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

Рет қаралды 16,863

Күн бұрын

Here's everything you need to know before buying. What's worked? What's broken.
Mark and Kate talk through their experience using the MDC Forbes 15+ Hybrid Caravan across wide variety of trips and conditions.
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Key Video Information:
00:26 Context
01:14 Issues With The Van
10:26 Diesel Heater - ha!
11:36 Wheel Alignement
12:17 Overall Experience
04:59 Recommendation
13:14 Hybrid vs Caravan
15:35 Airflow In Van
17:10 Water Usage
18:06 Outdoor Cooking
19:07 Annex and Outdoor Shade
19:55 Downside Outdoor Cooking
20:31 Are We Keeping The Van?
22:23 Camper Trailer Experience
23:43 Questions
Wheel Alignment in WA
We used Dave from Wheel Change U. He services north of the River. 0427 907 321.
Check out our KZfaq channel for other information on Mark and Kate's caravan, tips and reviews.
Cheers Mark and Kate

Пікірлер: 49

@marklaurendet1861 23 сағат бұрын

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 20 сағат бұрын

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!

@lamarwilliams185 16 күн бұрын

Appreciate the long term review!!!

@Perth4WDandCamping 15 күн бұрын

No worries! ☺️

@rdx529 19 сағат бұрын

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

@Perth4WDandCamping 19 сағат бұрын

Haha too true! 💨

@louiskudlak2241 9 ай бұрын

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

@Perth4WDandCamping 9 ай бұрын

Yeah sure does mate!

@MarkO-ij7yn 2 ай бұрын

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 2 ай бұрын

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 ☺️

@tonyhughes2071 9 ай бұрын

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 9 ай бұрын

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

@rollyb5061 8 ай бұрын

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 8 ай бұрын

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

@onefastcyclist 2 ай бұрын

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 2 ай бұрын

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 2 ай бұрын

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

@aussieheroesgroup 9 ай бұрын

Great video Mark, keep up the great reviews :)

@Perth4WDandCamping 9 ай бұрын

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

@danielflinn3571 9 ай бұрын

Thanks

@Perth4WDandCamping 9 ай бұрын

No worries 😁

@andrewyeah3143 8 ай бұрын

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 8 ай бұрын

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

@olliejay5727 9 ай бұрын

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 9 ай бұрын

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.

@briananddianehardy8598 6 ай бұрын

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 6 ай бұрын

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 ☺️ kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hs-YZ9aE1OCXkYU.htmlsi=nAEAgzTGp3yEyWVu

@briananddianehardy8598 6 ай бұрын

@@Perth4WDandCamping thank you for your response.

@Perth4WDandCamping 6 ай бұрын

@@briananddianehardy8598 no worries anytime ☺️

@michaelbrown1739 5 ай бұрын

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 5 ай бұрын

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

@jimmyriddle5246 9 ай бұрын

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 9 ай бұрын

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 9 ай бұрын

@@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 9 ай бұрын

@jimmyriddle5246 100%

@dancotter7050 8 ай бұрын

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

@Perth4WDandCamping 8 ай бұрын

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

@MrRedGuyVR 9 ай бұрын

Hi😊

@Perth4WDandCamping 9 ай бұрын

Hey 👋

@markymark8472 9 ай бұрын

whats you fuel use like on the ranger with it?

@Perth4WDandCamping 9 ай бұрын

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

@albertattwood8746 2 ай бұрын

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 2 ай бұрын

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 2 ай бұрын

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 2 ай бұрын

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?

@123JumpingJacks 3 ай бұрын

Second time hearing about the same water issue

@Perth4WDandCamping 2 ай бұрын

It’s been really reliable for us overall

@briangill4000 6 ай бұрын

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 6 ай бұрын

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