From a Land Down Under: Aussie Innovation Meets US Adventure
MDC USA’s four considerations when heading off-grid nod to its rugged origins in building RVs for extreme overlanding.
While the name MDC may not be familiar in the U.S. trailer market yet, the brand touts an enviable reputation Down Under for building some of the most capable and well-appointed overlanding pop-up campers and travel trailers on the market.
Founded in Australia in 2005 by Vaughan Hindley, Market Direct Campers (MDC) started off building small tent trailers. Fast-forward nearly 20 years and more than 40,000 units later, MDC now makes a range of over 30 models of full-size and off-grid overlanding travel trailers up to 25 feet in length. The company is also one of Australia’s largest industry employers.
With a growing popularity for overlanding in the United States, MDC saw an opportunity to bring its travel trailers and pop-up campers to a new market. The company launched its USA branch in 2021 in Cypress, California, and has since expanded to over 20 outlets and dealerships across 13 states.
“What we realized is that there was a customer need for genuinely tough and reliable trailers to go overlanding in the United States,” says Hindley, founder and owner. “Customers want to be able to escape off-grid with confidence and not worry about the strength or reliability of their travel trailer — MDC USA’s range ticks all the boxes in this regard.”
Making a travel trailer that is truly ready to go off-grid is no easy task, but MDC USA relies on its Down Under experience in the segment. That includes arming its USA models with a lifetime structural and chassis frame warranty, while using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) software to engineer and analyze its chassis elements and trailing arm suspension precision.
MDC USA credits its off-grid success to an “onslaught” of research and development that utilizes its whole team — management, sales, admin and manufacturing — to improve its rigs.
“Our adventures have taken us around and through some of the harshest country on Earth. Australia has it all,” the company says about its R&D. “All our research and development [is] well-published in most forms of media. TV and social media have played a big part in this success. Social media has kept us in touch with our ever-growing customer base. This gives us the best up-to-date testing available from any source.”
MDC USA uses its social platforms to educate consumers as well — some first-time U.S. overlanders. With 77-plus videos on its YouTube channel, the company’s weekly “MDC Masterclass” taps its Customer Advocate Steve Zammit for tutorials on DIY trailer maintenance, problem-solving and operations. The company also runs its “The Real Owners” video series to hear feedback and testimonials from MDC campers.
4 Things To Consider When Heading Off-Grid
MDC has held its exclusive partnership with its ISO 9001-certified partner manufacturing facility in China for over 10 years.
“MDC’s model range in Australia and the U.S. has become the industry benchmark in quality, durability and presentation, thanks to a highly skilled workforce coupled with cutting-edge automation and advanced manufacturing techniques,” the company says.
When heading off-grid in a travel trailer or pop-up camper, MDC considers four key elements:
- Power generation and storage
- Water storage and capacity
- Food storage and preparation
- Temperature control
First and foremost is the ability to generate power, followed by the subsequent ability to store it. The company’s USA range comes with up to 700 watts of rooftop solar that quickly boosts an onboard LiFePRO+ 200AH lithium iron phosphate battery. A 2,000-watt pure sinewave inverter then powers up the rig’s 110-volt receptacles to run all its creature comforts off-grid. Two propane tanks are stowed at the front of all MDC USA models to provide fuel and power for air, water heating and cooking.
The second element to consider when off-grid is water storage capacity. Some of the MDC USA travel trailer range are fitted with over 60 gallons of freshwater tank capacity and over 20 gallons of gray water storage — plenty of water to wash up and take a hot shower, powered by a Truma AquaGo water heater.
Food storage and preparation is the third key element for off-grid travel. Having the ability to keep food cold or frozen for long periods is critical. That’s why select MDC USA travel trailer models come standard with Norcold 12-volt internal fridges, in addition to having an external 12-volt portable cooler slide for more cold storage capacity.
On the other hand, food preparation and cooking is made easy across the USA range with MDC’s signature external slideout kitchens — complete with a Thetford cooktop, sink with hot and cold water, drying racks and storage drawers.
In its larger travel trailer models, units also come with full internal kitchens to give campers flexibility and convenience to cook inside during inclement weather.
The fourth element to consider is temperature control. When traveling off-grid, having the ability to control the rig’s temperature to escape comfortably in cold and hot climates is key year-round. For those cold winter nights, select models in the MDC USA travel trailer range come standard with propane-powered Dometic furnaces. The line’s cold weather package also includes water tank heating pads, HWS antifreeze kits and a LiFePRO+ lithium battery with integrated self-heating. During hot summer days, the range boasts 12-volt fans to cool down quickly.
Eyes on Adventure
“What sets MDC USA apart is our dedication to innovation and quality, backed by our commitment to ongoing and rigorous real-world testing of our products,” says Hindley. “All these off-grid features are standard inclusions with MDC as we understand how important it is to be well-prepared. We also only use quality appliances from trusted brands such as Truma, Dometic, Thetford, Cruisemaster, Norcold and Furrion to ensure our customers can escape with confidence.”
The company also touts a quick turnaround on its units.
“We have one of the fastest turnaround rates in the industry. In most cases, we can have your camper trailer ready to tow away when you are, and not weeks or even months,” it says.
When it comes to delivery across the U.S., MDC’s ability to build and send its campers to nearly anywhere in the country also offers customers the option to organize their own freight if desired. Service-wise, MDC operates through three locations in California, Arizona and Utah, paired with an extensive authorized repairer network.
Always evolving and listening to its strong customer base, MDC USA says it’s set to reveal a brand-new model series later this year at the RV Dealers Association (RVDA)’s Convention/Expo in Las Vegas.
The model will be the “best U.S model series yet, boasting eye-watering off-grid capabilities coupled with unrivaled functionality and luxury,” the company says.
