Dave Trott

New daily driver for my wife.

GWM Tank 300 Ultra

Off the shelf comes with some cool features.
Main thing is having front and rear lockers.
Also 7 year warranty which gives me a bit of peace of mind as I personally was hesitant to go GWM. But hey we shall see.

This thing won’t be seeing tough tracks but should be a bit of fun for the Mrs when we hit the beach and some basic tracks at Springs.

Currently it’s stock as a rock except for a few cosmetic bits and pieces from Savage Tech Australia. 

These include:
Tank grill
Bedrock style floor mats
Cross bars
Recovery points

Next up will be wheels and tyres.
A touch of poke and some all terrains.

Considering installed 12v wiring and small solar panel as I’ve already got a kickass battery box for those weekend trips for the fridge.

No plans for bar and winch at the moment as I don’t see us using it for that purpose.
Will use my weekender for those style trips.

Wrangler

GWM Tank 300

When one of Shannon's customers of an existing 79 series build came to the team and said they wanted him to build their daily landcruiser into a formidable touring workhorse they couldn't say no.

Branching out from their usual 79 series offering they've taken the modern 300 series chassis up a notch with a tasteful selection of the most important mods a 300 series needs to take on the tracks in complete comfort and safety.

The 2023 Toyota Landcruiser is a primary family car designed to tackle some unforgettable adventures for trips to the snowy mountains and beyond into the deserts. Every accessory choice was selected to accomodate their lifestyle needs and budget from the best possible aftermarket accesories.

All black accessories accent the white paint job and help the 300 stand out from the other wagons at the shops.

LandCruiser

Avalanche - Shannons Engineering LC300 Build

Ranger Raptor

Ford Performance Ranger Raptor Finke/Baja

2023 Ford Ranger Raptor Next Gen

2022 Toyota LandCruiser 76 Series

Hilux

Toyota Hilux N70

1989 1kz LN106

2" Shackles
2" leafs on the front body lift
2" on the rear

N50/LN106

1989 Toyota Hilux LN106

2021 Toyota LandCruiser 76

Patrol

2008 Nissan Patrol GU

D-MAX

2021 Isuzu D-MAX

2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300

Defender

Land Rover Defender 110

As expected, Ford has maintained the same Ranger feel we’ve come love. However, there are a few subtle additions, design upgrades and more that are well worth mentioning.

Something mistook for a gap in the rear of the Ranger is actually an ingenious Rear Box Step. A tough, fully integrated step that makes accessing the cargo area easier and safer than ever before. It’s a minor inclusion but a novel one all the same.

The Ranger’s broad, muscular, athletic design has also seen a minor change with new fender flares, larger wheel arches and 50mm increased track width for a dramatic sculpted effect.

Having said all this, it’s the off-road result that’s got us intrigued…

Ford is promising that the wheelbase increase will result in less overhang at the front and enhance its off-road ability. The 2022 Ranger also has a 30° angle entry and 25° at the rear, making tackling ruts and descending slopes a bit easier than before.

Call us sceptical, but we don’t think that wheelbase increase is going to cut it in the Australian Outback. To ensure you’re well and truly clear of any tricky ruts undoing your weekend away, or a downward slope wrecking the fun before it even begins, what you need is a suspension upgrade.

With an aftermarket suspension upgrade, your Ranger will instantly benefit from added ground clearance. It will also become a more superior ride with better overall handling on and off-road, as well as a higher degree of safety and improved load-carrying capability.

Additionally, your Ranger will benefit from better flex (wheel articulation) as the shock experienced from a rut or rapid descent will be better handled. And that’s exactly what you’ll get with every TJM Suspension System.

Lastly, the new C-Clamp LED Headlamps.

Despite not being available on the XL and XLS models, this is the first time Ford has introduced LED lights to their Ranger range.

They’re absolutely stunning to look at, flanking the bold new grille from either side, and give the next-gen Ranger that unmistakable Built Ford Tough look.

Only one small problem… they’re not protected in any way.

In fact, none of the vital components at the front, including the engine bay, are protected, and that could be disastrous for the new addition to your garage.

What you’ll need is the toughest, most enduring bull bar available on the market; and it just so happens that we’ve got it ready!

Built for those rough and tough journeys, the TJM Outback Bullbar is an absolute must-have for any off-roading enthusiast. Not only does it add some serious style, it will also protect those new C-Clamp LED headlights and other vital components at the front of your Ranger with ease.

