Now or Never started with heartbreak. After losing Erin's mum to breast cancer, Brisbane-based Alex and Erin Pickard stopped putting their plans off for "one day". In their words, "What if that 'one day' never comes?" So they packed up and set off on a Big Lap of Australia in 2024 with their two kids, while the kids were still young enough to want to come along. Two months in, Alex's dad passed away, which gave the name an even deeper meaning.
These days they tour part-time, mostly during school holidays, with a three-tonne caravan in tow. After seven years and nearly 200,000 km in their 2019 Ford Ranger, they upgraded to a BYD Shark 6 Performance and fitted a Utemaster Centurion canopy themselves at home.
Below, you can watch their full self-install, see why they chose the Centurion and the features that sold them, and read how they got from the Ranger to the Shark.
What They Needed from a Canopy
For the Shark, Alex and Erin wanted to keep the factory tub and fit a tub canopy that gave them what their two Ranger canopies hadn't: easy access to their gear, a setup that stays dry, and proper security for everything they carry. Ventilation was the other must-have, as their dog travels in the back.
When the Shark arrived, the timing lined up. The Centurion arrives fully assembled, prewired and sealed, so there's no flat-pack build or sealing to do on arrival.
The DIY Install
Alex and Erin chose to fit the Centurion themselves and give it a good crack at home. The central locking harness took the most time, with trim panels to remove and a cable run through the floor grommet. From there, it was brackets on and a two-person lift onto the tub.
"Wiring was the most time-consuming, but straightforward and fairly easy," says Alex. He does mention it's probably a good call to start earlier in the day than they did.
Watch the full self-install below.
The Features That Sold Them
| Feature | Why it mattered to them |
|---|---|
| Full-width doors | No space is lost on either side, and getting gear out is easy. |
| Monsoon Proof sealing | Rain channels and heavy seals keep everything dry. A big one after the water problems in their old canopy. |
| Central locking on all three doors | The Bandit Proof locks stay locked even if a handle is forced. |
| Positive-pressure vent | Pushes air through on dusty roads to keep dust out, and doubles as a neat exit for their Starlink cable. |
| Rear lighting | Switches off automatically when the door closes. |
| Dog Vent Kit | Extra latches hold the door slightly open for airflow while it stays locked, which suits travelling with their dog, Cooper. |
If you're setting up your ute for a dog, read our guide to travelling with dogs.
How They Got Here: 7 Years in the Ranger
Alex and Erin bought their Ranger XLS Sport brand new in 2019, before the channel and before they had any plans to tour. Around a third of its kilometres were spent towing caravans, and it was built up along the way with a lift, GVM upgrade, all-terrain tyres, bullbar, snorkel and dual-battery setup.
Their first canopy was an ARB fibreglass canopy, which was tricky to work in and hard to get gear out of. They later swapped to a second-hand chassis-mounted service-body-style canopy from Marketplace. It was far more practical, but water getting in was an ongoing problem.
As the caravans got heavier, the Ranger started to struggle, and transmission problems from towing in the heat meant it was time to retire it from towing. It now lives on as their work and farm ute.
Why the BYD Shark 6 Performance
Alex and Erin came into the search with three priorities. It had to stay within their means, it had to be comfortable and good-looking for family travel, and it needed the power to tow their three-tonne van. The Shark 6 Performance ticked all three, with 350 kW, 700 Nm of torque and a 3,500 kg towing capacity. They picked it up in June 2026.
It's a plug-in hybrid, with two electric motors driving the wheels and a 2-litre turbo petrol engine that mostly works as a generator. Around town, Erin can run it almost entirely on battery, so it's economical day to day. When towing, they expect it to be thirsty, and they went in with realistic expectations rather than buying it to save on fuel.
The Rest of the Build
Before the canopy went on, the Shark had new wheels and tyres, a long-range fuel tank taking it from 60 to 120 litres, and a hardwired brake controller.
Watch the wheels and tyres episode below.
Getting the Weights Right
Once you add a canopy, a long-range tank, the family and the caravan's ball weight (Alex uses 'the 10% rule', so roughly 300 kg, for a three-tonne van), the Shark's factory payload disappears quickly. Having run into weight limits with the Ranger, Alex had the GVM upgraded to 3,950 kg with Pedders.
Alex and the Pedders team talk through front versus rear axle loads, ball weight and payload in the episode below. I found this one really insightful, as it explains why the headline GVM number isn't the whole story.
Watch the GVM upgrade below.
What's Next for the Shark
With the GVM sorted, the internal fit-out is next. The plan is a drawer fridge and a storage drawer side by side under a half-height floor, with Custom Lithium installing the battery system and a Utemaster front wall panel going in to carry the power setup.
My Shark Takeaways
After watching Alex's Shark 6 series, these are the points that stood out to me if you're thinking about one for towing. A big one was that the numbers may appear better on paper than they work out in practice, so check the figures against your own setup.
- It's heavy. Alex points out the Shark weighs 2,775 kg before you add people, fuel or accessories, so payload goes quickly.
- Check the GCM, not just the towing capacity. The Shark 6 Performance can tow up to 3,500 kg, but with a GCM of 6,650 kg, you can't load the ute and caravan to their individual maximums at the same time.
- A GVM upgrade can mean extra indicators. I wasn't aware that a GVM upgrade in Australia could mean fitting extra side indicators if you change vehicle category. If you're looking at an upgrade, it's worth checking they're included in your kit and quote.
- It's all-wheel drive, not a traditional four-wheel drive. There's no driveshaft connecting the front and rear, so it relies on technology and crawl mode off-road.
- Budget for the towing extras. It comes with a towbar and 12-pin plug, but no brake controller or Anderson plug, so factor those into your budget.
Ready for the Long Way Round
For a family that doesn't want to wait for "one day", the setup has to be ready when they are.
Follow along with Alex, Erin and the kids on Now or Never, and if you're setting up your own Shark 6, explore the Centurion canopy built for it.
