Six caravan upgrades that earn their place: electric jockey wheel, slideout BBQ, composting toilet, diesel heater, second spare wheel, upgraded recovery points. Skip premium sound, LED rope lighting, and the second air conditioner.
Why this list exists
Every JB buyer reaches the order form and finds twenty-plus options waiting to be ticked.
After fifteen years of watching owners come back for service, here is what holds its value and what does not.
01. Electric jockey wheel
The Black Jack electric jockey wheel raises and lowers the van under its own power. If you hitch alone, or if your driveway is not level, this is the best small upgrade on the list.
Standard on the Sting Air EV. Worth-it option on every other model. Treat it as essential if you tow solo.
02. Slideout BBQ bay
On the Sting Air, the electric slideout BBQ stows flush when driving and deploys at the push of a button.
On a twelve-month lap, the difference between a slideout BBQ and a folding grill is roughly forty hours of saved setup time. If you camp more than one night per stop, it earns its place.
03. Composting toilet
Replaces the cassette system. No chemical, no black water tank, no smell.
Empty it every three to four weeks instead of every three to four days. For remote travellers, a meaningful upgrade. For caravan park travellers, the cassette works fine.
04. Diesel heater
If you travel south of Goulburn between May and September, this is the upgrade that quietly transforms cold-weather travel.
Runs off the tow vehicle's diesel, draws minimal power, warms the van in about ten minutes. Reverse-cycle air conditioning does the same job, until you go off-grid.
05. Second spare wheel
One is standard. Two pays for itself the moment you cop a sidewall puncture on the Tanami at 4pm on a Saturday. National parks four hours from a town, one spare is fine. The Gibb, the Canning, anything genuinely remote, two spares is not optional.
06. Upgraded recovery points
Standard recovery points handle a tow-out. The upgraded points on the Sting are rated for snatch-strap recovery, which is a different load entirely.
Solo on remote tracks, this matters. Always travelling with a convoy, less critical.
What we suggest skipping
Premium sound systems get used in the showroom and rarely at camp. Exterior LED rope lighting attracts every flying insect within fifty metres. A second air conditioner on smaller layouts adds weight that costs more than it returns.
Put the budget toward the electric jockey wheel, the second spare, and the diesel heater. That is where it works hardest.
