Dan Cowper is the force behind the Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge and Cowper Trucks and more recently the Extreme 4x4 Experience at Turakina.
Cowper Trucks builds trials vehicles that are at the sharp end of the New Zealand 4x4 Trials scene.
I headed out to the Turakina property to find Dan working in the shed which had a number of projects inside. He was actually working on his XXX Sled which is a space framed sled with three seats, basically a roll cage on rails, which is used as part of the Extreme 4x4 Experience. It was getting a rub down ready to freshen up the paint.
Dan Cowper has been around four wheeling since he got his first pair of short trousers. His father John Cowper was an active 4WD member so there was nothing else for Dan but to learn to 4WD. Dan is a top competitor still in the trials and also has a full-on rally car and is a popular competitor in the NZ rally scene. He has won the National NZ 4x4 Trials five times and has even taken his own Cowper Truck trials vehicle to the UK to compete in their version of trials. He was also behind the original Suzuki Jimny tray-back utes with the trays and chassis modifications done in his workshop.
The Suzuki Extreme is another of Dan’s mastermind ideas that began eight years ago with the idea of getting the top NZ competitors at the end of the trials season to battle it out for the title while filming it for TV. Over the years it has been hugely successful.
The 2024 event will be held on the 28 April. Once again the top 10 vehicles from the NZFWDA Trials will qualify for a place plus there will be two wildcard entries making 12 competitors over an extended event of 15 courses. Dan had been speaking with the TV production company seeking one more show making it four consecutive shows when the producer went a step further and offered five shows providing Dan could get the sponsorship together, to get the required number of cameras and crew to cover it. It’s a big risk for Dan but he bounced some of his ideas and thinking around as we had our cuppa. This man doesn’t stop thinking outside the box and had some rather interesting ideas for the upcoming 2024 event. We will have to wait and see which ones don’t end up on the ‘cutting room’ floor.
Back into the workshop and we wandered around the various vehicles that were ‘work in progress’ including a self-drive V8-powered Suzuki getting a little maintenance along with an old Suzuki LJ trials vehicle which Dan is slowly preparing for his son to drive. Like father, like son. No rush on that job so it was at the back corner, but the V8 Suzuki is required for his Extreme 4x4 Experience corporate days.
On the hoist was ‘The Gambler’ the fully independent-axle truck built for long-time friend Kevin Hermansen who won the Suzuki Extreme a couple of years ago and has been a top NZ Trials competitor almost from its debut. The truck has a Chev LSA supercharged 6.2 V8 and 35x17 Mickey Thompson tyres. Current work is to redesign the front-end frame and reduce overall weight. Dan had previously and successfully reworked the rear end with some good weight savings overall. The Gambler is always presented well.
The big project in the workshop is a new-build trials truck with a rear mounted V8 engine with a modified solid axle whilst the front independent suspension has a Mitsubishi Pajero rear diff head. Dan can see the diff drain plug from the drivers seat, because the diff head is upside down to get the drive in the right direction.
From there we had a quick look over the way at his latest ‘toy’ a Can-Am Maverick four-seater side by side which is used in his latest venture, the Extreme 4x4 Experience. Dan takes up to three passengers for rides in the Can-Am.
He also takes clients around some of the Suzuki Extreme 4x4 course in his V8 competition trials vehicle. Then there is the self-drive specially prepared V8 powered Suzuki 4x4. The driver operates the main controls while the co-driver has control of four independent brake levers.
Next there is the sled ride where Dan will tow up to three people seated inside the sled over steep angles and the odd bit of water. The Extreme 4x4 experience operates October to March and is bookings only.
