Building my own Canopy Fitout from SCRATCH

[@darrengray2309]

Nice job plus the fit out looks professionally made and installed. I also liked how you were budget conscious when doing it. Congratulations the channel has come a long way since it started.

[@47Rolling]

Great seeing you guys yesterday at the show. I had to run so sorry I couldn’t talk but it was so refreshing to see you guys and also Maca talking to people with more down to earth realistic setups amongst all those big builds. 😎👍

[@-PORK-CHOP-]

Agree, there are far to many $50,000 plus canopy builds on YT, this is great when they get everything for free, the average Joe doesn't want to spend that much, these boys keep it real.

[@47Rolling]

@@-PORK-CHOP- I reckon. I’d be more worried about keeping a roof over my head before spending 50 gorillas on a canopy mate.

[@seannorris5569]

Great to see a budget build you don't need the flash overpriced canopies to go touring just a bit of elbow grease a plan and kings offroad products 🤔

[@-PORK-CHOP-]

Here's a safety tip for DIY a 240V inverter to a vehicle, have a RCBO installed to protect the power from the GPO outlet, or fit a GPO with inbuilt RCD, these are lifesaving devices that are mandatory for any fixed wiring but never get mentioned from DIY'R installing inverters with remote GPO, the 240V the inverter produces is no different to the 240V in your house, they are both lethal and can kill, the last thing you want is your kids or yourself getting zapped with potential devastating results when you are in the middle of nowhere, remember if something goes bad you could end up with live 240V on the metal body of the car, Jaycar or SparkyDirect sell GPO with inbuilt RCD for around $60, worth every cent.

[@jpwatson8811]

Nice to try and help people with 240V but should be left an electrician. I'm guessing that's why he didn't show how to do it

[@DylJones93]

Stick too carpentry man, they don't work like that. Rcd protection is not required because there's no men link, inverters are a floating system. You do not ground them to the earth ground, you ground them to the chassis to make sure there's no touch potiential. RCD's only protect you from fault to earth, they require a MEN link as they're a referance point

[@DylJones93]

To add to it, the only way to do it safely is to install an RVD as it actually monitors the isolated ground in inverters.

[@-PORK-CHOP-]

@@jpwatson8811Correct, legally it should be left to an electrician if your running remote GPO off the inverter's inbuilt GPO, unfortunately this doesn't happen as some people think because it's not connected to the mains it's ok to wire it up themselves, it's no different as it's still 240V, it's more critical to have it done correctly as being in the back of a canopy it's getting bashed and jolted everywhere you go, plus it's exposed to dust, moisture, heat, cold that mains installations would never see, you can wire up the inverter yourself as it's only 12V, as long as you don't wire additional 240V GPO off the inbuilt ones on the inverter, this is why a lot of installations will simply run a power board off the inbuilt outlets, then they don't need an electrician to install it.,

[@jpwatson8811]

@@-PORK-CHOP- I know, 1. I'm a licenced electrician and know that trade there are things that the regular Joe doesn't know. And 2. seen alot of people doing it themselves. I know being in the trade it doesn't meet AS3000 and AS3760 standards

[@mitchellscanlon2244]

Love the set up, one tip I would give is cut a little bit of the sides down on the kitchen drawer to make it a little bit more accessible from the sides. Won’t affect the strength of the drawer too much.

[@FullGoon]

I f***ing love that fit out, everything you need and made by a young bloke having a crack, looks professionally made from where I’m sitting. Bloody good job 👍🏼

[@harrisontailby8487]

Absolutely love your videos mate. One thing about carpentry work is always triple the amount of time you expect especially during the learning phase. Was actually great to see you get frustrated and call it a day before completely blowing up. It’s not giving up it’s just having a rethink. Keep at it!

[@marksmith3631]

Love what you've done. Tradesman like, weight conscious, well thought out, and budget conscious. Would like to see how it goes in real life camping, maybe review in 6mths? Respect for you guys having a go yourselves, and to be quite honest, doing a pretty good job of it. Looks professional

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks Mark! Currently giving the whole setup a great test up in QLD

[@Warhorse469]

Everything looks great! This might be the best-looking GQ I have seen. Just don't let Dan see this comment 🤣Everything about your GQ is well thought out, and most importantly, it's within the budget of everyday Aussies who want to explore this gem of a country.👍

[@AussieArvos]

Hahah I think Dan would have something about that, thanks mate

[@Johnsmith66999]

Turned out so well! You boys do such a great job making actually relatable content. Keep it up boys and never change! You guys really restore some of my faith in the younger generations of Aussies haha

[@scottsmith9727]

100% best to insulate the bottom of the canopy, you get a LOT of heat coming up from the road and from the hot air coming from the engine plus exhaust. The space was there for insulation... would have been good to use it

[@michaelmyers2896]

Great to see a young guy like yourself doing a load of the work yourself. Brilliant.

