A big thankyou to Mackenzie, Paul & Glen. Great service from the start to handover, even the little glitch at handover was handled painlessly. We love our XT16HR Island, as far as we can tell excellent quality and can't wait for our first trip. Once again well done to the Archerfield team. Julie & Brad Lahey Show details
I have a 2024 Ausrv XL15E Mk111 which has significant electrical issues, solar power, roof aculators not working. Had it back twice to Coopers Plains and not fixed and am completely ignored from warrenty management. Show details
- +1
The MDC SR16 looks appealing on paper, with a practical layout and a strong inclusions list for the price. On sealed roads it tows predictably when loaded correctly, which is one of the few positives we can note. Unfortunately, serious concerns arose very early in ownership, within the first 2 months we observed visible rust and poor chassis… Read more
preparation, which includes serious crows feet reaction all over our draw bar from ‘touch ups’ MDC had done pre sale, the entire draw bar looks to been coated in cheap standard paint or cold galv, which most has now flaked off and surface rust is poking through. For a caravan intended to tour Australian conditions the finish of the chassis should be met to professional standards, which it simply does not, that’s not a personal opinion but an expert professional assessment with industry professionals quotations that back our analysis.
To determine whether this was isolated to us, we inspected other galvanised chassis caravans, along with comparable models from Jayco and another Chinese-manufactured brand. None showed a similar level of early corrosion or finish issues like us. When these concerns were raised with MDC, firstly they told us no action was required, when we supplied photos to an escalation point, they andmited it was ‘missed’ then advised us to apply cold galvanising spray over rust. From our professional automotive background perspective, coating over existing corrosion does not resolve the underlying issue or provide a long-term solution, and does not resolve the already reactive paint/ which is flaking off due to original poor preparation, the job needs to be completely redone, MDC have taken no responsibility and have told us they will ‘see us in tribunal’.
Under Australian Consumer Law, products must be fit for purpose, match how they are marketed, and be reasonably durable when used in normal Australian conditions. The issues identified so early in ownership fall short of what a reasonable consumer would expect from an on-road touring caravan. While MDC has publicly stated to our Google review that this is a $55,000 caravan, not a $100,000 caravan and we need to lower our expectations, consumer guarantees apply regardless of purchase price.
MDC representatives have advised us that “off-road use” is not covered under warranty. For clarity, none of our warranty claims relate to off-road use; they relate to manufacturing and quality issues, where the van has been used in normal conditions.
Our concern is that MDC’s interpretation of off-road appears broader than what many Australians would consider normal touring conditions. Across Australia, access to public campgrounds, Hipcamps, station stays, and regional destinations commonly involves gravel, corrugations, and unsealed roads. These conditions are routine and unavoidable for general travel.
Historically, Australians accessed similar campsites with standard caravans towed behind passenger vehicles, without such conditions being treated as exceptional. Against that backdrop, it has been disappointing for normal access conditions to be raised during warranty discussions.
We have taken deliberate steps to avoid recognised off-road routes, including tracks such as the Gibb River Road, Cape York and similar environments, with substantial evidence of storage receipts, Despite this, we have been advised that our usage may be considered off-road, which does not reflect how the van has been used or where it has been taken.
When conventional motorhomes, vans, and non-off-road caravans regularly access the same locations, it highlights a difference in interpretation that, in our view, deserves clearer definition for consumers.
MDC’s slogan is “Escape with Confidence”. Based on our experience, confidence in the product’s long-term durability has been significantly undermined, the caravan isn’t a bad product, but the warranty experience and lack of communication with Brisbanes warranty team has led us to this 1 star rating, we simply cannot recommend this caravan new with the issues we have faced, you can sell the best product in the world, but if it isn’t backed by the people who sell it, ‘confidence’ disappears.
Prospective buyers should read other warranty related reviews for serious issues not just minor fix ups, and seek unsponsored long-term owner feedback before purchasing, we are doing a long term YouTube review where we will show everything in detail, covering our warranty experience, as well as going over in detail about the issues we have faced and evidence of the lengths we went to protect our asset when going actual ‘off-road’.
