Best Products for Your 4x4 Canopy Setup

So, you want the ultimate 4WD for touring? It all comes down to your 4x4 canopy setup.

Sit around any campfire long enough and you'll soon realise that people have very different ideas about what makes the best 4x4 canopy setup for offroading.

From fridges to power systems - it pays to do your research to find the best products for your unique needs.

For the lowdown on the best products for 4x4 canopy setups, keep reading:

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Batteries:

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Batteries are essential to store your power for when you need it. That's why a good quality battery is a critical piece of kit for your canopy setup. The better your battery, the longer you can go without the need to put your solar panels out.

The first thing you need to consider is whether to buy a lead acid (AGM) battery or lithium.

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Lithium Batteries:

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Lithium batteries tend to be more expensive than AGM batteries BUT it's for good reason. They offer better efficiency in a smaller, lighter package than their lead acid equivalents. That's a big deal when it comes to a 4x4 canopy setup.

Plus, a lithium battery pairs well with solar power thanks to the fast recharge. So you will rarely need to fire up the generator for top up power. (Check out the full comparison of lithium vs AGM here)

There are heaps of camping batteries on the market, so we recommend to start by looking at brands you can trust - namely Enerdrive, DCS, Victron and Invicta.

Enerdrive ePOWER lithium batteries are always a solid choice, available in 12V 200Ah, 125Ah and 100Ah capacities. It provides 60% MORE usable power than its equivalent lead acid battery, while being almost 50% lighter and 30% smaller.

Check out our full range of lithium batteries here.

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Battery Chargers:

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Next up, you need to choose the right battery charger for your canopy setup. Our tip is to buy a DC to DC battery charger and an AC battery charger. The AC to DC chargers will charge your battery from mains power or a generator. This means that rather than using a generator's 12V supply, you plug the regulated charger into the AC source on the generator for faster charging and less fuel wastage. Win, win.

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DC to DC Chargers:

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The DC-DC charger acts as a smart charger for your 12V system. Fit the battery charger to your 4x4 to boost charge of your deep-cycle battery while you're driving. While your engine is running, the charger will pull power from your alternator via your starter battery to charge your auxiliary battery safely.

Read all about battery chargers for 4x4 offroad and camping here.

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Our Most Popular DC to DC Chargers:

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Enerdrive ePOWER 12V 40amp DC-DC Battery Charger:

When it comes to 4x4 power, Enerdrive has it covered. This 40A DC to DC charger is specially designed to withstand the rugged demands of Aussie conditions while delivering multiple source charging for DC systems.

It's a fully automatic multistage, multi input battery charger enabling you to charge from an alternator linked to a battery or from solar power with the in-built Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) Solar Controller.

Plus it is the most popular DC to DC charger currently on the market!

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BMPRO MiniBoostPro 30A 12V DC to DC Battery Charger with Solar Input

This 30A 12V DC to DC charger is an easy to use affordable model on the market! It provides a multi-stage charing profile, dual input solar and can be used on AGM, Wet, Gel & Lithium Batteries! BMPRO is known for manufacturing efficient and reliable products, plus it comes with a two year warranty.

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Victron Orion-Tr Smart DC-DC Charger:

This 12V to 12V 30Amp (360W) battery charger features a 3-stage battery charge algorithm for lead-acid, AGM and Lithium batteries in cars, 4WDs or boats.

You get built-in Bluetooth Smart technology so you can monitor, program and update the charger remotely. It also has an engine running detection mechanism.

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Pro Tip: To make life easier we have bundled the Enerdrive DC to DC battery charger with the correct breakers, lugs and wiring for all you DIY off-grid legends.

Need help choosing the right battery charger size for your off grid setup? We cover everything you need to know right here.

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Battery Monitors:

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How do you track your battery levels? That's where a battery monitor comes in.

We recommend the Enerdrive ePRO Plus battery monitor. It shows you the complete battery status information at a glance - the percentage charge, temperature, time, Amp hours, voltage, and more.

It supports up to three battery banks (12V, 24V and 48V) and is compatible with lead based and lithium batteries.

Another top choice is a Simarine battery monitor. This will allow you to track your battery life, usage levels, battery temperature, time remaining, percentage remaining, and recharging progress. It also has smart charging alerts. Plus, by linking the monitor to your smartphone, you can view your battery's data wherever you are.

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Inverters:

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Looking to use your home comforts while on the road? We know from experience that it's hard to live without a laptop, coffee machine and other AC and 240V appliances. You need to work out the most convenient way to run them.

The answer is to use a DC to AC inverter from your battery system.

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You Will Need to Work Out the Right Size By:

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1. Matching your inverter to the load

2. Ensuring your battery bank can power the inverter

3. Working out how long you plan to run your appliances

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For a step-by-step guide, we cover everything in this article.

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Our Most Popular Inverter Models:

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For inverters, we recommend the Enerdrive ePOWER 2000W Pure Sine Wave Inverter which is our customer's favourite!

Want to run air con off your battery system? We recommend a bigger inverter such as the Victron Multiplus Inverter Charger or the Enerdrive ePRO 1600w Inverter / Charger.

Pro Tip: we have created an extensive range of power bundles that include batteries, chargers, inverters and battery monitors. Check out the full range here.

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4WD Canopy Systems:

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If you don't have the time to research all the options above, you can take the easy way out with all-in-one systems by Enerdrive.

In a market first, Enerdrive has packaged up everything you need: a battery charger, monitor and inverter. The best part is they comes in a neat steel package with all the wiring done.

These systems can be paired with any brand or model of battery including Wet Sealed, AGM, Gel and Lithium. To make things simple, Enerdrive have bundled up two different lithium batteries in each system - all you have to do is choose which size you're after!

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Different Systems Based on your Power Requirements:

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• For minimum power, check out The Explorer

• Need a higher level of power requirements and AC charging ability, choose The Traveller

• Want the ultimate 4x4 canopy setup, The Adventurer has everything you need

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Fridges:

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Upright compressor, drawer and portable fridges. When it comes to keeping your drinks cold and your food fresh, there's no end of fridges to choose from. They all have their pros and cons.

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Upright Fridges:

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Upright fridges make it easier to access your food and drinks, and to keep tabs on what you've got. However note, they need to be installed with more ventilation then their counterparts.

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Drawer Fridges:

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Drawer fridges are great if you're tight on space but they are smaller than upright and portable options.

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Portable Fridges:

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A portable fridge gives you the freedom to move it between vehicles, plus today's models come with heaps of features. The problem is it can be difficult to access food and drinks at the bottom of the fridge

To help with access, a normal fridge slide can be used or a 'drop down fridge slide' can be installed to bring your fridge down to the desired level. However these fridge slides can add a bit of weight to your canopy set up.

Weigh up all the pros and cons, PLUS get top product recommendations in our article dedicated to 4WD canopy fridges here!

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Rooftop Tent:

One of the best things about having a 4x4 is that you can travel and stay just about anywhere! But to camp overnight, you're going to need a place a comfy and safe to sleep - that's where a rooftop tent comes in handy.

Dometic have two rooftop tents in their range, a manual model and a 12V version. Both can be setup within the matter or minutes and have enough room to comfortable fit two people.

They include a 5cm high density foam mattress, lightweight aluminium ladder and intgrated flyscreen to keep those pesky insects out! Plus these rooftop tents are water resistant and UPF 50+.

Over to you! What gear will you choose for your 4x4 canopy setup? To talk through your options, give our expert team a call on 1300 400 122!N

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DISCLAIMER* Please note, this advice is general in nature and we strongly recommend consulting the product manual and where relevant, a professional installer.