[@DanielB-py1yi]

Great to meet you guys at the show today. The shirt I bought (last navy blue in L) fits perfectly. Proud to support the channel. You guys have done great to get where you are.

[@AussieArvos]

Cheers Daniel!

[@Ranger670]

Great job. Plaudits for the editing and commentary on this episode too. Efficient, informative and on point. You blokes have nailed the KZbin genre. Congrats all round.

[@OTRWA]

Great build but 2 things...leave room to fold carpet around the edges of panels to keep it neat and tucked away...and always keep your draw base inside your draw sides, fixing from sides, not below. The weight of your content is now only secured by the screws you put in under your draw bases and once you bounce that gear a few times there will be chance the base will bust out. Looks great hope you enjoy them.

[@ianweal3081]

Liam, great work. One simple improvement for all others to follow is: The floor space immediately infront of the fridge as you have it is a waste of space. Resolution: Don't raise the floor immediately infront of the fridge. Leave a low shallow shelf space there by utilising the tray as your floor, obviously trimmed and carpeted. It's the perfect location to place small devices (phone, battery packs etc) whilst charging them from your 12v 240v and you can still open close fridge door accessing your cold stuff. Obviously it's a low storage shelf also with a lip that stops things falling out when canopy door opened. Liam, you can still modify this later on, it will involve cutting the false floor, & aluminium support away, then lining the walls and trim with carpet. You can thank me later, when your off of K'gari. K'gari, now that's a four wheel drive paradise, enjoy. Oh, save for a RTT, so much more comfort & that negates any insulation issues, haha. Wealie.

[@michaelhermans4753]

Good point Solar panels on roof no insulation required, In WA I would still insulate, styrofoam painted black is effective or covered with marine carpet

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks mate! Been using the setup for a week or so now and k thinky UK could be onto something about removing the floor in front of the fridge. Might be one to look into when we're back home!

[@unitedstates3068]

2nd comment regarding space in font of fridge also looks like the floor could be 10mm lower on the other side - drawers sitting high 🤷

[@pewpew2400]

Just an idea for the big pots/ pans drawer.. if you stick 4 smal tabs inside the drawer you could then fab another piece of ply (same size as internal base) to sit inside the drawer (at the top) to give more space for plates/ food prep type things. Find a hole somewhere and slide it away out of use until next time. just an idea.. the whole thing is looking great. nice one!

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks mate! Great idea!

[@gregdogg10]

Better off using a bit of angle as a handle to open both drawer slides at once. Having the latch on only one side puts a lot of pressure on it and will eventually break.

[@iownahilux6840]

I appreciate the bolt holes on the floor good forward thinking

[@aserta]

Add a row of true light (4 way LED) on the lip of the opened canopy door glued on a triangular prism baton, so that whenever you open it, you can light it up and it would shine down and light up the area at night pointing both inwards and outwards. Also, something to smoke out gnats and other insects.

[@bradlainson8051]

Make sure when fitting GPOs for 230V power in mobile setups including 4WD's, caravans and campers you use double pole units, so it isolates both Positive and Neutral lines.

[@Fear_The_InAccurate_Explorer]

Bro, great job on the fit-out. Love watching you and Patty, plan things out and build it all from your shed instead of paying someone else to do it. I always enjoy the builds you guys come up with as they're usually simple and more budget-friendly which gives me plenty of ideas and inspiration for my own build. Can't wait to see what else you guys get up to this year, keep up the good work.

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks mate! Means alot!

[@koontproductions]

Great build. Good to see people still building their own setups.

[@Jagermonsta]

you've got every right to be proud of yourself, that's a great ute with a great canopy that's been fitted out well. and you pretty much did it all yourself. can only assume that it didn't cost as much as a house either. so modest as well. you ought to be proud, well done

[@ndafarachaitezvi1139]

Awesome and outstanding as always.Thanks for sharing and taking us along

[@michaelpyke9368]

Well done mate, just goes to show if you have a go yourself you don't have to spend a fortune on all the top of the range gear to go out bush. Well done...

