Hi all! New to this forum, discovered it while researching as we're considering upgrading from our Goldstream camper trailer to a 14.44-4. I have a few questions before we make our decision. Does the foldout bed canvas attach/seal well to the caravan?(Our Goldstream is quite draughty so I'm hoping these are not the same). For those of you who've got the standard cabinet aircond, does it do a sufficient job? (Our theory is that it must be better than no aircond!) Does the fridge work well in hot weather? (Our current fridge struggles if it's hot). We have chosen a few upgrades, but I'm interested to know what others think are important additions (we really only do caravan park holidays) Thanks!
14' Series Questions before purchase
- Thread starter MeganJ
- Start date
Hi Megan the 14.44-4 is a great little van. Friends of ours have one and love it. I wouldn't call the ends draughty but you are essentially in a tent on three sides so they will always be cold in cold weather. I think the most important option I got is a hot water service as it makes washing up so much easier. As for the fridge they will always struggle in hot weather. Its the nature of the asorbation fridge. Many people including my self have installed all sorts of fans to assist the fridge. But if its hot outside the fridge temperature inside will climb.
Welcome to the forum @MeganJ .
We have a 16-49-4 with rooftop aircon which works really well but Noisy.
As far as fridge goes I have found it works well down south , have frozen a few lettuces and tomatoes,
I have since installed a remote thermostat that I can put in the car and monitor while travelling , it was
$20.00 from Jaycar.
I would highly recommend a hot water service and outdoor shower.
I'm not to sure of the layout of the 14-44-4 but we moved our microwave from the top of the fridge
To where the wall mount aircon would normally be and made an extra cupboard on top of fridge.
As for the canvas ends there is a bit of draught but considering most holidays are in summer months or
Climates it's actually not a bad thing. But I think they have changed the bed ends slightly in the newer models
So one with a 20015 model may be able to help there.
Hope this helps .
We have a 16-49-4 with rooftop aircon which works really well but Noisy.
As far as fridge goes I have found it works well down south , have frozen a few lettuces and tomatoes,
I have since installed a remote thermostat that I can put in the car and monitor while travelling , it was
$20.00 from Jaycar.
I would highly recommend a hot water service and outdoor shower.
I'm not to sure of the layout of the 14-44-4 but we moved our microwave from the top of the fridge
To where the wall mount aircon would normally be and made an extra cupboard on top of fridge.
As for the canvas ends there is a bit of draught but considering most holidays are in summer months or
Climates it's actually not a bad thing. But I think they have changed the bed ends slightly in the newer models
So one with a 20015 model may be able to help there.
Hope this helps .
Hi and welcome Megan
We have had our 14.44-4 for nearly 5 years now and still love it as much now as when we first picked it up. We have camped in sub zero temps all the way through to the high 40's and our little expanda has always seen us through.
When Jayco introduced the hard lid over the bed ends it was a major step forward for comfort but you still must remember it is canvas walls. In very cold weather if you don't have access to 240v power you will still need to have warm bedding etc to keep comfy. We have the standard privacy screen which does us fine but some on the forum have had canvas screens made up to offer an extra layer of protection.
We have the cabinet air and have found it to be up to the task on the occasions we have used it. If they still use the same Heron unit that we have you will find they are not a true reverse cycle unit. They use a heating element when on the warm setting instead.
Still seems to do an ok job. it is fairly noisy when on the high setting. One thing we have found with heating the van is it can be tricky to get the balance right. The person sleeping on the top bunk can easily overheat as they get most of the heat first.
We opted for the larger 150ltr fridge and have never regretted that decision. The fridge jayco fitted is the tropical variant so is about as good as you will get in the 3 way power non compressor fridges. Here in Qld we get a lot of warm weather and the fridge has performed well overall. You need to be mindful of excess trips to the fridge during very hot weather but we have not had the ice cream melt yet. no doubt a compressor type fridge would probably work better but you can't beat the gas option of the 3way if you do any off grid camping.
As far as add on's go that really is up to you. things i would consider would be items that might be hard to fit later like pre wiring for solar and heavy items like batteries. any items you decide to fit after you take delivery will come off your allowable carry weight, if jayco fit them they will be included in the van weight.
Most of all have fun... it is an exciting time picking up that new van
We have had our 14.44-4 for nearly 5 years now and still love it as much now as when we first picked it up. We have camped in sub zero temps all the way through to the high 40's and our little expanda has always seen us through.
When Jayco introduced the hard lid over the bed ends it was a major step forward for comfort but you still must remember it is canvas walls. In very cold weather if you don't have access to 240v power you will still need to have warm bedding etc to keep comfy. We have the standard privacy screen which does us fine but some on the forum have had canvas screens made up to offer an extra layer of protection.
We have the cabinet air and have found it to be up to the task on the occasions we have used it. If they still use the same Heron unit that we have you will find they are not a true reverse cycle unit. They use a heating element when on the warm setting instead.
