WORDS & IMAGES BY HARRY TEMPLE
It’s not every day that you come across a well set-up Triton, especially one with a bobbed tray and home-made trailer in tow!
THE OWNER
Growing up in the land of the ‘bakkie’ (Google it), Wayne jumped over the Indian Ocean to the land of the ute in 2006. Spending his remaining teenage years reveling in the freedom our culture offers, he cut his 19-year-old teeth behind the wheel of a clapped-out Toyota Surf. With some 33s, a four-inch lift and a welded rear ‘locker’, he set about exploring and developed his passion for off-roading in what he (correctly) describes as the best 4WD scene in the world. He paints his homegrown scene with a contrasting brush, full of relatively stock vehicles with the occasional bull bar and two-inch lift. To be fair, flat terrain dominates the majority of his home nation, as does the notion of basic touring. Couple the lack of striking natural attractions and the hostile atmosphere, you end up with a population in which hardly anyone has experienced the thrill of camping and exploration. Wayne wasted no time ticking off his bucket list trip to Cape York a few years ago, and since then the Triton has undergone a ‘few’ changes.
BELOW The tub looks comparatively empty compared to some other vehicles we have featured. But it goes to show there is more than one way to set up a tourer
VEHICLES
A LITTLE OFF THE BACK THANKS!
BOBBED TRITON
ABOVE The best score of the build was the free Hannibal rooftop tent. A quality tent that hails from his homeland, Wayne says he has never had a bad night’s sleep atop the trailer
THE VEHICLE (AND TRAILER)
The 2012 2.5-litre Triton found its way into Wayne’s life following a previous relationship and is now joined at the hip to his homebuilt camper trailer. Wayne reckons this trailer owes him about 800 dollarydoos, bucking the emerging notion that you have to be a millionaire to camp in 2019. Built to see what he could do with the least amount of money, it has had the added benefit of de-cluttering the Triton on those longer trips. With 90 percent of all his camping gear in the trailer, he can quickly and easily set up a base camp, disconnect the trailer and hit the tracks without hesitation.
LEFT The trailer is packed with space-saving ideas and neat shelving, as well as plastic boxes to hold larger items. A lot of thought has gone into the set-up, with an onboard pump providing water on demand
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THE MODIFICATIONS – THE TRITON
When he journeyed to Cape, the Triton still had a set of Allied rims and 32-inch tyres the dealer threw on at the point of sale. While they did the job, they were the catalyst for change upon returning home from the adventure. They swagged it all the way to the tip, and weren’t a fan of the constant unpacking and reloading. Now that he isn’t rushed, the vehicle is set up exactly how Wayne wants. Up front, the Xrox bar increases the approach angle dramatically and makes the most of the now 35-inch BFGs. If he still finds himself in the tough stuff he can run out the 12,000lb winch, or flick on the rear locker to maximise traction.
ABOVE The engine bay has remained relatively untouched in the pursuit of reliability
Short of a SAS swap (although he hasn’t ruled that out either!), there isn’t much that Wayne hasn’t done to lift this Triton. The Triton is running a two-inch suspension lift all round, along with a two-inch body lift. By the time you take into consideration that the ball joints have been flipped and the tyres are a few sizes larger than factory, it’s safe to assume this Triton is running around six inches of lift. Content to run the factory rear leaf packs and 60 Series shocks that he scored for 100 bucks off the floor of a mate’s shed, the rear set-up looks underwhelming when compared to the front. But there is a method to his madness. “I just love flex,” laughs Wayne, “crawling through something with finely tuned suspension and articulation rather than bouncing through uncontrollably is what I value. I’ve pushed it as far as I can without putting a solid axle under the front”.
BELOW The Xrox bar has been modified to suit the body lift, but now … holy mother of approach angle!
Sick of getting hung up in the rear thanks to that massive overhang, he purchased another tub and left it in the capable hands of a mutual friend and he got it back with 230mm taken out of it between the wheel arch and taillights. Removing storage space from a touring vehicle isn’t often done when one values every last centimetre, but with the trailer Wayne isn’t worried about playing Tetris in the Triton. Now sitting flush with the rear of the chassis and tow bar, the custom-made swing-away carrier is less likely to banana the chassis and the whole set-up is now truly unique. With no visible joins, the bobbed tub doesn’t stand out straight away. In my opinion, it’s not until you step back and realise that these proportions look better than the factory ones. Hey Mitsubishi, are you listening?
