Canopy vs open tray with roller shutter — which for serious overlanding?
Running the Ford Ranger Wildtrak for 11 months now, 43035km on the clock including 8 proper off-road trips. Here is my honest take.
The good: the off-road capability straight from factory surprised me. I have done Sani Pass, Swartberg and multiple Kruger trips without a single mechanical issue. The 2.8L turbodiesel is 11L/100km on tar if you keep it under 120km/h.
The bad: the dealer experience left something to be desired. Also the dealer here in Kimberley could learn something about customer service, but that is a SA-wide problem not specific to this brand.
Mods I have done: Rhino 4x4 bar (R11k fitted), Dobinsons shocks (R16k fitted), MaxTrax recovery boards, and a Engel MR040 fridge. Total spend on mods: around R69k. Worth every cent.
Price paid at my Kimberley dealer was R680,000 — they threw in a full tank and floor mats. Finance rate was 11.5% over 72 months which is the reality of SA interest rates in 2025.
Would buy it again. Happy to go into detail on any specific aspect.
4 Replies
Running the Ford Ranger Wildtrak for 11 months now, 43035km on the clock including 8 proper off-road trips. Here is my honest take.
The good: the off-road capability straight from factory surprised me. I have done Sani Pass, Swartberg and multiple Kruger trips without a single mechanical issue. The 2.8L turbodiesel is 11L/100km on tar if you keep it under 120km/h.
The bad: the dealer experience left something to be desired. Also the dealer here in Kimberley could learn something about customer service, but that is a SA-wide problem not specific to this brand.
Mods I have done: Rhino 4x4 bar (R11k fitted), Dobinsons shocks (R16k fitted), MaxTrax recovery boards, and a Engel MR040 fridge. Total spend on mods: around R69k. Worth every cent.
Price paid at my Kimberley dealer was R680,000 — they threw in a full tank and floor mats. Finance rate was 11.5% over 72 months which is the reality of SA interest rates in 2025.
Would buy it again. Happy to go into detail on any specific aspect.
— pieter_viljoen
Interesting points on the dealer experience. I had the same in Bloemfontein — 12 week wait for a service part that should have been in stock. This is why I budget for a proper extended warranty and use an independent workshop that specialises in 4x4s rather than the franchise dealer.
What suspension are you running now? I have the same setup and am looking at Dobinsons coilovers — around R10k fitted at my local workshop. Keen to know if the ride quality improvement on corrugated gravel roads is as significant as people claim.
Good honest review. My experience with the LC79 has been similar — the factory setup is surprisingly capable if you know how to drive it. The tyres are always the first thing that needs changing regardless of which bakkie you buy.
What suspension are you running now? I have the same setup and am looking at OME BP51 bypass shocks — around R10k fitted at my local workshop. Keen to know if the ride quality improvement on corrugated gravel roads is as significant as people claim.