How to find the right canopy for your Mitsubishi Triton

The Mitsubishi Triton is one of Australia's quiet achievers in terms of sales and popularity, and it remains one of the best value-for-money utes on offer.

It's a highly functional ute but it can be improved with the installation of a lockable canopy. You could opt for a genuine Mitsubishi Triton canopy or a feature-packed canopy designed to suit your lifestyle.

There are canopy styles to suit every kind of Triton and the canopies are made from a wide variety of materials, including canvas, UV-stable ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a thermoplastic polymer), fibreglass, steel or aluminium. 

For our tips on how to track down the best canopy for your Triton, read on.

Different types of Triton canopies

A top-quality canopy, like ARB's Classic Plus canopy, looks good and is functional. (image credit: ARB)

The right canopy for your Triton depends largely on what you want to do with it – if work is your ute's focus, then a tradie set-up suited to storing and carrying tools is your best bet (i.e. tool boxes, deep drawers etc); for outdoor activities, such as mountain-biking or kayaking, the canopy will need to fit in with your chosen sport (i.e. bike carriers, drawers for bike spares, a kayak rack etc); and for keen 4WDers a canopy, purpose built to meet camping needs, will be required (i.e. fridge slide, cooker space, drawers for kitchen gear etc). Designs will vary but function-focus, specific to your Triton's main activity, will remain.

(Note: Before you get stuck into your search for a Triton canopy there are a few other mods you might want to sort out, such as tyres, for instance, but don't worry, hit the 'Read More' link below and check out that yarn – that'll put you on the right track.)

A genuine Mitsubishi Triton canopy is an adequate unit, but ute owners want their canopies to have even more versatility.

Main materials used include canvas, ABS plastic, fibreglass, aluminium and steel and there are model-specific canopies: a single cab canopy, extra cab canopy, and a dual cab canopy. 

Budget-friendly examples are available but, while designs may vary, a top-quality canopy – such as one available from Ironman 4x4, ARB, Norweld, Carryboy, Flexiglass, Opposite Lock, TJM etc – will benefit from features such as lockable side windows and rear-access window, canopy vent (to reduce dust ingress by positively pressurising the canopy’s interior), tinted safety glass (5mm tinted and tempered), central locking, push-button side opening windows, and more.

Other features – such as keyless entry, high-spec adhesive, LED interior lights, stylish interior and an anti-entrapment dial (so people can get out of the canopy if inadvertently closed inside) – are all great additions.

A sturdy easy-access ladder should also be part of a canopy set-up if you want to access your rooftop tent or grab some gear from your roof rack.

If your dogs are an important part of the family like mine are, then a canopy with a dog pod might be the right thing for your ute.

Some want functionality, such as a drawer system, a fridge slide and more, while others are keen to fit out their canopy with an accomodation option, such as a rooftop tent*. (*Note: a rooftop tent will soak up at least 50kg of your ute’s legal payload, so that will affect how much other stuff you can legally carry in your Triton.) Some people make full use of their canopy by installing their Redarc pure sine wave inverter or in-vehicle battery charger, onboard air compressors and more in it.

A Triton ute canopy can also function as a great platform for a roof-top tent.

What are your Mitsubishi Triton canopy options?

An Ironman 4x4 canopy secures and protects your work tools and camping gear. (image credit: Ironman 4x4)

If you're keen to put a canopy on your Triton then you're in luck because there are myriad options: second hand canopies, DIY jobs, ready-made off-the-shelf examples, through to a highly-personalised custom canopy. Remember though that the same rule applies here as should to any purchase: if a canopy is so cheap it seems too good to be true, then it probably is.

Luckily for us, Australian companies make some of the world’s best ute canopies because we Aussie off-roaders demand a lot from our gear.

In today’s aftermarket there’s a ute canopy to suit every lifestyle, vehicle and budget. There are variations to suit every kind of ute and tub or a tray canopy, and some ute canopies have interior lay-outs designed to incorporate tool boxes, or are purpose-built for camping, with roll-out drawers and more.

The basic structure of ute canopies may not change a lot between models – each one has a roof, walls, and likely a flip/lift door at the rear, a fixed-shut window at the front, and sliding or flip/lift windows on the sides – but each canopy’s capacity to be flexible, in terms of accessibility and storage, may vary widely.

Options for features include extra tie-down points, central locking, climate control, in-built lighting, soft-close windows, built-in storage systems (such as slide-out drawer systems) and even a slide-out kitchen.

Some canopies are bolted onto a ute's tray and can be removed without too much fuss.

How much does a Triton canopy cost?

A functional canopy is a great addition for a capable ute. (image credit: Ironman 4x4)

Canopy prices range from a couple of hundred dollars for a DIY canvas-and-steel-frame job, to more than $5000 (fitted) for an off-the-shelf canopy or even custom, build-your-own versions.

A genuine Mitsubishi Triton canopy – made of ABS plastic, body coloured to match your Triton's paint and with a lockable, gas-lift rear window, sliding side windows and a front window – costs from about $3700 each.

Prices of fibreglass or ABS plastic ute canopies start from around the mid-$2000s mark (including fitment).  

Prices range anywhere from $1500 for an aluminium ute half canopy you will have to fit yourself, to more than $5000 (fitted) for off-the-shelf canopies or even custom, build-your-own versions.

A Flexiglass FlexiSport canopy for your Triton MN dual cab – prices available from your preferred manufacturer or stockist on request, but expect to pay more than $3000.

A Flexiglass FlexiEdge canopy for your Triton MQ and MR dual cab – prices available from your preferred manufacturer or stockist on request, but expect to pay more than $3000.

Warranties for a ute canopy can range from one year, three years or a lifetime, depending on the materials used and the brand/manufacturer involved.

Who are the leading brands & manufacturers? Best places to buy?

A functional canopy is a great addition for a capable ute. (image credit: Ironman 4x4)

Australia's well-respected aftermarket brands and manufacturers include Ironman 4x4, ARB, NorWeld, Carryboy Australia, Flexiglass, Opposite Lock, and TJM.

Contact any of these mobs for a purpose-built canopy:

Find your nearest ARB store here. 

Find your nearest Ironman 4x4 store here.

Visit the Norweld website for your nearest stockist.

Visit CarryBoy to find your nearest stockist.

Visit Flexiglass (and go to 'Locate a Distributor') for your nearest stockist.

Find your nearest Wolf 4x4 store here.

Visti OppositeLock to find your nearest store.

Find the nearest TJM store here.