MDC Camper Trailer

[Tonks]

Thinking of buying an Offroad TBox V3, has anyone had any experience with them,
Cheers Tonks

[mudski]

Hey mate I have the Step Through V3. If I was given a second chance to buy this or any MDC product again? Hell no!
This is the first time I have openly spoken about this camper I only purchased late last year. I'm quite embarrassed to tell you the truth but people need to know. i looked at so many campers before I went out and bought this one and I though I was on a good one. But you know what start the alarm bells ringing? Was too late by then anyhow as we had paid for it, the guy at MDC told me Roothy has got his tockley dangling in the chaff bag too now with MDC. I should have cancelled my cheque there and then and walked out.
I'll give you a list of issues I have found...

• Tested the kitchen sink pump out two days before we went camping, water pissed out through the barb fitting on the tap. Went to tighten it up and the barb fitting snapped off. The hose used was too big for the barb and would tighten up. fixed it myself...
• small side skirts I supposed you'd call them with led side lights on them were all loose, seems that they can't even use a rivet gun properly. Even though it seems half the trailer is held together from them. Fixed it myself...
• Having a gas bottle holder in one of the side cupboards, when you already have two others!!! Not an error but a useless waster of space...
• The gas bottle holders only sort of held in by two 6mm bolts and the bolts weren't even long enough to catch on the nyloc section on the nut!!!! WTF!!! Removed gas bottle holder...
• All the fittings to the water tank under the trailer are made from plastic!!!! Again. WTF! One hit from even a small stone and they will snap of and there goes your water.
• The holes cut in the paneling for the water hoses to go through don't even have a rubber grommet around them to stop the sharp metal edge of the holes cutting through the hose. Again. WTF!!!
• The holes cut in the paneling for the electrical cables to go through don't even have a rubber grommet around them to stop the sharp metal edge of the holes cutting through the cables. Again. WTF!!!
• Found numerous loose bolts on the trailer.
• No pegs were supplied to hold the annex down. Only found this out once we got to camp. AT 8PM!!! I wasn't happy that evening...
• Trailer wiring. Seriously MDC! Atleast use seven core wire to make it look half proffessional. Not 5 core plus a row of twin core next to it. I want to hook up some led reverse lights to the rear of the trailer. Think this should be an easy thing to do? Yes? Easy, find the black wire at the plug and then find it down the back at the lights. Well, the black wire is cut off at the plug and not even attached to the plug. Even if they don't use it, its there FFS! attach it! Then I head to the rear of the trailer, find the other end of the five core, and the black has magically turned to blue at this end!!! What happen MDC? You run out of cable half way through the job and used what ever you had?
• There is some cover they have made up that go over the back of the lights to protect the wiring. There is two, twin core wires poking out of this cover going to the pump and a socket. BOTH are almost cut right through as the LAZY F%$Ks must have found it too hard to file out a small section of this cover so the wires don't get squashed.
• The amount of advertising splashed all over the eff'ing thing is ridiculous. Remove all of it bar the largest piece on the rear of the cover. Thinking of changing the sign to POS campers!!!
• The hold down latches on the lid for the trailer are not attached correctly so over adjusting of the latches is required to get it to pull down tight enough on the lid.
• The battery box was going to be put in one of the side cupboards, on the side you have the annex on. I asked them to move it to the other side as the cupboard on the annex side will be handy to store items you need to grab whilst in the annex. The box was moved into the tool box on the front...

If they actually assemble the trailers they import properly they might even be a half decent camper. Me? I'm stuck with mine now, so I am just making it better myself from here on, changing things as I see them fark up in front of me. I've only had it for less than two months, while it has done what we want it to do I am not real ecstatic about the workmanship. I'm sure I will find more issues as I go along, I'm just hoping that they will stop, eventually. I suppose its like when I first started to do stuff to my Patrol. I was cursing the old owners for all the crap they had done. As I am sure most of us have done. I still do actually...
I know the should haves and could haves, its all too late now, but we need a trailer large enough to store the 75L Combi Engel in the trailer. This trailer was the only one that could, in any brand, in our price range.
So thats ll the cons I have found so far. For the pro's...

• Good size, I wanted a big trailer.
• Fits our fridge in it.
• Oodles of storage space.

I forgot to add another issue...

• Finally went camping in it and the pump only lasted for around 20 minutes before it just stopped and made all sorts of noises. Once we got home I pulled the pump apart and found it full of black plastic shavings. I soon realised it was from the black plastic tank.Finally went camping in it and the pump only lasted for around 20 minutes before it just stopped and made all sorts of noises. Once we got home I pulled the pump apart and found it full of black plastic shavings. I soon realised it was from the black plastic tank, when the threaded holes get cut. The idiots didn't even bother to clean out the tank before plumbing it up.

[megatexture]

Not good but at least you have the tools and the know how to notice/fix these issues.
imagine some of the less fortunate driving around Australia to find out they are with no water and no gas and wiring that's a time bomb waiting to catch fire!.
How are the welds over all ? and have you checked out the brakes? Did it come with brake pads? Lol

[mudski]

Not good but at least you have the tools and the know how to notice/fix these issues.
imagine some of the less fortunate driving around Australia to find out they are with no water and no gas and wiring that's a time bomb waiting to catch fire!.
How are the welds over all ? and have you checked out the brakes? Did it come with brake pads? Lol

I have checked the welds, they actually look pretty good. Its all the bolt on bits that I'm not happy how they have done it. Not very well is how. As for the brakes, I am taking them off during the week to have a look at them as I am a bit sus that they are working. But my knowledge of elec brakes iv very limited.

[megatexture]

Do you have a manual lock up on your controller ? Just adjust your controller to max and hit the manual knob/ lever and they should lock up and skid,when stationary if you hit your brakes and you can't hear a buzzing sound close to the brakes (two ppl job) there's a good chance they aren't working

[mudski]

I'll get that a shot tomorrow. My controller has all the bells and whistles on it. I have set it too high TBH. I think I need to have a play around with it as last trip my car brakes were smelling a bit funky after coming off a long hill on the brakes. I touched the brakes on the trailer and they were just warm...

[megatexture]

I have to adjust my brakes between on and off road or it will lock up on dirt and sand roads or be too soft on road and not contribute to the braking enough. Easy to change and I've marked the spots I like to make it easier.

[megatexture]

Mdc are on truelocal web site so you could give them a nice review if you like .. But they can report the review to get it reviewed and removed . Just cut and paste lol

http://www.truelocal.com.au/business...s/acacia-ridge

[Maxhead]

Also check your leaf springs regularly as they straighten out flat
If you have shocks, chuck them and put new ones in. Those are there for looks only

[mudski]

Mdc are on truelocal web site so you could give them a nice review if you like .. But they can report the review to get it reviewed and removed . Just cut and paste lol

http://www.truelocal.com.au/business...s/acacia-ridge

I copied and pasted my review, with a little editing. Just waiting on the moderators to o.k my review. Don't like my chances.