Gear
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Touring gear is only as good as its ability to handle Australia’s harshest conditions.
After crossing the Simpson Desert in a fully loaded 70 Series LandCruiser, we can confidently say MSA 4X4’s drawer system, drop slide, and storage accessories passed with flying colours.
This wasn’t a cushy weekender, either. We packed heavy from Melbourne, travelled over 5000km on everything from outback highways to remote dune tracks, and relied on this MSA set-up to keep tools, spares, comms food, and production gear organised, secure and accessible.
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Drawer system
The backbone of the set-up – the MSA Explorer Aluminium Storage Drawer System – is rattle-free, dustproof and beautifully finished, and the drawers proved to be one of the unsung heroes of the trip. Fully loaded with recovery gear, hand tools, camera equipment, and enough snacks to feed a film crew, they still opened and closed like new every time.
Fit-and-finish is excellent – precisely built components, slam-shut latches and whisper-quiet runners give the unit a premium, OEM feel. Even after 1000km of corrugations, nothing shifted, squeaked or came loose.
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Drop slide
When your fridge is mounted at canopy height, a drop slide isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. The MSA 4×4 Drop Slide allowed us to safely access a 75-litre fridge without clambering over drawers or wrecking our backs. The gas struts made it easy to raise and lower, even fully loaded, and it locked into place with confidence – vital when parked off-camber or loading up quickly before moving on.
It’s a heavy unit, but that weight translates to strength and stability. And if you’re building a touring vehicle, durability should always be a top priority.
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Canvas storage
Often overlooked but always appreciated, MSA’s canvas seat organisers and barrier bags added serious day-to-day usability to the fit-out. Maps, UHF radios, notepads, torches and even a set of jumper leads all had a dedicated home. It’s one of those small upgrades that turns chaos into order – and after days of rough travel, any gear that keeps things in place earns its keep.
The trade-offs
The drawer latches need a firm hand to fully engage – something that caught us out once or twice early on. And the fridge slide adds significant weight to the build. But for a long-distance tourer or remote worker, those are small trade-offs for solid reliability.
Verdict
From Mount Dare to Birdsville, across the Simpson’s endless dunes and out to the Stuart Highway, this set-up never missed a beat. Not only did it protect gear from dust, impact and heat, it also improved our workflow in the field. In between filming, recovering vehicles, and knocking out camp dinners, everything stayed where it was meant to.
The MSA fit-out doesn’t just make your life easier – it makes long-range touring more organised, more efficient and less stressful. Whether you’re a professional in the field or just chasing sunsets off the beaten track, this is kit built to go the distance.
