Custom 4x4s
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The thing about 4x4 builds is that we all start with different budgets.
If money wasn’t a concern most of us would be rocking around in the latest and greatest with big engines, bigger tyres and a couple hundred thousand bucks worth of accessories bolted up.
Unfortunately, when suggesting such a course of action, our bank managers politely yet firmly ask us to leave their office and never return. So unless you’re Elon Musk, having a dollar-figure and sticking to it is pretty much a necessity.
Regardless, having an economic ceiling is not a bad thing; it just necessitates that you think outside the box and get a little creative with how you go about modifying your fourby. Take Joe’s BT-50, for example. It’s been built to the highest possible standard, facilitating his and his wife Bianca’s trips away while keeping to strict fiduciary limits.
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While it may seem impossible to blend a top-quality build with a sensible financial plan, seeing where Joe and Bianca have laid down their hard-earned and where they’ve tightened the drawstrings on the money bag is nothing short of inspirational.
Sure, they could have broken out the credit card and gone to town, but that’s not what this rig is for. With only a front bar left to add, their Mazda really is ready and able to handle any trip on the continent in comfort and style, with plenty left over for fuel and food. If that’s not what this lifestyle is all about, we don’t know what is.
Want to see how they did it? Yeah, you do. Let’s jump in.
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JUMP AHEAD
The off-road stuff
The BeeTee is the culmination of a solid 18 months of planning and preparation. After getting around in a modded NP300 for a few years, Joe and Bianca started thinking about a newer dual-cab and how’d they go about improving it for their regular adventures.
When the time came, they signed on the dotted line for their brand-spanking MY23 BT-50… which then took another six months to be delivered.
“We opted for the BT for the reliability of the 4J engine but with the refinement of the Mazda,” Joe tells us. “Subjectively, I also think they look better than the D-Max (even with the CX-5 front end), and are not as common as HiLuxes and Rangers, so it was an opportunity to do something a little different.”
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With the plan in place and the blacked-out (powder coated from the dealer) Mazda in the driveway, Joe and Bianca (along with a few enlisted mates) hooked in and started the modifications, with that new car smell providing the ambience.
PSR struts and Blackhawk upper control arms sent the front-end three-inches skywards, while Dobinsons 500kg-static rated leaf springs were slotted in above the rear diff.
A set of 17x9 Fuel Covert rims increased track width with their zero offset, and Maxxis RAZR AT811 295/70R17 rubber walks the fine line between blacktop manners and off-road grip.
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While the 3.0L turbo-diesel remains stock for now (at least until the warranty runs out) Joe did invest in a Fabulous Fabrications 4-inch short-entry snorkel, which he reckons is “the cleanest snorkel available – it follows the lines of the car perfectly.
A detail overlooked by most.” Given the touring nature of this vehicle, we don’t need to tell you why a snorkel makes sense, do we?
Until the colour-coded front bar goes on, forward lighting consists of a Roadvision Stealth light bar, which supplies plenty of lumens when the closest streetlight is several hundred kays behind you.
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The camping stuff
“The rooftop tent is a Motop MT-120,” Joe points out. “We opted for this because it was the thinnest available at the time.
The tent has 12v power and has a 120W solar panel flush-mounted on top.” Just the thing for when it’s electric blanky weather, eh mate?
The panel keeps the 120Ah lithium battery, stored in a Kickass battery box, topped up when they’ve put down roots for a day or three. There’s also a 1200W inverter for the coffee machine and induction cooker, so the essentials are well and truly taken care of.
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A 70L water tank, accessible via the rear wheel arch, runs to a Joolca hot water system for a shower after a long dusty day in the saddle. You may have already noticed the twin awnings hung off the Rhino-Rack.
A Bushwakka shower tent prevents Joe from sharing more with his fellow campers than he intended to, while the Bushwakka Extreme Square awning keeps the rain and UV rays at bay. “These don’t offer as much shade as the 270s,” Joe says, “but they weigh a heap less and are a good freestanding option.
We initially tried something even more basic but couldn’t stand the poles when camping with dogs, one more thing for their leashes to get tangled around. This has been really good and has some basic lights built into the arms too.”
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The touring stuff
Now we’re saying this is a budget build, but you’re probably wondering how a rig with a custom canopy is “budget.” Well, that’s because the canopy isn’t a canopy, or at least not an expensive custom job.
“It’s a standard flatbed tray from Duratray that they do off the shelf,” Joe explains. “We worked with MW Toolboxes to procure a canopy, toolboxes, flares and rear panel – we had it powder coated to satin black for a more stealth look and bolted everything to the tray ourselves to save budget on labour.”
Seems like a great way to save a fair chunk of change, we reckon. Inside the “canopy” MW Toolboxes also supplied a drawer system, slide-out pantry and hanging shelf to keep everything organised when touring for weeks at a time.
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The whole tray needed to be raised on blocks by an inch for the RTT to clear the cab-roof, but other than that the whole rear end went on with a minimum of fuss.
A Kings upright fridge was added as a budget-conscious addition, but (touch wood) it hasn’t missed a beat so far.
“The whole build had to be something that we could comfortably live out of for weeks at a time for remote touring with our two French bulldogs,” Joe mentions. “But not be too heavy or tall for everyday use, as it’s my main vehicle for daily driving too.”
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As for future plans, other than the bar work, Joe reckons they just want to enjoy their hard work.
“One of the first trips will be Fraser/K’gari,” he tells us. “We got engaged at Lake McKenzie, it’s a special place for me and my family as we’ve been going there for generations.
My grandad actually has photos there with his four-wheel drive from when they first started barging over cars to the island, and my dad took us camping there as kids. It’s something we aspire to do with our future kids hopefully one day too.”
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