The Isuzu D-MAX 4×4 ute makes a solid base for creating a go-anywhere camping and recreational workhorse
Howard ShanksWhen it comes to making a purchase decision on a new vehicle that will meet your motoring needs for the next five to 10 years, it’s important to factor in all the travel and transport scenarios you expect to encounter over that period.
For instance, my wife started dropping subtle hints about updating our second-hand camper trailer a few years back and, judging by her wish-list, the new caravan or hybrid she has in mind won’t be a lightweight.
So, we’ll need a vehicle capable of towing a decent-sized caravan, for starters…
Deciding on the vehicle model was relatively easy because I’ve had an Isuzu D-MAX ute in one form or another for the past quarter of a century, both dual-cabs and space-cabs. I’ve driven them around Australia for work and pleasure, and thankfully, they all performed faultlessly.
I’m very particular about the maintenance, and they get oil and filter changes a little more frequently than the Isuzu service book suggests. I have this theory: oil and grease are cheap, while parts and breakdowns are expensive.
The Isuzu D-MAX I purchased back in 2010 and which I still own has travelled more than 280,000km, through every state in Australia and across several deserts. It’s had some mild custom work and is such a great vehicle that I still have it.
So it made good business sense to order a new one based on my past experiences with the model.
My wife and I deliberated for many months about how we’d use the new vehicle and how we should set it up to meet our requirements. The short version of our discussions was that the new Isuzu would be our adventure vehicle.
We needed it to be capable of towing our future caravan while also being able to ‘house’ us during three- or four-day off-grid exploration journeys away from the van.
We opted for the flagship Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain as we intend to travel long distances and possibly do a lap or two of the mainland. We’d also heard a whisper that the MY23 update was getting heated seats, a wireless phone charger, and a few additions to make life easier out on the road.
As we live in Tasmania, having heated seats was a must, regardless of the extra month or so we’d have to wait for the new vehicle.
Interestingly, after dropping into several Isuzu dealerships, quizzing the sales staff and taking a test drive, I sent each dealership the same email requesting a quote on the new vehicle, including a few factory options.
That age-old adage ‘It pays to shop around’ proved a worthwhile exercise because the variance in quoted prices was staggering!
New front and rear bar work
The latest incarnation of Isuzu’s IDAS driver assistance system means more sensors do more things, and messing around with them will ultimately cause you more grief than you can imagine, and result in plenty of unwanted error messages and annoying warning ‘pings’.
So we opted for the factory tow bar wiring harness as it’s more or less a plug-and-play option that automatically turns off the rear sensors when the trailer’s light lead is connected to the socket.
Sure, most of the aftermarket wiring kits claim to do the same thing, but if there’s an issue down the track Isuzu will blame the aftermarket component and vice versa. Of course, when it’s all factory installed, there should be no arguments if there’s a problem.
As we intended to remove the tub and install a custom tray, these sensors required a home. The solution was TJM’s rear protection step and tow bar combination which conveniently comes with slots for all the sensors, including lane departure detectors, and makes fitting the tray much more straightforward.
And, if you want a stylish, good-looking custom tray, it dramatically reduces the cost of the tray and fit-up, having all the sensors located in a separate bar.
TJM supplies its bar work in a black powder-coated finish. I’ve tried colour-matching bars to the vehicle in the past, and it looks great for about a month until the paintwork gets its first stone chip.
Nowadays, I get all my steel work powder-coated in a contrasting colour similar to the wheel-arch flares and front grille. Thankfully, the Dulux Onyx Pearl powder-coat is a pretty close match to the current X-Terrain guards.
Powder coating all the steelwork, including the driving light bodies, cost $1650 which included sandblasting. Sadly, TJM’s quality control could improve, especially some of the welding.
Under the bonnet and other upgrades
Under the bonnet of the X-Terrain, I fitted a Western Filters Catch-Can ($363) and Fuel Manager Fuel Water Separator ($375) simply because they came in a kit with mounting brackets that were easy to install.
It’s long been a tradition of mine to fit something old and something borrowed on my new vehicles. From memory the habit started back in my apprentice days when I bought my first car and funds were scarce.
For the new D-MAX the ‘old’ component was some Rallye 4000 driving lights which had clocked up over a million kilometres on our old Kenworth truck. I dragged them out from under the bench, wiped the dust off and sent them to the powder coaters.
