The Truth About The MDC Forbes 15+ Hybrid Caravan: Long Term Review

[@marklaurendet1861]

Thanks for your thoughts on the MDC van We are thinking of one of their smaller vans, teardrop size. Looks like some common problems like water system and wheel alignment that a number of people report. Water system problems seem to be the biggest problem I hear about from friends regardless of van cost. The wheel alignment issue has also been reported by a number of people, something that I think seems to be too common.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

I think with any van it’s good to do a shakedown close to home, before you go anywhere too far. Give everything a good test. At least then you can address anything that pops up early under warranty. Perhaps also pays to just get a wheel alignment done when you first purchase a van. Sure it’s another cost but tyres are expensive so it might pay in the long run. All the best with selecting the right van!

[@rollyb5061]

great review of the MDC Forbes Mark , perfect size for towing and parking in tight camp grounds, in the cold areas you will love the diesel heater

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Thanks mate. I know.. I need to give it a try 🙈 haha

[@tonyhughes2071]

You provide an informed and clear comparison. I guess it is horses for courses but great to hear your opinion and knowledgeable point of view.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Thanks. I always enjoy hearing the experiences of others and how they use their vans. Always learning 😁

[@lamarwilliams185]

Appreciate the long term review!!!

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

No worries! ☺️

[@louiskudlak2241]

Can’t believe you’ve had the caravan 2 years already, I remember you getting it, time goes by 2 fast

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Yeah sure does mate!

[@kentaylor2950]

Im deciding between this and a Camprite trailer. Im worried about having things go wrong and as we live in Albany it could be harder to get things fixed. The camprite looks super robust with less things to go wrong. But the MDC is obviously way more comfortable. Such a hard decision.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Yes I guess weigh up all the pros and cons based on your needs and how you’ll be using the van. If you’re camping a lot, comfort is important. We had the Jayco camper trailer before the Hybrid and whilst served it well, there was just too much set up. And now we’ve moved into a full sized caravan (JB Caravans Gator X) as our needs have changed again for full-time travel. We had very few issues with the Forbes. A reliable van for us and we certainly put it through its paces. Hope that helps and good luck with the decision ☺️

[@MarkO-ij7yn]

thanks for the thoughtful and informative review. I am currently going from tent to van (and bypassing camper trailer) and your review provided quite a lot of useful information. I think you have reasonable expectations of a new van and that was refreshing in your review. Your details of the issues and how you solved them was practical (I think I will disconnect the toilet when not in use!1)

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Thank you! It’s been a good van for us. Yeah I think putting the toilet on a different switch would be a good idea but saying that, we haven’t had any issues since ☺️

[@onefastcyclist]

Thanks for the honest review! Pulling a trailer off road WILL shake things loose in Australia or America. We're thinking of upgrading our off road Tear Drop to something larger, and MDC imports very similar trailers to the USA. My TV is a Nissan Frontier (Navara) with a 4.0 V6 comparable to your Ford. Were between this trailer and the XT16HR East West. The 16 is only a little heavier. On our trips, we often pull off the highway for lunch in our trailer. Our last trip went to Big Bend NP Texas where it was 90F (32.2C), but only 20F (-6.6 C) outside of Brice Canyon NP. The colder temperatures have my wife lobbying for the 16.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Yeah I think for longer trips on the road, there’s certainly advantages having a full-size van as opposed to the hybrid. I think if we end up doing a lap of Aus, we’ll have to have a serious think about whether a hybrid is the right van for months on the road. For what we’re doing now it’s been perfect for our needs. Love to get over to the US one day.

[@onefastcyclist]

@@Perth4WDandCamping Indeed, look us up in California when you come and do the same if we cross the pond the other way

[@rdx529]

well after Exmouth you know what WA stands for ,Windy Again.great vid.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Haha too true! 💨

[@aussieheroesgroup]

Great video Mark, keep up the great reviews :)

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Thanks mate. Happy to keep them going if people enjoying them 😄

[@michaelbrown1739]

What is it like in heavy rain? We had a camping trip where it bucketed down for days. It wasn't fun in a tent.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

It’s been great in the wet. We’ve also been out during hail and no issues. Water has never got into the van ☺️

[@andrewyeah3143]

Hey guys great vid!! With the electric awning is there a manual option to extend it out in case of an electrical failure? Thanks

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Thanks so much. Yes there is a manual winder override in case of malfunction

[@briananddianehardy8598]

Just come across your channel. I found your video very informative. How have you found the dust ingress when going down the unmade roads or tracks? This is a concern I have about the hybrid caravans.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Thanks! It’s been great - I actually touched on this very topic on a recent video below, but in summary we’ve had no dust issues and have taken it in some very dusty areas ☺️ kzbin.info/www/bejne/hprLZaaJpN9ml7Msi=nAEAgzTGp3yEyWVu

