Ute Master have advised me this Hard Lid is now over $4500, (Sports Bar version)it doesnt have a light, and if you want the "destroyer" side rails add $695 if you want central locking add $479 AND YOU GET TO INSTALL IT YOURSELF ! After youve paid $150 for delivery.... then theres the "Load stop"..... sure, its a good setup but no change from $7k delivered with all the bells and whistles. its DIY and 7K is 10% of the entire Hilux purchase price....
Biggest con I have found with ute lids on the utes I have owned over the years is that you are limited with the height of items you can place in the tub and still be able to fully close and lock. Have now gone with canopy. Love the videos Ronny.
Exactly the same for me. Cant't get a bigger then 40 liter fridge under the lid and get it out without opening the lid. I had my RTT on the lid and then I can't get my 50 fridge out. It sticks up inside the lid. Now I'm waiting for a tray to be istalled and then som kind of canopy on top of that.
Congratulations on the sedan conversion! But seriously, the really cheap way to put lights inside a hard lid is to epoxy a small metal strip inside the lid, roughly where you're linking of putting lights. I keep a rechargeable work light with a magnet on the back in the cab, so when I need light in the tub or around the tailgate, the magnet keeps the light exactly where I want it with no extra wires to worry about. I'd be interested in seeing your experiences with dust in the tub (maybe some on-camera driving down dusty tracks might be in order.) My experience with the 7th gen SR tub (no vents near the cab, only the gaps around the tailgate to worry about) and the factory Toyota lid is that the back third of the tub gets covered in dust, but the rest of the tub stays surprisingly clean.
If you're in for a hard lid, that's one of the best I've seen and looks like an awesome choice. Personally, I was torn and eventually went the canopy, getting the Aeroklas for about 2600 bucks and you can rig them up to add on an extra 100kgs on top. It also has central locking plus I like the height usability for larger items that might not quite fit and the protection from weather and theft. Accessibility to the rear is easy and they have a built in light. Everybody is different though and I think you choose well for purpose here.
I’ve had one 18 months. Driven on Gravel roads everyday. It’s going to shake itself to bits on corrugations but it is dust proof once you sort the tailgate. Don’t overuse the dog stops or they will fail. Central Locking is great, overall well worth the $3.5k
I have a similar lid on my Hilux and found three issues over 10 years. 1. The struts eventually fail. 2. It’s not waterproof. Water resistant, yes. 3. You can not make full use of the tub, tall items don’t fit because of how deep the tub is. If you only plan on loading flat items then it’s fine. Also items that sit right at the back, are a pain in the ass to reach without climbing into the tub.
Hi Ronny...thanks mate for these videos...i really learn a lot. When you take the audience through EACH STEP and take TIME TO EXPLAIN THE WHY's....i enjoy listening to that part and very keen to what you're saying.
Hey Ronny Great Vid Mate 👌 you could also increase the skid resistance of the hard lid by simply spraying it with Bed Liner such as "Raptor Liner", another mod to the list 👍
G'day Ronny, I enjoy these 'back to basics' vids. Not everyone needs an ultimate track weapon with 9000 hp through portal axles etc... but a simple way to avoid the load sliding around on top of the lid would be a thin piece of rubber matting between the lid and the load. Cheers
Bed cover con: 1- limited in height under the lid. Not all items will be short enough to fit. 2- Over time with the tie downs, the lid will begin to bend up and not have a tight seal. Allowing dust and moisture inside the bed. Pro: what you can strap down to the top is worth this option.
Some of the government agencies in the states run these on their chase trucks to keep firefighting gear safe and dry. It’s not air tight but good protection as you’ve described. Congratulations Ronnie , it’s a great looking rig.
That's a very neat product and while people are having a go at the price, when you compare the full lid to the cost of a fibreglass hard lid, it's not badly priced. I reckon the addition of a roof rack bag to the lid would be pretty handy for carrying lighter, bulkier items and potentially free up tub space.
Excatly what I am going to add for my ute project. Probably without the sports bar as you gain more load area. Will get the rails you have, cross bars and bike racks as well. For firewood I will just have a big canvas bag to tie down. Also will get the tool straps to attach shovel etc to the rails. As you say so much versatility.
This is brilliant. You can mount below all your freezers, draws, watertanks etc and use the roofrack(or rooftent). And then you can load all other stuff on this baby and you are done.
i think the hard lid without the sports bar should be an ideal option..... the sports bar eats into the space which could be used to mount rooftop tent, if someone feels the need of it....
George, Jacob and all the team are a very nice guys. For the hard lid I think it's a nice choice, the best I've seen. Nice mod, I'll go for it, really very utilitarian...
