The 15-Year Edition Explorer FF Packs the Most Punch-for-Dollar of Any Travel Trailer

Folks, before us, lies the Explorer FF from none other than MDC, one of Australia's leading manufacturers of off-grid and off-road-ready vehicles. However, this is the 15-Year Edition model, and that means a whole lot for future owners and interested buyers.

First and foremost, this thing's price is what really has me buzzing. At this time, the manufacturer is advertising the Explorer FF as selling for no more than $18,000 Australian. That's a tad under $12K American, so you can understand why I brought it to light. Sure, that's a price that the standard model is going for, but even so, once you're done throwing in the rest of your camping goodies, you'll still be looking at one of the most punch-for-dollar units out there.

Funny enough, you won't actually need a whole lot to transform a standard Explorer FF into a completed and livable unit; it's packed with quite a few features, and yes, all at that one hell of a low price.

Starting things off with the Explorer, let me point out that this unit is built around a Forward-Fold (FF) design, hence its name. Suppose you're not aware of this type of camper style. In that case, all you need to know is that the unit you towed along to your destination will transform into a full-blown habitat by flipping the roof forward on a hinge and erecting a tent canvas behind it in the process.

As a result, the part you flipped typically accommodates a bedding space or mattress, and the Explorer does, while the rest of the unit, the part submerged in the shell, is usually home to features like a dinette and storage, all of which are displayed in the Explorer. Neatly enough, the dinette can take the place of another bedding area, so up to five berths can be created.

However, these units are all about outdoor living, and that means a plethora of features designed to make you comfortable no matter the terrain. To understand what that means, picture yourself in possession of the Explorer, and you've just parked your truck in the middle of nowhere; it's where the X on your map says you should be.

Once you've stabilized and unhitched your unit, unfolded its top, and prepared the interior for the days to come, it's time to start settling down and even cook up a quick meal. To do that, the Explorer provides a slide-out integrated into the port side of the unit toward the rear.

Here, a galley is ready with a three-burner gas top with glass lid, washboard sink and connectivity to the cold water line, and all of it set up on a stainless steel body. Behind you, on the other hand, two more slides offer access to cooking utensils and, most importantly, a fridge/freezer. This last feature you will need to pick up as extra.

If you raise a tent annex over this area, like you see in the image gallery, you can expand your campsite even further, protecting yourself from the elements along the way. Oh, and a 20 L portable toilet is also part of the deal, along with 80 liters (21 gals) of fresh water and two jerry can holders.

Then there's the all-essential electrical setup, which, funny enough, is rather prepared for a unit within this price range. For starters, a 50 A Anderson plug is in place. There are countless power sockets all over the unit, but my favorite, MDC, offers us a 200 W solar panel as standard. Of course, there's a battery - 100 Ah of juice is at our disposal - and power flow is visible via a Project battery monitor. The only catch here is that the 100 Ah battery and monitor seem to be part of an essential upgrade package, and things don't stop there.

The chassis your mobile habitat sits upon is built out of galvanized steel and equipped with an independent suspension with two shock absorbers on each side. X-Track is the manufacturer behind this setup, and once a proprietary coupling is thrown in, the Explorer is ready to hit the road. Let's not forget those 12-inch electric brakes. All that and a few others yield a camper that weighs 1,440 kg (3,175 lbs), so quite the biggy, but you can see why.

As a final heads-up, be aware of the fact that this puppy is only available in Australia, so if you do want to get your hands on it, you'll need to move to the land down under. Honestly, if there was ever a unit to take make such a move for, this is the one. If things don't pan out, you'll have lost just $12K American and a couple of plane tickets.