[@blacksmithcamping]

Excellent vid, Liam! Thanks for giving us a shoutout. Cheers, Laine

[@AussieArvos]

No worries guys! Thanks!

[@rd2957]

Nice work! I built one very similar. One nice touch I put on was LED strip lights in the draw that run off a trigger switch when you open them. They work amazing! Super simple to add too. Good work. Looks like it was build by a pro at a 10th of the cost!

[@roscored1000]

love the slide out tray, going to do something similar only smaller scale on the old subi forester. fabulous video

[@-PORK-CHOP-]

Heres a few tips from a Chippy, pickup a Smartbit, these pre-drill and countersink in one go, they come in 8,10,12,14 Gauge to suit whatever screws your using, go for the smartbit brand and not the Macsim ones as these have a design fault and literally fall apart, Use a trimmer with a 6mm half roundover bit on any exposed ply edges, this takes the sharp edge off the ply which will easily cut you if you bang your hand into the edge, Good find on the handles these look great, also look at Renogy Inverters, they have sales all the time and are far better quality unit than the Kings stuff, also did you fit an isolation switch from the inverter input to disable it in an emergency if needed. Good tip on using polyurethane based product as it stays permanently flexible, Never use regular construction adhesive, as it is designed to set hard, it will crack under movement, it's ok for home flooring but not for anything that has movement, best product to use is Sika 11FC, or the Selleys Sausage you showed. Good job on the build it looks great.

[@danerussell4802]

Nice mate.. perfect balance between functional and budget..

[@jamietresize]

Looks great young bloke, safe travels 👌

[@oraziobarbagallo1609]

Keep rolling with the quality content. I look forward to your vids, you're all doing an awesome job. Your fit out looks quality, well done. Like anything we make ourselves, we know where any imperfections are and are drawn to them. Someone not involved with building it will see a functional canopy fit out.

[@TristanEsWhy]

I cannot relate more to the drawers not quite working mid way through video 😂. Going through the exact same thing right now with my custom pantry build. Saw the rigs today at the Brissy 4x4 show. Amazing to see em in person

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks mate! Yeah not everything always goes to plan!

[@4x4Overlanding247]

Very cool build out mate 👌 I have the same king's fridge and definitely doing that fan mod 👍 Any tips for wiring it into the electrics? Also curious how you have mounted the fridge in there . . . . Cheers Ben

[@apboxes1]

Absolutely love the build guys! Loved watching you put your own touch on it. Cannot wait for more!

[@pajlife]

The canopy is an absolutely perfect addition to a freaking amazing build! Bloody keen to see you take the GQ on some epic adventures in the near future ! Keep up the great work guys!

[@AussieArvos]

Thanks mate! Keen to really use the GQ as it was intended!

[@jasparfuss9412]

Looks great, those draws look awesome you should be really happy with yourself. Mint fit out 👌

[@keilfestin4606]

Awesome meeting you boys yesterday cheers for signing my shirt 😅

[@andygrimshaw1266]

I've been following your channel from the uk . Great to see your builds at the Brisbane show on Friday on the last day of our QLD road trip. I managed to have a chat with Dan, love the content & practical more affordable builds you loads do. Keep it up.🤙

[@claytonprobert9618]

Looks the goods boys keep up the awesome content

[@kiraniumbra]

I’ve just started watching 4wd and camping channels. I love yours.mimm52 years old and I think yo7 did an awesome job. Very professional looking. Well done.

[@Jackson.Fawkes]

Gee that looks awesome, and even beter in real life. Great seeing you bloke at the show Saturday morning, hopefully we meet again someday

[@tkl2278]

Hey nice fit out...how easy it is to remove the canopy incase you need to use the tray? Do you have to remove your drawer system?

[@andrewgordon2311]

Dads are handy.Great build,awesome channel.

[@Deano_GU]

Solid job mate I’d be proud too, turned out mint 👌🏼 definitely has made me want to fit out the back of my wagon! 😎

[@paulclarke4431]

Nice. You could also buy one set of locking runners, and one plain. Would be cheaper and saves removing the tabs.

