Our RG Colorado Build
Our RG Colorado has been part of the family for years and has done a bit of everything along the way.
It's a 2012 manual 2.8L Duramax Colorado, and unlike the Y62, it wasn't built from the start with one particular job in mind. The setup has changed and evolved over the years depending on what we've needed from it.
It's been used for work, motocross, camping, 4WDing and touring, and over time we've built it into a really practical canopy setup while still keeping the ute useful for everything else.
Tray & Canopy Setup
The Colorado runs a Hunted Engineering steel tray with removable sides and a rear hurdle.
Underneath the tray we've got a 25L stainless steel water tank with a tap at the rear, giving us easy access to water when we're camping or out for the day.
There's also a sealed and lockable slide-out under-tray drawer that gives us plenty of storage without taking up room inside the canopy, along with two lockable wheel boxes for additional storage.
On top is a three-door alloy lift-off canopy with a marine carpeted floor.
Being able to remove the canopy has helped keep the Colorado versatile. We can have the complete touring setup fitted when we want it while still having a proper tray ute when we need one.
Bushman 85L Upright Fridge
The canopy runs a Bushman 85L upright fridge, and this was actually our first Bushman fridge.
It's now been running pretty much non-stop for around four years.
It lives permanently in the canopy and has been through years of camping, 4WD trips, rough roads and everyday use, and it's still going strong.
We had such a good run with this fridge that when it came time to set up the Y62 for touring, we bought another Bushman 85L. That one has now been running continuously for around two years as well.
The upright design works really well in the canopy. Everything is easy to see and access, and there's no digging through a chest fridge trying to find whatever has disappeared to the bottom.
Four years of almost continuous use from the original one is probably the best review we can give it.
Dual Battery & Electrical Setup
The canopy has its own electrical system built around a 95Ah AGM auxiliary battery.
Charging is handled by a Redarc 40A BCDC charger, which keeps the auxiliary battery charged while we're driving.
We've also got 120W of solar, giving us another charging source when we're parked up at camp.
The setup powers the fridge and other 12V gear in the canopy and means we're not relying on the Colorado's starter battery while we're stopped.
1500W Inverter
We've fitted a 1500W Powertech inverter, giving us access to 240V power from the canopy battery system.
We've used it to run things like a microwave and sandwich press, which might sound a little excessive for a camping setup, but it's bloody handy.
It gives us another option for quick meals or heating something up without needing to get other cooking gear out.
Simarine Monitoring System
One of the more interesting parts of the electrical setup is the Simarine monitoring system.
Rather than just using it as a basic battery monitor, we've got ours configured to keep an eye on several different parts of the canopy.
We've installed temperature sensors in the Bushman fridge and freezer, so we can see exactly what temperatures they're running at from the Simarine display.
It also monitors the 25L water tank level, so we can quickly see how much water we've got remaining.
On the electrical side, we can monitor amps coming into and going out of the battery system. That lets us see what our equipment is drawing as well as what's being put back into the battery through the charging system and solar.
The Simarine can be used to monitor a variety of different things depending on how the system is configured, and that's what we like about it. We've been able to set ours up around the information that's actually useful to us rather than simply having another voltage display.
Having the fridge and freezer temperatures, water level and electrical information available from the one display makes it a really useful part of the canopy.
Wheels & Tyres
The Colorado runs 32-inch BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tyres.
They've been a good all-round tyre for how we've used the ute, from everyday driving and work through to dirt roads, camping and 4WD trips.
The Colorado hasn't been built to be an extreme 4WD. It's always been more about having a capable and practical ute that can still get us where we want to go.
Built to Be Used
Probably the best way to describe the Colorado is that it's never really had just one job.
It's spent plenty of time as a work ute, hauled our gear around, been loaded up for motocross, taken us camping and 4WDing and eventually developed into the canopy tourer it is now.
We haven't built it around having every possible modification. Most of what's been added has been because we had a use for it.
The lift-off canopy, fridge, water, storage and independent electrical system mean we can load it up and have pretty much everything we need for a trip without relying on the caravan.
At the same time, remove the canopy and we've still got a useful tray ute.
How It Fits Into Our Setup
The Colorado and Y62 have ended up being two very different builds.
Our Y62 Patrol is now the main touring vehicle and has been built around towing the caravan and travelling Australia full-time.
The Colorado is more of an all-rounder.
It's evolved over years of use rather than being built for one specific purpose, and that's a big part of why it's still around.
It's simple, practical and versatile, and whether it's been working, carrying bikes, heading away camping or set up with the canopy for touring, it's been able to adapt to whatever we've needed from it.
After all these years, it still has plenty of life left in it.
