The best canopies for your Isuzu D-Max

While some utes are bought on reputation, some for their styling and others on their basis of their performance, Isuzu’s D-Max range of utes has been a strong seller on the basis of value-for-money and ruggedness. 

That means the Isuzu has become a natural choice for ute users who value their vehicle as a work tool, and not just a weekend warrior or family transport. 

The upshot of that is that the D-Max has always been a red-hot candidate for a canopy installation in order to make it even more of a Swiss Army knife. But what’s the best canopy for Isuzu D-Max owners? As usual, it’s a complicated answer.

Adding a canopy to a D-Max can give it a whole new skill-set. From service bodies that allow for specialist on-site work, to a simple canvas-over-steel-frame canopy for keeping camping gear dry to a plastic or fibreglass canopy that offers security and weather-proofing, there’s a canopy to suit any model and any configuration of D-Max.

And that's from the first model of 2008 in dual and single-cab versions (the space-cab model was added to the line-up in 2009) right up to the same body options in the current-model Isuzu.

Like a lot of modern ute line-ups, the D-Max is also available as a cab-chassis or styleside ute, and the former is by far the most likely candidate for a service body or canvas canopy. 

A service body, meanwhile, can be configured and custom-built to suit just about any on-site application, while the canvas unit is a one-person job to remove or fold back, allowing for high and bulky loads at short notice. 

Couriers who don’t know what they’ll be carting from one day to the next love them. The styleside D-Max, meanwhile, is more commonly fitted with the hard-shell plastic or fibreglass canopy which can also be tailored in terms of how the windows open, how the tailgate works along with a huge range of options and accessories to make the most of the whole vehicle.

ARB's popular body-matching canopy is available, although its warranty is a bit shorter than an official Isuzu one.

Plenty of specialist companies have been set up to supply service bodies for the D-Max and some of them offer a custom-design service to tailor the canopy to individual requirements. 

That said, there are plenty of off-the-shelf service bodies, too, so finding one to do the job is easier than you might think.

Canvas canopies can also be bought off the shelf, but they’re also the domain of motor trimmers and businesses that trim caravans and boats. 

The hard-shell canopy, meanwhile, is available from a huge range of suppliers including manufacturer-direct, ute and 4X4 superstores and smaller suppliers who will still likely have a range of brands under one roof.

If you’re buying a brand-new vehicle, then an Isuzu D-Max genuine canopy is a good option. You can be absolutely certain that the factory canopy will fit properly and be colour-matched accurately, although finding a genuine canopy for an older model D-Max may not be so easy. 

The factory canopy will fit properly and be colour-matched accurately.

That’s where the aftermarket comes in again, but don’t forget about a second-hand canopy that’s been removed from a trade-in D-Max or one that’s been front-ended and written off with no damage to the vehicle’s rear. 

But shop carefully when trolling the for sale ads; an Isuzu D-Max space cab canopy is not the same as the canopy for a single or dual-cab D-Max. 

Make sure, too, that the canopy you buy is made from UV-stable material so it won’t start to deteriorate after a few years of exposure to the elements. 

The better hard-shell canopies also have a roof vent feature which keeps dust at bay by pressurising the inside of the canopy while on the move. It’s also a great feature for those who travel with pets.

Isuzu D-Max canopy price points range enormously according to what style of canopy you want, who you buy it from and what options you need. But as a broad idea, a professionally made canvas unit can be had for as little as $1500 or so. 

Hard-shell canopies open the door for many options. (image credit: Flexisglass)

An alloy or metal canopy will be more expensive and a service body custom-built to a specific brief can be literally thousands of dollars. Bear in mind, though, that an Isuzu D-Max aluminium canopy can also be a very simple structure, so that can keep costs down.

The upper end of the off-the-shelf D-Max canopy price range is around the $5000 mark and that gets you a really high-end canopy with plenty of options and a factory warranty.

These hard-shell canopies from well known brands such as ARB, Flexiglass, TJM, Carryboy and many, many more also get you into the world of some truly brilliant options. 

LED interior lighting is popular with anybody who works or camps out of their ute, and central locking that is integrated into the ute’s locking system is also popular. 

Given the nature of your usage, you might want to consider a rear canopy tailgate that lifts with a single, central handle rather than a handle in each corner of the glass which makes opening it a two-handed procedure. Slam-shut latches are also a nice touch that aids convenience.

Carryboy makes a range of canopies for different vintage D-Maxs. (image credit: Carryboy)

Tradies love being able to add ladder racks or roof racks to their canopy and from there, it’s stuff like tinted windows, tie-down points, hinged or sliding side windows and extra tool boxes. So, no shortage of options, then.

Don’t forget to let your insurance company know you’ve had a canopy fitted. Both the replacement value of the vehicle and the cost of the premium could be affected. 

But basically, if your insurer doesn’t know about the canopy and the vehicle is a total loss, the cost of the canopy may not be included in the pay-out. 

Meantime, a vehicle with a secure canopy fitted might represent a reduction in the insurance cover for your work tools and camping gear.