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Truck Body Building & Chassis Fabrication

Design & Modelling / Prototypes / Heavy Vehicle Engineering

Structural and custom fabrication for trucks, heavy vehicles and mining equipment

Structural fabrication on a heavy vehicle is load-path work before it is anything else. A chassis, body or mounting structure has to carry and transfer the forces the vehicle sees in service, so a modification is only as sound as the way it is engineered, welded and certified. REA designs and fabricates that work in-house, from chassis extensions and wheelbase modifications through to custom truck body building and structural repair, and does it at our Forrestdale, WA facility.

The requirement is rarely “fabricate some steel”. It is usually a truck or piece of equipment that needs to be modified, repaired or adapted to perform a particular duty: a standard chassis or body configuration that does not suit the work. REA’s job is to re-engineer it so it does, then document and certify it so the asset can return to service.

REA fabricates for trucks, heavy vehicles, and mining and earthmoving equipment. We do not undertake building or domestic structural steelwork, but within vehicles and the structures around them, the scope is broad.

Chassis fabrication and modification

Chassis work is fatigue-critical, which is why REA treats it as an engineered task rather than a cutting-and-welding one. The load path across any splice or modified section is assessed at the design stage, and where the application warrants it the design is validated by in-house Finite Element Analysis before any material is cut.

  • chassis extensions and reductions, with the splice located and reinforced to suit the load, not simply where the cut is convenient
  • wheelbase modifications
  • chassis fabrication and modification for a specific application or duty
  • structural repair of damaged or failed sections, cutting out the affected member and fabricating and welding in a custom replacement
  • chassis plates, mounting structures and frames

Truck body building and custom bodies

  • vehicle body building and custom bodies
  • vehicle & body repairs
  • custom service-body modifications
  • tank and ancillary-equipment relocation, including the supporting structure and mounts
  • toolboxes and storage
  • chassis-mounted frames and walkways
  • tow hitches and couplings, engineered and rated to the application
  • hydraulic integration
  • earthmoving and heavy-vehicle modifications and repairs

ROPS Engineering Custom body work for heavy vehicles

Engineered, fabricated and certified under one roof

Because design and fabrication sit together at Forrestdale, a modification is engineered, drawn, profiled, welded, finished and fitted as a single controlled process rather than passed between separate businesses.

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  • Profiling. Structural members and plate are cut on CNC plasma for accurate, repeatable profiles, so parts fit as designed and fit-up is clean before welding.
  • Welding. Structural joints are completed by coded welding to procedure, which is the standard a certifier and a site auditor will expect on a load-bearing connection.
  • Validation. FEA is carried out in-house through SolidWorks Simulation where a design carries structural or fatigue load, so the connection is proven at the design stage rather than in service.
  • Finishing. Completed work is abrasive-blasted and protective-coated so the repair or modification lasts in the operating environment, not just on delivery.

Every completed job is handed over with a Manufacturing Data Record documenting the work carried out. Structural work involving ROPS is supplied with VSB 6 certification, and where a project requires formal, independent sign-off, REA engages an external engineer or certifier as part of the job.

Example project #1

Scania P380, rear chassis extension and tow-hitch modification.

The rear components were stripped and the chassis prepared, then extended by approximately 400 mm, with the extension welded and finished and the splice detailed to carry the load. Mounting points and the tow-hitch and bracket arrangement were re-engineered to suit, and the section was abrasive-blasted, painted and refitted. A clear before, process and completed sequence that shows what a chassis extension actually involves beyond the length change.

Example project #2

Heavy vehicle structural chassis repair

On a truck where the chassis had split around the cab-and-body connection, a fatigue-prone area on any heavy vehicle, the damaged section is being cut out and a custom-fabricated replacement fabricated and welded into place. A representative example of a structural repair that returns a working asset to service rather than writing it off.

Heavy vehicle structural engineering FAQ

Yes. Chassis extensions, reductions and wheelbase modifications are regular work, engineered so the splice and load path suit the vehicle, and certified accordingly.

Yes. REA cuts out the failed member and fabricates and welds in a custom replacement, restoring the original load path.

Yes. Modifying, repairing and adapting existing bodies to suit the duty is core work, including service bodies, tank and equipment relocation, and supporting structure.

Yes, along with the mounting structure, fabrication and hydraulic work required to carry and connect it.

Yes. Fabrication, hydraulics and auto electrical are all in-house, so they are engineered and completed as one job.

Yes. Design and fabrication are both in-house, so finished drawings are not required before requesting a quote.

Yes. Building to a single validated specification and replicating it consistently across a fleet is standard practice.

A Manufacturing Data Record with every job, VSB 6 certification on ROPS structural work, and independent certification where a job requires it.

No. REA’s fabrication is focused on trucks, heavy vehicles and mining and earthmoving equipment rather than building or domestic steel.