Johannesburg-based filmmaker Adrian Abrahams of Roam Overlanding has witnessed a shift in the overlanding scene in South Africa. Australian-inspired tray and canopy systems have taken the region by storm, and Adrian’s 2018 Hilux Revo fits right in. A local company called Bushtech Aluminum Canopies has been busy developing an overland solution for the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 double cabs and Hilux double and extended cabs. Adrian jumped on board. “My tray was the first prototype version for the Hilux,” he says. “I have taken it across Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa in a brutal torture test to see if this concept is actually even worth it for our conditions.”
Although tray and canopy systems are slowly gaining popularity in North America, there isn’t yet the following seen in Australia and Southern Africa. Us Westerners historically trail behind the trends, for example, adopting the rooftop tent well after it was commonplace throughout Africa, Venezuela, and Australia. Perhaps we will eventually catch on and follow suit with the tray and canopy system.
In the meantime, this interior vehicle feature provides an insight into Adrian’s 2018 Hilux Revo build and how he uses the tray and canopy system for organization and camp life in Southern Africa. From his air fryer to the massive battery bank for cooking, camera, and laptop charging, Adrian has prioritized what works best for him. As for surviving the ultimate torture test, did the canopy and tray prototype sink or swim? Adrian delivers good news: “Yes, it’s freaking awesome.”
Sleeping Quarters
“Because the tray and canopy serve as the basis for storing food, water, firewood, chairs, tables, spare wheels, tools, my 400Ah lithium battery setup, and full Redarc RedVision system, it means there is no internal living space. That’s where the latest addition to the truck, the Alu-Cab Gen 3-R rooftop tent comes in, because it has some snazzy new accessories like a drop-down table and an adjustable bed and backrest.
The tent gives me a tiny living/office/bed space to work and edit on the road or just hang out when the weather is a bit wet and miserable outside. I also have an Alu-Cab 270º Shadow Awning for those sunny or drizzly days when I still feel like hanging out outside or if I’m cooking.
I have a three-stage sleeping setup and use a combination of bedding and a sleeping bag. Our temperature conditions in Southern Africa obviously aren’t as cold as in the Northern Hemisphere, so we worry more about keeping cool—but it can get quite cold in the deserts at night, so I like to be prepared for anything.
I have a light down blanket from First Ascent, similar to a puffer down jacket. It has a nice light cool touch on the skin for the warmer evenings but combos perfectly with my sleeping bag when it gets chilly. All my sleeping gear stays in my rooftop tent, so it’s quick and easy to set up and pack away.”
Kitchen Items, Food, and Water Storage
“This is where the tray system comes to its full potential. It has two large drawers where I can store everything from my induction stove and air fryer to food and cleaning goods. I use a collapsible wash basin and a collection of biodegradable soaps. I have tried to avoid using gas bottles, instead fully committing to harnessing solar or buying firewood along the way.
The tray and canopy have had a huge impact on how I travel, as it is now effortless to access the storage systems. I love my kitchen unit—having my table, fridge, and condiments in close proximity without having to move anything out of the way to access each thing is just brilliant.
I used to play Tetris, moving things back and forth all the time from one drawer to the tailgate and then back to the fridge all the time. I am definitely more organized, and it’s made staying on the road for longer periods of time much easier. It can be like death by a thousand cuts on long trips if one little thing bugs you every day.
There is a 75-liter water tank integrated into the bed of the tray. I run it through a very mild particle filter through a pump but generally keep this clean drinking water with food-grade pipes. This will be my water for drinking, cooking, showering, and for cleaning dishes.
All of this is stored in one of my drawers. I have a bunch of canvas bags with clear tops that I can load all my spices, rices, and coffee, so they are easy to access and close to my fridge and cooking system.
I typically use a large plastic bag [for trash] but will add some extra storage to my rear spare wheels to help store extra rubbish. I work on a ‘take out what you take in’ principle and try to only dispose of my rubbish in communities with proper waste disposal infrastructure, like built-up towns and cities.”
