Another Father’s Day, another opportunity to avoid buying Dad a mug that says World’s Best Dad.
If the old boy spends his weekends tinkering with the fourby, planning the next camping trip or finding increasingly elaborate reasons to add accessories to the ute, we’ve done the hard work for you. We’ve raided the catalogues of the brands that support Mr 4X4 and found something from each that we reckon Dad would genuinely want.
Better yet, we’ve grouped our Father’s Day 4X4 gifts by budget. There are affordable wins, proper presents and a few options for when the siblings finally agree to pool their money.
Prices are correct at the time of writing and, as always, vehicle-specific products should be checked for compatibility before ordering.
Under $200: small spend, big brownie points
Brown Davis Tailgate Seal Kit – from $69
If all the kids rally together, Dad would probably prefer a Brown Davis long-range fuel tank. Unfortunately, family diplomacy is rarely that successful.
The consolation prize is still a seriously useful upgrade. Brown Davis tailgate seal kits start around $69 depending on the vehicle and are designed to help keep unwanted dust and water out of the tub. They include the rubbers required to seal the factory tailgate and instructions for a DIY installation. Anyone who has opened a canopy after a few hundred kilometres of dusty outback roads will understand why this belongs on the list.
Black Duck Steering Wheel Sunshade
Again, Dad would probably like you considerably more if you bought him a complete set of Black Duck seat covers. But if the budget doesn’t stretch that far, the Steering Wheel Sunshade is a nice way of showing you care.
Made in Australia from the same Canvas and 4Elements materials Black Duck uses across its range, it protects the steering wheel from UV, heat and the uniquely Australian experience of climbing into a vehicle and immediately branding both palms. Better still, you can match it to Dad’s existing Black Duck seat covers.
SURVIVAL Vehicle First Aid KIT – around $175
First aid gear is one of those things every fourby should carry and everyone hopes they never need.
SURVIVAL’s Vehicle First Aid KIT is built specifically for keeping in the car and packs a serious amount of first aid capability into something that can live permanently in the vehicle. It’s not the flashiest Father’s Day present here, but if Dad travels remotely, it might be one of the most important. Current pricing has recently sat around the $175 mark, with promotions occasionally bringing it lower.
Ringers Western Merino Wool Hat – around $190–$200
Not every Father’s Day 4X4 gift needs a 12-volt plug hanging out of it.
Ringers Western has a cracking range of proper felt hats, including Australian Merino wool options such as the Boss Man. It’s made from premium Australian Merino wool felt and features a leather sweatband and satin lining. At $189.95, it’s the sort of thing Dad may never buy for himself but will happily wear for years.
$200–$300: the sweet spot
Mean Mother Exitrax Ultimate 1150 Recovery Boards – around $199–$229
Recovery boards are one of the easiest bits of recovery equipment to use, which makes them worth carrying even if Dad usually travels alone.
Mean Mother’s Exitrax Ultimate 1150 boards use reinforced nylon construction, measure 1150mm long and come as a pair. The range is designed to handle sand, mud and snow, with aggressive traction features and compatibility with Exi Link accessories. Depending on the current deal and colour, expect to spend roughly $200–$230.
Mongrel High Leg Zipsider Boots – $279.95
Dad probably already has boots. The question is whether he has good boots.
Mongrel’s Australian-made High Leg Zipsider with Scuff Cap gets a Vibram rubber outsole, YKK zip, steel toe, moulded scuff cap and an OrthoTec footbed. They’re designed as serious work boots, but they’re equally at home around the shed, campsite or firewood pile. At $279.95, they also sit nicely in proper-present territory.
REDARC Smart Battery Monitor – $299
There’s a certain type of Dad who could happily spend half a day staring at graphs showing what his auxiliary battery is doing.
For him, REDARC has the answer.
The $299 Smart Battery Monitor connects to the RedVision app over Bluetooth and gives real-time information including state of charge, remaining time and current flow. Installation uses just three connection points, so it’s a relatively simple upgrade to an existing 12-volt setup rather than the beginning of a complete electrical rebuild.
TONIC Polarised Sunglasses
Good sunnies are another item most dads will wear until they’re scratched beyond recognition before finally replacing them.
TONIC builds its eyewear around outdoor use, with premium polarised glass lenses designed to reduce glare and improve clarity. Its VistaView technology uses 1.7mm optically ground glass, while photochromic options can adapt as conditions change. For a Dad who spends hours behind the wheel, on the beach or staring across the water, a fresh pair of TONICs makes a very easy Father’s Day win.
$300–$400: now we’re talking
ARB Steel Fire Pit – $366
A good campfire is hard to beat, particularly when Dad doesn’t need to build a questionable rock circle every time you pull into camp.