4wheel drives have come along way since 40 years ago when there was bugger all accessories,recovery gear and engine modifications, like all us 4wheel drivers we are always looking for ways to improve our rigs. l would say most 4wheel drivers today are insufficient in fixing the electronic side of these new type of vehicles,for example some go into limp mode when the battery is flat and most of us wouldn't have a clue how to get ourselves out of trouble. l own a old 4x4 and wouldn't be game enough to get your modem type of rig because l wouldn't have no idea how to fix it. Driving the modern 4x4 is a great step-up from the old type because of the comfort and safety factor but the trade off is relying on dealers to do all the mechanical work.
Interesting to see how your long term review this load lid. I had an adventure tub rack system before but it significantly decreased the side access. Ended up putting a cargo drawer which added a lot of extra weight. Personally, to tie down on the lid is a bit if a pain in the bump. Finally the rack was removed. One big plus of your lid is the gas struts to lift. I'll see how you go with it.
Very unique. Interesting how it enables the OE roll bar to be reinstalled. We have a similar cover in the US called a Diamond Back cover Has optional ramp system to load ATVs from the side. One of the differences is it had 3 sections. One stationary in the middle and 2 that lift open. One opens from the front and one opens from the rear, so items toward the front can be accessed easily.
I’m a bit confused: the point of this build is to consider each item one by one, choose essential and practical, watch weight and cost carefully, etc... Why did you add the sports bar, with increased weight, increased cost, and without any apparent usefulness or versatility (I believe you said something about “it’s for appearance”, essentially)? If your second mod seems to have lost focus already, what am I missing here?
It’s incorporated into the hard lid design, and it’s just a replacement of the original sports bar, so the weight addition would be minimal. He’s not trying to make the lightest vehicle possible anyway
Its the original sports bar and its actually a roll bar so maybe he would like to make the kids in the back a bit safer and for only $1000 to stop your roof caving in on your Childeren in case of an accident i think that's cheap
@@joels2517 They aren't a roll bar, they're a cosmetic aluminium tube that just clamps on to the ute tub, it is not structural at all and won't protect you in the case of a roll-over.
I like the look and idea of that hard cover, definitely a good idea with a couple tweaks. Looks neat and has lots of use compared to any other canopy or hard lid set-up 👍 keen to see whats next in store for the lux 🤙
Well thanx for showing me that in Nannup already😁👍 hope to see you and the crew at barrabup sanctuary next time you Guy's are down south and we talk more about tracks be good and keep up the cool information you guy's provide👍😀
Another great video and the right depth of information. Love these lids. I prefer the look of a Ute without a full canopy and this seems to give you most of their benefits.
Hi Ronny, I am interested if you pay for this gear or sponsored. A lot of what people do to their vehicle is driven by cost. Can you please comment as you go if you are sponsored or self funded with the mods.
We found with the Ranger when you have the tailgate down put a strip of carpet across or rubber matting and it covers the lower hinge area, worked well for us in Morocco , dust free
Now Ronny's a genius... Bootlid basically on a double cab with the ability to load on it 😁... Need to have a look see down here in 🇿🇦 for this add on...
Unlikely. They'd have to change the Hilux to make it legal in the States, at which point it wouldn't be clear to the consumer why to purchase a Hilux over a Tacoma or Tundra.
I’ve been looking at this or the Ute master canopy. Probably leaning toward the canopy which is probably one of the better looking ones on the market and made of aluminium, reasonably priced. I thought you were going down that route for volume. This is very cool though. Loving this series. So tired of 79 vids when they just don’t stack up, other than if towing.
Have one on my Ranger and it's great. Another con is that you have to always lift the lid to get the tailgate down, and if you or your partner is short, then it's not an easy feat, especially with a lift.
Recommend that you fit a sheet of food grade stainless steel to the tail gate. It makes a great food preparation table (ask Harry). Use Sikaflex automotive body silicone, no screws needed.
Con with my back with central lock don’t unlock your vehicle to load the back and put your keys in to move things around then shut it! It will have auto locked if drivers door has not been opened!
Managed to 95% seal (dust n water) my 04 Navara tailgate with EDM Self adhesive high density foam rubber from Bunnings, easy to use and stops the vibration, has been on for 2yrs +. Great video, wish I knew about this in 04 as the factory hard lid was hinged to the formed plastic internal shell not the actual fibreglass lid
It does seem like a reasonably versatile design. I put a genuine lid on my Hilux (previous generation), mainly for camping, because it forms part of my tent. It does have its downsides, mainly the height, I can have a fridge under it, but only certain models, and not on a slide. My version has a stupid two-lock system and it needs to be locked or it pops open on bumps. It is also very difficult to make it seal properly. On the plus side, it is quite light, I can remove it myself
Great video. One of the most difficult decisions to make. This is a great system. Can't add ladder or tradie racks though like you can with the electric shutter. But you lose some of your tub with that shutter. The tie down rail is terrific. Yeah real hard choices.
