As discussed in the Curb Weight post, I decided to purchase a custom built Stockman Pod Extreme for Going Bush. I took delivery of following a short delay because I asked to add Rhino Rack Aero bars and upgrade the lid to support a roof top tent.

This is a short note to cover the adjustments that I made to the standard Stockman Pod Extreme product, that do not appear on their options list, and later modifications.

I’ve added a few things since this post was originally written. Most obviously the 160 litre fuel bin under the tool box.

A video can be seen here.

Drawbar Tiedown

To use the drawbar to carry light weight items such firewood or rubbish, added 4 D-ring tie-down points welded to the inside of the bar. This will enable the load to be secured on the top of the drawbar, and therefore not need to pass under the bar where the tie-down strap could be cut or scraped on a rock. The tie-down points are also set up enough to allow a PVC or steel pipe to pass through them, potentially allowing a hammock style carrier to be created for smaller items.

Frame Gusset

I added a gusset between the frame and drawbar. Stockman have never seen a case where separation was a problem but, since it was easy to do and it made me happy, it was done.

Water Tank Stone Guard

The Stockman water tank is 6mm thick poly roto-moulded plastic and it is very tough, well able to withstand blunt trauma from rocks and other material. It is also located much higher than the tow vehicle ground clearance. So there is little that can go wrong.

But to prevent damage due to sharp objects, such as branches and sticks, I’ve added an aluminium bash plate to the underside of the water tank. This is not to prevent normal impacts from being absorbed by the poly plastic tank, but rather to prevent a sharp object from penetrating the plastic. The concept is like lightweight medieval chain-mail used to prevent cutting and stabbing, rather than full plate armour.

The stone guard is very effective at preventing stone damage, but it does suffer from damage itself. The continuous stone impacts cause the underside protection to hang down, because the leading side is being made concave by the impact. So I’ve tied the guard up with some lightweight galvanised steel. This will prevent the guard hanging down as it does its job of protecting the water tank.

Suspension Reinforcement Bracing

Triangulation gussets between the suspension hangers and the spring mounts was added as per the CruiseMaster installation recommendation. Prior to my build this was not being done but now it has become standard practice for Stockman to add the triangulation reinforcement bracing.

Hayman Reece Recovery Points

And finally, the standard D-ring recovery points were replaced with Hayman Reece 2″ hitch points. This allows recovery straps to be connected to the hitch point with standard hitch pins, rather than using a shackle. Also each Hayman Reece hitch can support other accessories, such as a vise mount for example. Using two hitch points allows recovery forces to be shared onto both side of the frame, and allows the trailer to be guided more accurately for a reverse recovery.

Spring Rate Optimisation

I later reduced the spring rates to better suit the operating load.

Fuel Bin

As my vehicle has a very small fuel tank (66l), and fitting an extra auxiliary tank is cost prohibitive and, at only 40l, practically useless, I am storing all my fuel on the Pod.

Initially just the two 20l jerrycans, a Stockman standard option, were not sufficient, so I fitted two additional jerrycans in a Frontrunner mounting on the drawbar.

This provides an extra 80l, making the total 146l, still too little for extended trips.

Recently I designed and commissioned a fuel bin, fitted under the tool box, which holds up to 8 jerrycans, making the total capacity 306l, including both Stockman and Frontrunner storage too.

I expect over 300l will be required to provide the 1,200km range (plus margin) required for some trips. Alternatively, when only a few extra jerrycans are required, the space can also be used to store recovery gear and camping essentials.