It’s hard to believe our 50th year is almost in the books. And looking back, it sure was a lot of fun. As always, we couldn’t be more grateful to Jayco RV owners past and present for helping us make it this far. We can’t wait for what comes next, and to welcome all the future owners into the Jayco family.
Before we bid farewell to 2018, we thought we’d take a look back at some of the moments that made the year special.
January: The Badge
In January, we unveiled our special 50th anniversary badge. You’ve seen it take over our website, on some Jayco gear, product literature and every 2019 RV that’s come off the production line.
January: The Video
We also released a video that captures how far we, and RVing in general, have come since we built our first RV in 1968. We think it quite beautifully tells the story of how the units may have changed, but the essence of the RV experience—the time together, the fun and the adventure—remains strong and unchanged.
January: The Jayco Story Experience
We also reinvented the Our Story page on Jayco.com. It’s an interactive trip down memory lane, taking a decade-by-decade look back at the milestones, the fun and some of the tough times, too. It’s a hoot seeing some of those old RVs and family photos. Click here to experience it now.
February: 50 Acts of Kindness
On the 50th day of the year, February 19th to be exact, we wanted to give back to the community that’s been our home and given us so much over the past five decades. Different members of our team went around Middlebury performing small acts of kindness like pumping gas for our neighbors and handing out donations to local charities.
May: The 50th Anniversary Packages
Different models included 50th Anniversary Packages made up of exciting features like solid-surface countertops, frameless windows and auto-leveling systems.
July: The History Book
Over the summer, we published a book that takes an extensive look at the history of the company, the family that started it all and the RVs of yesteryear. Here’s a short excerpt from Co-Founder and Chairperson Emeritus, Bertha Bontrager-Rhodes’ foreword:
“The years moved along and I enjoyed watching Jayco grow. It really had become like a seventh child. It’s amazing to think of how Jayco has provided jobs for our family, friends, and community, and is now employing 4,300.”
August-September: The Sweepstakes
We wanted RVers to join in the nostalgia, so we conducted a sweepstakes that encouraged them to share photos of some of their favorite RV memories on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Over six weeks in late summer, we received 3,295 photo entries from Jayco owners and admirers that wanted to share their favorite camping moments with us. It was a blast hearing from people about their Jayco memories and seeing the old photos! You can still check out the photos on social media using #Jayco50Sweepstakes
September-October: The Corn Maze
You have to see this to believe it! This fall we partnered with our friends and neighbors at the Shipshewana Corn Maze to create yet another very special—one might call it aMAZEing—homage to fifty years of Jayco. Watch it come to life in this video.
Thank you to the whole Jayco family for making this year a great one. We couldn’t have gotten here without you and can’t wait to see what the next 50 have to bring.
