JAYCO RVs For Sale

About Jayco

Jayco manufactures a wide selection of recreational vehicles, including pop-up campers, travel trailers, fifth wheels, and toy haulers. Jayco also makes Class A (gas and diesel), Class B (gas and diesel), and Class C (gas and diesel) motorhomes.

---

2022 Jayco Jay Flight 264BH Travel Trailer

Jayco RV History

In the 1960s, Lloyd Bontrager worked for the RV division of Star Tank (later Starcraft RV), where he designed the company’s patented lifter system, when his wife Bertha suggested he start his own company. In 1968, the couple started Jayco Inc. on their farm in Middlebury, Indiana. In the first year, the company grew to 15 employees, brought on Al Yoder as a partner, and sold 132 camping trailers.

Jayco’s first RV, the first of the Jay Series, was a fold-down (or “pop-up”) camper, using the lifter system Bontrager invented. The system featured a fully enclosed crank that kept the working parts protected from outside elements to prevent corrosion and damage and vertical telescoping posts that worked with a curved guide.

Expansion & Innovation

Expansion came quickly. By 1970, Jayco had opened locations in Kansas and Canada and added travel trailers to its lineup, building 1,100 in the first year in 1971. The company added fifth wheels a year later when it acquired Wonderland fifth wheel manufacturer Three C’s.

Jayco temporarily shut down production in the 1970s due to the energy crisis. However, by the end of the decade, Jayco released its first fifth wheel with a stand-up area in the front bedroom and debuted the JayMini Class C motorhome series. The company also formed its first international subsidiary, Jayco Australia.

Jayco continued to innovate and try new takes on old models, some more successful than others. In 1982, the company introduced the Jay Tiki, a modification of the original fold-down trailer. The living area flipped out of the trailer and onto the ground. Despite early interest, it didn’t catch on and was soon discontinued. Jayco founder Lloyd Bontrager, along with his son and two others, was killed in a plane crash on Easter in 1985.

Jayco Acquisitions

In 1991, Jayco acquired Starcraft RV, the company where Jayco founder Bontrager began his RV career. The company then acquired Travel Supreme and launched the Class A Entegra Coach division in 2008, becoming the world’s largest privately held RV manufacturer by 2011. Jayco and its brands, Starcraft RV, Entegra Coach, and Highland Ridge RV, were acquired by Thor Industries in 2016, maker of Thor Motor Coach RVs.

Modern & Mobile Jayco RVs

The Jay Flight marked 15 consecutive years as the No. 1-selling travel trailer in North America in 2020. Jayco introduced its 2024 version of the RV with 23 floor plan options and sleeping accommodations for four to 10 people. The Jay Flight has bunk beds, a queen-size bed, and a jackknife sofa (according to model) with options for a hide-a-bed and king bed on select models.

On the smaller end, the Class B Terrain is one of Jayco’s most popular camper vans. It sleeps up to two people and has a 49- by 79-inch (124- by 200-centimeter) power lift bed with a gear garage below. The 26- by 33-in. (66- by 84-cm) wet bath has a shower, cassette toilet, removable bamboo shelf, retractable clothesline, and a powered roof vent. The kitchen has a refrigerator, sink, and a portable induction cooktop.

Jayco announced in 2019 that it was suspending the production of fold-down campers, at least until demand increased, though Jayco Australia still offers some pop-ups to its local market.

Find Jayco RVs For Sale

Explore RVUniverse to browse and compare thousands of new and used Jayco RVs for sale, including popular models such as Eagle fifth wheels and travel trailers; North Point and Pinnacle fifth wheels; Jay Feather, Jay Flight SLX, and White Hawk travel trailers; and Greyhawk Class C motorhomes.