Yan_stewi_travels
Reviews with attachments
Love our MDC XT17HRT – We have a XT17HRT which we love and cannot fault. Tows awesomely behind Ford Ranger. Whether powered camping with aircon or free camping with solar, it performs faultlessly. Highly recommended. Very tough van! Show details · 1
A responsive very helpful team who care about their customers – We had excellent advice and lots of helpful communication by the MDC sales staff in Brisbane (Tony) during our purchase phase and during the 12 week build/ delivery phase of our Forbes 12+ van. At pickup time Tony took us through all the instructions and information we needed to managed our new van. No question was left unanswered. We’ve owned our… Read more
Forbes 12+ since January 2021. It is now 4 months later, almost June. We’ve taken the Forbes out on 3 decent trips. We now feel we’ve checked out every aspect of the van. We did join the MDC Forbes Owners group which has been incredibly supportive. We’ve watched all the masterclass videos that the wonderful Steve Zammit has put together. We are so thrilled with the ingenuity and quality of our Forbes 12+. It has so much storage room. We’re loving the convenience of a toilet and shower in such a compact van. The bed is divine. My favourite feature has to be the pantry which is accessible from inside the van and outside the van. Out outdoors kitchen has everything possible included... hot and cold water on tap. Tons of storage space for utensils, windshields for the 4 burner stove even an extra pull out shelf and second pantry! We did have a water leakage issue into the exterior storage boxes when driving through the heaviest flood rain we’ve ever experienced. I contacted the warranty department straight away. They were great. Albert Gomez kept in contact with us and booked us in for a warranty repair claim. We have just got our van home after being serviced and the warranty work investigated and repaired. The two side doors were not closing tightly enough so have been adjusted. Every single person at MDC have been so helpful. Jarrod checked us in and took note of our concerns and kept in touch. On pick up Jenni and Jesus were there to help us and explain what was done during our service. The MDC team from sales right through to maintenance and servicing departments are simply amazing. Thank you all so much we are over the moon impressed with MDCA and have no hesitation in recommending this off road van. Marg and Geoff
Excellent help right through - sales, speed of delivery a month ahead of expectations – DONT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT STANDING BY THEIR PRODUCT. The caravan we bought new in 2023 has had very little use. The perspex window on the entrance door has shrunken to the point it lets water in. When we eventually got through to a person we were told to buy the part. As this is clearly a manufacturing or design error, you would think they would… Read more
stand by an expensive caravan, and replace this. It is a $140 part, so not expensive, however their total change from great service pre sale to not wanting to know about you afterwards is really poor. And yes, we are looking for an additional van, however it wont be one of theirs now. Their Service when we bought the van was excellent. As following (I have edited the following review in the section above)We have bought a 15E caravan, and look forward to collecting it at the end of the week, earlier than expected. When we went to the sales room, there was a good range of caravans, and the sales person knew the all really well and did a great job. We also spent days looking at other vans, but the MDC ones really stood out in terms of value for money, layout etc.
Hi Max, the material doesn't shrink post… Read more (+5 replies)
In-depth reviews
Very poor after sales service – *The latest update in the long saga of poor service and warranty repairs is the head of customer service has blamed me as the customer for the warranty service team damaging the caravan while undertaking works! Bought the Forbes 13+ in July and went on it's first trip. Discovered two significant faults and notified after sales immediately. Paul… Read more
was very helpful and lodged the warranty claim for me. Initially they wanted me to wait a month to have it attended too but I was not happy with this being brand new. They managed to fit me in 2 weeks later. I picked the caravan up and went on a second trip and found more factory faults, one of which was not rectified properly last time. I notified Paul and he was very helpful again lodging the claim. Warranty are currently wanting me to wait 2.5 weeks to look at it despite being provided with photos and it being factory faults (one was rectified properly last time) rather than failing items. I called Steve Zammit who will reply to this and deny, but he was arrogant and rude and initially told me one of the faults are just how it is. He was not helpful at all and very unpleasant to deal with. Since purchase I have not been able to use the product as intended and it has been due to poor quality and installation of items, not products failing. Overall the MDC product is good apart from these items being installed incorrectly limiting the use of the product. If they valued customers and their brand they would have been courteous and attended to the faults caused by their mistakes instantly. I have requested to talk to someone other than Steve through multiple avenues but have been refused. I lodged a complaint regarding Steve's conduct and he responded to it denying his actions and said it had been referred on to senior management which I am sceptical of. I would love to talk to someone senior in MDC to provide them the accurate details so this can be avoided in the future and existing/future customers aren't treated the same.
