As 2025 wound to a close, I found myself hauling a brand new caravan along Victoria’s Monash Freeway, barreling east towards Metung, a breathtaking township on the Gippsland Lakes. The van was the prototype AC16C Gold Class. I’d been asked to take part in the filming of TV travel show My Road to Adventure, and the plan was to highlight this van, along with the new LC18F family Gold Class in the Luxe Class range, in some of the most beautiful scenery this state has to offer.
While the AC16C was indeed a prototype, it was virtually production-ready, with only a few small tweaks to the layout for production models.
Gold Class is the new brand of Market Direct Group, the company responsible for the MDC line of campers and caravans with which you’re probably familiar. These vans are built in China and finished off locally, as we’ve pointed out before.
The Gold Class brand was launched in mid 2025, with a 19-footer in both the offroad Adventure Class range and the Luxe Class range of touring vans, both of which we featured within our pages. But the 16ft AC16C offroader I had in Metung ticked a lot of my personal boxes, and I just had to show it to you.
SIZING UP
The offroad Gold Class Adventure Class vans are available in four sizes, from 16ft to 19ft. The 18-footer is a bunk van, while the others are intended for couples.
Adventure Class vans are equipped with Airbag Man suspension, allowing you to level your ride as appropriate, and level the van east-west at the push of a button once on site. These vans are also equipped with Tuson sway control, and I experienced no issues as I hauled it along the highway and around the Gippsland region behind my D-MAX tow vehicle. There were no surprises, either, when it came to hitching and unhitching. The adjustable Ark XO750 jockey wheel was a pleasure to use, as always. When camping on uneven terrain especially, conventional jockey wheels sometimes lack the necessary travel to unhitch, or pose some other challenge that the Ark overcomes simply.
Behind the DO35 coupling, Gold Class has fitted a large storage compartment to the A-frame that contains room for a 9kg gas cylinder and provision for a second, with two general storage compartments either side of that. However, in the nearside locker, you’ll find the tank for the onboard Eberspacher diesel heater.
And this brings me to the philosophy behind these vans. The team behind Gold Class wanted these vans to be as ‘turn-key’ as possible. Essentially, because they are built in China where the ability to customise is limited, they set about creating vans that were completely ready and fit for purpose without the need for factory customisation. This includes adding features such as a diesel heater, MaxTrax recovery boards mounted to the front via factory-installed lugs, a nearside slide-out tray within the tunnel storage area to suit a portable fridge, with Anderson plug provided.
Tinted slimline windows, an electric awning, an external Fusion sound panel… there’s a lot of gear externally. I loved the fact Gold Class included a rear service ladder (rated to 100kg), with a foothold shaped into the rear bar (which itself contains storage space). This foothold allowed me to access the ladder and therefore the roof without standing on something else, but I am tall. Shorter people would probably still need a step ladder or similar.
Gold Class has fitted 700W worth of solar to the roof, which also contains an omni-directional TV antenna and reverse-cycle air-conditioner. The AC16C has an excellent DC power setup. It isn’t ridiculously powerful, but it isn’t underpowered either. They’ve fitted 600Ah of lithium to an external locker, along with a 3000W inverter in a separate locker. Gold Class uses Enerdrive gear, which obviously has an excellent reputation.
Underneath, the van has two 80L fresh water tanks along with an 80L grey water tank. All vulnerable components receive polyurea stone-shielding, as do the external walls of the van in the form of black checkerplate. I wouldn’t mind seeing this van with smooth powder-coated aluminium protection at some point, as I do feel the checkerplate is a bit outdated these days, but there’s no arguing with its functionality.
INSIDE THE GOLD CLASS CARAVANS AC19C
Yes, I realise and respect that some people prefer or need loads of living space, but when I stepped inside this single-axle 16-footer, I immediately thought to myself, “What else could you possibly need?” To me, this van proves you can have all the features, comforts and even a bathroom, without hauling 20-plus feet of caravan and dealing with everything that entails, from parking up to paying for the extra fuel.
Sure, the living space ain’t the same, but frankly, it’s not far off, and at no stage did I think this van felt cramped for two people.
The Adventure Class range features a raised bed surrounded by overhead lockers and wardrobes. The bedside tables are a highlight, specifically the fact they include wireless charging points.
One of the compromises that has allowed for a sense of space inside a relatively small space is the two-seater bench seat on the offside. An L-shaped or cafe dinette lounge would’ve taken up too much space. I found it a little bit of a squeeze to access the rearmost part of the seat, but the fact the table swivels helps in this regard. This table, by the way, can be raised and lowered at the push of a button on a remote control.
Despite using an induction cooktop and an electric Thetford Duplex oven, the AC16C isn’t entirely gas-less. As mentioned, it does have an onboard gas supply, which fuels the gas/electric hot water service, and you could hook a portable gas barbecue to the system via an external gas bayonet coupling. I’m pleased to note, too, that the gas bayonet is mounted out of harm’s way, rather than screwed low to the chassis rail.
Kitchen bench space is aided by the addition of a hinged extension – just flip it up to increase your work area. I wish more manufacturers would include this feature.
The AC16C gets a 221L compressor fridge, as well as a flatbed microwave by NCE, satin black tap fixtures, and even the excellent Cosmo 12V Starlink power supply! Remember what I said about the Gold Class vans coming from the factory ready for adventure?
Another feature to note is the Gusto dust reduction system. This equipment is mounted inside an overhead locker, drawing in filtered air from outside in order to pressurise the interior against road dust.
The bathroom is equipped with all of the expected items, from a separate nearside shower to a cassette toilet. However, what I wasn’t expecting in this 16-footer was a wall-mounted washer/dryer combo! Fantastic. Further, despite this van’s undeniable compact dimensions, the bathroom doesn’t look or feel cramped. I can’t put my finger on why, but it’s worth looking at for yourself.
I’ve touched on this van’s main points, but let’s not overlook the small touches, such as the GCC lettering within the entry step that illuminates at night and looks brilliant, or the overall quality of the build.
And then there’s the price. The Gold Class AC16C, as of December 2025, had an asking price of $114,990, with a two-year manufacturers’ warranty and a lifetime chassis/drawbar warranty. A comparable van built locally would have another $10K-$15K on it, if not more. From a peace of mind perspective, it’s worth mentioning that yes, the Gold Class rigs are RVMAP-accredited and built in accordance of ISO9001. In fact, Market Direct Group was the first importer in Australia to receive RVMAP accreditation.
GORV’S VERDICT
As mentioned, Gold Class Caravans’ mission is to provide caravans at an affordable price (when compared to the locally made competition) with all the gear necessary for your travels. From the Adventure Class vans I’ve seen so far, including this 16-footer, I think the company is living up to this objective.
Once upon a time, ‘made in China’ were three dirty words within this industry, but the quality of the product has improved, as has compliance, and attitudes have matured accordingly. I view the Gold Class vans as very welcome additions to the Australian market, and have one eye firmly on this 16-footer. I wouldn’t mind spending six months on the road with it!
THE SCORE
FIT AND FINISH – 
LAYOUT –
INNOVATION – 
HITS & MISSES
- Value for money and overall build quality – a combo that’s hard to argue with
- Extensive list of standard equipment, including a formidable 12V power system as standard
- Provision of a rear service ladder
- In time, I’d love to see this van with smooth powder-coated protective sheeting rather than black checkerplate
