Ute Tray and Canopy Design: What a 3D Scan Must Show

A tray or a canopy is one of the most common reasons fabricators buy a 3D file of a ute. Both look like they only need the outside of the truck, but the points that decide the fit sit lower and further back than most people expect. This guide lists those points, shows which of them a scan can give you, and which you still check on the truck.

What does a tray sit on?

A tray replaces the tub, so it is designed around the chassis, not the body:

Area	Why it matters	Can a scan show it?
Frame rail width and height behind the cab	The tray’s subframe sits on the rails	Yes, if the frame is in the file behind the cab
The rail kick-up over the rear axle	Rails rise over the axle on most utes, so mounts are not all at one height	Yes, if the rails are scanned over the axle
Tub or tray mounting points	Where the subframe bolts on	Partly: positions yes, hole sizes and threads no
Rear axle, springs and bump stops	The tray floor must clear the axle at full bump	Yes, with the tub removed or hidden
Fuel tank, filler neck and exhaust	Toolboxes and drop sides hang beside them	Yes, if the underbody is scanned
Cab back and rear window	The headboard follows the cab and must clear it as the body moves	Yes
Wheel arches and tyres	Tray width and the height of the floor above the tyres	Yes, but check your tyre size
Tow bar, tail lights and number plate	Rear frame extension and light mounts	Yes, if they are fitted on the scanned truck

A file that holds the cab and the body is not enough on its own for a tray. Look for a chassis file, a file with the tub removed, or a full-vehicle file whose frame is modelled all the way to the rear.

What does a canopy sit on?

A canopy stays on the tub, so the bed is the reference:

the inner length and width of the tub, and the width between the wheel arches;
the height and profile of the bed rails, which the canopy clamps or bolts to;
the tailgate opening and how the tailgate swings;
the cab back, the rear window and the gap the canopy keeps from them;
the roof line, if the canopy is meant to line up with it.

A full-vehicle scan with the tub in place usually covers all of these. Interior bed liners change the inner width by a few centimetres, so note whether the scanned truck has one.

Same model is not enough: cab, bed and wheelbase

The same truck name often comes in several cab and bed lengths. On many full-size pickups the wheelbase stays the same while the cab gets longer and the bed shorter, so the cab back sits in a different place over the same frame. Before you buy, check that the file matches your truck’s:

cab type (single, extra or king cab, double or crew cab);
bed length or tray length;
wheelbase, which the product page or the seller can confirm;
suspension type at the rear: leaf springs and coil springs change the axle area a tray has to clear.

What should you still measure on the truck?

Bolt hole positions and sizes on the frame and the body mounts.
The gap between cab and tub, or cab and tray headboard, on your own truck.
Ride height, if your truck is lifted, loaded or on different springs.
Anything the scanned truck did not have fitted: a different tow bar, a long-range tank, an aftermarket exhaust.

A scan gives you the shapes, angles and clearances in one model. A tape measure confirms the few numbers that bolts go through. The mistakes guide lists the checks that catch most errors before the first cut.

Which of our files suit tray and canopy work?

Every file of ours that covers the bed or the frame of a pickup is listed, with what it covers and its measured size, on the tray and canopy page. The Isuzu D-Max 2020 guide shows one truck in full. If you need a specific figure before you buy, such as rail width behind the cab or the height of the bed rails, send us the points and we measure them on the file for you.

Sources

Our own catalogue files and measurements, as listed on each product page of cadgaragepro.com.