And thanks to integrated 8000kg rated recovery points as standard, the TJM Outback Bullbar can also help get you unstuck in a hurry.

Through winch compatibility, an all-steel construction, integrated fog lights and more, the Outback Bull Bar ensures your Ranger thrives, not just survives, in the Australian Outback.

 

IMPROVEMENTS TO TOWING, RIDE & HANDLING
We touched on the improved towing capabilities, particularly with the new Tow Haul driving mode, but what other updates have got us excited?

Well, on top of the 3500kg max towing capacity, the next-gen Ranger comes with an optional Integrated Trailer Break Controller (standard on Wildtrak and Raptor models) that’s compatible across different trailer setups, and delivers smooth and effective trailer braking.

This is perfect for towing heavy loads and its output is adapted based on the status of the anti-lock braking system (ABS).

To put this into context, when the ABS module senses the towing vehicle’s brakes are approaching lock-up, the controller’s braking strategy changes to compensate for traction conditions - thus reducing the risk of trailer brake lock-up.

The only thing missing is protection for the rear of your Ranger and added recovery functionality.

However, with a TJM Rear Step Tow Bar, you can prevent accidental panel and bumper damage thanks to its thick 63mmø steel tubing, durable alloy treadplate and chassis-mounted design.

It’s also ADR62 certified to meet Heavy Duty Class 4 tow bar standards, comes with T-slot recovery jack points, has OEM parking sensor provisions and doesn’t void your Ranger’s new vehicle warranty.

Ride & Handling have also been given an upgrade compared to the predecessor, with the rear shocks moved outboard. Suspension retains the same independent double-wishbone and beam-axle leaf-spring combo, but it’s the rear shocks moving outboard that Ford says will contribute to improved ride, handling and stability.

Despite being welcome news, we’re not entirely convinced this will be enough when you take your Ranger off-road. Moving the shocks outboard is definitely going to lessen the impact felt, but it’s the same suspension system on the next-gen Ranger that’s got us scratching our heads.

 

SO, WHAT’S OUR VERDICT?
Though there are some aftermarket suspension, protection, recovery and performance upgrades needed to really conquer the Australian Outback, we reckon the 2022 Ford Ranger is hands down the best Ranger which Ford has ever produced.

We can’t wait to equip new owners with the accessories they need to turn this incredible unit into an off-roading superweapon.

For the full reveal of our 2022 Ford Ranger accessory range, including special additions arriving later in the year, fill out our register your interest form on our site and the minute they're announced, you’ll be the first to know.

Ranger

TJM 2023 Ford Ranger Next Gen

2020 LC76 JMACX COIL 3900KG GVM
National certification

Started off buying this from a dealer back in August 2021 with big dreams. See parts list below for more details of my build!

Rogue Seven Six

FLEXI79

Pub Truck 2.0 - Pooly's 79

Starting with my trusty ute that I've owned since it was brand new in 2001, I've been using it for almost 10 years in different ways - as a competition vehicle, a tourer, and with aftermarket turbo, airbox, exhaust, and suspension upgrades. Although the GU did improve over time, I decided I needed a better tow vehicle and highway performer, so I opted for a Toyota 1HD-FTE engine, transfer case, and gearbox conversion. I chose Jason Dymock at Total Care 4WD because he has been developing this exact conversion over several years and I trust him to touch my pride and joy.

With the Old Man Emu four-inch suspension, adjustable Airbag Man airbags in the rear, two-inch body blocks, and stylish alloy Classic II Mickey Thompson rims with 315/70R16 Cooper STT rubber, my ride looks great. The ARB barwork with Warn 10,000lb electric winch, huge rear-mounted 180-litre fuel tank, mid-mounted 60-litre water tank, and the four IPF spotties (two halogen and two HID) make my vehicle even more impressive. The super-comfortable Recaro pews, dual UHF radios (GME and ICOM), various running gear-related gauges, and trick camping tray with canvas canopy all remain untouched and are still in excellent condition.

To make the whole job a little lighter on the hip pocket, I managed to sell off my Nissan engine, gearbox, and transfer case which were all in top condition. I replaced them with a LandCruiser 4.2-litre 1HD-FTE engine, transfer case, and five-speed auto from a 100 Series Cruiser wagon with full-time 4X4. My ute is now a push-button, selectable 2WD to AWD for on-road use, with a center diff lock for off-road adventures.

