UTE Upgrades: 3 Essential Accessories to Customise Your Vehicle

Utes are Australia’s second-best-selling vehicle category, just behind SUVs. Their popularity boils down to the go-anywhere and pack-anything capability, and thousands of aftermarket add-ons to make the vehicle your own. They also deliver unmatched towing performance for week-long getaways with a trailer, campervan or boat at the back. When customising your vehicle, three accessories – canopies, bull bars and lift kits make the most sense for the majority of ute owners.

Why Consider a Ute Tray Canopy? 

Tradies, off-roaders and everyday drivers get more space, dozens of customisation options, and peace of mind with durable and well-built UTE canopies tailored to the exact dimensions of the tray. These additions provide a secure space for all your gear, increase flexibility with various accessories and add the needed protection from inclement weather or theft. Choose a custom ute tray canopy when considering: 

• Increasing overall usable space – trays and tubs can only fit as much gear. A fully-kitted canopy grows available space in all directions allowing you to safely carry and store larger items. This can be machinery, tools, sporting gear, camping essentials and items of considerable size and heft. A plus is that everything can be neatly organised with the multitude of internal storage solutions, and external additions like canopy racks, ladders, and tyre and jerry-can holders. 
• Improving access to frequently used gear – wide-opening single or double doors offer easy access to all tools and equipment, and the neat layout inside means no fuss when locating power drills, hand tools or compressors. With improved organisation from internal pantries, shelves, drawers, slide-out tables or parts bins, you’ll know where everything is at all times. 
• Protecting equipment – regardless of how you use your ute, a well-built aluminium canopy features thick metal sheeting that is not only rust-proof to fend off staining and damage in bad weather but also thick enough to fend off thieves. Canopies also feature TIG welds to provide a clean, seamless look and internal rubber seals ward off dust and water that can potentially damage electronic equipment and power tools.
• Improving looks – besides functionality, ute canopies are undeniably about looks. They come in a variety of sizes and designs, several surface finishes and colour coatings to match and lift the look of your ute. 

Choosing Canopies for Your Needs 

Choose between part-tray types that still leave allotted space on the tray or a full ute canopy that covers the whole tray. This will ultimately depend on the gear you carry and the space you need at the back. Full canopies span the width of the tray bed, roughly 1800mm for the most popular utes sold in Australia, but can be sourced in different heights, usually to the cab roof in most types, or higher with tall variants. The major factor in length is the cab type, with single-cab canopies now extending to 2400mm. 
These are often permanent fixtures that allow a secure fit, but buyers can also find lift-off canopies if they also use the tray for larger equipment, such as construction and gardening equipment, pallets, larger sporting goods, motorcycles or quad bikes. 
Lastly to ensure quality build, find respected ute accessory builders that can also fit the canopy with all the accessories that raise functionality. Aluminum is the go-to metal, but steel variants are viable alternatives if outright strength is a priority. Keep in mind that this will incur higher weight loading on the rear axles, and that the steel needs to be coated against corrosion. 

Protecting Your Ute With an Appointed Bull Bar 

Bull bars are ubiquitous ute additions that protect the engine and bodywork from typical obstacles in the city, bush and worksite. They provide the needed front-end protection for radiators, bonnets, steering and suspension parts from head-on collisions with other vehicles, indirect wildlife encounters and boulders and branches that want a piece of your ute. They extend utility and safety by providing a working foundation for winches and recovery gear when off-roading or CB radios, light bars and antennas in areas with poor reception and low visibility. 
Like canopies, they come in varying designs and a choice of materials. Triple hoops are the traditional choice that offer all-round protection and the realty space when adding side brush bars for protection to the sides. Newer designs go with a more compact look while still allocating space for off-roading essentials like recovery tow points and compatibility with hi-lift jacks if you get bogged down. 
Steel bull bars meet most buyers’ needs, with the needed strength and flexibility to shield the ute in most cases. This will though need to be treated to ward off staining and corrosion. Lighter aluminium bars avoid modification to the front suspension, are inherently rust-proof, and hold looks for longer with reduced scratches or dents. They also benefit from easier cleaning. 

Increase Ground Clearance and Prevent Rear Axle Squat With Lift Kits 

Lift kits raise the rear axles by several inches. They consist of modified leaf springs at the back and reworked shocks and coil springs at the front. Shackles and bolts attach the springs to the chassis, while poly bushes improve shock absorption. Improved ground clearance makes way for larger tyres, steers the engine and underbody clear of obstacles and road imperfections, allows for more control when off-roading and prevents rear axle squat with loaded tubs or trays or when towing heavy trailers. 
Use a lift kit if you also want to increase your vehicle’s rated Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) to legally carry heavier gear. Additional benefits are the increased ride height for greater visibility, easier maintenance and repairs to the underbody, and a more aggressive stance. 

Summing Up

To get more out of your UTE, simple yet functional accessories like canopies, bull bars and lift kits increase overall usability, let you carry more gear in a single go, and provide protection when driving in unchartered territory. Buy all accessories and parts from local manufacturers, with thorough real-world testing, ADR compliance and clear warranty policies. And when you’ve kitted your ride with the basics, consider additions like seat covers and floor mats to keep the interior in good condition.