If you’re relatively new to 4WDing, then you can definitely be forgiven for being a little overwhelmed when it comes to how to modify your 4×4. There are so many options on the market these days for all types of interior, exterior and mechanical upgrades and we’ve all got limited budgets! Here’s a bit of a secret that not many people will fill you in on. You don’t need the biggest, baddest 4WD out there with massive tyres and monster suspension! In fact, when you’re just starting out, a massive lift and huge tyres can actually work against you as they can cause a vehicle to become unstable and unpredictable in certain situations. Far from worrying about how big your 4WD is, take it from us – you should first think about how to make your 4×4 more capable in all different aspects, especially camping. Here’s our guide to five things you can add to your 4×4 that’ll instantly transform it into an offroad camping machine!

1. RECOVERY KIT & TYRE REPAIR KIT
   Before you even start to worry about upgrading your 4×4, you should first give consideration to preparing for all types of eventualities, including boggings and breakdowns. A quality recovery kit will include at least a snatch strap and a couple of rated bow shackles to allow you to either recover another bogged vehicle or allow another vehicle to recover you if you get bogged. Add in a tyre repair kit so that you have the ability to plug small puncture holes caused by rocks, screws or tree roots. The range of Hercules recovery gear and tyre repair kits from 4WD Supacentre are excellent value and cover everything you need.
2. ROOF RACK
   It doesn’t matter what type of 4×4 you have, you can always use more storage! If your 4×4 didn’t come with a roof rack, then you should definitely consider fitting one early on. You’ll use it all the time, whether it’s for runs to the hardware store, helping a mate move or especially when you’re going camping. Being able to store large, lighter but bulky gear like swags on your roof rack will mean you don’t have to chock the inside of your 4×4 full of gear, and that’ll make everyone happier! At 4WD Supacentre, we retail a full range of heavy-duty steel roof racks to suit everything from a single cab ute to a full wagon, with multiple styles depending on your usage.
   
3. AWNING
   Another added bonus of fitting a roof rack is that it allows you to fit a 4×4 awning easily! An awning is one bit of camping gear that you’ll use so often once you have it. You’ll find yourself rolling it out on the job site, down at the park when the kids or the dog are running around, and especially at camp. A 4×4 awning is just so easy to use and setup and provides such excellent shelter that you’ll wonder how you ever did without it. 4×4 awnings mount to your 4×4 roof racks and a quality awning like the Adventure Kings awnings range will come with included mounting brackets so you’ve got everything you need in one box.
4. DUAL BATTERY
   When you start to go camping more often you’ll want to power camping gear like LED camp lights and a portable fridge. If you try and run this type of 12v camping gear off your starter battery, you’ll flatten it and not be able to start your 4×4 again in the morning. That’s why you need a dual battery system like the Adventure Kings Smart Isolator Dual Battery Kit, along with an Adventure Kings AGM deep cycle battery. These two bits of 12v camping gear will allow you to run a 12v fridge, LED lights and other camping gear like an inverter without risking flattening your battery.
5. GPS
   When you start to wander out of phone range and explore further afield, google maps won’t be much help to you! That’s why you need a dedicated GPS like the VMS touring 700HDX GPS Navigator that we retail here at 4WD Supacentre. It’s one of Australia’s best-value 4WD GPS units and comes pre-loaded with the entire country’s worth of mapping of 4×4 tracks and campsites. Best of all it doesn’t need phone reception to run either!