In addition to that brilliant intercooled turbo-diesel engine, I chose to upgrade with a Steinbauer engine management chip upgrade, a three-inch custom-bent exhaust system, and a custom-made top-mount air-to-air intercooler that sucks through a whopping bonnet-mounted air intake. I believe that too much power is never enough! Total Care 4WD estimates that the upgraded Nissan pumps out (roughly) 560Nm and 195kW.

To keep track of everything that moves on my truck, I have gauges on both the A-pillar and the passenger-side dashboard. The gauges monitor the temperatures of the engine, gearbox, and exhaust, as well as turbo boost and oil pressure, to alert me if something should go wrong.

2001 Nissan Patrol GU

2023 Ford Ranger Wildtrack Gen 3

2022 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series VX

Chook & Polly's 79

Stout Single Cab

White Rhino

Welcome to the SE BOSS build. On this build we’re going to step outside our comfort zone, break away from the usual style of builds we do and test a few concept ideas and designs and set a bench mark in our touring vehicle builds.

First step is to install the portal axles and upgraded suspension as this must be done before rego or any other accessories fitted. The portal axles used here are a product of Marks 4WD Adaptors. The main key features of this set-up are 6″ drop down hubs, giving you an instant 150mm clearance under the diff with no changes to your suspension/steering or handling geometry. In fact, they’re also much wider than standard diffs so your car will handle better on and off-road with greater stability & footprint and this is modification is 100% street legal Australia wide under second stage manufacturing. Other advantages with the portal axle conversion are upgraded brakes, 16% reduction gears, one piece air locking hubs and the drum handbrake relocated to the rear of the transfer case.

For the suspension, (as this is separate from the portal axles) I have chosen to retain the leaf spring design and opted for parobolic leafs from Terrain Tamer. As you can see, they’re not your typical leaf pack and only have 4 leaf’s per side, greatly reducing unsprung dead weight while still allowing a 3950kg GVM upgrade and the ability to flex somewhat more than a typical set of leafs. From my observation this set up allows more flex than other coil conversions on the market.

For the roof, Its back at the shop and we installed the RhinoRack roof platform fitted with LED light bar and under-eve side lighting a common addition to all our builds.

The tray we built for this build is almost the same as our regular builds other than a few new features we are trialing, like a rear tapered tailboard, quick-connect water system and a removable kitchen pod instead of a trundle draw.

For the shocks I have decided to go with Kings Offroad Racing Shocks with adjustable remote reservoirs, front and back. I strongly believe your shocks play the biggest part in ride comfort and not to skimp out when considering choice on shocks. For the front suspension I have gone with Lovells heavy duty coils with a 1″ lift. Still 100% street legal as this is the legal lift limit is governed by your headlight height. You can however have a 2″ lift fitted with these portals but you must then lower your headlights into your bull bar. I am planning on something special for my front bar so that wont’t be an option for me, more on that later.
I have also upgraded my front flares to a fiberglass overmould giving my wider front wheel track cover and eliminating the need for rubber flaps.

The tray design is to best accomodate every space possible underneath. The aluminum flooring sheets are removable at any time if you ever need to access any of this equipment or just a thorough wash down. You can see the water tank up front, keeping the weight in the centre and over the axle, rear draw carcus and the air system and alloy air tanks between the draw and the toolboxes. Theres a twin piston ARB air compressor in one toolox and a 36v electric chainsaw in the other along with all my tools and recovery gear which I would like to keep on me regardless if the canopy is attached or not.

A few small details around the tray to note are the widened guards to accommodate the wider wheel track, quick connect tap outlet, canopy connection plug and a new feature prototype with the leading edge of the headboard has been shaved off to give the tray design more angles and detail.

Now I am rego ready. The black flooring sheets, towing mirrors, twin spare tyres and the twin stainless exhaust from Torqit really finish it off.

All new cars need to be weighed before rego. In my photos you can see the report explaining individual wheel weight and an overall weight of 2554kg. The kerb weight of a stock cruiser is 2175kg, that means the tray and those accessories fitted to it as per the pic above, roof platform & lighting, 5×35″ wheels/tyres, twin exhaust, GVM upgrade/heavier springs and the whole portal axle converson/replacement diffs came in at 379kg. Thats a bloody amazing result and has left me with a legal allowable payload of 1396kg. I have saved a lot of weight for now by not installing things like bull bar, side steps, canopy, second battery, tow bar or winches (at time of rego) and these are items most people overlook when building their ultimate tourer.