ARB’s Australian-made Steel Fire Pit costs $366 and uses BlueScope REDCOR weathering steel. The portable design packs down for transport and can handle the two essential campsite jobs: keeping everyone warm and giving Dad somewhere to stand while explaining how much better fires burn when you stack timber in a jenga arrangement than the teepee.
Bushwakka Single Shower Tent – $349
Once you’ve experienced a proper private shower setup at camp, hiding behind an open car door with a towel starts to lose its charm.
Bushwakka’s $349 Single Shower Tent uses gas-strut-assisted arms for quick setup, an integrated PVC floor with a drain, removable roof canvas and adjustable hanging height. It can work as a shower, changing room or campsite ensuite, making it a particularly good gift for Dad if Mum has recently started insisting that camping needs to become slightly more civilised.
Aus J Aqueous 6L Water Heater – $350
While we’re improving campsite civilisation, hot running water is hard to go past.
Aus J’s compact 6L Aqueous 12V unit costs $350 and offers adjustable water temperatures up to 75°C, along with over-temperature, over-pressure and run-dry protection. It’s a neat option for campers, caravans and touring rigs where space is tight.
However, this is also where we’d suggest finding another $75 behind the couch. Aus J’s 10L Duoetto MK2 costs $425 and runs on both 12V and 240V, with automatic voltage detection and a larger tank. If Dad spends serious time on the road, that extra $75 buys a lot more versatility.
Bushranger Essential Kinetic Recovery Kit – $350
Here’s one Dad hopefully won’t get too much use out of, but will be very glad to own when things go pear-shaped.
Bushranger’s Essential Kinetic Recovery Kit is built around an 8K kinetic rope and includes two 18K soft shackles, a recovery damper and gloves, all packed into an Australian-made canvas gear bag.
Kinetic ropes can provide a smoother vehicle-to-vehicle recovery than traditional snatch straps, making this a particularly good option for anyone refreshing an old recovery kit that has spent the past decade cooking in the back of the ute.
At $350, it feels like a substantial present without needing to know exactly what accessories Dad already has bolted onto the vehicle.
Clearview Tyre Spider – $399
If Dad enjoys tyre-pressure management far more than any normal human should, the Clearview Tyre Spider might be the gift of the year.
The $399 system connects to multiple tyres and allows simultaneous inflation, deflation and pressure equalisation. It can also transfer air between tyres without a compressor. The kit includes two five-metre and two eight-metre hoses, making it suitable for everything from fourbies to caravans and trailers. It’s one of those accessories that sounds slightly excessive until you use one.
Engel 33L Ice Box – $399–$435
An Engel without a power cable feels almost wrong, but the 33L Ice Box makes plenty of sense for day trips, fishing trips and extra campsite cold storage.
The rotomoulded construction surrounds the box with 50mm of insulation, while Engel claims ice retention of up to 10 days. It’s dry-ice compatible and carries a 10-year warranty. Pricing currently ranges from $399 to $435 depending on colour.
$400–$500: favourite-child territory
Uniden X76 Value Pack – $419.95
If Dad’s UHF still has a microphone the size of a house brick and wiring that looks like it was installed during the Keating government, this should sort him out.
Uniden’s $419.95 X76 Value Pack includes its compact 5-watt X76 UHF with remote speaker microphone and an AT500BK 5.5dBi antenna. It gives you 80 UHF channels, a seven-colour LCD backlight and a five-year warranty, with the radio and antenna conveniently bundled into one box.
$510: we broke our own rule
BushWrapz DIY Paint Protection Kit – from $510
Yes, we said this was a guide to Father’s Day 4X4 gifts under $500.
This one is $510.
We’re calling the extra ten bucks an investment in Dad’s blood pressure.
BushWrapz DIY paint protection kits start from $510 for a number of popular dual-cab utes, including the Next-Gen Ranger, current Hilux and 79 Series. The pre-cut film is designed to protect vulnerable panels from scratches and stone chips, and the kits include application gear and vehicle-specific video instructions for DIY installation.
Considering what Dad said the last time a lantana branch ran down the side of his new ute, ten dollars over budget suddenly sounds extremely reasonable.
The Father’s Day verdict
The best Father’s Day 4X4 gifts aren’t necessarily the biggest or most expensive ones. They’re the things Dad will actually throw in the fourby, wear, use around camp or quietly admire every time he opens the shed.
If the budget is tight, a first aid kit, tailgate seal or proper hat still makes a useful present. Around $300 opens the door to boots, battery monitoring and quality eyewear. Push towards $400–$500 and you can start seriously upgrading Dad’s campsite, recovery kit or touring setup.
And if Dad casually leaves the web page for that long-range fuel tank open on the family iPad?
Take the hint.