After dropping it back the second time to have faulty products repaired that were installed… Read more (+3 replies)
MDC has made our lives so much better! Love MDC – We truly have had nothing but good experiences with MDC and their staff. At the purchasing phase we received nothing but friendless over the phone despite our millions of enquires and questions we had about the product. We had the honour of meeting with the owner Vaughan when we inspected a custom van at the factory and he was so very pleasant… Read more · 1
to deal with as was his staff there on the day. We brought a XT15HR and have not looked back. The guys at the Rocklea showroom were insanely good at changeover. So thorough and made sure they equipped us with so much knowledge about the van including very useful tips from their own experiences. We had some clips on the window not click into place and it was a simple as filling in a warranty claim form and we were sent new ones that day. Our toilet cassette had some issue with the lights not displaying and again it was a simple form and we were contacted by MDC straight away to give us the supplier details. We have joined the Facebook Owners page and everyone is so helpful and open in sharing their experiences and ideas. We have now done a few voyages and there have been no problems to date. Big Cape York and Birdsville trip coming up and we have nothing but confidence in how the MDC will hold up in the conditions.
Great build quality & value for money – Bought our 2015 fully optioned xt10 second hand(very rare to find) 2 years ago it had done the lap twice with numerous trips up north in between . The elderly couple who owned it used it to its full potential & were always being pulled up where ever they stopped by people asking about it .. . Inside was spotless & outside had the usual red… Read more · 1
dust stains that are synonamous with our outback ... "Badge of courage" they called it ,but no sign of dust inside anywhere..The bat wing which had,nt been used was a different story .. When we opened it up the drive way turned red with all that fine dust .. (a beer ,and a quick hose down and she was sweet. ) I own a panel & paint shop so I know what I am looking at as far as build quality goes .. I replaced the gas struts on the pop top after 6 months as it was getting a bit hard to lift (good now at a cost of $180.00 & very easy to fit. ) next job this year will be shockies , bearings & bushes .. ($500.00 for all parts ex mdc ) dont need power , it has lasted for 7 days without even thinking about having to plug in . It tows like its not there, quick & easy to set up (5 minutes) & after purchasing a new mdc inner sprung mattress ($350.0)is as comfortable as our waterbed . We try to go away once a month & it is so easy to back & hitching is a breeze (my wife normally has it all done by the time I get home from work) I really cant fault it & once we retire will be looking to upgrade to another mdc maybe the 16 to save us having to make up the bed(.No bunks but !!)
Positive reviews
Great service – I rang up the Brisbane branch, I broke the TV aerial, as it wasnt a fault of MDC I was prepared to pay for it, but they sent me a new one under guarantee. I'll put it in, as I'm a sparkey and live 2500km from brisbane, and 500km from a largeish town. Alice. Great service. Show details
Honest and friendly sales staff (Steve Ballinger) and prompt warranty work (Jarrod Butler) – We wanted to buy a camper trailer so looked at most brands. MDC had stock whereas others had vague delivery promises. Spoke with Steve Ballinger who was a no nonsense straight shooter and he steered us in the right direction with his extensive knowledge of the product. Later found that the gas bayonet couldn't be reached as it had been located… Read more
too close to the spare tyre. Advised Steve who got Jarrod Butler to look into it as a warranty job. Jarrod communicated promptly and job done. My experience with MDC has been nothing but good. That is why I am surprised at some of the negative comments.