Next up the the roof-top tent. I have chosen the Alucab Expedition Gen3. All aluminium and quite spacious and comfortable inside. My main reason for this choice among others was the overall aesthetic design and how it is tapered at the front in the X & Y plane, giving a streamline style and less wind resistance. It also has lighter canvas and suits me and my personal preference and can be set up or down in around 30 seconds or less.

For our 12v set up, we’ve gone with Enerdrive hardware and a Simarine touch screen display. Specs on this equipment are at the bottom of this post, but its proving to be the ultimate set up and would suit anyones needs and not over the top or over complicated. To brush the topic, its got 200ah Lithuim, AC & DC chargers, 2000w inverter, bluetooth connectivity and a few other goodies.

We love Australian made products, like the Expedition 134 modular storage boxes. They’re waterproof, dustproof lockable, stackable boxes and work great with our aircraft style tie down track system you can see here.

Next up was the intercooler replacement. I have chosen a PDI front mount aluminium intercooler core with this included stainless steel plumbing. (thats two cars worth in this image) As standard, this V8 diesels intercooler is situated on top of the engine relying solely on forced airflow from driving into the wind. This means when your driving slow like during 4WD your intercooler isnt working as efficient as it should. Having this intercooler not only looks the tits but will result in helping maintain power delivery due to cooler intake temperatures, and reduced EGT while under load and studies have shown to be 3x cooler just by not being in the engine bay and on top of the motor.

As part of the Marks 4wd portal axle conversion, they had installed the compressor for the air-operated locking hubs directly where I need to run the new intercooler piping. To overcome this we came up with the idea to mount it in the cavity behind the drivers side headlight, just before the air intake. Although tricky to fit, it couldnt of worked out better- its out of the way, out of the heat, protected from dust mud and water and now not intefearing with the pipework. This has also allowed me to remotely mount the air filter and hide all the air lines within the guard.

Next job was to tackle the bull bar and winch. For the bull bar, I have decided to go my own way and do something custom. To start with I have purchased a 2nd hand ARB bull bar, cut it up and removed the wings and hoop leaving me with the centre main structure piece which i will build off.
This is the only part I wanted to keep as this is the main structure that bolts to your vehicle. I have not modified or changed any section that fixes to the vehicle and will be using the same fixing points and bolts that came with the complete bar. I am merely redesigning the facade. The wings, and a new hoop section. The top hoops are made from stainless steel tube. The main objective here was to reduce weight to preserve my GVM. This is also why im not running brush bars or side steps.

Next I took the bar back off and planning out the wiring for the winch and 7 LED lights. Wiring done for both front and back winches. Rear winch has not been installed yet but have put the provisions in using the 000 gauge cable throughout. The biggest cable available so not to loose any current over the long distance. 
Without modifying the standard battery tray I have designed this alloy bracket to hold the two 500a isolator switches keeping the buttons accessable, and wiring all hidden. I will be setting this battery system up somewhat different to a typical 4wd dual battery system and will not be using a BCDC charger to maintain the second battery.

Instead I will be installing an Australian made Rapid Power fully sealed, liquid cooled alternator which pumps out 150a/14v and is designed for prolonged service in extremely dusty, wet and corrosive environments. The 70 series Land Cruisers weak spot is the standard alternator being so low in the engine bay, once she’s full of mud, you’ll be on a tow truck in no time.

I will be managing the charging of my second battery using a Blue Sea Systems ML-ARC Automatic charging relay. This thing’s a bloody beauty, it will automatically close the circuit when the engine’s running, charging my second battery at a much faster rate than a typical Recarc BCDC charger would. Then when you shut the engine off, it opens seperating the batteries so my start battery is safe from unexpected discharge. The beauty about this device is it also has a dash mounted switch allowing me to overide and link or seperate the two at any time, which will be usefull for winching or jump starting someone. I can even jump start myself if my main battery goes flat! It is also designed for full time marine use so its waterproof (IP66) with all stainless studs.

And lastly the other BlueSea Systems MLRBS, this one will be used as a winch isolator, with the same in-cab switch and manual overide. This one does not have the automatic latching feature which is obviously not needed.

