Ford Ranger Wildtrak Fitout — Sedgwick Family Tow Rig
Brief: Ford Ranger Wildtrak Fitout ·
Customer: Russell – Sedgwick ·
Build duration: 3 days ·
Read time: 7 min
Russell McLean rolled in earlier this year with a brand-new 2025 Ford Next Gen Ranger Wildtrak. A generation newer than the dark grey PX2 he’d been running before. And a brighter shade of blue than the old one. Russell isn’t new to me either. The PX2 he traded in was one I’d fitted out years back, when I was still at ARB Bendigo. ARB Summit bull bar, ARB Ascent canopy, canopy internal frames, roof bars. The lot. He came back to me on the Next Gen with a brief that was almost word-for-word the same.
The PX2 had also already proven, the hard way, exactly why the bull bar mattered. Russell had a big kangaroo strike in that ute — the kind of impact that ends most cars’ day with a tow truck and an after-hours phone call to the insurer. Russell drove the PX2 home and straight to the panel shop under its own steam, no tow, no late-night roadside wait. The ARB bar did the job it was built for. So when he sat down to spec the Wildtrak, the bar wasn’t up for discussion — same brand, latest model. Russell knew what it could do, because he’d already seen it work.
The new build follows the PX2 pattern almost exactly, with one piece of forward planning Russell didn’t have last time around. Here’s what we put on it, and why each piece is on there. Plus the bit at the back where we left a hook in for the driving lights — not fitted yet.
Same Brief, New Ute — What Russell's Ranger Came In For
Russell knew exactly what he wanted before he walked in. That doesn’t happen often with a brand-new ute, and it makes the conversation a lot easier on my end. The brief was almost a copy of the PX2 build. ARB bull bar up front, ARB Ascent canopy on the back, with internal frames and a roof rack. A second set of roof bars went on the cab. That gave Russell the option to carry long loads when the tradesman side of things came around.
The Wildtrak came with a factory brake controller, which saved a line item — sensible move from Ford on the top-spec model when most of these utes end up pulling something. We added an Ultravision-ready driving light loom to the accessories bill of materials even though no lights were going on the bar in this round. More on that one further down. The factory roller shutter also had to come off the Wildtrak tub to make way for the Ascent canopy. Standard pre-canopy step on any Wildtrak build like this.
BEFORE Russell’s Wildtrak in the MBC workshop with the factory roller shutter still in place — pulled off as part of the canopy install to make way for the ARB Ascent.
Everything Russell asked for was built around the customer — matched to how the ute is actually used, not pulled off a brochure. That’s how I quote every build. Tell me what you’re driving it for, and I’ll spec accordingly.
ARB Summit MK2 — Russell's Bull Bar of Choice, Again
The bar that went on Russell’s old PX2 was an earlier-generation ARB Summit. Same bar family on the Wildtrak — this time the Summit MK2, which is the current platform-specific bar ARB builds for the Next Gen Ranger.
Sedgwick country is the kind of rural pocket where animal strikes are part of routine driving, particularly through dawn, dusk and after dark. The roads can be rough at times, but the bigger issue at most speeds is what’s running across them, not what’s under the tyres. The Summit MK2 is built for exactly that. Chassis-rail-engineered mounting. Airbag-compatible geometry that preserves the SRS system on the Next Gen out of the box. And a winch-mount-ready front face if a winch ever makes the wish-list down the track.
ON THE BENCH ARB Summit MK2 bull bar fitted to the Next Gen Ranger in the MBC workshop. Chassis-rail-engineered mount, airbag-compatible geometry, winch-mount-ready front face.
For a family of five in this ute most days of the week, that combination is non-negotiable. The kids’ school runs. The grocery shop. The trip home from Bendigo at 7pm in winter. Russell already knew the bar would do its job. He’d seen the receipts on the PX2.
ARB Ascent Canopy With Central Locking — A No-Brainer for Everyday Use
The Ascent is the back end of this build, and the choice of the Ascent over a budget canopy was deliberate. Russell does enough tradesman work through the year that the back of the ute needs to be a properly organised, secure work space — not just a covered tub.
The feature that makes the ARB Ascent Canopy the no-brainer call for everyday-driver use is the central locking. One tap of the factory key fob and the canopy locks at the same time as the rest of the ute. No fishing for a second key, no walking around to unlock a separate handle. For a family ute that doubles as a mobile workshop, that’s a real convenience every day of the week. It’s the thing customers tell me about months later, when I ask how the canopy’s settled in.
Combined with the internal mounting frames, the back-half setup is modular. Bins, drawers and tie-downs go where they’re actually useful, not where they happen to fit. Pop the canopy off the visual side for a second. What you’re really buying is a tub that holds tools, materials, camping gear or the kids’ bikes. Whatever the weekend calls for. Nothing slides around, nothing gets damp. That’s what proper internal frames buy you at the time of canopy fit. The alternative is drilling holes through the canopy shell at some later date. Usually when you finally get sick of strapping everything down with ratchet straps.
New Ute on the Way?
Same conversation, every time. Tell me what you’ll be driving it for — family, work, towing, all three — and I’ll quote a fitout that’s matched to the way you actually use the ute.
