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Company type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | recreation vehicles |
Founded | 1968 |
Founders | Lloyd and Bertha Bontrager |
Headquarters | , USA |
Owner | Thor Industries |
Number of employees | 3,200 |
Website | www.jayco.com |
Jayco RV is a subsidiary of Jayco Family of Companies and an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles. The company manufactures Conventional Travel Trailers, Toy Haulers, Fifth-Wheel Travel, Trailers and Motorhomes (Class A, B, and C). Jayco is based in Middlebury, Indiana, and about three-quarters of its 3,200-person workforce is from the Amish and Mennonite communities of Indiana.
The company was founded in 1968 by Lloyd and Bertha Bontrager. Bontrager developed a unique lifter system for fold-down camping trailers in 1967 and started the business of making fold-down trailers in two chicken houses and a barn. The name “Jayco” originated from Lloyd’s middle name “Jay” and the “co” Buzz Leonard suggested to represent “company”. In the first year of operations, the company sold 132 trailers, and by the end of 1968, it had 15 employees. Lloyd and Bertha consistently would set out extra chairs at the dinner table to host dealers and employees in their home for dinner. Treating employees like family was installed in Jayco from the very beginning. The company continued to grow, building another plant in Harper, Kansas in 1970.
The company was hard hit in the energy crunch of the 1970s and several of its plants were closed temporarily. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company also suffered another slowdown due to the high price of gasoline. The company recovered to become the second largest U.S. manufacturer of towable products by 1995.
On Easter Sunday in 1985, Lloyd Bontrager and his youngest son Wendall were killed when his small airplane crashed in the vicinity of Muncie, Indiana. His wife Bertha became chairman of the board at Jayco and later, her sons Wilbur and Derald assumed leadership roles within the company.
In addition to the Jayco brand, Jayco acquired Starcraft RV in 1991, Entegra Coach in 2008 and Highland Ridge RV in 2014. In 2016, Jayco reached their 1 millionth manufactured RV milestone and the Eagle line celebrated 25 years, becoming the industry's longest-running trailer brand. Jayco was acquired by Thor Industries in July 2016 for $576 million.
Jayco, Inc. rebranded to the Jayco Family of Companies in 2021 to better encapsulate the four divisions – Jayco, Entegra Coach, Highland Ridge RV and Starcraft RV.
Jayco is known for their Jay Flight model, which became available in 2001. Since 2005, the Jayco Jay Flight has been the #1 selling travel trailer brand. [1] In 2006, the Jay Flight brand expanded its model lineup with the addition of the seasonal model, Bungalow. As part of an exclusive deal, Jay Flights began featuring tires from Goodyear with Durawall technology as standard. Jay Flight was the first to be listed as a Gold Medal Green Certified RV.
Model | Class | Fuel | Chassis |
---|---|---|---|
Jay Feather Micro | Travel Trailer | Towable | |
Jay Feather Air | Travel Trailer | Towable | |
Jay Feather | Travel Trailer | Towable | |
Jay Flight SLX | Travel Trailer | Towable | |
Jay Flight | Travel Trailer | Towable | |
Jay Flight Bungalow | Travel Trailer | Towable | |
Eagle HT | Travel Trailer | Towable | |
Eagle HT | Fifth Wheel | Towable | |
Eagle | Fifth Wheel | Towable | |
North Point | Fifth Wheel | Towable | |
Pinnacle | Fifth Wheel | Towable | |
Seismic | Toy Hauler | Towable | |
Comet | Class B | Gas | RAM® ProMaster 1500 |
Swift | Class B | Gas | RAM® ProMaster 3500 |
Solstice | Class B | Gas | Ford® Transit AWD 350HD |
Terrain | Class B | Diesel | Mercedes-Benz® 2500 AWD |
Redhawk SE | Class C | Gas | Ford® E-350 or Chevy® 4500 |
Redhawk | Class C | Gas | Ford® E-450 |
Greyhawk | Class C | Gas | Ford® E-450 |
Melbourne | Class C | Diesel | Mercedes-Benz® 3500 |
Melbourne Prestige | Class C | Diesel | Mercedes-Benz® 3500 |
Granite Ridge | Class C | Gas | Ford® 350HD AWD |
Greyhawk XL | Class C | Diesel | Ford® F550 and F600 |
Seneca XT | Class C | Diesel | Ford® F550 and F600 |
Seneca | Class C | Diesel | Freightliner® S2RV |
Seneca Prestige | Class C | Diesel | Freightliner® S2RV |
Alante | Class A | Gas | Ford® F53 |
Precept | Class A | Gas | Ford® F53 |
Precept Prestige | Class A | Gas | Ford® F53 |
Jayco partnered with a UK-based company in the late 1970s and produced a tent camper for the European market. [2] Jayco Australia Ltd was founded in 1975, and production commenced there the following year. Jayco of Australia soon became the largest player in the Australian camper/caravan industry.
A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans, fifth-wheel trailers, popup campers, and truck campers.
A caravan, travel trailer, camper, tourer or camper trailer is a trailer towed behind a road vehicle to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable and protected than a tent. It provides the means for people to have their own home on a journey or a vacation, without relying on a motel or hotel, and enables them to stay in places where none is available. However, in some countries campers are restricted to designated sites for which fees are payable.