Camp Life: Table, Chairs, Clothing, and Toiletries
“The Bushtech tray and canopy has three tables: a slide-out trundle door on the back of the tray with a food-grade stainless steel top; an integrated slide-out table in the main kitchen drawer (also with a food-grade stainless top); and a roof-mounted removable table that neatly packs away. I can set it up wherever I want, and it has convenient gas shocks with another food-grade stainless steel top. I pair these with some Eezi-Awn K9 camping chairs—I love that they are so sturdy and comfortable! Then, the cherry on top is the outdoor shower with the Alu-Cab shower cube for those long, remote trips.”
Miscellaneous Items: Hiking and Photography Gear
“I installed a rear seat delete in my Hilux for big trips. It’s another product that Bushtech Canopies makes, and it gives me a huge amount of storage for an extra fridge or my camera bags, hiking pack, etcetera. The canopy also has plenty of space to store bulky items like swag tents or inflatables.”
Tools, Spare Parts, and Recovery Gear
This is where the trundle drawer does some work. It houses all the spares—I typically carry a variety of Terrain Tamer service components like filter kits, fan belts, radiator hoses, etc. I also keep a Würth toolbox with ratchets and spanners for sorting things around the roof rack and canopy. I use a Desert Products recovery kit with T-Max soft shackles in combo with a set of MaxTrax, which I store on my roof rack. More often than not, I end up using the MaxTrax to level out the truck rather than for recoveries.”
Solar, Batteries, Inverter, Electronics
This is where things get fun. I have a massive 400Ah Evocharge LiFePO4 battery hooked up to a Redarc 3,000-watt inverter, RedVision system with a Manager 30, and 360 watts of full-time solar. I’m currently about to install a BCDC1225D charger to give an additional 25 amps of DC-to-DC charging and a solar input for my 160-watt solar blanket. This means I can comfortably run two fridges, the induction [cooktop], and air fryer in addition to keeping cameras and laptops charged.
Part of my rear seat delete offers a nice way of storing some of my [electronic] equipment. I also run some snazzy stuff like the Garmin Powerswitch to control my spotlights, work lights, and communications. It’s a six pot solid state relay with Bluetooth control and dimmable outputs, which integrates with my Garmin Tread XL Overland edition. The Tread is also connected to an NC50 camera which has night vision and a clear rearview camera so I can see behind the tray no matter the situation.”
Future Build Plans
“With all the tweaks and feedback we felt were necessary from the past year of bashing it around Southern Africa, [we’ve removed] the prototype tray and canopy. The dust sealing on the trundle drawer has been greatly improved, the tray is 60 kilograms lighter and more flexible to accommodate extreme chassis flex when off-roading, and the driver’s side drawer is going to be longer, giving an extra 15 centimeters of storage, which is brilliant! The [new] canopy will be taller and able to accommodate an 85-liter stand-up fridge.
This constant development and tweaking are my absolute favourite things about my job. I get to geek out and optimise things, trying to make a difference [as] to how people use and experience the products. It’s great knowing that something is the way it is because it’s been tried and tested, tweaked, and proven to work.”
Specifications
Bushtech Aluminium Canopies tray and canopy system
Alu-Cab Gen 3-R rooftop tent
Alu-Cab 270º Shadow awning
First Ascent down blanket
Eezi-Awn K9 camping chairs
Bushtech Canopies camp tables
Bushtech Canopies rear seat delete
Terrain Tamer service components
Würth toolbox
Desert Products recovery kit
MaxTrax
Redarc RedVision system
Redarc 3,000-watt inverter
400Ah Evocharge LiFePO4 batteries
RedArc BCDC1225D charge controller
RedArc160-watt solar blanket
Defy induction hob
Phillips Essential air fryer
Smart Space South Africa utensil organizer
Flex fridge, 65-liter
National Luna Legacy fridge, 90-liter
Garmin Powerswitch
Garmin Tread XL Overland edition
NC50 camera
Wild Medix wilderness first responder medical kit
Find Adrian Abrahams of Roam Overlanding on YouTube and Instagram.
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