[@billolgaau]

After doing lots of long range trips big drawers are great but, we found dropping seperate plastic boxes Into them give us a day box at the front box (Tea, Coffee etc ) & Cooking & used less often at the back with another draw same setup as a Pantry. We pack these boxes in the house before a trip & drop them in. (You could use drop in dividers to do the same thing)

[@swishswish386]

Great stuff👍 That is a very well thought out setup… Brilliant 👌

[@craigjensen4179]

Canopy turned out mint. Great job

[@brucemccredie2689]

It was great meeting you all at the Brisbane 4x4 show. Affordable builds that most can afford. Keep up the great work and have fun on your Fraser Island trip.

[@OffAndAbout4x4]

Awesome seeing you guys at the show yesterday and Friday, you guys are awesome people can't wait to see you guys next year cheers

[@mitchmcmurtrie8257]

So good to see a home built canopy for a change. Great video mate.

[@subtleinfluence9478]

Explore Bound with the fridge fan and lighting

[@neilodonnell4072]

Nice work 👏 👌

[@explore.the.weekend]

Proud of you lads, this is strongly becoming one of our favourite channels to watch - Keep up the great work boys!

[@ashhunter1335]

What a sick fitout! That looks extremely tidy. It makes me wanna clean up my own 12V stuff. On another note, I had the exact same dramas with getting those locking fridge slides to work. Unfortunately they're not real user friendly. I have even bigger drawers than these (about 500 mm deep and 900 mm long). The bigger they are, the more the small tolerances add up and cause problems. I mucked around for a very long time trying to get them smooth but somewhat gave up. A big issue I had with these drawer slides was that even though the slide was rated to 150 kg or thereabouts, the screws securing them into the ply couldn't handle much weight. As a result one fell out and jammed my slide when I was on a trip to Central Australia. I ended up ripping out the slides and made my own. I used skateboard bearings and aluminium box tubing. It works really well and tolerances were not an issue at all. It was also super awkward to pull out whilst unlocking the two mechanisms so definitely cool that you removed them. I doubt you'll have the same dramas as me considering your drawers are smaller, you removed the locking mechanism and solved the issues with the tolerances? I assume you added some spacers or something?

[@wallheadkdir]

Watching your video just helped me out on my project....I was WAY over thinking it thank you sir!

[@emu4wd]

You’re really clever. Nice work. Steve 🇦🇺

[@markjohnson2027]

Great fit out! Really nicely finished. My only concern is the GPO with hidden wiring. Vehicles move and vibrate, houses don’t. I plug a powerboard into my inverter and mount that on the wall so all the 240V cable is visible. Safety first!

[@aarone8013]

Bloody nice work there. Well done.

[@timothykorner3080]

Great video and a good way to show people it can be done on a budget. I was surprised at the weights, the drawers look like they way less than the ones you get from Kings.

[@michaelhermans4753]

Kings drawers are way too heavy, I put aluminium angles on the bottom of my drawers for strength, also used skate board bearings instead of those heavy drawers runners which seize up when sand gets into them

[@harbinger224]

Gorgeous build mate. Looks functional and well put together. An amazing use of both tech and space. Well done.

[@fullysickbrah2949]

Would be sick to have one of those travel buddies ontop of the slide out bench/storage

[@Ashwyn_mc]

Such a sick fitout. This build has come so far!

[@stevenloynds3691]

Great video....As for Kings products I notice people get kinda embarrassed when it comes to having there products at the end of the day if the gear gets you out there then it's worth every cent by saving cents makes sence....I always found in my time there a good way to test products when your going through what works, what doesn't, what fits do you actually need it and use it....then later if it's necessary and you got the perfect set-up then flash the cash for brands...7x out of 10 you find that some Kings gear will remain because it works and lasts

[@regkershaw]

Just a thought that might help you in the future. If you use a gravity feed spray gun and use a adhesive that isn't thick you can spary the adhesive on instead of brushing it on. Comes out great I've done it plenty of times.

[@Lio.Thunder]

Such an awesome build and fit out in the canopy. Love the geeky tech in the wiring. Big fan of it

[@evil17]

Excellent job Liam, perfect build with budget and functionality. A RTT with a pv panel & an awning would complete this build. I like ur can do DIY, Aussie Arvos is a great channel. Cheers

[@aTissa]

Looks awesome! This channel has honestly given me some great inspiration over the years!! Keep up the great work, guys! 👍

[@Gorim33]

Looks professional. Bloody good work mate!

