From small beginnings as a company of two, MSA 4x4 Accessories has grown to achieve international patents and acclaim for some of its innovative products, including its award-winning towing mirrors.
Every four-wheel driver and caravanner knows that when you’re out in the bush tackling the harshest of Aussie conditions, you want confidence in the best gear and accessories that money can buy.
Queensland-based MSA 4x4 Accessories has established a solid reputation in the sector for designing and manufacturing products to withstand Aussie conditions. They test and test again to ensure each product meets their stringent quality standards before it goes to market.
“We have a very large fear of failure in mind,” said MSA founder Shane Miles.
“We engineer our products to withstand what we believe will be the harshest they will encounter, and then add some. We don’t rush to market, we get out and test and use our products ourselves, and if any component ever gives doubt, we stop and modify and make it better, no exceptions.
“We care about the end person using our products as if they are our family and would hate to have them spend their money on a product that lets them down.”
Small beginnings
MSA was founded in November 2000. What started out as small company of two making small canvas accessories, seat covers and the original rear wheel bag has now grown to a thriving business employing more than 20 staff and offering a range surpassing 600 products.
MSA holds multiple patents nationally and internationally including its SEMA award-winning towing mirrors.
Other products in the extensive range include storage drawer systems, drop slides and straight slides, seat covers, fridge barriers, rear wheel bags, tourer and basket packs, cargo barriers and a variety of canvas products.
Lifestyle products and merchandise such as coffee kits, wine bottle tubes, hats and t-shirts have recently been added to the MSA range.
Award-winning towing mirrors
Towing mirrors play a vital role in ensuring improved visibility and safety when towing trailers or caravans during your offroading adventures.
They provide an extended rearward view, minimising blind spots and reducing the risk of accidents. With better visibility, you can easily spot vehicles approaching from the side or changing lanes, ensuring safer manoeuvres and preventing potential collisions.
While towing mirrors themselves are not a legal requirement, the law does require that a driver is able to see past the full length of the caravan or trailer at its widest point and a further 20 metres behind. In other words, the towing mirrors must be able to see wider than the object being towed.
MSA has put a lot of time and research into creating the perfect towing mirrors.
They are not ‘clip on’ extensions but replace the standard side mirrors for permanent visibility. They have four different positions to suit your specific towing setup and connect to your mirror’s existing wiring harness so that you can adjust the mirror angle (up, down, side to side) via the internal controller.
The MSA 4x4 Towing Mirrors have a slightly curved feature on the glass for enhanced vision. They also feature a large single mirror that pivots on an exceptionally sturdy extension assisting in more vision and less vibration. These mirrors are suitable for everyday driving as well as towing. All you must do is slide the mirror back into its first ‘non-towing’ position.
While they do require installation, you won’t have to worry about losing them while travelling. These mirrors are made for specific vehicle models including Ford, Toyota, Mazda, Isuzu, Jeep, Holden, Mitsubishi, Nissan, RAM and Volkswagen. MSA has just released new mirror models for the LandCruiser 300 Series and Ford Ranger, with the unique design features. The MSA mirrors appeal to the caravanner while they are out towing on the highway, but also when they unhitch the van and drive to town.
These market-leading towing mirrors are Australian Design Rules (ADR) compliant and come with a five-year warranty. In 2020 MSA’s towing mirrors won the SEMA Global Media Awards in Las Vegas, USA.
In addition, MSA has an extensive list of patents that have been granted in Australia, the USA, many international countries on its designed towing mirrors, drop slides and drawer systems, which is recognition of its innovation.
Extensive product range
MSA 4x4 Accessories strives to provide the best quality product and constantly looks for opportunities to refine and improve all its products.
MSA recently released its new towing mirrors, the MSA POWER FOLD towing mirrors, for multiple vehicles and drawer storage bags to help with in vehicle and in drawer organisation, as well as introduced a range of merchandise.
“There’s more to come,” said Shane. “We can’t say much right now, but watch this space.”
MSA has built a reputation for developing easy-to-use products that make caravanning and four-wheel driving safe and comfortable.
As well as towing mirrors, an MSA drawer system and drop slide for maximum storage and ease of use will make life on the road simpler, as will some form of rubbish storage, like a rear wheel bag.
The storage drawer systems are designed to make the most of the available storage space in your 4x4 vehicle, and they can be fitted in either the boot or your ute tub. With these systems fitted into the often-underutilised cargo areas you not only maximise your storage capacity but keep it tidy as well. With 100 per cent extension the MSA storage drawer systems enable efficient organisation of your gear, tools and supplies. This will ensure you can always find what you’re looking for and the days of dealing with a messy boot or tub will be a thing of the past.
There are various sizes of storage drawer systems available, each with unique features to suit different needs. The drawer systems provide ample storage space while maintaining access to the cargo area. MSA also offer a fully crash-tested and ADR compliant stack drawer system, ideal for those requiring extensive storage options. Modular drawer systems offer customisation, allowing you to mix and match drawer sizes and add accessories based on your preferences. Key features to consider include a sturdy aluminium construction that is built and tested to withstand Aussie conditions, smooth sliding mechanisms and secure locking mechanisms for rough offroad driving.
To see the drawers in action, check out this feature by John Ford where he installs them into his Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series.
Fridge slides offer convenient access to food and drinks during offroad trips, ensuring your refreshments stay cool and easily accessible throughout your adventure. They allow you to secure your portable fridge within your 4x4 vehicle, preventing it from shifting or getting damaged during rough terrain. With a simple slide mechanism, you can effortlessly extend and lower the fridge out of the vehicle, allowing you to grab snacks, drinks, or ingredients without the hassle of rummaging through the entire fridge.
John Ford also installed an MSA fridge slide into his vehicle, which you can check out here.
Cargo barriers play a crucial role in enhancing safety during your offroad adventures. These are particularly handy when carrying heavy of bulky gear as they prevent the items from moving around during sudden stops or when driving on rough terrain, thus minimising the risk of items becoming projectiles and causing injury to passengers in the event of a collision or sudden manoeuvre.
MSA also offers an extensive range of canvas products such as air bag compliant seat covers, canvas storage bags, roof top storage bags and many small storage accessories to help you organise your belongings on any trip.
Support for Caravan of the Year
This year, for the third time, MSA 4x4 Accessories was the major sponsor of Caravan World’s Caravan of the Year 2024 awards held on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula.
“We have had a great experience with you guys to date,” said Shane. “You are always there to offer support, the quality of publication is great and we appreciate the chance to interact with the caravan manufacturers.
“We look forward to supporting this in 2025.”
MSA offers a lifetime warranty on most products, and second-to-none customer support.
“If anything, ever goes wrong with one of our products, we are always here to help, even when warranty periods have expired. We love happy customers.
“We care, it just makes such a huge difference in todays’ world,” said Shane.
The future looks bright for MSA which has plans to expand its product range with more innovative products that make caravanning and four-wheel driving easier and safer.
To view the full range of MSA 4x4 Accessories products, visit its website.
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