Still seems to do an ok job. it is fairly noisy when on the high setting. One thing we have found with heating the van is it can be tricky to get the balance right. The person sleeping on the top bunk can easily overheat as they get most of the heat first.
We opted for the larger 150ltr fridge and have never regretted that decision. The fridge jayco fitted is the tropical variant so is about as good as you will get in the 3 way power non compressor fridges. Here in Qld we get a lot of warm weather and the fridge has performed well overall. You need to be mindful of excess trips to the fridge during very hot weather but we have not had the ice cream melt yet. no doubt a compressor type fridge would probably work better but you can't beat the gas option of the 3way if you do any off grid camping.
As far as add on's go that really is up to you. things i would consider would be items that might be hard to fit later like pre wiring for solar and heavy items like batteries. any items you decide to fit after you take delivery will come off your allowable carry weight, if jayco fit them they will be included in the van weight.
Most of all have fun... it is an exciting time picking up that new van
We have the 14.44-5 OB, yes, yes and yes.
The AC compressor is on the off side of the van near the toilet. When working hard on hot days is typical AC noise, very quiet and efficient in the van tho. It's placement next to the door means you can direct the air to the front bed as well as the table in our model.
No problem with our fridge, in fact when on gas, need to turn it down to 3. Others have had issues with air circulation at the back of the fridge so have installed extractor fans as a mod.
Because our model has the onsuite shower toilet instead of the second foldout bed (only 2 of us) we have the extra water tank, hot water and internal shower. Highly recommend getting HW and probably an external shower ( had this in our previous Joyco Penguin)
Not sure how the 2016 has the spare wheel mounted but was very problematic, shifted ours to the rear bumper and converted our old wheel well to a basket. Also mounted JC holders at the front over the 'basket' as we travel large distances without necessarily reliable fuel points.
See my mod thread for the things we did it to make our 14.44-5 more comfortable.
Cheers and welcome to the forum.
Last edited:
Hello Megan,
I have a 14.44.4 and it's a great little van just right for us ATM we've had it for around 2 years now and as the wife keeps reminding us it's the best thing we have bought.
I would recommend roof mount Air Con as you will get a more even coverage across the van. We have roof mount and the air vents point toward both front and rear beds.
Fridge if you can up size the extra room will be worth the cost. We have the standard size but do run a second bar fridge in the annex mostly for drinks and the extra freeze comes in handy. I call it the Zooper Dooper freezer.
The fridge inside the van does take some time to get cold, best to run you fridge a day or 2 before you leave but as said i have had some salads freeze.
Bed end, I and some members have used a waterproof spray cans over the canvas works well. Also some have gone and add a storm cover.
I do not have one but have been contemplating weather i should get on or not. I do have the privacy screen which does the job.
One really cold nights we use heated throw blankets for all the beds as fitted electric blankets don't fit properly. I've found running the Air Con on heat will tend to get lots of condensation inside the van. So it's throw blankets from now on.
Extra's a second 9kg Gas bottle is awesome just for the BBQ.
A extra TV point on the annex side. I'll be add one soon.
A second light external light (annex side) but outside the annex wall towards the front of the van. Will be good as BBQ light or late night runs to the toilet. Make sure it's on a separate switch to other external lights.
Extra shelves in the robe (*Try posting a bit more so your post isn't boring*-4) we currently have a hanger and it's hopeless.
Hot water system might be good, we currently use a jug to heat up the water to do the dishes. It's no biggie it does the job.
We do not have a TV antenna as most parks we stay at have TV access point to van site some even offer Foxtel. We download most of our TV shows and movies to a hard drive and watch on the TV if the van park does not have a TV point.
Hope this helps and good luck.
I have a 14.44.4 and it's a great little van just right for us ATM we've had it for around 2 years now and as the wife keeps reminding us it's the best thing we have bought.
I would recommend roof mount Air Con as you will get a more even coverage across the van. We have roof mount and the air vents point toward both front and rear beds.
Fridge if you can up size the extra room will be worth the cost. We have the standard size but do run a second bar fridge in the annex mostly for drinks and the extra freeze comes in handy. I call it the Zooper Dooper freezer.
The fridge inside the van does take some time to get cold, best to run you fridge a day or 2 before you leave but as said i have had some salads freeze.
Bed end, I and some members have used a waterproof spray cans over the canvas works well. Also some have gone and add a storm cover.
I do not have one but have been contemplating weather i should get on or not. I do have the privacy screen which does the job.
One really cold nights we use heated throw blankets for all the beds as fitted electric blankets don't fit properly. I've found running the Air Con on heat will tend to get lots of condensation inside the van. So it's throw blankets from now on.
Extra's a second 9kg Gas bottle is awesome just for the BBQ.
A extra TV point on the annex side. I'll be add one soon.
A second light external light (annex side) but outside the annex wall towards the front of the van. Will be good as BBQ light or late night runs to the toilet. Make sure it's on a separate switch to other external lights.
Extra shelves in the robe (*Try posting a bit more so your post isn't boring*-4) we currently have a hanger and it's hopeless.
