While people often call them pick-up or utility trucks, we Aussies know them as utes. A ute is the most practical truck that you can have. It has all the features of a fully-fledged SUV combined with some of the features found on a sedan. Don't worry you still get a place to store all your tradie equipment while having the comfort of bringing your friends along for a BBQ in the wild. Utes are known for their four-wheel-drive too.
While not all utes come with 4x4 capabilities there are quite a good number of options. You can look at a ute as a more stylish version of a pick-up truck and of course a more practical one too. Don't get thrown off by the utes handling since it's made to be driven loaded otherwise their suspension might feel a bit wonky. A ute is a great vehicle to get you and your equipment around with ease but there is some gear that you should add to make things more convenient and safer.
Essential Ute Accessories
Storage Tray
While some people like to call them a waste of time others consider them to be essential and the others are the majority of ute owners. The most commonly recommended ute gear online is the storage tray. Ute trays are made to provide additional storage space than the one you already have. Trays are especially important if you do use a lot of equipment and gear on the job site.
The important thing with trays to remember is that they need to be below the load-carrying capacity of your vehicle. Its weight, together with the load the tray can support should not go over the amount of weight your ute can tow. In this case, the material of the tray can have a big impact. For a lighter tray, consider getting one made from aluminium rather than steel.
Bullbar
For both your and the safety of your ute you should consider installing ute equipment that will provide frontal protection. The best choice you can make here is to get a bullbar. A bullbar is made of metal bars that when mounted either go in front of the radiator or both the radiator and over the headlights.
If you happen to often travel on a beaten path where you can find lots of animals and other obstacles it's best that you install a bullbar on your ute. When it comes to safety a bullbar is one of the most recommended ute gear online since it can keep your ute safe from animal strikes and other impacts from trees and rocks.
Canopy
If you want to upgrade the back of your ute to something a bit more practical than just an open tray then you should consider getting a canopy. Ute canopies are made with protection in mind. They are essentially an enclosed tray that can also have shelving inside and locks to keep your equipment safe. With a canopy the no thieves or elements will get to your gear and equipment. You can also organise all your tools the way you want so that it's easier to access them at all times. Just make sure you keep things that way.
Recovery Gear
While you won't be off-roading with a ute as much sometimes, a job site may require you to do so. With all the items on the back of your ute, it is possible to end up bogged down. In this case, there are a certain number of ute accessories that can help you get your ute out. Recovery gear is what you need in this case which is mainly comprised of recovery boards, a shovel, D-shackles, snatch blocks, winch, recovery points, a jack, tow strap, snatch strap, and recovery rope. Recovery gear is especially important if you get stuck in the mud.
Mud Flaps
Talking about muddy terrain, when driving on it, you should want to keep the tailgate safe from stone chips, mud, tar and rocks flying into it. Why? Well because not only does it not look good it can also cause corrosion or even dent the tailgate. Mudflaps are a simple type of ute equipment that can keep the tailgate and part of the underside. Mudflaps are simple to install and if you get the right ones they can last you a lifetime making them more worthwhile than the repairs at the mechanic.
Rain Guards
Installing a pair of rain guards which are also known as weather shields can help make your drive more enjoyable especially on a rainy day. Sometimes the weather is mixed. With a light rain and breeze, why wouldn't you be able to enjoy getting in some fresh air without some drizzle? With a pair of rain guards you can since they cover a small portion of the top of your windows so that you can crock open your windows to let fresh air in but not the rain.
