Kiwi company Utemaster reckons it has transformed the traditional pickup truck service body into a versatile piece of lifestyle equipment – while claiming to enhance its working credentials at the same time.
Service bodies are distinctly commercial by definition, but many utes now also serve as weekend adventure or family vehicles when the working week is over. The new TrailCore Service Body aims to bring both worlds together, with the company claiming it’s a “game-changer for chassis-mounted storage systems”.
It features a drop-down flooring design that follows the shape of the chassis in the middle, but is raised at the sides to allow for wheel travel. Lowering the load height helps counteract the ever-taller profile of modern one-tonne utes; it also means there’s less “dead space” and the underbody drawer (if required) is inside the main unit, maximizing its size and keeping the contents more protected from dust and water.
The floor is called a “4-in-1 system” because it offers four different base configurations: open, underfloor compartment, open drawer or underfloor drawer.
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The TrailCore product also aims to address the challenge of access often presented by service bodies, which are large and therefore not also easy to work out of from a variety of angles. The doors open wide and the sills are shaped to enable equipment to slide in and out without having to be lifted over the frame.
There’s a “full shape” rear door which goes all the way out to the edge of the body, which is designed to increase accessibility from the rear – especially when reaching the shelving in the centre. A rear step hinges from underneath and can be folded away when driving off-road.
The TrailCore Service Body Shelving System is a modular design with heavy duty capability; there are a number of different shelving and drawer options which all fit within the main service body.
The upgraded locking system is constructed from aluminium and designed to work like a car door, with hidden rivets and full seals.
Prospective buyers can use Utemaster’s online Ute Builder to configure the Service Body, see what it will look like on their chosen vehicle and get a quote.
