Underneath, Jayco’s very own JTECH 2.0
Independent Coil suspension performed
honourably. The independence of both tyres
smoothed the ride up in the driver’s seat
when going over washouts and potholes. This
suspension has one shock absorber per side, not
your commonly seen ‘twins’ – but this one shock
is amped up, so the ride was as smooth as with
other serious offroad RVs.
Powder coating of the over-drawbar storage
and a checkerplate bottom quarter protect the
J-Pod Outback from scratches and denting. GT
Radial Adventuro A/T II tyres on 15” 235/75/
R15 wheels decorate the axle, with a spare
lodged underneath at the back. The watertank is
shielded underneath and no vulnerable wiring is
exposed.muddy, narrow and winding.
The light weight of the camper allowed the
electric brakes to feel smooth and natural. There
was no sense of tugging backward when braking
or pushing forward upon release. We could gain
momentum quickly and maintain it uphill; and
restart, with relative ease, when forced to stop
mid-slope. The camper’s small dimensions mean
you are unlikely to suffer any scratches or worse
damage from overhangs and nasty projections.
Our review J-Pod Outback was equipped with
a Trigg Bros polyblock hitch rated to an ample
3000kg. The articulation this offered over a
standard ball coupling absorbed the shocks, and
kept the motion steady and the trailer planted
firmly when rounding sharp bends and driving
on uneven terrain.The relatively high riding Outback can handle
moderate water crossings, no qualms
“WITH A TARE OF 921KG AND ATM OF 1221KG ON THE J-POD
WE TESTED, MOST SUVS EQUIPPED WITH A TOWBAR COULD HANDLE
THIS CAMPER... EVEN SMALLER SOFT ROADERS, SUCH AS THE CX-5
(1800KG) OR THE RAV4 CRUISER 4X4 (1500KG), CAN COPE WITH EASE”
TO WHERE YOU’D RATHER BE
With a Tare of 921kg and ATM of 1221kg on the
J-Pod we tested, most SUVs equipped with a
towbar could handle this camper. Bigger SUVs
with towing capacities of 2000kg will leave
plenty of wriggle room; but even smaller soft
roaders, such as the CX-5 (1800kg) or the Rav4
Cruiser 4x4 (1500kg), can cope with ease.
I barely felt the thing while towing in an
Isuzu D-Max. We took it from Melbourne
along the Princess Highway to Traralgon, then
onto Jamieson via plenty of offroad detours.
Most tracks this day were easy, aside from a
moderately deep river crossing at Coopers Creek
with a riverbed of loose, football-sized rocks. The
final day we headed up the 1300m Mt Terrible
via Newman’s Track. This became rather steep,