[@jackofallmasterofnoneaus]

Good looking canopy setup mate. Bet you’re keen to get out and use it. Love to see a review of how it’s all going after a month or so.

[@MattBrownbill]

That is such a neat install. You should be very proud of it. 😊

[@cyclemoto8744]

Thanks for sharing If you get condensation through the cold months, consider foilboard for insulation. Thanks for sharing. Cheers

[@deceebs]

Liam's shorts are taking the budget seriously

[@IamHerbie]

Saw this in the flesh at the show. Great job mate

[@maxyhunt9428]

Loving it mate I think you should put a solar pannal on the box roof for the 240volt battery to charge it easier

[@davewain363]

Great fit out. Looks professional, very functional, great use of space. Love the fridge hack, haven't seen that before. You are obviously happy with the Kings gear - I've been skeptical so far, but knowing the gear is all other makes rebadged.

[@offshoreoffroad]

This to me is way more exciting and interesting to watch than a video of a $30k fit out done by a company 😂 I am looking at doing a tray and canopy build soon and I reckon I will copy this pretty closely!

[@MntlMajorkozmo]

The thermal properties of the metal play a much larger effect on how much heat it retains. That's why stainless does so well for cooking equipment. With the wood and carpet youve put in the carpet, youve basically added enough insulation anyway. Excellent canopy loadout. Its always so much better when the loadout is designed by the person using it. Whats the possibility like of ducting the fridge exhaust out of the canopy? Itd help heaps with heat management.

[@m.a.w1231]

AWESOME canopy set up mate. Probably fair to say the Patrol is finally COMPLETE! ✊🏽😀 Maybe time to do a look back at how far you’ve come post? You all have come such a long way since the start of the channel. CONGRATULATIONS 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽😎👍🏽

[@anguslane7744]

Prime set up given me a couple ideas how to build my own now 🙌

[@troutchaser7424]

Great job Laim. You did a great job and saved a dollar.

[@1993Revhead]

Sundays with aussie arvos is great.

[@AhhAkayeeGaming]

Awesome build mate. So good that you took the time to build from scratch. I had the same issues with drawer slides when I did mine.. the frustration was real 😅. Quality result!

[@DragonRyder2979]

I'm sure you already know this but make sure your GPO is a double pole GPO and must be RCD protected 😊. Great video and amazing work mate!!!

[@JackosBT]

Solid budget build

[@rogerb4436]

Looking good but if you are not going to insulate the roof, what about condensation dripping onto the surfaces & electrical points especially in the colder areas of your trips.

[@jasperabel3695]

This is an awesome build saw it in person yesterday looks so cool in person 👍 so happy got to meet you boys keep going yous are doing awesome

[@Onchopss]

I like that fit out practical without being over the top also well done building one yourself when I'm sure you would have had plenty of offers from companies offering to do it.

[@jamiesullivan8900]

Great job it looks amazing. You might want to consider some tie down point's to stop the bulky items moving around and causing damage

[@fatmanoverlanding]

Great work Liam. Looks like a bought one. 👍

[@dcf476]

Well, I'm an OCD picky prick and I've just gota say, that looks mint!! Awesome build! 😎👍

[@stco2426]

Loads to really like here. Great layout and use of space and good finishing touches such as the carpet, sliders and drawer handles. Very sensible to bring the floor up to door height, but could you have used the space underneath? Plenty of opportunities for modification and tweaks as you use things, too. Well done. It looks really great!

[@jacobdanjkov8946]

Well done I’ve done and redone mine so many times now looks neat as purpose built 🤙

[@qubadmalik1]

Good on you kids doing things yourselves and keeping it real.

[@Tom-lf8hx]

Woooo!!! Offroad living is a local W.A company ive got theif lithium batteries, solar panel and thoes light strips, they are IP68 rated aswell🎉🎉

[@frmtrkr]

hi guys. was good to meet and chat with you yesterday. awesome job fitting out the canopy .Liam makes cutting to fit look so easyLOL seeing the rig looks like a factory job excellent work. does dad know your knocking off his ply wood?lol. lot of thought went into that build, and looks and works good. another good video. enjoy next couple weeks up here

[@OzzyUnit4x4]

Done bloody well mate, nice job looks the goods 🤙🏻

[@timcook6857]

Great meeting you yesterday man my Mrs was the one teaching you how to fold shirts lol Awesome build mate you should be proud

[@chrishiggins1811]

Job well done fella, can’t wait to see more