How to build a ute: $25,000 budget

DUAL-cab utes have taken the 4x4 market by storm, and it’s for a damn good reason: versatility. Actually, versatile doesn’t really drive home the point enough. They’re the Swiss Army Knife of off-roading, with attachments and electric blenders folding out of nooks and crannies you never thought possible. All you need to do is set them up right.

The problem, like any 4x4, is knowing how to build it to suit your needs, and knowing where best to spend your money. After all, what should you get first, the coffee percolator or the meat-pie oven? The upgrade paths are endless, with a $5000 build looking significantly different than a $25,000 build.

We’ve pounded out countless kays in and out of dual-cab utes over the past few years, everywhere from the tropics of Far North Queensland to the wide expanses of the Outback, all in the endeavour to help you build the ute of your dreams. Geez, we’re nice blokes!

Got another $10,000 to spend? We won’t tell your partner you’ve been down at the dogs again if you don’t tell her what we really paid for that LS engine. Congrats, you’re at the pointy end of 4x4 modification where you’ve got everything a reasonable person could want on their rigs. Well, at least you will by the time you’re done here.

Hardcore Weekender

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What a surprise; that big lift you installed started giving you a few issues, didn’t it?

If you’ve cranked the adjusters higher than 50mm you’ll need a diff drop up front to correct your CV angle, while a set of upper control arms will help geometry and alignment, as well as free up additional travel. The CVs sitting flatter means they’ll be stronger, which is great because a front locker is the next step on the list. Your factory traction control should get you just about everywhere, but a locker will make it a smoother process.

A bullbar up front will replace the stock bumper you’ve ripped to shreds, and you’ll be near-on unstoppable with a rear winch. A snorkel may get you Instagram followers, but it also means you don’t need to turn tail when your mates head to the mud.

A re-map and exhaust package will give you better throttle response and more power off-road, but will no doubt ruin your warranty – but you didn’t care about that anyway, did you?

Additional modifications:
Rear winch - $800
Differential drop - $700
Upper control arms - $800
Front locker - $2000
Bullbar - $1500
Remap & exhaust - $3500
Snorkel - $700
TOTAL: $10,000
COMBINED TOTAL (from <$5000 basics and $15,000 budget): $22,250

Remote Tourer

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Are you an old bushy who believes the best way to head to the hills is with a clunky old Cruiser and a tin of beans? Gloss over this one then, because things are about to get seriously nice.

First, stop fighting with the nonsense floating around in your canopy and order up a set of drawers. No, not those one-size-fits-none drawers that waste loads of space; get a quality Aussie-built set screwed together with all sorts of handy features like built-in kitchens. A fridge drop-slide on top will make storage even easier, and a second fridge installed as a freezer extends your stays even longer.

A roof rack and wraparound awning provide plenty of shade, but also give you somewhere to load the firewood now that things are top-shelf in your tray. A GPS and invertor will make life a little easier, too, with a roof console giving you somewhere to stuff your now defunct paper maps.

You could also treat yourself with a gas-powered hot water system. Decent units can be fed from a jerry can, so as long as you’re within walking distance of water you’ll be soaping yourself up every night.

Additional modifications:
Invertor - $1000
Awning - $1200
Drawers - $2500
Fridge drop-slide - $800
Roof console - $500
Gas-powered hot water shower - $500
GPS - $800
Roof rack - $1500
TOTAL: $8800
COMBINED TOTAL (from <$5000 basics and $15,000 budget): $23,600

Family Wagon

You've bought a perfectly good family runabout, thrown a few mods on it and then beat it to smithereens on the weekend with your mates. The front bumper is scratched and the side steps are more challenging for the kids than the local balance beam.

Take a long hard look at yourself and then start fixing what you’ve busted. A decent bullbar up front will replace the shagged front bumper, while a set of heavy duty side steps will give the kids something to stand on that won’t give them tetanus.

A dual battery system and fridge are essential modifications for a family, and not just so you’ve got cold beers when you’re out in the shed. What about that re-map, exhaust and intercooler? Yeah that’ll … ahh … make it nicer to drive.

Additional modifications:
Bullbar - $2000
Side steps - $1000
Re-map & exhaust - $3500
Intercooler - $1500
Fridge - $1000
Dual-battery system - $1000
TOTAL: $10,000
COMBINED TOTAL (from <$5000 basics and $15,000 budget): $25,000

Follow our 'How to build a ute guide' here:
- Less than $5000
- $15,000 budget
- More than $25,000