Walk any overlanding campsite from the Kgalagadi to Kosi Bay and you’ll see the same truth: almost nobody runs a Land Cruiser bakkie with a bare load bin. The back of a Cruiser is a platform, and South Africa has built an entire industry on what goes onto it, from a farmer’s plain aluminium canopy to half-million-rand expedition bodies that sleep a family of four.
This guide maps the whole ladder: what each setup is, who builds it in SA, what it genuinely costs, and which one fits how you actually use your Cruiser.
Quick answer: There are five tiers, not two. (1) A canopy on the standard load bin: aluminium from ~R34k entry level, premium from Bushtech/RSI higher. (2) A tray (flat deck) replacing the bin: AluBlack’s from R82,225. (3) Tray + tray-canopy systems: modular, slide-off setups from ~R152k. (4) Canopy campers: Alu-Cab’s ModCAP/Canopy Camper turn the bin into a two-sleeper. (5) Full-body conversions, Bushwakka’s Kamelback replaces the rear entirely, ±R547k excluding the vehicle. Aluminium beats fibreglass for anything serious, and 4x4 Mega World’s 25+ branches are the biggest place to buy and fit.
The ladder at a glance
| Tier | What it is | Realistic cost | Who it’s for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canopy | Encloses the standard load bin | ~R34k entry, premium higher | Farmers, tradesmen, weekend tourers |
| Tray / flat deck | Replaces the bin with a flat bed | From R82,225 (AluBlack) | Farm & fleet workhorses |
| Tray + canopy system | Modular canopy on a tray, often slide-off | From ~R152k | Work-week / tour-weekend double lives |
| Canopy camper | Canopy that converts to living space | Premium, on request | Serious overlanders |
| Full-body conversion | Purpose-built habitat replaces the rear | ±R547k excl. vehicle | Expedition & family touring |
Tier 1: The canopy: where almost everyone starts
The classic. A canopy encloses the load bin, keeps dust off your gear, locks, and carries a rooftop tent if it’s built right. The material question settles most of the decision:
- Aluminium: the SA default. Strong, light and modular. Bushtech is the community benchmark: the 79 double-cab canopy weighs about 65kg, owners on the 4x4 forums call it “103% dust-proof”, and it comes with a 10-year frame warranty plus a free annual service for 10 years: no one else in the market offers that. Bushtech sells through dealers like Sheer Gear and HJM Offroad. On a budget, Big Country lists a 79 canopy at R33,599 to R35,499: the realistic entry price for new aluminium, with Gomad and Zambezi in the same value tier.
- Stainless steel: the tank. RSI SmartCap’s EVO canopies are built from 409 automotive-grade stainless. Owner verdict from the forums: “massively expensive and heavy… but a quality product.” If the Cruiser works a mine or a farm hard for a decade, this is the buy-once option.
- Fibreglass: think twice on a Cruiser. Smooth looks and lower prices, but the average fibreglass canopy weighs ~85kg (heavier than premium aluminium), cracks under point loads, and fibreglass units failing under rooftop tents is a recurring story. Fine for a mall bakkie; wrong for a working 79.
Live prices · 27 October 2026
Land Cruiser canopies with a price online today
7 in stock at 3 South African stores today, from R27 000 to R234 995. Typical price about R53 096.
Most canopy makers quote on request, so the list above is only the ones that publish a price. Use it as a floor, not the whole market.
Tier 2: The tray: the working answer
A tray (flat deck or dropside) removes the load bin entirely and replaces it with a flat, usually aluminium bed. You gain a bigger usable footprint (no wheel-arch intrusions), three-sided access, and honest tie-down points. This is standard practice on Australian 79s and it’s growing fast here.
- AluBlack (Buffeljagsrivier, founded 2022) builds trays for any single, extended or double cab: from R82,225.
- RMA Special Vehicles does OEM-grade dropside conversions engineered to retain the vehicle’s rated carrying capacity, the fleet and farming end.
- WR Off Road has developed a modular bin system specifically for the 79.
