Aussie caravan giant taken to court over off-road claims

Australia's largest caravan manufacturer has been taken to the Federal Court over allegations it misled customers by wrongly advertising some of its caravans as off-roaders.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) claims Jayco used images of trailers from its Outback and Adventure ranges driving through off-road or four-wheel drive (4WD) terrain, despite the vehicles not being designed or covered for those conditions.

Jayco has denied any of its advertising material misled customers and says it intends to vigorously defend the claims in court.

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Dating back to January 2020, Jayco used images and footage depicting the RVS on unsealed or rocky roads, sand or beaches, water crossings and 4WD-only tracks, the ACCC alleges.

Those images were integrated into promotional material on the Jayco website, social media profiles and at trade shows.

In addition to the visuals, the company made reference to the RVs off-road suitability through phrases such as "purpose-built off-road hybrid RV" and "our toughest off-roader, purpose-built to tackle the tough Australian terrain", the ACCC says.

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Warranties for vehicles in the range, including Outback, All Terrain and CrossTrak RVS, did not cover off-road use, according to the consumer watchdog.

The warranty specified the RVs were not designed for use or towing on 4WD only tracks, terrain with hard impacts, heavy landings or rutted roads or tracks.

Jayco vehicles in the ranges in question set customers back a minimum of $19,000, with certain models costing up to $113,000.

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