2023 Ford Ranger build: Trig Point canopy

From the outset of our Ranger build, replacing the cargo tub with a full service body canopy was always in the plans. We did the same with our PX Ranger build a few years ago and found the addition of the canopy makes the vehicle much more usable and versatile for the sort of overlanding we do.

One of the very first full replacement canopies we saw for the new-model Ranger came from Victorian business, Trig Point. This was at the Melbourne 4x4 show, just weeks after the launch of the then-new Ford. Adorned in stunning Sedona Orange, the Trig Point canopy looked impressive and went straight on our project wish list.

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We’d also seen Trig Point canopies on other vehicles, none more so than the Offroad Images 79 Series LandCruiser when photographer Michael Ellem was out on our photo shoots. Mick couldn’t be happier with his Trig Point and, experiencing it first-hand, the functionality and quality of the canopy further enforced our belief that this was the product for our Ranger.

We also checked out the canopy on the neat extra-cab Patrol owned by Trig Point’s managing director, Murray Brookes, when we featured it in the magazine recently.

Fast growing

Trig Point is a relatively new player in the aluminium vehicle-canopy sector, but the booming popularity of 4x4 utes and a spike in interest of touring vehicles has seen the business grow rapidly.

Started by Murray Brookes in 2015 after working on the design of the canopies while working at ARB, Trig Point now employs 19 staff across two factories in Rowville, in Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs.

When that first canopy was built Murray was renting the corner of the workshop at Uneek 4x4, before he moved to his own factory in 2017 and then to the Rowville site in 2019. Even then there were only eight staff members, so numbers have doubled in just three years.

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The second factory is across the road from Trig Point HQ and only came online in 2022 as the business brought all its sheet metal work in-house. Doing this was a huge investment, not only in the premises but also commissioning all new laser cutting, folding and bending machines, welding bays, storage racking and office space.

Murray told us that bringing the sheet metal fabrication in-house and buying the latest LVD machines has allowed the team to improve the quality of the products, reduce downtime from having to adjust parts that didn’t fit quite right, and allowed the designers and engineers to work with better designs.

The improved production process now sees Trig Point turning out four canopies a week. Murray says that, ideally, they will be looking to move to a bigger premises to bring all of the production under one roof.

Under cover

Trig Point canopies are a full replacement body – that is, they are mounted directly to the chassis, replacing the tub and not sitting on a tray. This allows for lighter overall weight, optimised interior space and a lower canopy floor, as well as making it easier to tailor the design to the owner’s needs.

The canopy bodies are made from aluminium sheet, again for light weight, with the base being a steel frame. Trig Point keeps the design simple with the basic doors on each side and a fixed back where the owner can opt for wheel or jerry can mounts and/or a ladder to access the integrated roof rails.

The sizes of the canopies are also kept simple to cover the popular vehicle models like the Ranger, Hilux and LandCruiser 79, and Trig Point doesn’t do full custom designs or builds.

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This allows the business to keep the list of parts numbers to a minimum and ensure it has what it needs in stock for builds and also repairs when the inevitable damage comes around. Even the canopy on Murray’s custom Patrol is basically a standard Hilux/Ranger double-cab unit.

The canopy comes standard with LED tail-lights recessed in the body for protection, further protection from a rear steel bar, underslung rear toolboxes, roof rails, rear power distribution box with 12V outlet, internal touch-operated LED lights, full door seals, slam-shut door catches that are integrated in the car’s central locking system, rear wheel arches, and filtered vents that allow airflow into the canopy without letting dust in.

The canopies meet all ADR requirements, and your vehicle’s parking sensors and other electronics are all reintegrated back in the new canopy. They come standard in white, grey or black powder-coat, but Trig Point has its own paint booths where they can colour-match the canopy, or just the canopy doors, to your vehicle.

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Then there are myriad options available like water tanks, trundle drawer, internal dividers, upright fridge or fridge slides, water pumps, 12V systems, lights, front toolboxes (LC79 only), shower and awning mounts, vented side doors to allow pets to be carried inside, compressor mounts and drawer systems. Trig Point can work with the customer to design and build a canopy to their needs.

The basic 1700mm-long canopy for a double-cab Ranger with all the standard features starts at $18,490 and rises from there depending on the options you choose. The fully Australian-made Trig Point canopies are delivered with a three-year/100,000km warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

Our canopy

When it came to designing the canopy for our Ranger, we poured over the standard and optional features before selecting to go with the side and toolbox doors colour-matched to the Ranger’s Meteor Grey, a water tank with electric pump, a rear trundle drawer, black-chrome LED tail-lights, spare wheel mount and rear ladder.

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It has been fitted to the car in this empty stage but there are still a few extras to go inside, some of which were still in development at the time we needed the canopy fitted. These include a full Projecta Intelli-Grid lithium power system, MSA power drop slide and Dometic CFX3 45L fridge, MSA drawer, and something new from Trig Point that you’ll just have to wait and see.

Having the Trig Point canopy fitted to our Ranger marks a huge step in the project and one that will become a major feature of the car.

More information: https://trigpoint.com.au