Tipper Hungry Boards Australia — The Complete Guide
By All Tarps Australia, Heatherbrae NSW — truck tarps and tipper accessories.
What is a hungry board?
A hungry board is a side extension fitted above the existing sides of a tipper body. It lifts the sides higher so you can carry more light, bulky material — mulch, green waste, woodchip, soil, general rubbish — and keeps loose loads from spilling over the sides on the road.
The name comes from exactly what you'd expect: it makes the tipper "hungrier". You'll also hear them called tipper extension boards, side boards or side extensions.
Why fit them?
- More volume per trip. Light materials fill a tipper by volume long before they reach its weight limit. Higher sides = fewer trips.
- Less spillage. Loose loads sit below the board line instead of mounding over the sides.
- Light and rust-free. Aluminium boards are easy to handle and don't rust like steel extensions.
One thing they don't do: hungry boards do not increase your vehicle's legal GVM, axle capacity or permitted payload. They add volume for light, bulky loads — the operator is always responsible for legal loading, restraint and safe operation.
Single height vs double height
A single-height system runs one plank per side — the most common setup on light tippers. A double-height system stacks two planks per side for maximum volume, usually on bigger bodies with taller uprights. All Tarps currently supplies single-height kits; double-height is on the way.
Aluminium vs poly
Polyethylene (plastic) hungry boards exist mainly for mining haul trucks and off-road dump bodies. For on-road tippers — landscaping, civil, tree work, waste — aluminium plank boards are the standard: rigid, light, weather-proof and easy to cut to the exact length of your body.
What do hungry boards cost in Australia?
Workshop-fitted systems commonly run from around $1,100 for a basic single-height fit-out to $3,500-plus for taller multi-board setups — and most fitters only quote after you bring the truck in.
All Tarps supplies cut-to-size systems with up-front pricing you can order online:
- Complete single-height kit (2 planks, end caps, brackets both sides, bolts): from $1,099
- Replacement pair (boards only): from $605
- Single replacement board: from $329
- Mounting bracket kit (brackets and bolts only): $349
All prices include GST. Cutting to your exact length is included free.
How cut-to-size works
Pick a maximum-length option (up to 2.4m, 3.0m, 3.6m, 4.0m, 5.0m or 6.0m) and pay. Cutting is free and optional: give us your exact finished length in millimetres — there's a field on every product page, or use the order notes or email — and we cut to the millimetre before dispatch. Prefer to trim on site? Leave it blank and we supply the full length of the option you picked (“Up to 3.6m” ships as 3.6m). Complete kits are always checked for fitment from your photos before anything is cut or shipped.
Will they fit my tipper?
Tipper bodies vary between body builders — even on the same truck model. That's why we confirm every complete-kit fitment from your photos and measurements before anything is made. See our guide: how to measure your tipper for hungry boards.
Do I need a modification certificate?
Bolt-on accessories are often fitted within a vehicle's specifications, but tipper body work can fall under the national heavy-vehicle modification code (VSB6). Depending on your truck and how the boards are fitted, certification by an Approved Vehicle Examiner may apply — if unsure, check with your body builder or an AVE. We supply the parts; we don't certify vehicle modifications.
Ready to go?
Shop the Complete Hungry Board Kit →
Questions, or want us to check your setup first? Email contact@alltarps.store with a few photos of your tipper — we'll tell you straight if it'll work. Local pickup from Heatherbrae NSW; freight Australia-wide, confirmed per order and invoiced before dispatch. Local installation available by quotation.