ABOVE Boost and EGT gauges have gone in to keep an eye on the aging motor
ABOVE The DC to DC charger and second battery keep the fridge topped up and power going to the trailer
BELOW He made the canopy frame himself and saved a heap of money in the process. The canvas saves valuable weight and provides easy access for those unexpected situations out on the track
ABOVE The cut down roof rack provides a mounting point for the LED bar, shovel, high-lift jack and the awning (currently off the rack). Note the LED strip light lying in wait for its return
THE MODIFICATIONS – THE TRAILER
When Wayne first picked up the old box trailer, the first thing he did was move the axle back 150mm and whack on a pair of new wheel arches. On went some six stud hubs to match the ute, along with some old 305/70R16 Baja claws. He upgraded the golf cart suspension to beefier leaf packs and shackles to handle the weight of the cheap canopy he found for pennies off Gumtree. After some tinkering, a set of old roof racks he had lying around were soon supporting a free rooftop tent he scored from a mate. Wayne wasted no time stressing to me the importance of bolting on an off-road coupling to maximise articulation and he rates that as a must-do for anyone considering doing a build like this. The toolboxes, water tank and UHF were sourced dirt cheap and they all add to the self-contained base camp set-up that Wayne was going for. Mission accomplished, mate!
ABOVE The trailer cuts an imposing figure, sitting almost as high as the Triton. The set-up is so light you could nearly tow it behind a Harley!
FUTURE PLANS
Wayne intends to continue exploring with the trailer in tow. He’s currently planning a trip to Arnhem Land as well as a detour to the VHC soon. If those prove too easy for him, we may end up seeing a new front end before too long. Solid axle or not, this Triton proves you don’t need a million bucks to see our sights and gives credence to resourceful restoration and well thought-out modifications, even if they buck the trend.
“I just love flex,” laughs Wayne, “crawling through something with finely tuned suspension and articulation rather than bouncing through uncontrollably is what I value. I’ve pushed it as far as I can without putting a solid axle under the front”.
Fifty years ago, when the remote Australian outback was so treacherous and communication was scarce, a broken vehicle part could mean the difference between life and death. In many ways, little has changed.
Our founder and Managing Director, Frank Hutchinson, listened to his touring customers to learn from their experience and saw the need for innovative solutions in the design and manufacture of strong 4WD parts.
Looking back over fifty years of service from pioneer Bedfords
to today’s modern 4WD’s, thousands of lessons have culminated in over 40,000 unique Terrain Tamer parts and a network that now serves 80 countries all over the world.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
BOBBED TRITON
A LITTLE OFF THE BACK THANKS!
WORDS & IMAGES BY HARRY TEMPLE
It’s not every day that you come across a well set-up Triton, especially one with a bobbed tray and home-made trailer in tow!
BELOW The tub looks comparatively empty compared to some other vehicles we have featured. But it goes to show there is more than one way to set up a tourer
THE OWNER
Growing up in the land of the ‘bakkie’ (Google it), Wayne jumped over the Indian Ocean to the land of the ute in 2006. Spending his remaining teenage years reveling in the freedom our culture offers, he cut his 19-year-old teeth behind the wheel of a clapped-out Toyota Surf. With some 33s, a four-inch lift and a welded rear ‘locker’, he set about exploring and developed his passion for off-roading in what he (correctly) describes as the best 4WD scene in the world. He paints his homegrown scene with a contrasting brush, full of relatively stock vehicles with the occasional bull bar and two-inch lift. To be fair, flat terrain dominates the majority of his home nation, as does the notion of basic touring. Couple the lack of striking natural attractions and the hostile atmosphere, you end up with a population in which hardly anyone has experienced the thrill of camping and exploration. Wayne wasted no time ticking off his bucket list trip to Cape York a few years ago, and since then the Triton has undergone a ‘few’ changes.
VEHICLES
ABOVE The best score of the build was the free Hannibal rooftop tent. A quality tent that hails from his homeland, Wayne says he has never had a bad night’s sleep atop the trailer
LEFT The trailer is packed with space-saving ideas and neat shelving, as well as plastic boxes to hold larger items. A lot of thought has gone into the set-up, with an onboard pump providing water on demand
THE VEHICLE (AND TRAILER)
The 2012 2.5-litre Triton found its way into Wayne’s life following a previous relationship and is now joined at the hip to his homebuilt camper trailer. Wayne reckons this trailer owes him about 800 dollarydoos, bucking the emerging notion that you have to be a millionaire to camp in 2019. Built to see what he could do with the least amount of money, it has had the added benefit of de-cluttering the Triton on those longer trips. With 90 percent of all his camping gear in the trailer, he can quickly and easily set up a base camp, disconnect the trailer and hit the tracks without hesitation.
