Newbie about to buy my first CT! Boom!

[saint camp]

Hi all,

Newbie to the site and also about to be a newbie to the wide open and beautiful world of camping with a trailer! So over the tents!!!!

So..... I have had a look at the site and search info on my preferred option of a camper trailer - MDC. Saw some really dreadful posts and info in a thread which started in 2013. Naturally, I'm left scratching my head this morning and am now going to look at a Mars - however I am still liking what I originally saw at MDC.

My budget is around the $7k-$8k mark. I would love to spend more but priorities and a tough Minister of Everything keep me to a budget 

I look forward to being part of this forum/community and also welcome any feedback that you seasoned campaigners may have to share with me - especially with regards to where I should spend my hard earned!

Happy camping - (ill add pics to my profile when I have earned that right

[KingBilly]

G'day mate and welcome to myswag.

The MDC is a budget camper built to a price.  Remember that fact and make your decision based upon that premise.  It will suit a lot of people who use a camper a couple of times a year and camp for more than a day or two at a time.  It will not necessarily handle severe corrugations for hundreds of kilometres no matter how often their sales blurb says it is an offroad trailer.  But it should handle the dirt tracks into most National Parks.

Good luck with your decisions and ask any questions on here about things you are unsure of.

KB

[Peterr]

There appears to be some really narrow minded keyboard warriors on here , and most other forums as well ; MDC and a few others have copped it , and I don't really know why ....  possible they were crap in past times , but  definitely not now!!!  Built to a price , probably; but crap , no way ......

  I've had my MDC camper for a while , used it lots , and it's been great .. NOTHING has broken or destroyed itself as all the naysayers threatened would happen in the first 5 minutes either...

 Naturally I've made a few mods to it, doubt that there's an unmodded camper on the road anywhere really , but they've all been things I most likely would have done to any camper , cos I can and I want too....

  Don't let the great uninformed  guide you away from a pretty good product.....

 Of course , IF YOU find something better , tell us all about it........................


 

[KingBilly]

There appears to be some really narrow minded keyboard warriors on here , and most other forums as well ; MDC and a few others have copped it , and I don't really know why ....  possible they were crap in past times , but  definitely not now!!!  Built to a price , probably; but crap , no way ......

You referring to my comments?  I thought I was giving some honest advice without bagging MDC.

KB

[Peterr]

Nope ,  , was typing at the same time as you........

 Was referring to the type of info the OP referred to !!!!



 (BTW , I've not owned the camper you have, so I really can't comment on it at all.)

[Gunsrunner]

Welcome  .
There are many campers to chose from and this forum helped me to make a more informed decision as it will you. Good luck with your purchase!
7-8K buys a lot of camper, don't forget about all the extras that go with it or your budget will grow.
The best thing I have found since purchase is more camping, having it sitting there ready to go makes it so easy, fill the fridge, hook up and your gone 
Best info is to take your time and have a list of needs and wants.
 
Guns

[The punter]

Depending on what happens tomorrow and where you are, I could sell our fully set up Cavalier with nothing to do on it for about 8500. It has less poles, a lot better build and canvas quality and a whole heap of extras

[bergersau]

Hi saint camp,
Welcome to the forum.

I was in a similar position to you a couple of months back as a complete newb and not knowing the first thing about campers.  I still know very little...
I won't tell you what to buy but am happy to tell you about my trailer purchase and reasoning.
 
I decided to go with a well built basic Aussie made soft floor camper instead of a new budget or overseas built camper. 
My brother owns and still recommends the X-trail soft floor campers (Sadly now out of business).  I looked around and found them to be great value - so I bought the identical model to him.  A 2010 xtrail soft floor in top condition (for example) would be right on budget for you, though I'm sure many other brands would also be similar value.

I looked at new MDC trailers at the time and I think that I made the right choice for me.  I suggest you look at a few used campers and compare condition and value for yourself before making a decision.  As long you've done your due diligence and know what you are getting for your money then there are few here that could criticize your buying decisions.

One thing to remember is that often a second hand camper will have extras (LED lighting, water pumps etc) added that you might not be able to budget in on a new purchase of similar price.

Hope this helps.

[wilson79]

Welcome mate, good luck with your search and can be a very frustrating time as there are so many options out there..

[saint camp]

G'day mate and welcome to myswag.

The MDC is a budget camper built to a price.  Remember that fact and make your decision based upon that premise.  It will suit a lot of people who use a camper a couple of times a year and camp for more than a day or two at a time.  It will not necessarily handle severe corrugations for hundreds of kilometres no matter how often their sales blurb says it is an offroad trailer.  But it should handle the dirt tracks into most National Parks.

