Kumeu photographer Liam Coussons has built an impressive off-raod truck from the foundation of a tough Nissan Patrol and he’s finished the project off with quality accessories from Bushwakka.

An off-raod enthusiast for almost a decade, Coussons is the first New Zealand owner of the 2012 Patrol, and bought it with the initial idea of making a vehicle for his passion, outdoor photography.

Not long after it arrived, it was also doing some classic off-raod work. One thing led to another and the build began.

“Over the years I’ve had gear from all sort of brands. Now, I’m sorting out the best gear for what I do. That’s where Bushwakka comes in,” he said.

“I’ve fitted the ED270 awnings with walls, I’ve got a toilet tent and now the Big Shack rooftop tent.”

One of the features of the awning he rates highly is the built-in lighting in its support arms. On a recent three-week trip to the South Island with mates he took along a gas fire pit, which was brought under cover in wet weather and was popular with the group.

“We’ve just got the rooftop tent mounted and have some fine-tuning to get it exactly how we want it, linking the awning to the tent. I also want to sort out mountings for my solar gear on the tent body.

“Most of all, we’re looking forward to decent weather so we can take the truck out on more adventures. We’re definitely heading back south!”