Tier 3: Tray + canopy systems: the double life
Put a purpose-built canopy on that tray and you get the most flexible setup on this ladder. Two SA systems stand out:
- AluBlack’s modular system is the clever one: the canopy/camper module slides off the tray completely: work bakkie Monday, camper Friday, and the module can even travel on their matching off-road trailer. Tray + canopy starts around R151,800 depending on extras (kitchen unit, 90L fridge slide, 270° awning, rooftop tent, solar, many of them Land Cruiser-specific), and they offer finance terms up to 60 months. International outlets have picked the system up as one of the most flexible truck-camping rigs anywhere.
- Bushtech’s tray canopies integrate the touring plumbing into the canopy itself: a built-in 75-litre water tank, a rear hatch that doubles as a camp table, a trundle drawer with stainless top, and a 400kg dynamic roof load rating, with the same 10-year warranty and service plan as their bin canopies.
Tier 4: Canopy campers: the bin becomes a bedroom
A canopy camper looks like a canopy but lives like a camper: wedge pop-top roof, sleeping deck for two, and internal access from the cab. Alu-Cab (Cape Town, the SA brand the whole world imports) owns this tier for the Land Cruiser:
- The Canopy Camper (Basic and Deluxe) is the established option for the 79.
- The ModCAP is the smart-money buy: it starts life as a flat-roof canopy for work and gear, then upgrades into a full two-sleeper camper when the budget or the trip demands it, you don’t have to choose on day one.
- For Troopy owners (75/78), the Hercules roof conversion is the same idea applied to the roof: standing room inside and an elevated bed for two.
Prices are on request and spec-dependent; buy through 4x4 Mega World, the official Alu-Cab distributor, with 25+ branches and a fitment centre at each, or dealers like HJM Offroad and All Terrain Africa.
Tier 5: Full-body conversions: the rear is replaced entirely
At the top of the ladder the load bin is gone and a purpose-built habitat mounts directly to the chassis:
- Bushwakka’s Kamelback (Swellendam district) is the reference build, and it’s earned international coverage from New Atlas, Carscoops and Gear Patrol. Marine-grade aluminium body, sleeping for four (pop-top bed plus fold-out lower bed), full kitchen, 90L water with hot shower cubicle, lithium power with optional 380W solar: at roughly R547,000 before you supply the Land Cruiser.
- Bushlore’s CruCAM is the same concept engineered for their rental fleet, you can rent one before you ever commit to building one, which is honestly the smartest way to test this tier.
- Custom shops, Bruiser Cruiser, Baillies Off Road (who also build game-viewer bodies), quote to spec.
The boring section that saves you money: weight, payload & paperwork
- Payload maths first. Everything on this ladder comes off your legal carrying capacity. A 65kg canopy is trivial; a tray + canopy + water + fridge + drawers stack isn’t. Weigh the loaded vehicle against its GVM before the Kalahari, not after.
- Dynamic roof ratings matter more than static. Corrugations multiply loads. If a rooftop tent is going on top, check the dynamic rating (Bushtech’s 400kg tray-canopy rating is the kind of number you want to see in writing).
- Conversions change the vehicle. A tray or full-body build alters the body configuration: reputable builders engineer to retain rated capacity (RMA states this explicitly), get it in writing, keep the certificate, and tell your insurer.
- Fitment is half the product. Dust-proofing lives or dies on the seal and the fitment. Buy from someone who fits professionally, it’s most of what you’re paying for at the premium end.
The verdict, by how you actually use your Cruiser
- Farm or fleet workhorse: a tray (RMA/AluBlack) or an entry aluminium canopy. Skip fibreglass.
- Weekend tourer: a premium aluminium canopy, Bushtech’s warranty and dust-proofing are the community pick, with a rooftop tent on top.
- Work-week, tour-weekend double life: AluBlack’s slide-off system or a Bushtech tray canopy. One vehicle, two jobs.
- Serious overlander: Alu-Cab ModCAP, start as a canopy, upgrade to the camper when ready.
- Expedition or family touring: the full-body tier, and rent a Bushlore CruCAM for a trip first; it’s the cheapest R500k decision-insurance you’ll ever buy.
Whatever tier you’re on, the second-hand market matters too: canopies and conversions hold value well in SA, and kitted Cruisers wear them proudly, browse the 79s currently for sale and count how many carry a canopy. That’s not an accident; it’s the most useful accessory this vehicle takes.
Building up a Cruiser for the long trips? Our 4x4 training course is a full day of recovery, navigation and load-management skills, R4,250 per person, and the best money you’ll spend before the gear.
