The Mad Mates' Top 10 Must-Have 4WD Products
Overview
Meet the Mad Mates: Lucas & Matt.
We’re Lucas and Matt—the Mad Mates—and between us, we've racked up over 60 years of off-road experience.
Whether we’re tackling gruelling tracks in heavy-duty rigs, building custom 4x4s right in the shed, or planning our next big touring trip, we live and breathe everything off-road.
Plus, being professional mechanics means we know 4wds inside and out.
With our mechanical background and decades on the trails, we can help you head out on your next adventure with total confidence.
If it’s off-road, we’re into it and would love to help you.
Shop All 4x4 Gear at Supercheap Auto.
Hardkorr 9" LED Driving Lights BZR-X
Let’s face it—sooner or later, your off-road adventures are going to stretch into the night. When they do, you want a light setup that makes driving effortless. You need wide peripheral vision, zero hot spots, and a solid kilometre or more of distance. That's why Lucas runs the Hardkorr 9" LED Driving Lights on his own rigs; they pass the test with flying colours.
Maxtrax Recovery Boards
Getting stuck is part of the offroad experience and it doesn’t have to be an embarrassment.
When you’ve got a good set of Maxtrax recovery boards on hand a recovery is made a lot simpler and easier.
They are an absolute must-have for any 4x4 setup. They reduce the recovery load and give you traction when you get bogged. Whether we're using them to get out of a deep sand bogging, out of a mud bog, bridge a small washout, or improvise a ramp, they're easily one of the most versatile tools in any off-roader's kit.
XTM 7 Piece 4WD Recovery Kit
The moment you head offroad you should plan for a recovery. This doesn’t mean you need every piece of gear under the sun, but it does mean you should have a basic amount of equipment that can give you options. The XTM 7-piece kit is perfect for a vehicle that has a winch and needs a recovery kit that can cover most winch situations including a double line and redirect recovery. The kit also allows you to perform a safe Kinetic recovery using the tree trunk protector as a bridle for the front of the bogged vehicle.
XTM Awning 2m x 2.5m
Comfort when camping is what makes a bad trip good. And when the weather turns, you’ll want cover, or you’re sitting on the beach and want some shade an awning’s where it’s at. The key to the right awning is one that’s easy to set up and pack down. If it’s a pain to use you won’t tend to use it.XTM Awning 2m x 2.5m
XTM Single Air Compressor
Managing your tyres correctly offroad is the key to a getting where you want to go in comfort and without getting stuck all the time. But if adjusting tyre pressure is a pain you don’t tend to do it, so set yourself up to win. The XTM Single Air Compressor is where it starts. On average you want to be able to air your tyres up in around 15 minutes or less.
Fuel Storage
It’s easy to travel long distances between fuel stops in Australia. But what happens if you must backtrack due to a road closure or the next stop has no fuel. You can very quickly go from having more than enough fuel range to being stranded.
So carrying extra fuel can be an essential part of Australian travel. Be prepared.
Water Storage
No matter where you go in Australia, we need to have enough water for the trip and some extra. I’ve been caught out with not enough water, it can be scary. Always carry more than you need and spread it across several containers so if one gets damaged you don’t lose that life giving liquid. Pro Quip Water Carry Can 22 Litre Green helps quench your thirst.
Hardkorr Heavy Duty Battery Box
The modern camping experience will involve power hungry devices. This means we need access to extra power in camp. This can be for fridges charging devices or running lights. The Hardkorr battery box is perfect for housing a battery to do this job.
Hardkorr Lithium Deep Cycle Battery 12.8V 100Ah LiFePO4 With Bluetooth
100AH of battery is a great starting point but flexibility is so important to future proof your power solution. What works today may not work for you tomorrow. The Hardkorr Black series 100AH batteries are the lego system that allows you to scale up and down to your requirements.
Hardkorr 40A Waterproof DC-DC Charger
It’s all fine having a battery system but if you can’t charge it in a reasonable time it’s all pointless. A 40Amp charger will take 2.5 hours to charge a 100AH battery if it was completely flat. Design your power system correctly and it’ll serve you correctly. Hardkorr 40A Waterproof DC-DC Charger
Lets look at a few extra safety essentials.
Fire extinguisher
Always plan for the worst and hope for the best. A vehicle fire is a terrifying experience but if you have no ability to put it out before it gets out of hand, you’re in real trouble. Always look at having a couple of extinguishers around the vehicle and have them easy to access. One should be within easy reach of the driver’s seat. And specifically, for 4wders once every 6 months give the extinguisher a good shake upside down and all around to make sure the powder doesn’t get compacted.
First Aid Kit
We all know we should have a quality first aid kit in our vehicle. But do we? Often, we have she’ll be right attitude. Accidents out bush are far more common than you may realise. Anything from a splinter to coming across a vehicle accident. Be prepared by having an up to date First aid kit and know how to use it. Keep in readily available and make sure everyone knows where it is.
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