Caravan Review: MDC XT19 RD MK4

One of the latest releases from MDC is perhaps their boldest yet. I’m referring to the new XT MK4 Series and the fact that it represents the company’s first commitment to 48V electrical systems. Having experienced multiple iterations over the years, the XT launched this year was intended to be more than just another caravan with a 48V system shoe-horned into the existing architecture as best they could.

Instead, the XT  range was redesigned around the dedicated Projecta 48V Intelli-Grid 48V Power Management System, and the result is a caravan with the electrical wherewithal to match its looks and touring capabilities.

Essentially, rather than limiting the high-output off-grid ability of this system to one van or as an upgrade option, MDC took a range-wide approach, with models available from 14ft to the subject of this review, the 19ft XT19 RD (rear door) MK4, in either pop-top or hard-roof configurations. 

As I looked over this van at this year’s Melbourne Leisurefest, and having spent time with MDCs out in the ‘real world’, I was intrigued…

REAL POWER

Clearly, the 48V Projecta system is a major drawcard. This is no cheap and cheerful setup. To give you an idea, the system alone retails for $27,000. It includes two 48V 105Ah chassis-mounted batteries but because they’re 48V, this battery is equivalent to an 840Ah 12V battery bank. Just think of the weight savings.

Further, it includes a 4000W inverter-charger and 1400W of roof-mounted solar – there’s barely an inch of spare real-estate on this van’s roof. However, the solar capacity is reduced to 965W and 875W on some smaller models. These are dedicated 48V system panels, by the way. Across the range, combined rooftop and expandable solar inputs can deliver up to 30A charging at 48V (equivalent to 120A at 12V) via the MPPT solar controller. The system will also automatically charge via its inbuilt 30A DC-DC charger, but while on mains it’ll charge at 70A (equivalent to 280A at 12V).

If, in the very unlikely scenario, 1400W isn’t enough, MDC has included three Anderson plugs that will allow you to expand your solar setup by hooking up compatible portable panels.

The Intelli-Grid system does much more than just monitor your battery. It includes a 10in display screen inside the van that provides almost complete control over the van’s circuitry and some appliances, and of course there’s an app for your smartphone and, I might add, the system features a built-in tyre pressure monitoring system as well as a van-levelling sensor.

MDC sees the XT MK4 range as representing the way people actually want to travel, with the ability to run their 48V Dometic Freshjet air-con and any other appliance without having to wonder about battery state of charge, though to clarify, not all items within the van require 48V power. Some things, like the lights, continue to draw 12V, facilitated by the technical wizardry of the Intelli-Grid system.

When caravanning and camping, it’s always a great idea if each item you pack served a dual use. But what if one appliance could serve four? I’m talking about the 29L NCE 4-in-1, which serves as a convection microwave, an air-fryer, a griller and an oven. It’s a time, space and weight saver that is neatly fitted within the kitchen cabinetry, just below the induction cooktop.

The kitchen also includes filtered drinking water, a generous 221L compressor fridge, and a tall pantry comprised of multiple shelves with three individual doors. I have zero complaints about the kitchen. As with the rest of the internals, the joinery and overall fit and finish is great while conveying a sense of strength and rigidity.

The bed, which is positioned in the nose of the van, is surrounded by storage options, but my favourite: the bedside tables with their side-hinged lids and built-in wireless phone charging pads. MDC has also included 240V and USB/12V outlets either side of the van.

At the leading end of the kitchen bench, you’ll find yet more 12V/240V outlets, along with the control for the Eberspacher D2L Airtronic diesel heater, though if it were possible to have it within arm’s reach of the bed, that’s where I’d want it.

The bathroom matches the rest of the van both in terms of styling and functionality. MDC has even included a wall-mounted front-loader washing machine above the vanity on the offside, there’s a cassette toilet, a moulded-fibreglass shower cubicle and something completely new: a roller shutter door to neatly close off the linen storage area. It’s a small touch that customers were asking for, I’m told, and it blends seamlessly with the rest of the design and decor.

