ASK ARB – what do you
recommend I purchase next?

Hey ARB, 

I’m 17 years old and have just purchased a 1998 Toyota HiLux Extra Cab. It has some handy accessories like a 2″ OME suspension lift, Safari Snorkel, dual batteries and bull bar. I do a fair bit of off roading and would like to improve my vehicle to help me find further adventures.

My question is basically what do you recommend I purchase next? I know of all the great ARB products but am unsure on what I need first. I’m tossing up between things like a Warn winch and ARB Air Lockers or even a canopy or long range fuel tank. Being only young, I don’t have a huge budget or experience actually driving but I plan on equipping my vehicle with all the useful accessories in the long run because I love the outdoors and 4WDing. If it was you that owned my car, what would be next on your list and why?

So, please ARB, give me some recommendations on what I should aim to get next to improve my vehicle and help me find some greater adventures.

– Ben

G’day Ben,

It’s great to see you getting into 4WDing at such a young age. It’s a lifestyle that’ll allow you to see some of the magical and remote places this country has to offer!

It sounds like you managed to pick up a great first vehicle with a lot of the necessary accessories already fitted. That’ll certainly save you some money and allow you to start exploring some tracks straight away.

As you’re pretty new to 4WDing, I would recommend holding off on the winch and Air Lockers for a little while. This will force you to concentrate more on practicing the 4WDing basics and picking the right line, while allowing you to get to know your vehicle and its limitations without getting yourself into too much trouble. As your 4WD experience grows, you can then start looking at things like winches and Air Lockers to enable you to explore some more difficult tracks.

In the meantime, I’d recommend getting yourself a canopy. The addition of a canopy will allow you to safely and securely pack all of your camping gear in the tray, away from the elements and reduce the risk of loose items being thrown around in the cabin when off road. Down the track, you could look at mounting a roof rack to the canopy to further extend your load space or for securing an awning for additional weather protection.

For your vehicle, you can select either a standard roof height canopy, which is the same height as the roof of the cab, or a raised height canopy which will give you increased head room and load space. Both canopies are made from lightweight but strong ABS materials, are fully lockable and can be colour coded to your vehicle.

Good luck with it.

– Sam Boden, Marketing