When you hear GVM upgrade, most people think tradies, tourers and towing, not crossing the Simpson Desert or hammering corrugations on the way to the Gulf. But that’s exactly where we’ve just tested the new GVM setup from Outback Armour.
Finding the Sweet Spot
Upgrading your Gross Vehicle Mass is a balancing act. You want a suspension system tough enough to carry the extra weight of canopies, barwork, water tanks and batteries, but soft enough to still feel like a 4X4, not a mining truck.
Pat summed it up nicely “It’s no small task to tread the fine line between a good unladen ride, and a GVM Upgrade. Outback Armour have managed to do just that, with a setup that not only rides, steers and handles well, but is able to carry big loads without fading. We gave it a good shellacking too, from the Cape to the Gulf to a Simmo crossing, and it never failed. Never looked like failing actually.”
That’s not a gentle test loop, that’s about as brutal a proving ground as you’ll find anywhere on the continent. And the Outback Armour kit took it all in stride.
Heavy Duty, But Not Heavy-Handed
Outback Armour’s GVM kits use their proven twin-tube dampers and carefully tuned spring rates to maintain balance between load capacity and ride comfort. It’s not just about jacking a vehicle up and calling it done. The valving, rebound and spring matching are designed to work as a complete system.
That’s where the difference lies. Many “GVM upgrades” make your 4X4 legal on paper, but punishing on the road. Outback Armour’s approach feels more refined, engineered for everyday drivability, not just compliance.
From the Workshop to the Wilderness
Josh ran the kit on his Ranger build during filming this season, and reckons it’s one of the biggest unsung upgrades of the trip:
“This season we decided to run with an Outback Armour GVM upgrade. Now, fully loaded we’re under GVM and Johnny Law’s smiling, but the real win is how good it feels to drive. Stable, comfortable, and still flexy enough off-road to keep us grinning.”
That last part’s key. Plenty of suspension systems carry weight, but lose all articulation in the process. Outback Armour’s design keeps decent travel, so you can still crawl through washouts and climb dunes without spinning wheels in the air.
Touring Ready
With more tourers pushing their rigs to the limit, big tanks, lithium power, rooftop tents, canopies, and the kitchen sink, staying legal is becoming harder. A proper, engineered GVM upgrade like this one means you can load up for a lap without sweating roadside weigh-ins.
The Outback Armour kit brings that legality with zero compromise to driveability. It’s not just for the blokes towing three tonnes of caravan either, it’s for anyone who builds a serious tourer and still wants to enjoy the drive.
The Verdict
Outback Armour’s GVM system has proven itself across three of the country’s toughest tests: the corrugations of Cape York, the vast emptiness of the Gulf, and the endless dunes of the Simpson. It’s a true dual-purpose setup: capable of carrying the big loads, but still playful enough for real off-road driving.
