linen and all sorts of personal belongings.

When you’re inside the van, the unique confluence of lighting, colours and furnishings makes you forget you’re inside a caravan. You can also choose from a number of textile and colour packages (including upholstery and laminate), making the van your own and just taking the difficulty out of choosing your own combination and wondering whether those colours will go together.

My favourite area of the van has to be the impressive club lounge up front. The lounge is incredibly soft, where you sink into the seats, and there is ample room for four people to eat comfortably. I love the 180-degree windows with the iconic ‘Silverline’ open hatch at the front, evoking the feeling of being outside with the all-around view. And with the entry door right next to the club lounge there's direct access between the indoor and outdoor living areas. And when the weather heats up, air conditioning is sorted with the Dometic IBIS 4.

Light-filled luxury in the club lounge dinette

I also appreciated the LED strip lights being included wherever you could use that little bit of extra light. A particularly nice touch was the LED strip lights on the electric awning — it made the whole van look more together at night and it was very useful having the light there for all outdoor night activities/needs.

Moving onto the kitchen which has everything a couple could need for an extended road trip, including a Thetford four-burner cooktop, full oven and grill, a 12V 216L Dometic fridge/freezer, a handy drinking tap and plenty of storage in many different cupboards and drawers.

Cooking on the Thetford four-burner cooktop

Dometic 12V fridge/freezer

Both the kitchen sink and cooktop are configured in a way that you can use them as bench space when not in use otherwise — the sink has a cover which can act as a chopping board or extra bench space, and the cooktop has a glass cover which can act as a working surface.

The spacious ensuite at the rear boasts a roomy shower on the right, basin in the centre, 3.3kg Sphere automatic top load washing machine and a Thetford cassette toilet (three to five days for a couple going off-grid, but we suggest a second cassette for long trips) on the left. As with the rest of the van, the ensuite area is inviting and comfortable and there is ample storage for all your needs.

Spacious ensuite at rear

Drop-down picnic table outside

The build

The construction of the Silverline Outback 21.65-3 is not a new concept, relying on a tried and tested method that Jayco has mastered. Starting with the chassis, which is hot dip galvanised Australian steel. The roof is a sandwich construction, one piece fibreglass skin and the walls are fully insulated aluminium Toughframe — hail and dent resistant — allowing you to stay warm in winter and cool down in summer. This is thanks for its composite wall construction with aluminium internal supports. The furniture is Euro-style with aluminium seat framing, and underneath is Jayco’s own branded JTECH 2.0 trailing arm independent coil suspension.

Jayco JTECH 2.0 independent suspension

Self-sufficiency

Underneath the bed sits the electrical system, featuring a 200Ah lithium battery (sealed and vented to the outside). Considering the fridge and other appliances, plus your personal charging needs, will likely only combine to 12Ah at peak and under 7Ah overnight, you should be good for a few low to no-cloud days before needing to plug in. With 400W of solar panels on the roof, on good days you should see in the region of 80–120A back into the battery which makes this Silverline almost ‘off-grid’. Add in your own solar blanket and you should be comfortable on long, sunny summer days.

Control panel

A 3000W inverter option exists which we would pair with another battery and solar panel to bring the total capacity and capability of the system to the level to be able to run air fryers, good hair driers and straighteners plus the ubiquitous laptop with ease. It would also allow you to be able to run a portable induction cooktop.

(To find out more about how to calculate your power for off-grid travels, check out this article by John Hughes).

When it comes to water, there is 190L of fresh water tanks available (no grey water tank) which would last a couple about a week, if using 10–20L each per day. However, if you like to enjoy a longer shower, like me, at 40L per person per day you would be right for about four to five days. Also, with rationalised showering you could extend this to 10 days.

Great storage

Towability

We had the pleasure of driving a 2024 Ford F-150 XLT to tow this van, and I really enjoyed everything about this car. The van towed behind the F-150 effortlessly, gliding from location to location. Despite the long combination setup of 14.5m, you sometimes forget the van is behind you.

Tow testing on Victoria’s iconic Great Ocean Road with a Ford F-150 XLT

The thing that impressed me the most about the Ford was how incredibly comfortable it was. The elevated ride height makes you feel like you’re the king of the world and the chairs are like sitting in your favourite armchair at home. If you’re planning to cover a lot of ground and a lot of kilometres then this could be the tow rig for you.

The Ford F-150 XLT has a lot of grunt, and that’s thanks to its twin turbo V6 engine. I affectionately called this combo of van and tow vehicle the ‘Beauty and the Beast’, because the van itself is a beautiful home on wheels and the Ford is really a beast of a car. It also has a massive 138L fuel tank so you can comfortably tow for about 500km with one tank.

You definitely don’t need a car as massive as the F-150 to tow this van (2560kg), any standard dual cab ute or SUV will do the job.

And when it comes to fuel economy, the XLT was averaging around 20.7L per 100km on our trip, which is fantastic considering its size and the Silverline behind it. We were expecting around the 25L mark, so it being below 21L is really impressive and something we want to bring to your attention.

Customer care

The beauty of being Australia’s largest caravan manufacturer, and by a long shot, is having a reliable and extended customer care and warranty network.

Jayco’s comprehensive warranty promise offers two years manufacturing and five years structural warranty coverage. Full detailed information is provided on the Jayco website should you wish to find out more.

A luxurious couples van

The wrap

This van epitomises the term ‘affordable luxury’, and I’m certainly a fan. From the comfortable front lounge to the soft furnishings and cloud-like mattress — not to mention this is an Outback model van giving you the ability to travel off the tarmac occasionally — this van represents great value for money with a price tag of $103,623*.

*Price does not include optional extras.

Measuring up

Pros

• Undeniable comfort
• Electric awning with LED strip lights is a nice touch
• Jayco dependability

Cons

• Not as customisable as some
• Could use a power system upgrade

JAYCO SILVERLINE OUTBACK 21.65-3 RATINGS

VALUE FOR MONEY

This van is a fantastic value proposition

TOWABILITY

Jayco’s JTECH Suspension towed exceptionally well. The van felt perfectly balanced

SUITABILITY FOR INTENDED TOURING

Spacious, affordable and capable, it’s an adventurous couple’s dream

BUILD QUALITY

Reliable Jayco build quality, if a bit understated

LIVEABILITY

It’s spacious and comfortable — more than enough room for a couple

SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Ready to go off-grid for a week, comfortably

CUSTOMER CARE

A five plus two year warranty is good, Jayco’s warranty document is one of the most comprehensive and Jayco-Assist is a great initiative

INNOVATION

More evolutionary than revolutionary, the Silverline is a known quantity and quality

X-FACTOR

The slide-out queen bed adds ample room and ease to move around comfortably

JAYCO SILVERLINE OUTBACK 21.65-3 SPECS

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

Jayco Silverline Outback 21.65-3 price from $103,623

OPTIONS FITTED

N/A

Jayco Silverline Outback 21.65-3 price as shown $103,623

MORE INFORMATION

Jayco Australia

THE NEXT STEP

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