I couldn’t find any genuine compromises, either, when it comes to the liveability of this van. Usually, there’s something that the manufacturer has had to trade-off to achieve something else, but as I poked and prodded through the interior of the MDC XT19 RD MK4, it did indeed appear that this manufacturer had taken a ‘whole of caravan’ approach when designing it around the all-new 48V electrical architecture.

MDC FRAME

MDC frames its vans with welded aluminium and clads them with composite aluminium cladding and black checkerplate. But look a little closer: do you see any H-moulds to join individual aluminium sheets? That’s because MDC is able to access one-piece composite aluminium sheets to suit even their larger vans, whereas many locally-based manufacturers are not, and is confident that its fixing system allows for expansion. The result is a more visually pleasing van.

The van is built on a 6in hot-dipped-galvanised RHS chassis fitted with X-TRACK trailing arm suspension with dual shock-absorbers per wheel, while aluminium sheeting is moulded around the dual 80L tanks as well as the 80L grey water tank.

One small point that I think speaks to MDC’s attention to detail: the water fillers are neatly surrounded by an aluminium facia that’s engraved with the tank each filler is connected to. The town water outlet is here too. Again, I know it’s a small detail, but that stuff matters.

At this point, you might be wondering about external cooking options. The good news: a full slide-out kitchen is standard. The water lines are permanently plumbed, but you’ll still need to connect the three gas burners to the gas bayonet, which is fixed flush with the wall rather than to a bracket on the chassis – a much neater presentation, in my opinion.

Yes, despite this van’s enviable off-grid electrical system, MDC has still provided limited gas appliances, along with two 9kg cylinder holders (cylinders not included) within the A-frame-mounted storage box, giving you the best of both worlds and a sensible backup should an electrical gremlin stand between you and your dinner. The Truma AquaGo instant hot water service is this van’s other gas appliance.

On the offside, MDC has even given this van a fold-out clothesline that takes seconds to deploy and pack away, and one feature that I really like: a blank ‘through the wall’ fitting. It’s essentially a hole in the offside wall sealed externally by a weatherproof cap. The idea is to allow you to run cables to the outside of the van for things like your Starlink dish, since most people run theirs through an open window if they don’t already have an RJ45 connector either side of the wall. An awesome idea.

The back of the van is equipped with a full rear bar (complete with its own nudge bar) that includes storage space – along with a central door for easy access to the gear in the middle – as well as footholds to help you climb the service ladder to the roof of the van. Nice. Here, you’ll also find a couple of MaxTraxx mounted to the rear wall as well as a reversing camera. All of this gear, by the way, is standard.

Speaking of standard gear, it must be pointed out that a full annexe is included in the asking price, to go with the included roll-out awning. The value offered by this van is real. With rated recovery points, LED work lights front and rear, storage space to suit a portable fridge (which includes a power hook-up) and quite a lot more, the MDC XT19 RD MK4 outclasses many of its contemporaries from both a price and features perspective.

A quick word on weights: the van I looked at had a Tare of 3049kg with an ATM of 3500kg and an unladen ball weight of 256kg (350kg maximum). Clearly, it’s not a lightweight van – it will require a 3500kg-rated tow vehicle at a minimum that can accept at least 350kg on the towbar.

SUMMING UP

If I was in the market right now, MDC would have earned its spot on my list. With offerings such as this XT19 RD, complete with the most sophisticated 48V system available for caravans right now as standard and not as an optional extra, not to mention the quality fitout, it would take a particularly anti-Chinese manufacturing perspective to disregard what it had to offer.

When it comes to offroad, off-grid caravanning, we are ever in the hunt for more power, more convenience and more value. I think that on each of these three scores, the MDC XT19 RD MK4 delivers.

THE SCORE 

FIT AND FINISH –

LAYOUT –

INNOVATION –

HITS & MISSES

MDC XT19 RD MK4 SPECS