Love our explorer forward fold – Have absolutely loved our EFF. It’s been great and the MDC quality is sound. When I went around the caravan park over the weekend, you could see, mostly in the canvas quality and weight that MDC was so much better than other brands that were flapping around. Well done MDC on ISO accreditation. Looking forward to continuing to take you with us on our adventures. Love you defend your product on this site too. Well done. Cheers Jason Show details
Find out how Market Direct Campers QLD, Brisbane compares to other Caravan & Camper Trailer Shops
Know better, choose better.
Negative reviews
Warranty is a waste of time very poor – Bought a new XT22HR van through [name removed], picked up August 2017 got home to Townsville noticed couple minor faults and parts missing lodged claim got very good service, parts replaced and missing bits supplied, though I had to replace the faulty parts myself. Since then. Warranty dept service has been lacking. Have had claim ongoing since… Read more
April 2018 still not finalised. Had email telling how happy they were when claim completed so emailed straight back to James informing him the claim is still outstanding have had no reply, can not even get any response from warranty dept. looks like my next cause of action needs to be consumer affairs
Have had some contact form Ben at MDC on the 25/3/2019 told him that the the issues were greater… Read more
Water problem – My Crusader is getting water in the front cupboards when folded up and is holding it, so they are water tight. I have tried to fine where it is getting in, but had no joy, can you help.
That's an older camper you have there… Read more
Dissapointed – We purchased our Jackson FF at the end of June 2018. After getting back from our last trip away...only our 4th trip in it. We noticed grease was leaking from the hub on both wheels. We took one off to check the bearings to find very little grease in there and that they needed to be replaced. We called MDC thinking this would be covered by warranty… Read more
since it's only 6 months old, sadly this isn't covered under warrantly and we now have to foot the bill. I'm very dissapointed, this wasn't due to a lack of servicing but rather as I believe a poorly packed hub during manufacturing. We also have a faulty tail light and stitching that's coming apart.
The camper trailer itself does the job it is designed to do and aside from the above issues we quite enjoying going away in it. However we won't be buying another one and we don't recommed them when people ask about it.
Hi Zoe, our bearings are packed by machine… Read more (+2 replies)
Recent reviews
Great product! never missed a beat – Had our 2019 MDC Explorer Rear Fold for a while now and been a great item Went away recently and had close to 200mm of rain in 4 days, not a drop inside. The unit is easy to set up, tows well and comfortable, Awning system could be better to put up but all campers have similar designs. Show details
Excellent experience from show room to driving away – We knew what we wanted to upgrade from our MDC soft floor to an MDC forward fold and was amazing to see the product on display so that we could confirm what we needed. Great service from Tracey!! Thank you Micheal for the very informative handover!! We’ve already booked our first mini holiday. Here’s to making lots of happy memories. Show details
Awesome XT12 Hybrid – We recently upgraded our old soft floor camper trailer to a new XT12 Hybrid and are not looking back. We have been away twice now in past couple of months and are extremely happy. Easy to tow and takes next to no time to set up. We would highly recommend the MDC XT12 Hybrid. Show details
We love our Camper Trailer! – So easy. We went online and had a look at all of the camper trailers available and where so happy with the quality and ease of MDC trailers. All of the products on offer, are of a high quality and we couldn’t be happier with our Jackson forward fold. Show details
Very happy camper – Saw the caravan at camping show bought it the next day, kept up to date with production, delivered before expected time. Can’t believe how easy it was to set up makes you want to go away more. Staff very experienced knew every part of the van answered all our questions. Only thing I could say was a little bit of a let down we couldn’t get an extension for the annex for the 12ft XT HR but not a major drama. Love it Show details
#MDC4Life – We've had the XT17-HRT for over 18 months and hasn't missed a beat. There were a few small warranty items when we bought it and followed the formal online process and they went over and above. Very happy with the service! We did a 4500+k trip last year out Birdsville way with some dirt roads. Loved it and no trouble, except one broken tap from a… Read more
rock. $5 part at the Birdsville hardware and all good again. We're about to do a 10,000k trip and have complete faith. No regrets. Still looks like new and we're as excited to get out in it as the day we bought it, if not more.