The bull bar has been sent off for sandblasting, zinc powder coat rust proof primer, and has been rubbed back ready for the Raptor Liner treatment.

This ultimate touring beast is now ready for everything I throw at it. 
Keep a look out for more info as I continue to give my baby more goodies!!!

SE BOSS - Shannons Engineering 79 Build

I bought this car brand new and kept it stock for the first year to test the capabilities of an off the shelf Ranger.
I instantly tested all the functions including 4WD Hi and Lo, Rear Diff Lock, Traction Control, Hill Decent. It was surprisingly capable of most tracks I sent it up and down. The Ranger really stood out on the sand up at Stockton. It handles sand very easily on the stock height and wheels. I had bought myself Maxxtrax to assist if I managed to get stuck. Which I never ended up using.

The first upgrade I did to the Ranger was installing Recovery points. I ended up going with the Roadsafe pair of recovery points. I then had Blue Flame Automotive Narrabeen on the Northern Beaches install these points after I struggled to do them myself in my garage on the ground.

The next upgrades I focused on was the bar work and winch. I ordered this through BarsNRacks Brookvale. I went for the Ironman Commercial hooped bullbar, brush bars and side steps. Then went with the Runva 11XP winch with synthetic rope, with isolator. On top of all this I wanted to keep everything underneath the car safe, so opted for the Iron Man underbody steel protection kit.

I will note that adding the bar work, winch and underbody protection notably made the car heavier and in turn my litres per km went up by at least 1L/km.

I quickly found that as soon as the tracks started to get more technical my stock ride height, tyres and size where holding me back. I would get hung up or seesaw on my chassis.

My next purchases were lift, wheels and tyres which were ordered and installed by Blue Flame Automotive in Wyoming on the Central Coast.
I opted for Dobsons 2inch Monotube due to conversations I had on the trails and with Blue Flame regarding a good renowned brand with lots of reviews.

I was originally looking at the Method Wheels 308 Roost's but due to the cost per rim being around $500 it was going to be quite an expensive purchase. 
Instead I opted for a cheaper brand with a good enough rep on the trails. I chose to get the Dirty Life DT2 17X9 with 0% Offset. I was lucky enough to see another PX3 ranger with the same size and offset wheels so I could really sure I was going to get a good amount of poke without looking like a Texan F-450. 
When it came to choosing my tyres, I went with feedback from peers which lead me to purchasing the Maxxis Razors. I was unsure if I should go the mud terrain or all terrain. Given I don't drive much during the week, I opted for the mud terrains to give me that slight advantage on the technical trails on the weekend.

I started to use the Ranger for more overnight/weekend trips with the family and found the open tub tray a bit limiting and time consuming trying to keep dry. So I went round to ARB and checked out the ARB Accent canopies. I loved the style and the central locking ability for all windows.
I went online and found a second hand canopy from a wreckers that was in perfect nick for half the price of a new one.
I then carried out majority of the install myself but needed the wiring kit to be ordered and installed. I reached out to an old mate who now owns a renowned auto electrician shop in Brookvale on the Northern Beaches called Pez's Automotive. He did a great deal and helped with the final parts to get the canopy ready to hit the trails.

Recently I went on a tour exploring the areas between Capertee and Sofala where my walkie talkie ran out of battery and left me using my daughters walkie talkie to communicate with the rest of the tour group. 
When I returned from that trip, the first thing I did was click and collected from Anaconda the GME XRS™ CONNECT 4WD PACK. Apart from running the wiring the kit was fairly straight forward to connect up and have running.

Another thing from the trip that started to annoy me was scrubbing in my front guards from my wheels. This pushed me to order the Dobinsons Upper Control Arms and have Blue Flame Automotive install them and wind my front suspension up to 3 inch. 

I tested this setup off road yesterday at Dora Creek and it was perfect. No scrubbing whatsoever. So safe to say, if you are going 32s or 33s on your Ranger, you're going to want to have a 3inch lift.

With all the added weight of the vehicle I wanted a quick way to get a bit more punch off the mark and quicker throttle response, so I opted for a second hand Ultimate9 evcX Throttle Controller. I cannot believe the difference and wish I had done this earlier.

Silver Fox PX3 Ranger

Dave Trott

Bio

Unpublished Builds

Published Builds