How much does a Utemaster Load-Lid cost?

If you've just spent $50,000 or more on a new ute, it makes sense to be deliberate about what you add to it. A hard lid is one of the most significant accessories you'll buy - so here's a straight answer on what drives the cost, and what you can expect to pay.

The Utemaster Load-Lid starts from $3,931 + GST.

Your final price depends on two things: which lid design suits your ute, and which accessories you add to it.

Lets start by looking at what actually influences cost. The 2 most common Load-Lid designs are the Standard Load-Lid and the Sports Bar compatible Load-Lid.

Standard Load-Lid

This is a 1-piece rectangular design that entirely covers your tub, and being 1-piece it is the easiest to manufacture, uses fewer materials and is very easy to install.

Although when compared with a fiberglass, plastic or entry-level Aluminium hard lid, there are some reasons why the cost is different.

If you're removing your sports bars, or your ute doesn't have them, this is the right option.

Sports Bar Load-Lid

This is a 3-piece design that incorporates a separate Sports Bar mounting plate as well as the main shell. The 3 pieces are the Lid Shell, Sports Bar Mounting Plate and the Sports Bar (which comes with your vehicle).

The lid shell opens between the Sports Bars which means the shell is 'T-shaped' to fit around the bars. The shell has approximately 3x the process time compared with a standard Load-Lid.

The Sports Bar mounting plate runs full length to the tailgate to provide superior water resistance (the plate channels rain away from the tub) and due to the security and weather protection requirements, a lot of process time goes into this vital component.

Because the shell has approximately three times the process time of a Standard lid, and the mounting plate requires significant additional work for weatherproofing and security, this option costs more to manufacture.

The single biggest cost driver between the two options is the decision to keep or remove your sports bars.

How Accessories Affect Your Total Price

Accessories can add meaningfully to your build cost depending on how you use the ute. There are two sensible approaches:

Fully set up for use from day one

If you're intending on using your Ute to its maximum potential then you don't want to be caught out not having the right setup.

For Work: Have a good think about what you will be using the Ute for. If you're a builder then you need to be able to secure loads down safely on top of the lid. A set of Side Rails and Central Locking would be the bare minimum! If it's your every day work horse then that little bit of extra investment upfront can save a nightmare unfolding — i.e. if you carry a dog to the job site and she gets completely wet, you'll need to carry her home in the tub – but that's only doable if you spec'd a Lid Spacer Kit to allow ventilation in the tub!

For Adventure: When out 4WDing or camping being inadequately prepared can be a total nightmare. This is where the extra investment upfront on a set of side rails and Cross Bars could mean the difference between being able to Install a Roof Top Tent and sleep off the ground vs spending hours each day setting up camp on the ground. If having time off with friends and family is important to you then don't let your gear hold you back.

Basic Set Up with Minimal Accessories

If the ute is primarily a daily driver and you're not sure how you'll use it yet, start with the base lid and add accessories as your needs become clear. Think of a Utemaster Load-Lid™ as a swiss army knife that you can add to as you go!

Why are some ute lids more expensive than others?

There's a wide range of hard lids on the market. The difference comes down to one thing: whether the product was designed to meet a price point or a performance spec.

Price-based and spec-based hard lids typically differ significantly across these areas:

Materials & build quality

Spec & features

Manufacturing & labour

Fit & finish

Long-term durability

Vehicle-specific fitment

Price-based lids: Some companies start the product design process with a price, and everything works backwards from there. Although this process works great to keep the cost low, it means spec is constantly removed along the process. As a Ute owner, there are some major issues with this process you should be aware of:

Corner cutting. To reduce cost, corners are constantly cut the whole way along the process. A few years (or months!) down the track these types of cost-cutting issues will rear their ugly head:
- Thinner materials used on panels, structural components and hardware
- Lower-grade materials with low fatigue resistance such as 1000 series aluminium
- Non UV stabilized surface paint or powder-coating
- Non UV stabilized rubbers and plastic
Lower Spec. Every extra element of spec will add to the overall cost, so some companies remove spec until you're left with the bare-bones:
- Lack of sufficient bracing
- No internal protection of locking mechanisms
- The product does not come fully assembled
- Convenience features such as being easy to remove are ignored
- Ergonomics, fit and finish are overlooked
- Lower load-ratings
- Generic (non model-specific) components that don't fit individual vehicles properly
Labour and Manufacturing. To reduce costs, a price-based manufacturer would normally import their product from Asian countries where labour is cheap.
Aesthetics/Style. If it costs more to make it look good, this is often one of the first corners to cut:
- Mouldings that are generic and don't suit a vehicle exactly
- The overall product doesn't match the vehicle body and shape
- Poor surface finish
- Unfinished edges/overall look
- Dated and unusual components

Spec-based Product Design: To design a market-leading product, some companies (like Utemaster) take the spec-based design philosophy. This means designing a product to suit the needs of real-life ute owners in real situations. Although this always costs more than a price product, there are major advantages:

Quality first. How long does this product need to last, who will be using it, what will they be loading on it?
- Solid structure, inside and out
- Quality materials of a suitable gauge and grade such as 5052 Aluminium
- UV stabilised surface paint or powder coating
- UV stabilised rubbers and plastic
Desired Spec. Every extra element of spec adds to the user experience:
- Rigid and adequate bracing
- Protection for locking mechanisms and wiring routing
- Places to mount your own accessories
- Fully assembled and ready for fitting out of the box
- Can be easily removed and re-fitted
- Ergonomic to use
- Additional features built in such as t-tracks
- High load-ratings
- Every product is model specific
Labour and Manufacturing. These products are generally manufactured in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa or USA.
Aesthetics/Style. These products add value to your ute's appearance:
- The product fits each specific vehicle exactly
- Thought and attention has gone into how it ties in with the vehicle's design language
- Professional and desirable surface finishes
- Modern components, hardware and overall design
- Vehicle curves are adapted to, even though it is a sheet metal product