We love our utes. We also love creating our perfect ute, adding accessories that make our vehicles truly ours, perfect for the work and play we love.

Tougher tyres? Sure. A winch perhaps? A nice new canopy, in a shade that matches the ute? A tent? Bike rack? Maybe a set of rod holders for those epic beach trips?

A lockable bin for work tools, or maybe even a service body for work or play?

The list just goes on and on.

First step of course is careful planning and some research, and that’s where this accessory guide comes in.

What do we want the vehicle to do?

How radical will we go?

What is the budget?

Will it pass a warrant of fitness?

Yep, that has to be considered. Even a new set of wheels and tyres will trigger a fail if they stick out too far from the guards.
The cheapest part of the process is the research.

Ask around. Talk to people with the same truck, search Facebook to find owner clubs, join the local 4WD club. Even if they are a bit focussed on mud bogs and winching and your rig is shiny family transport, the members have hundreds of years of collective experience. A good starting point is the New Zealand 4WD Association. www.nzfwda.