Vaughan Hindley — Founder and managing director of Market Direct Group (MDG)
Market Direct Group (MDG) offers Aussie-designed, founder-tested campers, hybrids and caravans, engineered for tough conditions and real-world touring.
With almost 20 years of experience behind it, Queensland’s MDG has found the sweet spot in the Australian RV industry, blending Aussie design and testing, trusted international manufacturing and durable, affordable camper trailers, hybrids and caravans — all tested on rough tracks by the founder himself.
The story of MDG
MDG’s story began in 2005, when founder Vaughan Hindley, who was working in Queensland and running a small online camping accessories business on the side, spotted a gap in the Australian camping market: tough, well-featured camper trailers that didn’t break the bank.
With only $5000 and an online store run out of his garage, the dream of MDG was born and in 2007 he had started importing soft-floor camper trailers and selling them directly to customers.
A very early Market Direct Campers (MDC) tent trailer model from 2006
As Aussies started demanding more comfort and convenience, MDG moved from soft-floor to hard-floor trailers, then in 2013 launched the first hybrid offroad caravan designed in Australia and produced through a trusted Chinese manufacturing partner.
Fast forward nearly 20 years, and MDG has sold more than 40,000 campers and caravans across Australia. Growing from a garage operation, it now has 10 company-owned and dealer outlets across Australia (and another 10 in the United States), a headquarters in Brisbane and more than 150 staff nationwide, making it one of Australia’s largest camper and caravan brands — with every model designed for Aussies, by Aussies.
Founder-led, experience-driven
Even with the company’s growth, Vaughan has remained a hands-on founder and managing director. A passionate caravanner, four-wheel driver and adventurer, he personally tests new models on rugged tracks across Australia and in the United States. He joins owner group trips, travels with his family in the very caravans he sells and passes firsthand insights straight to the design team.
For Vaughan, innovation comes from experience, not theory. That practical, boots-on-the-ground approach shapes the company culture, ensuring all decisions and new models are grounded in real-world use rather than marketing ploys.
First ever hybrid caravan built in China (MDC pioneered this in the Australian industry) in 2013
MDG’s camper and caravan range: Built to go further
MDG owns and operates two Australian brands: MDC Campers and Caravans, the core brand Vaughan founded all those years ago; and the new, premium Gold Class Caravans brand, launched in May 2025. For the northern hemisphere market, MDC USA was launched in 2021 and is based out of an assembly facility in California, bringing Aussie-designed trailers to an international audience.
The MDC range spans everything from entry-level campers to full-height offroad caravans and the Forte SR series for on-road touring.
As the fresh face on the scene, Gold Class Caravans provides premium touring (Luxe Class) and offroad (Adventure Class) options with multiple layouts for couples and families. We were fortunate to be able to take the Gold Class LC17C couples tourer out for a spin in November and were impressed with its price point for the level of gear fitted as standard and the build quality MDG is known for. (Check out the full review here.)
Across both brands, all campers, hybrids and caravans are designed and engineered for Australian conditions. Reinforced steel chassis, aluminium frames, composite flooring, independent offroad suspension, high-spec inclusions and a lifetime chassis warranty on offroad models are just some of the things that make MDG’s models popular.
Designed by Aussies, built for Aussies
One of the key business strategies MDG has stuck by is its transparency about how its campers and caravans are manufactured.
Design and product work is completed in Australia by MDG’s experienced team, while manufacturing is carried out through a single long-term partner in China. With more than a decade of collaboration with this partner, MDG benefits from skilled labour, leading technology and a dedicated testing laboratory that puts the components and models through fatigue, stress, pressure, UV and corrosion testing.
MDG working with its manufacturing partner during construction of the purpose-built facility in China, 2014
Once manufacturing is completed, the units are shipped to Australia for final assembly and certification in MDG’s Brisbane and Perth facilities, ensuring local oversight and compliance.
As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Reaffirming its care and commitment to quality, MDG was the first RV importer in Australia to receive ISO 9001 certification, meeting international standards for quality management systems. It was also the first offroad camper and hybrid importer to receive full RVMAP accreditation across all facilities.
The Recreational Vehicle Manufacturing Accreditation Program (RVMAP), established by the Caravan Industry Association of Australia (CIAA), includes 250-point audits covering compliance with Australian Design Rules (ADR), payload, critical weights and other safety standards, giving buyers confidence in the campers and caravans they choose.
2011 MDC Offroad Deluxe Camper Trailer featuring Cruisemaster airbag suspension
Proudly Australian owned and supported
Founded by a man who believed adventure should never be out of reach, it’s not surprising that MDG is also committed to customer support and care. It provides in-house customer support and warranty teams, as well as the MDC Masterclass — a library of online tutorials with tips and tricks on operation, DIY maintenance, troubleshooting and more to help owners use their trailers to their fullest.
There’s also a large and active owner community that shares travel experiences, advice and feedback, which reflects MDG’s ongoing focus on real-world use and how it feeds through to future innovations and products.
After almost two decades on the road, MDG remains guided by real-world experience, proven manufacturing partnerships and a practical understanding of how Australians travel.
Find out more about MDC’s camper trailers and caravans here.
And check out Gold Class Caravans’ premium offerings here.
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Caravan review: Gold Class Caravans LC17C couples tourer
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Market Direct Group: Aussie-designed and founder-tested