Rhino Rack Roof Bars on the Ranger Cab and the ARB Canopy — Getting the Heights Right
The two sets of roof bars on this build are both Rhino Rack — one set fitted to the cab roof, one set fitted to the Ascent canopy roof. This is the part of the build that took a couple of goes to land properly. Worth talking about. It’s the kind of thing that separates a brochure fitout from one that actually works for the customer.
Russell needed the canopy roof rack for permanent gear-carrying capacity. The cab bars had a different job: a flat, height-matched carrying surface front-to-back when long lengths of timber, ladders or roof sheets need to load across the full span of the ute. That only works if the cab bar height is matched to the canopy roof rack height. A few centimetres out and the load sits crooked, rubs on the cab roof, or won’t strap down flat.
“We had a little bit of rework with the roof bars to keep Russell in line for long lengths of timber. That’s a very, very hard thing to match between the car and the canopies — the canopy is always going to be taller.”
— Mitch, MBC 4X4 Solutions
We went back and forth a few times on the Rhino Rack adjustable cab bars to get it dialled in. The adjustability gives the millimetre-level control needed to bring the heights into line. Russell signed off on it once we could run a straight edge across both sets with nothing to fault. That’s the standard. If the customer’s going to put work loads on a roof bar for the next ten years, the ute doesn’t get handed back until that geometry is right.
Future-Proofing for Driving Lights — The Loom's Already In
Driving lights aren’t fitted to this bar yet. The wiring loom for them is.
Driving lights are one of the most common accessories that go onto a bull bar in regional Victoria. For good reason. Anyone doing the kilometres Russell does after dark gets real benefit from extra throw beyond factory high beam. Out-of-town drivers in Central Victoria sit well above the national average for night-time kilometres. On the roads around Sedgwick, a properly spec’d light setup is a serious safety upgrade. Not a styling one.
What we did this round was wire in an Ultravision-ready driving light loom. Switching, fusing and harness routed up to the bar. Next time the ute comes in, fitting the actual lights is a plug-in job. No re-pulling cable through the firewall, no second round of trim removal, no double-up on labour. Two hours when the lights go on, instead of half a day. Russell hasn’t locked in a specific driving light model yet. We’ll go through the Ultravision range together when he’s ready. Matched to the kilometres he does and the throw he wants for the roads he runs.
That’s the kind of forward thinking that saves the customer money long-term. Sensible move on any build where lights are on the wish-list but not yet in the budget.
First ARB Ascent Canopy on a Next Gen Ranger at MBC — What We Learned
Russell’s ute was the first ARB Ascent canopy fitment we’d done on a Next Gen Ranger, and it’s worth a note for anyone else with a Next Gen who’s planning a similar build.
The tub geometry on the Next Gen is different to the PX2 — particularly the J-brace layout that interacts with the canopy mounting kit. The brackets behave a bit differently depending on whether the tub was fitted with J braces at the dealer. The only way to see what you’ve got under there is to physically check the bin. I prepped this one off the ARB fitting instructions a week ahead and walked through the variables. The install came together inside three days. Pushed out a touch by the loom work and the cab-bar height-matching back-and-forth.
We also pulled off the factory roller shutter that came with the Wildtrak before the canopy went on. That’s standard procedure on these builds, and not a tricky one. But it’s the kind of pre-canopy step worth being upfront about ahead of time. It does add to the bench day.
“Canopies and bars are bread and butter on most builds. The trick on a new platform is understanding the ute, where the weak points are, and making sure everything is structurally sound before you hand it back.”
— Mitch, MBC 4X4 Solutions
No surprises on the actual fitment once the variables were mapped. An Ascent goes on a Next Gen the same way it goes on any other ute — you just don’t try to read it on the fly with the customer waiting.
Why the Bloke Who Quoted It Should Be the Bloke Who Fits It
Russell didn’t shop this build around. He came back because the PX2 fitout from years ago held up exactly the way it was supposed to. Kangaroo strike included. The brake controller, canopy, roof bars, future-proofed loom — that’s a conversation he wanted to have once. With the bloke who’d do the work. Not three times across a sales counter, a fitting bay and a service desk.
That’s the MBC model in one customer. Same bloke quotes it. Same bloke sources it. Same bloke fits it. And the same bloke picks up the phone when something needs adjusting or the next build’s coming around.
For someone like Russell McLean, on his second build now, that continuity is the point.
THE FULL BUILD Front to back — ARB Summit MK2 bull bar, ARB Ascent canopy and Rhino Rack roof bars on Russell’s Next Gen Ranger. Fitted by MBC 4X4 Solutions, servicing Bendigo & Central Victoria.