Forest River Inc. is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles, cargo trailers, utility trailers, pontoon boats, and buses.
A motorhome is a type of self-propelled recreational vehicle (RV) which is as the name suggests, like a home on wheels.
Airstream is an American brand of travel trailer easily recognized by the distinctive shape of its rounded and polished aluminum coachwork. This body shape dates back to the 1930s and is based on the Bowlus Road Chief, an earlier model of the all-aluminum travel trailer.
All American Group was an American company whose divisions produced pre-fabricated housing, recreational vehicles (RVs) and system-built homes. Based in Elkhart, Indiana, it was founded in 1964 as Coachmen Industries. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol COA until 2009, when it was delisted for failing to maintain continued NYSE listing standards.
Thor Industries, Inc. is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles (RVs). The company sells towable and motorized RVs through its subsidiaries brands including Airstream, Heartland RV, Jayco, Livin Lite RV, and others. The company's headquarters is in Elkhart, Indiana. It has manufacturing facilities in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Idaho and Oregon.
In North America, the term truck camper and its abbreviation TC are generally used to refer to any recreational vehicle or RV that may be carried in the bed of a pickup truck. In North America, this RV type is sometimes known as a slide-in or cab-over.
Winnebago Industries, Inc. is an American manufacturer of motorhomes, a type of recreational vehicle (RV). In 2018, the company expanded into motorboat manufacturing with the acquisition of Chris-Craft Corporation. Winnebago has also manufactured light-to-medium utility vehicles as well as other products. The company is named after Winnebago County, Iowa, where it used to be headquartered. The county is named after the Native American tribe who have historically lived in the area. During the 1970s and 1980s, Winnebago Industries depended on Native American history and traditions in naming their products, for example "Chieftain" and "Brave." They also used Native American iconography and patterns in their designs and period advertisements.
Fleetwood RV is a producer of recreational vehicles (RVs). Founded in 1950, Fleetwood RV is part of REV Group. Rev's recreation division includes Fleetwood RV, American Coach, Monaco, Holiday Rambler, Renegade RV, Midwest Automotive Designs, and Lance Campers.
A pop-up camper is a type of towed recreational vehicle that can be collapsed for easy storage and transport. When set up, this type of trailer provides a large amount of interior space when compared to its size when collapsed. Its relatively affordable price makes it a popular choice for some RVers and its small size contributes to easier towing than many other types of RVs.
Heartland RVs is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles located in Elkhart, Indiana. Founded by former Damon Corp. CEO Brian Brady in 2003, it was purchased and became a subsidiary of Thor Industries in 2010.
REV Group, Inc. is an American manufacturer of ambulances, buses, commercial vehicle, firefighting vehicles, recreational vehicles and other specialty vehicles, as well as aftermarket parts and services. It provides vehicles and services for public fire departments and emergency services, as well as commercial infrastructure and leisure vehicles for consumers.
Boles Manufacturing produced the Boles Aero brand of aluminum recreational travel trailers in Southern California from 1946 to 1980. Boles Aero trailers featured aircraft style, riveted semi-monocoque aluminum construction, similar to Airstream's line of trailers. In contrast, most other camping trailers of the era were of wood frame construction, covered by a non-structural aluminum skin. Boles Aero aluminum travel trailers were central to the post-war recreational vehicle culture, the quintessential "canned ham" trailer of the mid-century American highway. Boles Manufacturing built and sold over 18,000 trailers between 1946 and 1980.
Sunline Coach Company was a manufacturer of recreational vehicles, truck bed caps, and household storage sheds from 1964 to November, 2006. Vehicles were primarily built at a production facility in Denver, Pennsylvania, or at a smaller location in Leola. The company built about 70,000 travel trailers, truck campers, fifth wheels, and motorhomes over their 42-year history.
Livin Lite RV was an American manufacturer of recreation vehicles sold under the CampLite and QuickSilver brands. It was based in Shipshewana, Indiana. The company was most recently managed by KZ Inc., a subsidiary of Thor Industries. Livin Lite made truck campers, fold-down tent camping trailers, travel trailers, and toy haulers. They were known for their advanced lightweight aluminum construction techniques.
Entegra Coach is an American manufacturer of luxury motorhomes. Established in 2008 as a subsidiary of the Jayco Family of Companies, which is itself part of Thor Industries. Based in Middlebury, Indiana, Entegra Coach produces a variety of motorhomes, including luxury diesel pushers, gas Class A, Class C, Super C, and Class B motorhomes.
The Jayco Family of Companies is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles (RVs) and a subsidiary of Thor Industries. The group operates through its brands, including Jayco RV, Entegra Coach, Highland Ridge RV, and Starcraft RV. Based in Middlebury and Shipshewana, Indiana, the company has been a prominent player in the RV industry since its founding in 1968.
Starcraft RV is an American manufacturer of recreational vehicles (RVs) and a subsidiary of the Jayco Family of Companies, which is part of Thor Industries. Based in Shipshewana, Indiana, the company produces travel trailers and fifth wheels, with a history dating back to its founding in 1903.