Keeping Your Hilux 4WD Adventure Ready

When you talk to Hilux 4WD owners, you will find a through-line of adventurous spirit and independence. They’re also very quick to tell the reasons why the Hilux is Toyota’s Top Selling Vehicle in Australia. One of the main reasons, they’ll say, is that it’s the perfect vehicle to cutomise.

Many owners are committed to customising and maintaining their HiLux over the years, only to keep it in perfect condition.

Customising Your Hilux 4WD

Customising a vehicle is when you add parts, equipment, and features to your vehicle making it better suited for the intended purpose. Common customisations include bullbars, ute trays, canopies, tow bars, roof racks, drive lights, and more – a whole lot more. The list of available accessories seems to grow exponentially year in year out.

In 2008, Australians spent $440m – $470m on vehicle aftermarket parts, accessories, customisation, and modifications. In 2020 that number had jumped to 4 billion, of which 2.8 billion was 4WD’s alone.

A Hilux 4WD comes off the factory floor, well equipped for transport, work, and serious adventure. But there are several common modifications and accessories people will get to add versatility, convenience, and remote exploration capability.

So what are the standard accessories and modifications people make to their Hilux? Let’s look at what a tradie and an off roader might add to customise their Hilux.

Tradies will customise their Hilux based on carrying tools and equipment. The cab-chassis is frequently chosen as it is the ultimate blank canvas on which they can mount a tray that is perfect for their needs. A Toyota genuine alloy tray is a very popular choice, and many will customise this with the addition of under-tray drawers, which is ideal for tools and equipment.

Those with the single or twin cab ute, such as the Hilux SR5 will add a tub liner to protect the tray paint, and a canopy, for lockable weatherproof storage. In addition, large trades-specific toolboxes are very popular, as well as custom under tray storage, roof storage. and bars for carrying long loads.

This is just a basic example of customising a Hilux 4WD for work. Contact the sales team at Parramatta Toyota for an in-depth chat about customising your new Hilux 4WD.

You will often hear the phrase, “my Hilux is set up for touring.” This means they have customised their 4WD to provide safety, access, and independence while travelling for extended periods in Australia’s vast and remote wilderness.

The majority of tourers will have a canopy, just like the tradie. They will also equip with roof racks and a tow bar for towing the camper or caravan. But being miles from help, traversing treacherous terrain, self-reliance becomes the theme of customisation.

Customisation starts under the hood with an auxiliary battery and isolation switch. The back-up battery ensures you can always start your car, should your main cranking battery fully discharge or malfunction. The isolation switch allows you to do quick track-side maintenance while protecting your vehicle’s complex electrical system as you work.

The auxiliary battery also allows you to power accessories such as camping fridges and other equipment, while keeping your cranking battery for the critical purpose of starting your car. You can also add an Auxiliary Power Socket Kit to any part of your vehicles to power 12v compatible equipment.

Off-road driving will involve dusty tracks and water crossings. For these conditions, a snorkel is essential. A snorkel prevents water ingress and dust ingress, which can destroy an engine.

You will rarely see a touring 4WD without a bulbar. A bulbar can prevent major mechanical damage from frontal impacts that would otherwise render your vehicle unusable. A bulbar can be the difference between continuation of a journey without a care or ending a journey on the back of a tow truck.

A winch is a very common addition and is usually fitted at the same time as the bullbar. A winch allows you to pull yours or your companion’s vehicle out of bogs and other such trouble. There’s no roadside service deep in the Aussie outback – Recovering your vehicle is up to you. To winch, pull or tow a vehicle safely and effectively, front and rear recovery points are required for connecting winch hooks, tow straps, and snatch straps.

There’s a lot more Toyota can help with, from running boards and side rails to hard-wearing canvas seat covers. You can browse the full range of Hilux 4WD accessories on the Parramatta Toyota website, or why not directly speak to the Terry Shields sales team about the plans you have for your Hilux.

Service Tips for You Hilux 4WD

At Parramatta Toyota, we encourage 4WD owners to understand everything they can about their Hilux, and its many systems. But we also encourage you to stick to scheduled service intervals and have our expert service technicians help you keep your Hilux adventure ready. With Toyota Service Advantage from Parramatta Toyota, servicing your Hilux is more affordable than you might have imagined.

People often ask how long a Toyota Hilux will last, with many hearing legends of 500 thousand kilometers and beyond, without so much as a minor engine re-build. While there are certainly plenty of examples of such endurance, longevity isn’t about how many kilometers your Hilux travels, it’s about its service history.

And here’s a tip for the off-road adventurer from our service team. If you’re about to head off on an extended 4WD trip, drop your Hilux in so one of our technicians can confirm your Hilux is adventure ready.