Build Spec — 2025 Ford Next Gen Ranger Wildtrak
Vehicle
2025 Ford Next Gen Ranger Wildtrak — dark blue
Front Protection
ARB Summit MK2 Bull Bar — winch-mount compatible
Canopy
ARB Ascent Canopy — with factory-keyed central locking
Canopy Internals
ARB Internal Canopy Mounting Frames
Roof Bars — Canopy
Rhino Rack Roof Bar Set — fitted to Ascent canopy
Roof Bars — Cab
Rhino Rack Adjustable Cab Roof Bars — height-matched to canopy by MBC
Driving Lights
Loom only — Ultravision-ready wiring pre-installed; specific light model TBC
Brake Controller
Factory-fitted (Ford Next Gen Wildtrak)
Removed at Install
Factory Wildtrak roller shutter (replaced by ARB Ascent canopy)
Build Duration
3 days in workshop
Build Category
Family + Tradesman Daily Fitout (towing-capable)
Previous Vehicle
Ford Ranger PX2 (dark grey) — same MBC/ARB build pattern, including survived a major kangaroo strike with the ARB Summit bar
Coming soon
What's Coming in Part 2 — Driving Lights
Russell’s build isn’t finished. The Ultravision-ready loom is sitting in the bar, waiting for the lights. Stage 2 covers:
- Plug-in install off the existing loom — two hours on the bench instead of half a day
- Aiming and alignment for night-time touring use
- Ultravision driving light model selection — matched to the kilometres Russell does and the throw he wants on the rural roads around Sedgwick
Keep an eye on the MBC 4X4 Solutions Recent Builds page for the Part 2 article when the lights go on.
About the Customer — Russell McLean, Sedgwick
Russell is a long-term MBC 4X4 Solutions customer based at Sedgwick, south-east of Bendigo. His 2025 Ford Next Gen Ranger Wildtrak is his second build through the workshop — the first was a PX2 Ranger fitted out at ARB Bendigo years back, which served him well through a serious kangaroo strike before being traded for the new ute.
Build photos and customer name used with the permission of Russell McLean.
Mitchell Cox — Owner / Operator, MBC 4X4 Solutions
Certificate III Automotive Mechanic · 15 years in the industry · 10 of those at ARB Bendigo · Official Gigglepin Agent · Experienced Warn Repairer · Servicing Bendigo & Central Victoria.
Next Gen Ranger Fitout Questions
Five real questions on Next Gen Ranger fitouts, ARB Summit MK2 protection and Wildtrak-specific canopy work — straight answers, no fluff.
Can MBC 4X4 Solutions fit an ARB Ascent canopy and ARB Summit MK2 bull bar to a Next Gen Ford Ranger?
Yes. Russell McLean’s 2025 Wildtrak was the first ARB Ascent canopy fitment MBC had done on a Next Gen Ranger. It was paired with the ARB Summit MK2 bull bar, and the build came together inside three days. The Next Gen tub geometry and J-brace setup is different to the PX-series. Prep off the ARB fitting instructions before the ute goes on the bench. Once that’s done, the Ascent fits the way every other ARB canopy fits.
Does the ARB Summit MK2 actually protect against animal strikes in real-world conditions?
Yes. Russell’s previous ute was a PX2 Ranger with an earlier-generation ARB Summit bar. It took a serious kangaroo strike on a rural road. The ute was still drivable to the panel shop under its own steam — no tow truck needed. The Summit MK2 on the Next Gen carries forward the same chassis-rail-engineered design philosophy. Platform-specific mounting, preserved airbag compatibility. For rural Central Victorian drivers, this is the bar’s whole reason for existing.
Should I remove the factory roller shutter from my Wildtrak before bringing it in for a canopy fitout?
No — leave it on, and let Mitch pull it off as part of the canopy install. Same goes for the sail plane and tub liner. Removing factory accessories does save bench time, but take too much off — or the wrong things — and you can create more work than you’ve saved. A five-minute phone call before you go near it with the spanner is worth it. Mitch will tell you straight what’s worth removing and what to leave alone.
Why pre-wire a driving light loom if the lights aren't being fitted yet?
Forward planning. The driving light loom is the part of the install that takes the most time. Pulling cable through the firewall. Sorting switching, fusing and routing up to the bar. Doing it once during the canopy and bar fitment saves two to three hours of labour when the lights actually go on. Russell is going Ultravision down the track. Pre-fitting an Ultravision-ready loom on the first build means the lights are a plug-in job when he’s ready.
How do you match cab roof bars to a canopy roof rack for long loads?
The canopy roof is always taller than the cab roof, so the cab bars need to be set to bring the load contact points into line. Adjustable cab bars give the height range to do it. Russell’s are Rhino Rack adjustable bars matched on height to the Rhino Rack roof rack on the canopy. It takes a bit of back-and-forth. Russell and Mitch went through a couple of revisions before the heights were dead flat across both sets. But it has to be done properly. Otherwise long timber, ladders or roof sheets won’t sit flat or strap down securely.
Related Recent Builds
Other Ranger fitouts, family + tradesman builds and ARB accessory installs off the MBC bench.
Building a Ranger Something Similar? Tell Mitch What You're After.
Whether it’s a brand-new Wildtrak coming off the truck, an older Ranger that needs bringing up to scratch, or a different ute entirely — the process is the same. I look at what you do with it, what you need on it, and give you a straight quote. No upsells, no run-around. Russell’s been through it twice now, and the Next Gen came back exactly to brief.
Independent & brand-agnostic · Certificate III Automotive · 15 years industry · Bendigo & Central Victoria