Good luck with your decisions and ask any questions on here about things you are unsure of.

KB

Thanks KB! That's exactly my situation. I am going to use it probably 3 or4 times a year due to work commitments. probably 4 weeks of the year so to me I think that spend is adequate. I am however wanting to go to Uluru and Alice Springs next June which will be the longest trip I envisage taking it on. who knows! The bug is just biting..... and I am loving it!

Thanks

[saint camp]

There appears to be some really narrow minded keyboard warriors on here , and most other forums as well ; MDC and a few others have copped it , and I don't really know why ....  possible they were crap in past times , but  definitely not now!!!  Built to a price , probably; but crap , no way ......

  I've had my MDC camper for a while , used it lots , and it's been great .. NOTHING has broken or destroyed itself as all the naysayers threatened would happen in the first 5 minutes either...

 Naturally I've made a few mods to it, doubt that there's an unmodded camper on the road anywhere really , but they've all been things I most likely would have done to any camper , cos I can and I want too....

  Don't let the great uninformed  guide you away from a pretty good product.....

 Of course , IF YOU find something better , tell us all about it........................


 

I am going to Mars tomorrow with an open mind, however having a look at their (MDC) setup, in particular the layout of the rooms with the last annex being a mesh room, this suits our family better BUT, I am not buying the trailer for a mesh room. on a whole I was pretty impressed with what they presented. Ill let you know what tomorrow brings! thanks.

[Barrabart]

G'day Saint Camp,

Welcome to the forum.

The hunt for the right CT is half the fun, though no doubt will give you some sleepless nights........

Like others have said, go in with an open mind and armed with a bit of knowledge from here and you should be sweet.

Any reason why you're set on buying new, like someone else mentioned, there are quite a few great quality well cared for 2nd hand ones getting about.

All the best.

[KingBilly]

Thanks KB! That's exactly my situation. I am going to use it probably 3 or4 times a year due to work commitments. probably 4 weeks of the year so to me I think that spend is adequate. I am however wanting to go to Uluru and Alice Springs next June which will be the longest trip I envisage taking it on. who knows! The bug is just biting..... and I am loving it!

Thanks

Bitumen all the way to Uluru so don't need anything too heavy duty.  Want to go across via the Plenty or up the Oodnadatta to get there, well that's a different story.

Whilst the extra rooms may appeal in the showroom, they can be an absolute pain to put up and pack away.  Will add quite a bit of time to your setup.  Some caravan park sites may not be big enough to pitch such a large setup.  A small tent or even a swag for the kids may be a better option.

KB

[noel_w]

I was like you once where I was looking at new stuff and came to the conclusion that by the time I optioned what I wanted I was well and truly over the budget. Thanks to the guys on here who wisely mentioned "why not look at 2nd hand" and very quickly changed my mind. Ended up getting a 2nd hand Trackabout for less money with all the gear on it that I was going to have to option up a MDC with.
Conclusion: Very happy with my 2nd hand purchase. Far less hassle putting up the annex as there are heaps less poles and no spreaders. More drinking time. Happy life.
It's built like a brick outhouse.
There are some awesome pre-owned campers out there at the moment.

[geopaj]

Good choice. I was faced with the same conundrum a couple of years ago and ended up doing the same (bought a second hand Aussie made camper). It's been everywhere with us including crossing the Simpson last year.

[Barrabart]

Ended up getting a 2nd hand Trackabout for less money with all the gear on it that I was going to have to option up a MDC with.

 

[oldmate]

Bitumen all the way to Uluru so don't need anything too heavy duty.  Want to go across via the Plenty or up the Oodnadatta to get there, well that's a different story.

Whilst the extra rooms may appeal in the showroom, they can be an absolute pain to put up and pack away.  Will add quite a bit of time to your setup.  Some caravan park sites may not be big enough to pitch such a large setup.  A small tent or even a swag for the kids may be a better option.

KB

Especially when you are on the road and doing it everyday

[The punter]

http://www.myswag.org/index.php?topic=43187.msg721470#msg721470

[saint camp]

UPDATE!!!!

Hi all,

Thanks for all the welcome messages and fantastic advice. I went to Mars Campers today and they are running an EOFY sale. They did a fantastic deal with a heap of extras thrown in and still came in less than the MDC option. I preferred the layout and tent options of MDC but in my opinion, the trailer seems to be of a far better quality and very nicely suited to what I am after. ill live with the tent which is no major issue . For $7,5k drive away with all the bells and whistles, I'm feeling like there is good bang for my buck.

If anybody on here has any feedback on Mars, that would be appreciated. I have searched and there doesn't seem to be too much negative stuff on here about them.