I've got a 2020 LTZ Colorado auto and I love it. When i ordered it i got it with a hard lid (with the sports bar) it wasn't cheap, but as I'm over 70, i thought this will probably be my last vehicle, so why the hell not ? The things you pointed out are correct. getting stuff from the front of the tub can be a pain, but you can't have everything. The lighting (or lack thereof) in the back was a problem too, but because I wont be doing the sort of long haul stuff that you do Ronnie, I simply bought 3 of those self adhesive battery powered led's, stuck them where I could access at least one of them from anywhere around the back and that has worked well so far. Still has the original batteries in them. It is waterproof, but as you say, dust is a problem that I will have to sort out. I've got an iDrive ( throttle controller) on mine and love it.
they look like uneek 4x4 sliders you have put on. They are going to test your honesty as a person who reviews gear. I have them on my ranger, they look great but they have a critical flaw. The three supports that hold the step and connect it to the chassis collect dirt and debris. They start rusting pretty badly inside where this happens because it is extremely hard to clean those sections out. I have had professional cleaners complain about it. I raised it with them and they said they didn't know about it. Either (1) they are lying or (2) they don't test their product very well. Unfortunately, I think it is the former. Hopefully they have addressed this design flaw. Can't wait to see Ronny's long term review on these.
If there anything like the Uneek sliders for the Ranger those 3 supports flex up and dent the sills. My sills are destroyed where the supports are. Worst sliders. The whole design is crap. They trap mud/clay inside. And sticks often get jammed in between the slider and sills doing damage. The list goes on
Interesting choice and to be honest it looks good too, and for a budget build for a young fella or sheila it's not a stupid idea. Great work Ronny mate 👍👍
Another great video Ronny. I have a rolltop lid. It can open with no height problem but have lost some space in the tub. There is a box for the roll top to roll up in. Most of the time its OK , But Pros and Cons.
Don't forget a factory towbar likely isn't included in kerb weight so that's another 35kg or so. Also did he mention the Uneek side rails? I've had some dramas with mine not being able to highlift jack (apparently for airbag compliance), no drainage in parts and too wide for chassis rails. (Website says they're 30kg or so too.)
Canopy with roof rack is still a better option for storage. Keep things out of weather, reasonably light. Load lid looks good, but yeah. Fibreglass canopy only about 3k also.
From experience with roof racks and other flat cargo areas, I would pass the ratchet strap/s through the swag carry handles, then its pretty safe bet that if the tie downs loosen from load shift etc... the cargo will stay strapped to the deck... Love this Load Lid, little pricey though.
When you finally bedliner that tub spray the loadlid aswell but mix some sand in with it when you spray the checkerplate section and it will look great be durable and nonslip yeww
Looks great man. Canopies are expensive, I got an MRT one. With gettig tub off, tray on and a lift off option tray. $6700. I kept canopy really light. See you at 4 wd show
If those gas strutts start playing up, the hard top could cause severe injuries. A locking mechanism would probably be better for long open times and strutts for quick open/close snatch and grab times.
The struts have various manufacturers and ratings. Ovesco struts are the best. I have part number 11000650 on my camper - the 11000 is the length and the 650 is the strength. I'd discuss both the length and strength with the fitter. I'd be looking at a stronger strut in this case.
Compared to a canopy, there would be much less internal storage as well as the extra you would get from a roof rack over the top of a canopy. I don't think I am in danger of getting a ute anyway but if I did I would definitely go for a canopy instead of just a flat lid.
Should mount the lights in the tracks Ronny. Don't drill into the alloy as the lights will be a pain to remove incase you want to add more tiedown points
Yep, can't do that with either hard cover or canopy, but that's the trade off for using it as a travel ute versus a work one I guess unless you don't mind lack of protection and theft avoidance.
ha ha- -woah woah - you mean putting dirty stuff inside a ute, nahh - - that there, is the tradies briefcase - you don't just dump a load of dirt in on nall the dockets. - jks... (I do have a singlecab ute - it does get loaded from time to time ) BTW - a dualcab is so poorly setup for load carrying - to get "landscaping supplies" - options - a beater singlecab one tonner, or a dual axle trailer (single axle -regular - trailers are really only rated for 4 or 5 barrowlloads - routinely overloaded with just a couple of full wheelie-bins...) having a bit of a laugh obvs. (My canopy takes 5 mins and one helper (or a lifting frame) to remove, no problem)
You could easily consider the lack of lights a pro. It means you can put in the lights you want, how you want them. The downside being the extra work to do that.
Hey Ronny. Big fan. Love the Luxe and have one myself its a beast! I think you should get your tub inner rubberized just to give her or him better rigid work capability when loading the tub with all the gear and wood.
Thanks for the video. Engel coolers are the best. For the tailgate seal you might try these ESI ROK Block Tailgate Gap Cover & ESI Ultimate Tailgate Seal. I have some to install to help seal dust out of my topper. Have a good one man.
