When we started this journey, the Kia Tasman had only just been released, and we were absolutely racing to be one of the first to build a custom tray and canopy for it.
We’ll be honest — we weren’t the first.
But we were close. Third or fourth in Australia.
And if we’re being real? We reckon ours looks the best.
When a good mate of mine — an electrician — needed a proper tradie setup for his Kia Tasman, this build became the perfect opportunity to push things further. This wasn’t just a tray or a canopy. This was our first full-length canopy, designed specifically around real-world trade use.
A Full-Length Canopy Built for a Tradie
This build was all about function.
Our customer needed:
Serious storage for tools
Space for Milwaukee Packout boxes
Easy access from every angle
And a setup that still looked tough and clean
We designed a custom tray and full-length canopy package, tailored specifically to how he works day to day.
This wasn’t an off-the-shelf solution — it was built from the ground up around his trade.
The Rear Door Challenge
One non-negotiable for this build was a rear access door.
At first, we’ll admit, we were hesitant. Rear doors on full-length canopies can be tricky from a structural point of view, especially when strength and longevity matter.
So we went back to the drawing board.
Our engineers took another look, reinforced the structure around the opening, reinforced it again, and once everything was overbuilt to our standards, it got the tick of approval.
The result?
A rear door that’s strong, practical, and works exactly as intended.
Build Specs and Features
This Kia Tasman tray and canopy build includes:
Custom tray and full-length canopy package
Three-door canopy configuration
Rear access door
Central locking system
Textured powder-coated canopy
Colour-coded canopy doors
Underbody toolboxes
Tradie-focused internal layout for tools and Packout storage
1900mm wide (the Kia is a big boy) 1700mm long
We skipped the honeycomb decals on this one, as the entire setup is planned to be fully wrapped.
Clean now, even tougher once wrapped.
Changing the Narrative on the Kia Tasman
There’s been a lot of mixed opinion around the Kia Tasman since its release.
This build was about showing what’s possible when it’s done properly.
With the right tray and canopy setup, the Tasman looks tough, functional, and purpose-built. In our opinion, this is the best-looking Kia Tasman in Australia right now, without a doubt.
And if this build helps change a few minds along the way, even better.
Another Benchmark Build
This was our first full-length canopy, and it set the bar high.
From tradie functionality to structural engineering and overall finish, this build proved exactly what we’re capable of — and where our tray and canopy builds are heading next.
More builds, more innovation, and more Tasman setups to come.
Want a Kia Tasman Tray or Canopy Build?
If you’re looking for a custom tray, full-length canopy, or complete tradie fit-out for your Kia Tasman, get in touch.
We design and build custom tray and canopy packages that work hard and look unreal doing it.Read more
Every new product has a first build.
For us, this one was personal.
This Ford Ranger started life with a factory tub and an ARB kitchen drawer system. It worked, but as our tray and canopy vision started to take shape, it became the perfect test dummy. If anything was going to go wrong, it was going to happen here.
Honestly though? Nothing did.
Why We Ditched the Tub and Drawer Setup
The tub and drawer system had done its job, but it was heavy, limiting, and didn’t reflect where we wanted to take our tray and canopy builds. We wanted something lighter, cleaner, more practical, and genuinely good-looking.
So out came the tub and drawers, and in went our first flat tray build.
This setup is tray-only for now, with a canopy coming soon.
The Build Specs
For this first build, we kept it intentional and clean:
1700mm tray length (shorter and tighter than most)
Tri-fold headboard
Colour-coded toolboxes
Honeycomb decals on the headboard
Flat tray configuration, canopy-ready
The shorter tray length was a big decision, but it paid off. The proportions look spot on and keep the overall vehicle feeling compact and balanced.
keeping It Clean (And Sensor-Free)
One personal choice with this build was ditching the rear sensors.
Since owning this Ranger, the reverse and safety sensors have honestly just annoyed me. My winch already pulled the front sensors out for driving, and now that the vehicle is out of warranty, I’ll likely get them tuned out completely.
Not something I recommend for everyone — but for this build and how I use the vehicle, it makes sense.
How It Drives and Feels
This is the part that surprised me most.
The whole back of the car feels significantly lighter. The driving feel is better, the balance is better, and it just feels right.
Visually, it turns heads everywhere it goes. It’s clean, tough, and honestly looks up there with the best tray setups on the market — which is wild considering this was our first proper build.
First Build, Set the Benchmark
This build was meant to be a learning exercise. A test run. A “let’s see what breaks” moment.
Instead, it’s set the benchmark for what we want our tray and canopy builds to be moving forward. I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out, and this is only the beginning.
Canopy build is next.Read more
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