You don’t have to be Einstein to know that midsize 4×4 utes are hot property in Australia right now.

Their blend of capability, versatility, performance and comfort makes them hugely appealing – so much so, they’re currently the best-selling vehicles in the country. Ute buyers are spoilt for choice, with dozens of models on the market and five times as many variants to pick from.

Choosing the right one can be heaven or hell, depending on how you look at it. Once you’ve decided on and bought your ute, the whole process starts over again – selecting and fitting the accessories and modifications to make it just right for you.

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For Melbourne’s Arden Packeer, it was a matter of selection, so he tried out as many models as he could before laying down his hard-earned cash. 

“I looked at a bunch of different options and test drove a few – including the HiLux, 79 Series, D-MAX and RAM – but kept coming back to the Ranger for its look and the comfort inside the cabin,” Arden told us. “I love the look of the big American trucks, but the Ranger hit the sweet spot of size and capability in my opinion.”

Early in ’24 he took delivery of a shiny black 2024.5 Ranger Wildtrak V6 and set to work building it to suit his needs. Arden might not be Einstein either, but he’s smart enough to know a good thing when he drives it, and he put a detailed plan in place to modify it.

“The original concept was to build a ‘tough tourer’ – something capable as well as comfortable for a planned trip around Australia, and to get me to places to take photos and travel with my kids.”

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Stage One and Two: Suspension, protection and canopy fit-out

The comprehensive build has taken place in stages, with the first happening pre-registration with help from the Ford dealer. This included an ARB BP-51 suspension kit with a GVM upgrade to 3650kg. A set of 285/70R17 Mickey Thompson Baja Boss AT tyres were wrapped around ROH Crawler wheels and bolted on under EGR flares.

To protect the Ranger on off-road adventures, a comprehensive kit of Hamer accessories went on – including an Atlas Plus bullbar, Nova rear bar, Hamer side steps and underbody protection. Paint protection comes courtesy of an Xpel Stealth matte wrap, giving the Ranger its dark look.

To improve storage and carrying capacity, a Front Runner roof rack was fitted up top and a tub-topping Centurion canopy from Utemaster went on the back.

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“I wanted to build something with a tub canopy as I didn’t like the look of the large tradie-style canopies, so it was a compromise between weight and capability. I didn’t want to compromise on quality, so I went with what I thought was the best of breed.”

Stage two of the build was the extensive fit-out of the canopy, carried out after the ute was sent to BAW Automotive in Queensland. We’ve featured a few of BAW’s own builds in these pages over the years and they’ve always been first-rate, so it’s easy to see why Arden chose to have Dave, Brent and the crew there do the work.

This stage included an extensive 12-volt system with Redarc’s finest kit powering accessories and keeping the Custom Lithium 400Ah battery charged. The Redarc gear comprises a 3000W RS3 inverter, Alpha 100 BMS, 1280 TVMS with a pair of RedVision screens (one in the canopy and one inside the ute), plus 400W of solar panels mounted on top of the Streamline rooftop tent, which itself sits on a Utemaster canopy rack.

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Drawing on all that power is a kitchen’s worth of appliances, including a 60-litre Engel fridge, coffee machine, microwave oven, induction cooktop and a Jolica hot water system. The pull-out kitchen also features a custom sink, Pak Offroad 40-litre water tank and drawer system, plus enough lighting to fill a nightclub. Lighting is fitted above and below the Ranger, with Lazer ditch lights, rack lights and a light bar.

BAW did more than just the fit-out, also installing a Brown Davis 145-litre replacement fuel tank, Safari Armax snorkel, Manta 3-inch exhaust, ARB Air Locker up front to complement the factory rear locker, an ARB air compressor and a Darche 270° awning.

If, like me, you’re thinking this Ranger already has just about everything you could bolt on – stand by, because there’s a Stage Three!

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Stage Three: Sound, interior and testing

With the Ranger back in Melbourne, Arden turned his attention to the sound system and, with help from SSV Thomastown, built a killer setup.

Up front are Focal K2M Frak tweeters and Focal K2M Series 3 midrange drivers in custom-made pillar pods, with Focal K2M Series 6.5-inch woofers in the doors and a Focal Sub25 KXS (slim) in a custom box under the seat.

Driving the system is an Audison SR6600 six-channel D-Class amp, Audison BitOneHD signal processor, and Audison DRC MP with a custom cup-holder mount, plus a Focal mono amp for the sub and a Focal FDS 4.350 amp for the rear. A PAC AmpPRO integrates the setup with Ford’s Sync4 system, working seamlessly with the factory gear.

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Also inside is an Illumo Ambient Zone Kit, used throughout along with sound deadening on the roof, floor and doors. The steering wheel is a custom-made unit with Raptor-style paddle shifters for easier control of the 10-speed auto. Ahead of it sits a Raptor-style dash cluster with additional functionality and modes unlocked using Forscan.

Other interior additions include switch and Molle panels from Pirate Camp, a GME UHF radio and an EVC throttle controller. Aside from the controller and transmission shifter, the V6 diesel and 10-speed auto remain some of the only components left stock on Arden’s Ranger.

While Arden says the Ranger is complete for now, he admits he’d like to fit a set of 35-inch tyres, have it engineered to suit, and see how that affects performance. The longer outback adventures are still to come, but Arden has already been testing the Ranger’s capabilities on some of the Victorian High Country’s most iconic tracks.

“I’ve done Billy Goats, Blue Rag and Crooked River, but my favourite was the Buffalo Ranges track up to Mt Murray. Similar views to Blue Rag, but one of the longer ridgeline drives in the High Country.”

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