Find out how Market Direct Campers QLD, Brisbane compares to other Caravan & Camper Trailer Shops
Know better, choose better.
Absolutely love our XT17HRT!! – We looked at vans for 2 years before finding this one. It’s perfect and the quality and value for money is fantastic!! We had one minor issue which was fixed instantly. The sales people were so helpful and accommodating. I would highly recommend MDC to everybody. Show details
The MDC XT12 is the real deal – After 4 years enjoying our MDC TBox soft floor camper trailer we made the step up to the amazing XT12. We headed to the open day of the MDC Caboolture showroom and met Jase from All 4 Adventure - we were there to make the final decision on the XTT Robson trailer - saw the XT12 and it was a no brainer from there. My only complaint at this point is… Read more · 1
not having used it more ! Great product, top quality and heaps of support from MDC. 100% thumbs up recommendation.
Excellent value for money – After purchasing our XT12 en-suite model in 2015 we have travelled far and wide with our Van and with the help of proper preventative maintenance it has held up very well. We have had a few minor warranty issues predominantly with accessories on the the van, aircon/solar panels etc. I have found the warranty department to be on point, and have… Read more · 1
recently received a replacement item through warranty even though my coverage was up. All in all a solid package representing excellent value for money.
MDC XT17T quality – We also have a XT17T hybrid van and could not be happier with it, I have found it to be very well made with all inclusions fitted the highest quality and thoughtfully assembled. We tow it with a Landrover Defender 110 and find it a very stable van to tow even at highway speeds with passing trucks having little to no effect on directional… Read more · 1
stability. I have found MDC to be very professional and responsive to my queries and spare parts requests. Their Brisbane office is well staffed with my only complaint being the lack of a dedicated spare parts counter for call in customers.
We r on our second trailer love them – The Brisbane store Has very good set up of the trailers Very easy to make the decision as you can see what has what features Very helpful staff Show reply
Proud owner of XT17HRT – Fabulous caravan with everything you could want or need Steve B from Brisbane has been great to deal with A few minor warranty issues fixed with no hassles Can’t wait to take it around Australia knowing if we do have any issues MDC have factories in several locations Show reply
Warranty claims and service – Awesome once again with your warranty service and claims, fantastic all round with getting our warranty claims sorted out so fast and hassle free. We would really highly recommend mdc to anyone that’s interested in buying a camper or a caravan to give these guys a go as they have gone out of there way to keep us so happy and enjoying our xtt camper while we are out there enjoying life and exploring our fantastic country we have. Cheers guys Show reply
Poor finishing qaulity – Had numerous dramas with this company, poor quality workmanship. I paid to get a water tap n pump fitted. But when it arrived it was completely missing, after calling and getting nowhere i went to social media, then i had the owner of mdc message me and he was spewing, telling me not to post about his business on social media, also had a leaking water tank too.. was pretty ordinary
Good morning Gordo, I have checked our… Read more
XT12 real world review – We upgraded our old small van to the xt12, mainly to keep the little lady happy with ensuite, with the goal of a go anywhere unit that was more rugged and yet still small enough to go where others can't. We could not be more happy, so far we have traveled along qld coast checking out many waterfalls and lookouts ( which aren't on the side of the… Read more · 1
road), currently at Loyalty Beach, Cape York. The road in here would destroy lesser vans. Can't believe we are where we are and traveling with such comfort.
Very happy can't fault it – Very good showroom at the Caboolture. Very good range and quality to choose from. Very satisfied can't fault it the camper and service. Show reply
Great after sales service – I purchased the XT22, I have had some minor issues and James and Chris from Brisbane had them rectified in a very timely manor and without question. It is a great van and we Could not be happier with the product and after sales service. Show 2 replies
ProductReview.com.au has affiliate partnerships. These do not influence our content moderation policies in any way, though ProductReview.com.au may earn commissions for products/services purchased via affiliate links.
Hi Glenn, sorry you feel that way. Just for… Read more