Although Hella has LED inserts for these old light bodies, they’re not cheap. You can purchase a brand-new alternative pair of LED spotlights for the cost of one Rallye 4000 LED insert!
The wheels and tyres were an eleventh-hour acquisition. I was adamant that the new D-MAX gets the federal pre-rego GVM upgrade, and as we had to wait more than 18 months for the vehicle to arrive, I pre-arranged the purchase of the Lovells upgrade kit.
I also made several calls and emails with the installer to ensure everything was in place for the fit-up when the vehicle arrived. He regularly reassured me that everything was in order and that he would need the vehicle for a week to do the installation, which wasn’t a problem.
But at the end of the week when we went to register it, at 2.34pm on a Friday afternoon to be precise, he called me to say the factory tyres didn’t meet the GVM upgrade requirement. I wasn’t happy!
Consequently, in a mad panic, we took what was available from the nearest tyre shop to meet the 3600kg GVM/6200kg GCM upgrade requirements.
A word of caution: the tyres we chose are horrible, very noisy, and don’t handle well in the dry or wet. So they’re getting replaced sooner rather than later, with the wheels and tyres we originally ordered from our tyre guy.
The rear tray fit-out
I’d spotted an elegant-looking tray on a ute in a car park, and luckily the owner was close by so I asked him about it. He told me it was made locally by SEBA Sheetmetal in Devonport so the next day I was on the phone and made an appointment to meet SEBA Sheetmetal owner Adam Holmes.
Adam told me that he would custom-build a tray to suit my requirements, and when I mentioned I’d like either a couple of toolboxes or a full-size canopy to transform the work ute into an off-the-grid camper, he said, “Come and look at this.”
He then showed me a vehicle parked in front of his shop fitted with the exact canopy I was looking for. However, the biggest surprise was the rooftop tent hidden in the top section of the canopy.
The wait list for a custom tray and canopy was long, so I booked a build slot right there and then which luckily would coincide with the arrival of the new D-MAX in a few months’ time.
Adam also told me that he’d build whatever internal drawers and cupboards I wanted; he’d just need the measurements.
The SEBA tray is available in a smooth or checker plate finish and I chose the smooth finish with the Dulux Onyx Pearl powder-coat to match the steel bar work.
Under the headboard of the tray is a baffled 42-litre stainless-steel freshwater tank, connected to a Shurflo 4009 12-volt self-priming water pump ($126) that’s capable of delivering 11 litres per minute at 45psi of pressure.
I located the power switch for the water pump in the dash, and the water outlet at the rear of the tray which safeguards against accidentally leaving the water pump on.
Behind the water tank is a 1400x660mm sliding toolbox with a lift-up lid that doubles as a convenient table when the canopy is not on the tray.
Located on both sides of the tray behind the wheels are smaller toolboxes, and the floor of the tray is 4mm aluminium with six tie-down points.
The headboard has mounting points for two work lights, and I fitted Stedi C-4 Black Edition LED Cube-Spots ($94). The sides of the tray are aluminium in a matching powder-coat finish with mirror-finish stainless-steel caps that match the stainless rear guards.
Removable canopy makes sense
A removable canopy adds considerably to the multi-functional nature of any ute, so I opted to head down this route. It costs a little more than a fixed canopy, but the benefits in enhanced vehicle usability makes the extra investment worthwhile.
Getting the SEBA canopy on and off the tray is easy with the aid of wind-up legs, and it only takes a few minutes.
The canopy is self-contained and there’s only one Anderson plug from the vehicle battery to disconnect when removing the canopy.
A solar panel is fixed to the roof of the canopy which means that even when the canopy is off, the electrical system will continue to charge as long as there’s sunlight. In the future, it will have a shore power connection so that I can connect to 240-volt mains, but waiting for a licenced electrician on the Apple Isle is another story…
Externally on the rear of the canopy is the traditional jerry can holder, along with a custom 3.7kg lockable gas bottle holder and a fold-down ladder to access the rooftop tent.
Internally on the left-hand side is a Clearview Easy Slide drop-down fridge slide ($1149) with the red clip-on tray ($129) that creates 530x454mm of table space. I already had the 60-litre Engel fridge.
