Custom Canopies

Hello Darren,
I don't know who is building your canopy, I mean I don't know about them, but if it is in steel you need to rethink this... If you are carrying a boat on top, outboard, steel canopy, generator, toys and spares in the F-250; with the steel version like with side pull up doors and such, you can go over your GVM....

One person with just that set up, drawers, shelving, side doors, loaded, boat on top, had to have the canopy rebuild in alloy to cut the weight down and get back in his legal GVM.

Just a note you need to be aware of as you are planning this, watch your weight a bit.

Best Regards from the Ranger, trying to look after everyone.....

Hi Darren

I think there is some minnomer in cyberspace about changing the sheeting on an MFI canopy.

We have an MFI canopy and would not hesitate to build another one for our next F-Truck.

The frame is steel and the covering is aluminum.

We opted for a 180 ltr tankin the canopy and stayed with the original fuel tank.

We pump "on the fly" and the fuel goes through a fuel-water separator.

Any other questions? Do not hesitate to ask!

Cheers from Birdsville.

Luvntravln

We were the first to utilise the MFI Canopy on an F250 and towing a Bushtracker, and would run with the same again. We have been through bull dust, and literally no dust (repeat ,,, no dust) internally within the canopy.

I looked at all manufacturers of custom canopies in Sydney Melbourne and Brisbane over a six month period, and they are the best hands down.

What Steve says about weight is true. It can be an issue, as we have to be so sensitive with weight that if we add 2 whiting fillets it can put us over weight. We have the outboard on a tray and a small electric winch to lift it out. We also have the 273 litre fuel tank, plus 3 x 60 litre water tanks, which we only fill if we are really going remote offroad for longer than 2-3 weeks and there is no other water. (Rarely happens). We also have the electric Rhino boat loader.

If we were to start again, we would not change much in the design, and have been on the road a fair amount of the 2.5 years we have had the rig.

We have found an answer to going over weight as the F250 can be legally certified for a GVM over 5 tonne. (Check the sticker on the door and it shows a GVM over 5 tonne) What needs to happen is that the vehicle should be checked by a transport engineer who will give it a thorough mechanical, and certify it for the 5+ tonne.

Disadvantages…… you have to have a LT drivers licence which in turn limits your alcohol blood level to 0%. Not really a problem for me.

We will be getting ours certified when we get back to Brisbane this time and have the name of an engineer who has already done this. (Discovered the re-certified F250 in Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula a couple of weeks ago… all legal and above board, he was towing a 5th “wheeler”)

When we get ours re-certified I will be able to add more than the 2 whiting fillets and still be legal.

AussieBushGhost