You’ve got the rig, and you have the canopy (hopefully one of our MaxTop Canopies), so what’s the next gear on your bucket list? If your 4×4 is an office during the week and a family getaway car on weekends and holidays, setting it up with some multi-purpose accessories will allow you to make the most of work and play. Our team at Maxliner Australia are experts at 4WD builds for both tradies and holidaymakers, and these are their top five add ons for making the most of a work ute that is perfect for making the most of adventures.

A towbar 

The best feature of a ute canopy is that your gear is safe and sound from the weather and prying eyes. That doesn’t come without sacrifice, though. A canopy can make it trickier to carry anything big and bulky. That’s where a towbar comes in handy, whether it’s adding a bike rack for a weekend away, taking a trailer to the job site, or towing a caravan around Australia.

With a plethora of towing options available, some of our favourites are: 

• OEM Manufacturers – made to suit your vehicle.
• X-Bar by Hayman Reese – great for those doing a fair bit of off-roading. 

Roof Racks

Behind the tow bar, roof racks would have to be the most practical job site to campsite accessory going around. Whether you are packing the Hilux, the Ranger, or the Triton, a decent rack set up can take you from work to play in no time. And putting a few things up on racks gives everyone more room and makes for a happier holiday. A ton of options on the market have add-on accessories that can make them even more helpful:

• Rhino-Rack – a clear favourite of tradies & off-roaders across Australia.
• Yakima– a range of crossbars or platforms to choose from, depending on what you want to carry.

A drawer system

A canopy gives you storage space, a well-designed ute or 4WD drawer set-up gives you a storage system and solution. In a ute, they also make the best use of what can sometimes be hard-to-reach space.

Whether you’re carrying around tools, camping supplies, or fishing gear, you want something that makes the most of the space available and is safe to use. Aussies’ love of off-roading means we have a stack of choices available. We find the most popular options are:

• RV Storage Solutions – great quality and large range of ADR certified 4×4 & 4WD Rear Drawers
• Customised set-up – If you can’t find the perfect set-up, why not consider looking into a customised and specifically purpose-built set.

Fridge

Take a step up from ice packs or eskies and keep your smoko and lunch with a portable car fridge. A fridge does take up space, so while it is tempting to get a monster that can keep you going off-grid for weeks, our team recommends getting the smallest practical size. After you have narrowed down the size, you want its time to decide if you need a fridge and freezer dual-zone option, or you can make a single zone fridge or freezer work. With a ton of options on the market, our tried and tested brands are

• myCoolman – are powerful, robust, and ready for any adventure
• Dometic – you can’t go past them for the range. You are bound to find something that works for you.

Dual Power System

If you’ve added a fridge, the next upgrade we recommend is a dual power system. It’s not just your camping fridge that drains your battery either; using safety lights or radios can all contribute to a flat battery. If you want to run anything that requires power with your engine off, a dual power system is worth its weight in gold. With the help of an isolator, extra gear draws from the second battery as a power system when your engine is off. You are playing with an electrical system, so we recommend seeking a professional to install, but if you are a bit handy, these are our go-to products 

• Redarc are industry favourites and have over 40 years of experience in the game.
• Projecta are another favourite with a decent range.

Our Maxliner Australia gear is perfect for work or play with our top three add-ons: floor liners, Maxboxes, and MaxSlide tray.

Our Epping Maxliner Australia fitting team are experts when it comes to ute builds. Drop them a line at sales@maxliner.com.au or 1800 592 192