One downside of the Easy Slide is that it takes up a lot of space in the canopy compared to an upright fridge. But so far I’ve managed to fit everything I need into the canopy, including the shower.
Next to the fridge is a set of drawers with a slide-out table that measures 920x450mm. The bottom drawer comfortably holds a couple of canvas bags, while the 90mm-deep top drawer stows quite a few smaller items.
The drawer’s top deck has a slotted ledge which makes tying down bulkier items a breeze.
Finally, there’s a 920mm-long slide-out pantry. At the front of the pantry we store our tea- and coffee-making kit, so we can pull up on the side of the road and make a cuppa without having to unpack the whole canopy.
The right side of the canopy is mainly free space, and usually where we store our chairs, mats and tables. There’s also room for the cassette toilet and shower.
Rooftop tent makes set-up easy
We wanted campsite set-up to be simple and quick, and after a few trial runs we now have the canopy set up and ready for camping in under five minutes.
Erecting the rooftop tent is a matter of releasing the two catches and lifting the lid; the internal gas struts do all the hard work.
Once the roof is extended, the elastic cord is placed out of the way and the two poles and straps fixed to the tent veranda.
We leave the bed made up inside so it’s ready to sleep in once the roof and porch are up, and packing it up in the morning only takes a few minutes. The foam mattress has a removeable cover that’s easy to clean.
I try to park the vehicle so the hard roof faces the wind, minimising canvas flapping. I also use Tred GT levelling ramps to level up the ute so the bed is nice and flat at night.
What I really like about SEBA’s built-in rooftop tent is that it utilises a lot of wasted space not used in the top canopy. It also keeps the overall height of the vehicle under 2.1 metres, even with the 50mm lift from the GVM upgrade.
The overall lower profile should significantly improve fuel economy, and when you’re doing a Big Lap, any saving is a bonus.
Additionally, when catching a ride over on the Spirit of Tasmania, it’s easier to secure a booking with a vehicle under 2.1m in height.
Even though it’s still early days and it’s not quite finished (we have a portable lithium power solution on order), we have no regrets about our decision to purchase the SEBA Sheetmetal custom tray with the canopy and rooftop tent option.
The quality of the build is exceptional, and the service from Adam and his team is first-class. Pity we can’t say the same about the licenced electricians…
Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain custom camping ute specifications:
Base vehicle: 2023 Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain dual-cab ute
Factory options fitted: Snorkel, front and rear slimline weather shields, tinted bonnet protector, headlight protectors, alloy scuff plates, electric brake controller, tow bar wiring harness 7-pin flat, rubber cabin floor mats
GVM/GCM upgrade: Lovells 3600kg GVM/6200kg GCM
Bull bar: TJM T13 Outback to suit D-MAX 2020, Dulux Onyx Pearl powder-coat, supplementary wiring loom
Fog lights: LED H16 Series 9.9W
Winch: TJM Black Torq Winch 9500LB including synthetic rope
Side steps: TJM Modular Side Step 63mm tube, TJM Modular Side Protection Bar 63mm tube, Dulux Onyx Pearl powder-coat
Rear bar: TJM Rear Protection Step Tow Bar 63mm tube, Dulux Onyx Pearl powder-coat
UHF: GME XRS-370C4P with RJ45 UHF Plug (Code: A6)
Dash cam: Blackview – DR750X
Catch-can: Western Filters – Mann-Hummel (Kit OS-PROV-44)
Pre-filter: Western Filters – Fuel Manager Fuel Water Separator (Kit OS-44-FM)
Rear work lights: Stedi C-4 Black Edition LED Cube-Spot
Driving lights: Hella Rallye 4000 with LED inserts
Tray: Seba Custom Alloy, mirror-finish stainless-steel tray side caps, baffled stainless-steel water tank (144 litres), 12V water pump, sliding rear drawer with lift-up top, 2 x undertray mudguard toolboxes, 6 x floor-mount tie-downs, LED rear lights, mirror-finish stainless-steel mudguards, Dulux Onyx Pearl powder-coat
Canopy: Seba Custom Alloy Canopy – Roof Top Camper, folding rear ladder, 4 x lifting legs, jerry can holder, 3.7kg gas bottle holder, Clearview ES-220 (60/80 litre) drop-down fridge slide, 350W roof-mounted solar panel, Dulux Onyx Pearl powder-coat, custom locking drawers, custom pantry