Meet My Navara 

From Showroom Stock to Bush-Ready Beast – Offmain Style

2022 - Series 5 - D23 - Nissan Navara - SL

Alright, let’s be clear: I didn’t buy this 2022 Nissan Navara SL because I wanted something flash. I bought it because I wanted something tough. No leather. No carpet. No chrome. Just raw potential — and trust me, I had plans. This wasn’t going to be a mall crawler. This Nav was always destined for dust, river crossings, and High Country switchbacks.

I chose the SL model because it gave me exactly what I needed and none of what I didn’t. Coil rear suspension? Yes. Plush carpet and leather heated seats? Pass. This thing was built for corrugations, girls trips, and chaos.

So, let’s break it down. Here’s how I turned a base-model Navara into a fully kitted, comp-capable, sassy little weapon.

🧠 Why This Ute?

Two words: coil suspension. Better ride, better weight handling, better everything. Plus, I didn’t want to pay for showroom fluff I was just going to rip out anyway. Side-steps? No Thank you.
The SL gave me a clean slate — and I wasn’t about to waste it.

🔧 THE BUILD – STRIPPED BACK THEN STACKED OUT

🛞 SUSPENSION – FLEX, BUT MAKE IT FUNCTIONAL

• Tough Dog 2” Lift
  Gives it height, keeps it planted with a canopy full of gear, and doesn’t squat when we’re loaded up. It’s dependable and doesn’t need babysitting.

• AAA Suspension Rear Coil Delete – Airbag Conversion
  Yep, we ditched the coils. Now I’ve got remote-controlled rolling sleeve airbags so I can raise or drop the back on the fly — whether it’s comp day or camp day. Touring one weekend, crawling the next.

🛠 WHEELS & TYRES – TOUGH LOOKS, TOUGHER GRIP

• BFGoodrich KM3s – 285/75/R17
  These muddies don’t just look the part — they grip like hell. And surprisingly? They’re the quietest set of muds I’ve ever run. No complaints from the rocks, mud or sand!

• Black Rock Cage Wheels in Bronze
  Imitation beadlocks because I like the race look, and they’re strong enough to cop whatever I throw at them. And let’s be honest — they look hot.

• Apex Rapid Tyre Deflators from Hustin Offroad

🚛 TRAY & CANOPY – TOURING DREAM, COMP QUEEN

• Wigley Engineering
  1650mm, integrated 30L headboard water tank (fill your bottles, stay hydrated!), undertray boxes, rear trundle drawer, extra 40L tank, chainsaw box, jerry can holders, spare wheel swingout — the works.

• 1300mm Jack-Off Canopy - Also by Wigley Engineering
  Fitted with:

  • Bushman's 85L upright fridge (cold bourbon, always)

  • Travel Buddy oven (hot pies, no servo required)

  • Enerdrive 200Ah lithium system + solar + DCDC

  • Wigley drawers, slide-out pantry & table

  • Contour map vinyl wrap + palm tree handles (yes, I said what I said)

Fully braced roof carries our 4x4 Network rooftop tent, 180 awning, and more. Nutserts let me tie everything down or strip the canopy off in five minutes flat. Inside? A custom charging station for all my cameras and gadgets — content queens, I’ve got you covered.

🛡 ARMOUR – SHE’S A BRUISER

• Ironman 4x4 Commercial Deluxe Bull Bar
  Protects the front, houses the winch, looks clean in body colour.

• Chickerell Street Exhausts Sliders & Scrub Bars
  Built to take a hit. And they have. No damage, no drama. Just proper side protection when I get a bit too enthusiastic on tight tracks.

⚙ RECOVERY GEAR – I DON’T DO “STUCK”

• Ultra Winch PDX MK4 12,000LB
  Fast, powerful, and never missed a beat in competition or touring.

• ARB Front Air Locker + Twin Compressor
  Let’s be real: IFS is limited, but with a front locker? I can crawl lines that’d stop lesser dual cabs dead. Flip the switch and let it eat. Fitted by Hustlin Offroad

• Survival First Aid - First Aid Kit & Snake Bite Kit - we don't leave home without these! Safety is no joke, especially in the remote bush!

🔦 ALTIQ LIGHTING – BECAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO 4B BLIND

• 7” Rogue Spotlights
  If you can’t see with these on, you’re legally blind.

• RGBW Pro Rocklights
  For those moody night shots… and to see where I’m putting my tyres.

• Flood Bars – Front, Side & Rear
  Handy when reversing into camp or winching at 1am.

• Upgraded LED H4 Headlights & Indicators
  Stock lighting was a joke. These? Game changer.

🌬 SNORKEL & RACK – And Exhuast

• Kraken Engineering Snorkel
  4" Snorkel ready for river crossings. With the help of the Navarapart airbox helper clips!

• Front Runner Slimline II Roof Rack
  Carries all the extras — swags, Tred Boards, extra lighting. Solid as.

• 4x4 Network DPF Back Exhaust - Australian Made & sounds great!

🧼 PROTECTION – BECAUSE PINSTRIPES AREN’T BADGES OF HONOUR

• Bushwrapz PPF
  This isn’t a show pony, but I’d still like the panels to stay on. The wrap protects against bush pinstripes, sticks, and “whoops” moments. Absolutely worth it.

⚡ ELECTRICAL & INTERIOR – PRACTICAL, WITH PERSONALITY

• Enerdrive 12V System – lithium, solar, DCDC, all the goodies

• GME XRS UHF – crisp comms for calling out dodgy lines

• Altiq Interior Lighting – full glow-up inside

• Factory head unit – stock, but with CarPlay. It works.

• Razorback Seat Covers – mud-proof, dog-proof, Steph-proof

• Britax Graphene Baby Seat – because yes, I bring my kid wheeling

🏞 WHERE IT’S BEEN

• Victorian & most of it! From the Murray river, to the High country. Snow trips and beach days!

• NSW South & Mid North Coasts – sand, cliffs, and inland bush

• Cobar - Leading the spectators at Ciffhanger 4WD Event

• The Springs 4x4 Park – hill climbs, winch walls, and the fun stuff

🏁 COMP READY? YOU BET

No major changes needed. I added a tablet mount and hit the tracks. The Nav is built smart — comp-capable without needing to be stripped or rebuilt every time.

💬 WHAT THIS BUILD MEANS

This Nav is everything Offmain stands for:

• Lockers before light bars
• Function over fluff

• Mod what matters

• Build it once and build it right

It’s my daily. My touring truck. My comp rig. It’s also a rolling reminder that you don’t need a six-figure build to live a thousand stories in the bush.

So if you're thinking of building from stock — trust me, start with what works and make it yours. Bonus points if it flexes, feeds you hot pies, and looks damn good doing it.