Product Showcase 4WD197 - Part 2

4WDrive Magazine

Decked debuts System for Midsize Pickups

With the rebirth of the mid-size pick-up segment, we’re starting to see more support from the aftermarket including this new storage system from Decked. Their line of storage organizers is designed to fit trucks like the Colorado, Tacoma, Canyon and Frontier, as well as vehicles from foreign markets that we long for, like Hi-Lux, Amarok, and Navarra.

Taking cues from their full-size truck product line, the storage system for midsize trucks also features a 900kg (2000 lb) system payload, 90 kg (200 lb) payload capacity per drawer and an overall weight of roughly 95 kg (210 lb).

They have taken the design tome to improve the waterproofing in the system and have added what Decked calls ‘detent stop’ on drawers to keep them open on an incline.

www.decked.com

Patriot Campers

I initially thought this was another US brand of campers since Made in America companies have a ‘Patriot’ brand for every product from Jeeps to toothpicks, but no. This Patriot brand comes from down under on the Gold Coast of Australia. According to Patriot Campers, their X1 model has won Australian Camper of the Year several times, which led them to develop the stripped down X2.

Specs on the X1 look impressive with an aluminum monocoque body settled on a galvanized frame, supported by long travel air suspension and 35” mud terrain tires. The suspension has full camber and toe adjustability to keep them aligned, and it can be lowered to make setting up camp easier.

Camping features on the X1 include dual deep cycle batteries to power your electronics like lights and a marine stereo; there is ample water storage and a gas water heater. The awning stretches out to cover the kitchen area and the tent sets up in minutes with a king size bed frame.

Let’s hope they make a successful entry into the North American market. For more info and specs on the X1 and its little brother the X2, or just ideas to help you build or design your own off-road camper, visit: www.patriotcampers.com.au.

Click here to watch Patriot Campers X1 video - Winner of Offroad Camper Trailer of the Year four years in a row.

Voodoo Off-Road Recovery Rope

As awful as it sounds, I’ve been relying on friends to have a recovery rope in the event that they, or I, find ourselves in a sticky/stuck situation. And while someone always has one, being without one is demeaning, and flies in the face of what a self-reliant wheeler should be carrying. I redeemed myself by ordering a ¾” 30’ Voodoo Off-road recovery rope. Why 30’? Because sometimes longer is better. I could have gone the 7/8” which has a 38,000 lb breaking strength, but it is designed for ¾ ton and 1 ton trucks; our wheeling and snow extraction here is primarily mid-size and half ton trucks and SUV’s – so the 24,500 lb limit is plenty.

The rope checks off all the key construction features for a recovery rope; 12 strand single braid, with a UV, water, and abrasion resistant polyurethane coating. It is also a garish bright green which is perfect in dim light or when you drop it in murky water.

You could argue that 30’ is too long and that I should have ordered the 20’ instead. You could be right. My reasoning for wanting longer (no jokes please, I’ve typed and deleted them all already) is that this style of recovery rope functions by storing kinetic energy for a smooth extraction – a longer rope means more stored kinetic energy. In the event that 30’ is too long for the space the trail allows, I can double it up. If you are a minimalist, or tight on space, click to buy the 20’ length and wait for some to ask,… what’s in your sack?

www.voodoooffroadropes.com

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