Hot water system might be good, we currently use a jug to heat up the water to do the dishes. It's no biggie it does the job.
We do not have a TV antenna as most parks we stay at have TV access point to van site some even offer Foxtel. We download most of our TV shows and movies to a hard drive and watch on the TV if the van park does not have a TV point.
Hope this helps and good luck.
Welcome @MeganJ
We have a 2014 14.44-4OB and love it with 2 kids 13 and 10.
I may repeat what some others have already advised so please bear with me.
The way the canvas is attached in the front bed does not introduce draughts however there are small openings where the bed base hinges the you can poke a finger through.
The standard AC unit does the job cooling (haven't used it on heat yet) but is noisy. We mostly bush camp so have no mains power anyway.
We have the 150L fridge and it is tropical rated. It does the job but if you are opening it every 5 minutes you may have issues. We have camped on gas in some high temps, high 30s low 40s and got by.
If you were to go beyond caravan parks in the future and bush camp I can recommend the external shower. If you get the external shower consider an outside light above it.
Not knowing what is standard equipment these days a HWS is great and if bush camping a second water tank.
Agree on pre-wiring for solar if you are getting the touring model.
I would also look at negotiating an increase in your payload by 100kg before you sign a contract.
We have a 2014 14.44-4OB and love it with 2 kids 13 and 10.
I may repeat what some others have already advised so please bear with me.
The way the canvas is attached in the front bed does not introduce draughts however there are small openings where the bed base hinges the you can poke a finger through.
The standard AC unit does the job cooling (haven't used it on heat yet) but is noisy. We mostly bush camp so have no mains power anyway.
We have the 150L fridge and it is tropical rated. It does the job but if you are opening it every 5 minutes you may have issues. We have camped on gas in some high temps, high 30s low 40s and got by.
If you were to go beyond caravan parks in the future and bush camp I can recommend the external shower. If you get the external shower consider an outside light above it.
Not knowing what is standard equipment these days a HWS is great and if bush camping a second water tank.
Agree on pre-wiring for solar if you are getting the touring model.
I would also look at negotiating an increase in your payload by 100kg before you sign a contract.
Same as already said above...
We have a 2013 14.44-4 and love it.
We are in Brissy and have found the 150L fridge performs well - we mostly free camp son is run on gas. Have not had a problem yet.
If i had my time again, I would get the roof mounted air con.
As we free camp out near Warwick/Stanthorpe it gets bloody cold and the EU20 Honda will not run the heater, whereas if was the roof top with true reverse cycle it would be able to.
We have added solar and an inverter etc.
It will all come down to what type of travelling you are planning for a lot of your decisions.
BJ
We have a 2013 14.44-4 and love it.
We are in Brissy and have found the 150L fridge performs well - we mostly free camp son is run on gas. Have not had a problem yet.
If i had my time again, I would get the roof mounted air con.
As we free camp out near Warwick/Stanthorpe it gets bloody cold and the EU20 Honda will not run the heater, whereas if was the roof top with true reverse cycle it would be able to.
We have added solar and an inverter etc.
It will all come down to what type of travelling you are planning for a lot of your decisions.
BJ
Thanks everyone. Very helpful. Hubby, the 2 kids and I are pretty keen to get one so looks like we'll be joining the 14.44 club soon
Order placed, deposit paid, looking at delivery in May! Another question though. What size bedding fits the foldout bed best? Going on the measurements it seems double size would be fine, but just interested to know what you all use. Also our saleslady said the split mattress can be folded with the bedding still on it.... is this correct?
Not sure if your bed size is the same as ours, but I use queen on the front and double on the back. I leave the sheets on it, but take the doonas off, as I have an eggshell topper and a mattress protector on the front bed.
Last edited:
welcome @MeganJ
as you can see, ask - and it will be answered
lots of good people on here with heaps of knowledge and passion for their Vans
enjoy
as you can see, ask - and it will be answered
lots of good people on here with heaps of knowledge and passion for their Vans
enjoy
Hi @MeganJ we use doubles and leave them made up when travelling.
My wife normally strips the sheets when packing up on the last day , saves having to open the ends
When we get home.
My wife normally strips the sheets when packing up on the last day , saves having to open the ends
When we get home.
Same here...but if there's a long time between trips we can never remember if we've already prepared for the next!
Going away next week so checking ....and, hallelujah, we did remember so one less job to do before we escape.
I can strongly suggest you get a bit pedantic and have a checklist for before you leave. Ours is getting a workout today.
Going away next week so checking ....and, hallelujah, we did remember so one less job to do before we escape.
I can strongly suggest you get a bit pedantic and have a checklist for before you leave. Ours is getting a workout today.
we usually leave our sheets on the beds (have egg shell topper and some other undecribed thing on top of the mattress)
once we get home, they are taken off
washed & dried
then re-fitted, and van packed away
once we get home, they are taken off
washed & dried
then re-fitted, and van packed away
only at night time mate, only at night time
once the sun is up - (sometimes even before) I am up and at them - like a Vampire in reverse