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
ADVERTISEMENT
THE MODIFICATIONS – THE TRITON
When he journeyed to Cape, the Triton still had a set of Allied rims and 32-inch tyres the dealer threw on at the point of sale. While they did the job, they were the catalyst for change upon returning home from the adventure. They swagged it all the way to the tip, and weren’t a fan of the constant unpacking and reloading. Now that he isn’t rushed, the vehicle is set up exactly how Wayne wants. Up front, the Xrox bar increases the approach angle dramatically and makes the most of the now 35-inch BFGs. If he still finds himself in the tough stuff he can run out the 12,000lb winch, or flick on the rear locker to maximise traction.
ABOVE The engine bay has remained relatively untouched in the pursuit of reliability
Short of a SAS swap (although he hasn’t ruled that out either!), there isn’t much that Wayne hasn’t done to lift this Triton. The Triton is running a two-inch suspension lift all round, along with a two-inch body lift. By the time you take into consideration that the ball joints have been flipped and the tyres are a few sizes larger than factory, it’s safe to assume this Triton is running around six inches of lift. Content to run the factory rear leaf packs and 60 Series shocks that he scored for 100 bucks off the floor of a mate’s shed, the rear set-up looks underwhelming when compared to the front. But there is a method to his madness. “I just love flex,” laughs Wayne, “crawling through something with finely tuned suspension and articulation rather than bouncing through uncontrollably is what I value. I’ve pushed it as far as I can without putting a solid axle under the front”.
ABOVE The cut down roof rack provides a mounting point for the LED bar, shovel, high-lift jack and the awning (currently off the rack). Note the LED strip light lying in wait for its return
Sick of getting hung up in the rear thanks to that massive overhang, he purchased another tub and left it in the capable hands of a mutual friend and he got it back with 230mm taken out of it between the wheel arch and taillights. Removing storage space from a touring vehicle isn’t often done when one values every last centimetre, but with the trailer Wayne isn’t worried about playing Tetris in the Triton. Now sitting flush with the rear of the chassis and tow bar, the custom-made swing-away carrier is less likely to banana the chassis and the whole set-up is now truly unique. With no visible joins, the bobbed tub doesn’t stand out straight away. In my opinion, it’s not until you step back and realise that these proportions look better than the factory ones. Hey Mitsubishi, are you listening?
BELOW The Xrox bar has been modified to suit the body lift, but now … holy mother of approach angle!
ABOVE The DC to DC charger and second battery keep the fridge topped up and power going to the trailer
BELOW He made the canopy frame himself and saved a heap of money in the process. The canvas saves valuable weight and provides easy access for those unexpected situations out on the track
ABOVE Boost and EGT gauges have gone in to keep an eye on the aging motor
ABOVE The trailer cuts an imposing figure, sitting almost as high as the Triton. The set-up is so light you could nearly tow it behind a Harley!
THE MODIFICATIONS – THE TRAILER
When Wayne first picked up the old box trailer, the first thing he did was move the axle back 150mm and whack on a pair of new wheel arches. On went some six stud hubs to match the ute, along with some old 305/70R16 Baja claws. He upgraded the golf cart suspension to beefier leaf packs and shackles to handle the weight of the cheap canopy he found for pennies off Gumtree. After some tinkering, a set of old roof racks he had lying around were soon supporting a free rooftop tent he scored from a mate. Wayne wasted no time stressing to me the importance of bolting on an off-road coupling to maximise articulation and he rates that as a must-do for anyone considering doing a build like this. The toolboxes, water tank and UHF were sourced dirt cheap and they all add to the self-contained base camp set-up that Wayne was going for. Mission accomplished, mate!
FUTURE PLANS
Wayne intends to continue exploring with the trailer in tow. He’s currently planning a trip to Arnhem Land as well as a detour to the VHC soon. If those prove too easy for him, we may end up seeing a new front end before too long. Solid axle or not, this Triton proves you don’t need a million bucks to see our sights and gives credence to resourceful restoration and well thought-out modifications, even if they buck the trend.
“I just love flex,” laughs Wayne, “crawling through something with finely tuned suspension and articulation rather than bouncing through uncontrollably is what I value. I’ve pushed it as far as I can without putting a solid axle under the front”.
Looking back over fifty years of service from pioneer Bedfords to today’s modern 4WD’s, thousands of lessons have culminated in over 40,000 unique Terrain Tamer parts and a network that now serves 80 countries all over the world.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT
ADVERTISEMENT