Isuzu MU-X build: MSA 4x4 cargo system

When we took delivery of the Isuzu MU-X as our new project car, we knew we’d be faced with some challenges for cargo space compared to the utes we’ve built in the past.

The MU-X is a relatively small wagon and the back of the car is also compromised by the third-row seating. In my opinion, third-row seating has no place in a 4x4 vehicle and should be limited to buses and people movers allowing us to maximise the usability of the rear of the car, both inside and underneath it.

The MU-X also has a measly 625kg payload and 2800kg GVM, so anything we added to the back of the car or on the roof would need to be carefully considered. This is in no way a criticism of the Isuzu directly but just highlights the challenges of prepping a mid-size wagon for a touring 4x4.

The easiest way to improve your payload is to lose some weight, and ditching those rear seats helped save a few kilos there. This allowed us to plan a more usable cargo space incorporating a travel fridge.

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Again we partnered up with our mates MSA 4x4 Accessories to help with a system but they were yet to develop one for the MY22 MU-X and needed our car to do the R&D. This allowed us to get an in-depth look at what’s involved in designing and building a cargo system that is both secure and safe, while maximising the available space.

MSA is the only manufacturer of rear cargo systems that we know to have actually crash tested its designs to ensure they stay secure in the event of a road accident. Think about it for a minute – that fridge full of cold cans or drawers stocked with recovery gear could be deadly if it were to come adrift in an accident and some methods we’ve seen of attachment don’t give a lot of confidence in their security.

MSA drawers and fridge slides don’t just bolt on to the existing floor in the back of the wagon. With the third-row seats out of the way, the Queensland-based MSA team designs and fabricates a steel frame to attach to the floorpan of the vehicle body and this is what the drawers and/or fridge slide are fastened to.

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With our car being the guinea pig for this installation, creating that frame involved old-school measuring, cutting and welding to get the right fit. Once this prototype was made, it was sent to the manufacturing team to be finished up.

The install is done with rated hardware and reinforcing in key areas to ensure the frame is solid and secure. Any drawers or slides are then mounted atop the frame with new floor sections made to give a factory-finished look and feel.

This was the first MU-X that MSA had done and, aside from the custom mounting frames, the products used are generic MSA fridge slide and single Explorer drawer. Whether this set-up goes in to full production will depend on demand.

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With the limitations imposed by available space, weight and the size of the rear door opening, we elected on a single-roller drawer on the driver’s side and a straight pull-out fridge slide on the passenger’s side. The size of the door opening prevents stacking a fridge on top of the drawers with a drop-down slide, but we reckon we’ve made the most for the space here, with plenty of room in the drawer for kit and cargo, space on top of it to throw a swag, bag or other large item, and the slide for a 40-litre fridge.

The space around the fridge is protected by a metal barrier, keeping any luggage off the fridge to ensure reliable operation of the fridge motor and protect it from overheating if it were to get covered up.

There’s space enough ahead of the installation to allow the rear seats to recline back to their farthest position and you can access under the cargo floor for a bit of extra storage. We’ve stowed the jack and tools under there, as the installation covers the factory storage space and they are easy to get to by folding the seats forward.

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We’ve been super impressed with MSA’s Explorer drawer system ever since we saw the prototypes many years ago. Made from aluminium to be light and strong, the drawers use a unique roller-bearing system for smooth and easy running. This system also allows the drawers to extend out their full length, so there’s no more digging and diving to find things at the back of the drawers as you need to with those that don’t come all the way out.

Even the feel and function of the knurled and anodised pull handles and the detents that hold the drawers open even when the car is on a slope, show the thought and detail in developing the Explorer drawers. Then you have the LED light strips inside the drawer that automatically come on when you pull out the drawers that show thought, practicality and quality.

These features and the fact that they have been crash tested to ADR standards give a feeling of security when fitting them and quality when using them.

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The same quality and functionality is there on the fridge slide as well. It does everything you ask of it and the attention to detail in the manufacturing is all top shelf.

We also grabbed an MSA fridge-slide table that simply clips on the end of the slide. It provides a convenient space to place items as you take them from the fridge or as a handy place to make a roadside cuppa. It comes with MSA’s canvas cutlery roll that attaches to the front of the table for easy access and then rolls up and stows in its own canvas pouch along with the table. Simple but clever thinking to create products that work.

They guys also fitted a set of the MSA Towing mirrors and we’ll tell you more about them later, but it’s safe to say we’re rapt with the extra rear visibility they give for everyday use.

Pricing

Single Explorer Drawer: $1338
Straight Slide SL40: $446
Clip-On Table 30009: $145
Fridge Barrier FBSL40N: $419
Towing Mirrors TM900: $887

Website: www.msa4x4.com.au