[@briananddianehardy8598]

@@Perth4WDandCamping thank you for your response.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

@@briananddianehardy8598 no worries anytime ☺️

[@albertattwood8746]

hi did you have to do a GVM up grade on both your towing cars. i have a Dmax , but everyone says you need an up grade. your thoughts please. Albert in York/

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

G’day Albert. I did yes but getting one really depends on your intended use. Most people will upgrade their suspension when they get a van, so selecting a suspension package that has a GVM upgrade option is a convenient way to do it. I went through engineering because I wanted to get a lift approved over 50mm above standard (in WA). I’ve done a few videos on this process if you want to check those out. With the Pajero Sport being a wagon, the payload is much smaller than a ute so it’s tricky to make weights work if you want to tow and also have mods (bullbar / tyres etc). With the Ute the payload is bigger and gives you a lot more weight to play with. DMax should have a pretty good payload so I doubt you’d need one unless you are modifying it/ adding a canopy etc. Best way is to do a spreadsheet of all your weights and go from there.

[@albertattwood8746]

Not knowing the rules when I bought my Dmax off the show room floor, now has me in a hole . Can of worms Now a pensioner not self funding this has stoped my vision of seeing Aus towing a small van, not camper trailer as we are not as agile anymore. The cost and red tape I’d now out of my budget. Thank you for the info that you have provided in your videos, a great help and I will have to see Aus via you tube posts. Cheers Albert.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Hi Albert. That’s a shame. Have you had your car weighted professionally, so you know exactly what you can play with weight wise? Is there a reason you’re unable to tow your van?

[@olliejay5727]

Thanks for video. Think these hybrids getting too expensive now and small off road caravan making more sense. Looking at Jb gator x for another 30k (1 y/o) and think it’s just better value now. At 50k I’d have one.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

No worries! Good news is there’s more choice than ever. Just need to find the option that works best for you 😊 Agree hybrids aren’t cheap. Pros and cons to everything.

[@dancotter7050]

I take it you did not convert the grey water tank to fresh? Thanks guys

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

No we kept it as grey. We often visit national parks where you need to retain your grey water.

[@danielflinn3571]

Thanks

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

No worries 😁

[@jimmyriddle5246]

Howdy. How do you find the internal storage? I'm looking to downsize from a full size van but the missus is stressing about the the hybrids not having as much storage as what we have now (obviously). Cheers

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

I guess if you’re coming from a full size there will be some compromise but we’ve been happy with the storage. We tend to place a few bits and pieces on the floor during transit, then move above the fixed cabinets when the roof if popped up. Always pros and cons - but for us we feel the storage is adequate. Also storage under the seating areas. Cheers Mark

[@jimmyriddle5246]

@@Perth4WDandCamping Cheers. Yeah, absolutely compromise is the key. Have gone from swags to tents, to Jayco Swan and now to a full size van. Have just finished a 4 months trip with 2 kids which was great, but missed some places that we couldn't get a big van in to. Would love a bit more nimbleness (plus fuel savings !) that you get from a hybrid. Just gotta convince the boss ! Ha ha 👍

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

@jimmyriddle5246 100%

[@markymark8472]

whats you fuel use like on the ranger with it?

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

On avg 16-17 L/100km depending on the terrain and how much gear/water we’re carrying

[@123JumpingJacks]

Second time hearing about the same water issue

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

It’s been really reliable for us overall

[@MrRedGuyVR]

Hi😊

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

Hey 👋

[@briangill4000]

I hear about the failure of the awnings all the time. I thought it may be because it's not secure. If you had the pegs, basically in concrete that means the awning itself is shit. That's not encouraging.

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

We’ve found overall it opens and closes fine but can be a tad vulnerable in windy conditions and the unit can sometimes come out of alignment. Only happened once - was just one corner which wasn’t sitting flush when closed. This was likely due to all the corrugations we drive on. It’s been pretty reliable unit for us overall and we use it a lot but I think the piece of mind of a more secure manual unit would be better if we had the choice

[@christhomas4260]

I am always surprised on how people are calm about issues . None of these issues are acceptable . Glossy Brochures and bull shit you tube clips by companys and influencers talking dribble about product promises . So tired off it. Then there is the lack aftersales care,

[@Perth4WDandCamping]

I think the reality is that issues is a part of travelling. No vehicle, or caravan is immune from it. Keeping a level head and calm is helpful in these situations and in our experience usually helps get a better outcome with the manufacturer. We’ve been fortunate our issues on the van have been minor and warranty covered it.