Now that I know what I can get and want from a new camper, I'll start looking and the pre-loved options and then compare.

Have a great weekend!

[rodsswag]

Hi Saint camp,

Just my 2c worth.
If I was buy for around the 7-8k mark I would be looking at the second hand market.

You may not get all the bells and whistles but it will last the distance.

You get a lot more bang for your buck second hand, just make sure you see it fully setup and even if you can set it up and pack it up yourself.

Good luck in your search.

 

Rod....

[muzza01]

UPDATE!!!!

Hi all,

Thanks for all the welcome messages and fantastic advice. I went to Mars Campers today and they are running an EOFY sale. They did a fantastic deal with a heap of extras thrown in and still came in less than the MDC option. I preferred the layout and tent options of MDC but in my opinion, the trailer seems to be of a far better quality and very nicely suited to what I am after. ill live with the tent which is no major issue . For $7,5k drive away with all the bells and whistles, I'm feeling like there is good bang for my buck.

If anybody on here has any feedback on Mars, that would be appreciated. I have searched and there doesn't seem to be too much negative stuff on here about them.

Now that I know what I can get and want from a new camper, I'll start looking and the pre-loved options and then compare.

Have a great weekend!

Mars campers are members off this forum. It might pay to contact them via PM as there good be an extra discount for MySwag members.

There are literally 1000's of happy owners of imported Camper trailers in Australia. The quality and structure of these campers have come a long way over the last four years or so. There are so many different companies selling imported CT's nowadays.
Some of these companies really bang the drum on how their CT is different and better than their competitors CT but basically they are full of 5hit as essentially all of these CT's are the same with just minor variants.  Shop around and compare prices but most importantly, AFTER SALES SERVICE.

In my opinion, Here are some imported facts that I would consider:

What separates the major difference between these companies importing CT's  is that some of them will go to great lengths to get out of warranty claims and some of them go to great lengths to remove any bad publicity or comments from the Internet, that is where you should do your research, those are the companies I would not buy from.

There are heaps of imported offroad CT's that are being taken up and down the Cape every day (That is 4x4 offroad not bitumen) without any major issue. There are plenty of CT's around both made in Oz or China that are not capable offroad in a 4x4 situation. They are a cheaper option but have major restrictions that you need to be mindful of.
 
Most negative comments about imported CT's are from people that have never owned one and are telling an old 32nd hand story or embellishing the truth quite a bit.

Buying a second hand Oz made CT is more affordable and usually more of a bargain  than buying a new imported one and you need to closely compare the difference. The prices for 2nd hand Oz made CT's have really suffered in the last 12months, there are some unbelievable bargains out there.

Imported CT's get a lot of negative stigma from some people who will tell you how morally wrong it is to buy imported compared to made in Oz when it comes to CT's. It is only morally wrong for CT's though, nothing else like vehicles, machinery, after market 4x4 spares, CT spares, in fact it is OK to buy anything from overseas just not CT's.   It is best to ignore these hypocrits, let them beat their chests and rant their bull5hit. Just get out there and enjoy camping with your family, that is the main thing mate.

Good luck with it all Saint Camp. Muz.

[The punter]

You've done a great job on yours Muzza, but not everyone has the skills that you do to sort things out.

You've stated in your build thread that yours had no grease in the wheel bearings on delivery, this is something that it is perfectly resonable for most people to assume to be standard on a trailer. You mention imported CT's going up and down the cape. With no grease, and with a layman purchaser who would a assume a trailer is fit for purpose, that trailer wouldn't make it to Townsville without the bearing cage collapsing. This is exactly the sort of lax attention to detail in Chinese imports that puts people off.

Mars campers are members off this forum. It might pay to contact them via PM as there good be an extra discount for MySwag members.

There are literally 1000's of happy owners of imported Camper trailers in Australia. The quality and structure of these campers have come a long way over the last four years or so. There are so many different companies selling imported CT's nowadays.
Some of these companies really bang the drum on how their CT is different and better than their competitors CT but basically they are full of 5hit as essentially all of these CT's are the same with just minor variants.  Shop around and compare prices but most importantly, AFTER SALES SERVICE.

In my opinion, Here are some imported facts that I would consider:

What separates the major difference between these companies importing CT's  is that some of them will go to great lengths to get out of warranty claims and some of them go to great lengths to remove any bad publicity or comments from the Internet, that is where you should do your research, those are the companies I would not buy from.

There are heaps of imported offroad CT's that are being taken up and down the Cape every day (That is 4x4 offroad not bitumen) without any major issue. There are plenty of CT's around both made in Oz or China that are not capable offroad in a 4x4 situation. They are a cheaper option but have major restrictions that you need to be mindful of.
 
