The rear of a touring 4WD takes daily punishment from tow ramps, jetty edges and trailer corners. Tow ramps catch the rear bumper. Jetty edges scrape the lower panel. Other vehicles back into yours. Trailer corners catch the corner of the tub. Touring 4WDs that see real use end up with cracked rear panels, bent towbars and damaged tail lights, and most of it could have been prevented with a proper rear bar.
Ultimate Offroad supplies and fits rear bars, towbar carriers, wheel carriers and integrated recovery hitches from PIAK Offroad and Offroad Animal. Vehicle-specific, professionally installed at Ferntree Gully and Pakenham.
Rear bar installs need full alignment of bar to chassis, integration of factory tail lights and reverse cameras, and squaring of towbar tongue. Typically a full workshop day.
Call
1300 633 762 or
submit a service enquiry.
KEY CATEGORIES AND WHAT THEY'RE BUILT FOR
REAR BARS
Steel structure protecting the rear panel with integrated rated tow tongue and recovery hitch points. PIAK and Offroad Animal as standards.
WHEEL CARRIERS
Swing-away or fixed wheel carriers move the spare from the underbody to the rear bar. Frees up space for long-range fuel tanks.
RECOVERY HITCHES
Rated recovery hitches engineered for kinetic and winch loads. Standard towballs are not recovery-rated.
TOWING ACCESSORIES
Tow chains, towing mirrors, brake controllers and the supporting kit for caravans, trailers and commercial loads.
REAR BARS AND TOWBAR CARRIERS
A rear bar wraps the back end of the vehicle with a steel structure that protects the rear panel, integrates a towbar with proper rated tow tongue, and (on touring rigs) carries jerry cans, water tanks, gas bottles, jacks and a wheel.
Premium rear bars from PIAK Offroad and Offroad Animal include integrated recovery hitches rated for 4750kg+ and proper LED stop, tail and indicator lights. We fit these on Ranger, Hilux, Triton, Patrol, LandCruiser 76/79 and 200/300 Series.
WHEEL CARRIERS
For long-range touring rigs, a swing-away or fixed wheel carrier moves the spare wheel from the rear underbody (where it sits low and gets damaged) to a protected position on the rear bar. Frees up underbody space for long-range fuel tanks and improves departure angle.
Swing-away wheel carriers (PIAK, Offroad Animal) hinge to one side, allowing full rear-door access. Fixed carriers stay in position but are simpler and lighter. Choose based on how often the rear door is accessed.
RECOVERY HITCHES
Standard towball hitches are not rated for recovery loads. A recovery hitch uses a rated pin and a high-strength steel block that takes kinetic recovery loads safely.
We install recovery hitches as part of rear bar fits or as standalone upgrades on existing tow points. Most premium rear bars (PIAK, Offroad Animal) include rated hitches or are compatible with rated hitches sold separately.
TOWING ACCESSORIES
Beyond the bar itself, towing rigs need towing mirrors for caravan visibility, tow chains for safety chains, and brake controllers for trailers over 750kg with electric brakes.
We fit the full tow setup as a coordinated install: bar plus electrical (tail lights, brake controller, trailer plug) plus mirrors plus accessories.
BRANDS WE INSTALL
PIAK Offroad covers premium rear bars and towbar carriers for popular Australian utes and 4WDs. Clean lines, integrated wheel carrier and recovery hitch options, tested mounting structure. The standard fit for serious touring builds. Offroad Animal covers aggressive-styled rear bars and protection components, suiting Ranger, Triton and D-MAX rigs where the front-of-vehicle styling is also Offroad Animal.
We also install rear bars and tow components on order from other premium brands; contact the workshop with your vehicle and the spec.
PROFESSIONAL INSTALLATION AT OUR VICTORIAN WORKSHOPS
A rear bar install is engineering work. The mounting points have to align with chassis rails to take towing and recovery loads. The wiring loom for tail lights, indicators and reverse lights has to be integrated cleanly with the factory loom. The towbar tongue has to be fitted at the right height and squared to the vehicle.
We do rear bar installs at Ferntree Gully and Pakenham with full alignment, electrical integration and post-install function test. Typical install is a full workshop day. Send a service enquiry with your vehicle and the bar spec.
1300 633 762