Most negative comments about imported CT's are from people that have never owned one and are telling an old 32nd hand story or embellishing the truth quite a bit.

Buying a second hand Oz made CT is more affordable and usually more of a bargain  than buying a new imported one and you need to closely compare the difference. The prices for 2nd hand Oz made CT's have really suffered in the last 12months, there are some unbelievable bargains out there.

Imported CT's get a lot of negative stigma from some people who will tell you how morally wrong it is to buy imported compared to made in Oz when it comes to CT's. It is only morally wrong for CT's though, nothing else like vehicles, machinery, after market 4x4 spares, CT spares, in fact it is OK to buy anything from overseas just not CT's.   It is best to ignore these hypocrits, let them beat their chests and rant their bull5hit. Just get out there and enjoy camping with your family, that is the main thing mate.

Good luck with it all Saint Camp. Muz.

[muzza01]

You've done a great job on yours Muzza, but not everyone has the skills that you do to sort things out.

You've stated in your build thread that yours had no grease in the wheel bearings on delivery, this is something that it is perfectly resonable for most people to assume to be standard on a trailer. You mention imported CT's going up and down the cape. With no grease, and with a layman purchaser who would a assume a trailer is fit for purpose, that trailer wouldn't make it to Townsville without the bearing cage collapsing. This is exactly the sort of lax attention to detail in Chinese imports that puts people off.

You are absolutely correct mate. It is perfectly reasonable to expect grease in the bearings. There was very little grease in my CT bearings when I picked it up. There was some, but not near enough.  It was a real PINTA 350 km's from home when I picked it up from the freight company.

I bought mine directly from an importer. Mine was $4-5k cheaper than what most other CT companies were selling the same CT model as mine for.  I guess they charge all of those extra $$$ for advertising, quality control and of course to make sure there is grease in the bearings. 
I wanted to pocket the extra $4000 and spend the savings on other mods.

[The punter]

You are absolutely correct mate. It is perfectly reasonable to expect grease in the bearings. There was very little grease in my CT bearings when I picked it up. There was some, but not near enough.  It was a real PINTA 350 km's from home when I picked it up from the freight company.

I bought mine directly from an importer. Mine was $4-5k cheaper than what most other CT companies were selling the same CT model as mine for.  I guess they charge all of those extra $$$ for advertising, quality control and of course to make sure there is grease in the bearings. 
I wanted to pocket the extra $4000 and spend the savings on other mods.

Fair enough, looks good though. Just goes to show with some skills you can get what you want and save a lot of $$ for beer on the trip

[Barrabart]

Mars campers are members off this forum. It might pay to contact them via PM as there good be an extra discount for MySwag members.

There are literally 1000's of happy owners of imported Camper trailers in Australia. The quality and structure of these campers have come a long way over the last four years or so. There are so many different companies selling imported CT's nowadays.
Some of these companies really bang the drum on how their CT is different and better than their competitors CT but basically they are full of 5hit as essentially all of these CT's are the same with just minor variants.  Shop around and compare prices but most importantly, AFTER SALES SERVICE.

In my opinion, Here are some imported facts that I would consider:

What separates the major difference between these companies importing CT's  is that some of them will go to great lengths to get out of warranty claims and some of them go to great lengths to remove any bad publicity or comments from the Internet, that is where you should do your research, those are the companies I would not buy from.

There are heaps of imported offroad CT's that are being taken up and down the Cape every day (That is 4x4 offroad not bitumen) without any major issue. There are plenty of CT's around both made in Oz or China that are not capable offroad in a 4x4 situation. They are a cheaper option but have major restrictions that you need to be mindful of.
 
Most negative comments about imported CT's are from people that have never owned one and are telling an old 32nd hand story or embellishing the truth quite a bit.

Buying a second hand Oz made CT is more affordable and usually more of a bargain  than buying a new imported one and you need to closely compare the difference. The prices for 2nd hand Oz made CT's have really suffered in the last 12months, there are some unbelievable bargains out there.

Imported CT's get a lot of negative stigma from some people who will tell you how morally wrong it is to buy imported compared to made in Oz when it comes to CT's. It is only morally wrong for CT's though, nothing else like vehicles, machinery, after market 4x4 spares, CT spares, in fact it is OK to buy anything from overseas just not CT's.   It is best to ignore these hypocrits, let them beat their chests and rant their bull5hit. Just get out there and enjoy camping with your family, that is the main thing mate.

Good luck with it all Saint Camp. Muz.

Excellent well rounded advice Muzza!!