Alu-Cab Canopy Camper Roll Call

[ParatusExpeditions]

I see, if that was me (don't have the camper yet), I would inquire to Alu-cab / your local installer about how many cubic feet there are in the tent up there, multiply that by 2 to 4, and have your CFM requirements. Only then check fans from manufacturers that will disclose noise level & CFM to buy the appropriate unit (i.e lowest dB, closest to target CFM).

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[flipboltz]

I still need to get down to the Oregon coast. Living in Washington, I've done the Washington coast a million times. Time to go south.

Here's my little camper buddy

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Mine could be his older brother! Looking great!

 

[Redruby]

I need some help in get Insurancce for the Alucab, I’ve contact my current carrier Progressive and their quote of $800 just for the cab which is more than the cost of the Gladiator without the Alucab, anybody had the same problem? If any of you have a solution please let me know, thx in advance

 

[SCDerby]

I've had my setup now for a few months and I'm noticing a couple things with my suspension combo with Alu-cab. Wondering if this is to be expected for those that are running the same setup. I'm running the AEV 2.5" Dualsport suspension for ecoDiesel with the new Dobinson 3" high capacity springs.
1. Going over rough terrain, it feels tippy/wobbly w/ a lot of post-sway. I feels overall stable on pretty diverse trails (rocks, ruts, etc) but even my riding groups made comments about how tippy it looks.

2. On concrete highways, at above 55-60mph, I get a definite bounce happening between the concrete seams and feels awful. The rear-end just keeps bouncing and the spacing never allows it to soak it up. Luckily we don't have a lot of concrete highways around here but sections of I-95 were annoying when traveling down a few weeks ago.

Anybody else experience these types of things with the AEV DualSport? Would the hellwig swaybar help with issue #1?

Currently, the alu-cab is just an empty slate. I'm going to be installing my cabinets soon which will add to the base weight and 2nd battery.

Love to hear other's thoughts/experiences.

 

[813 Fabrication & Design]

I've had my setup now for a few months and I'm noticing a couple things with my suspension combo with Alu-cab. Wondering if this is to be expected for those that are running the same setup. I'm running the AEV 2.5" Dualsport suspension for ecoDiesel with the new Dobinson 3" high capacity springs.
1. Going over rough terrain, it feels tippy/wobbly w/ a lot of post-sway. I feels overall stable on pretty diverse trails (rocks, ruts, etc) but even my riding groups made comments about how tippy it looks.

2. On concrete highways, at above 55-60mph, I get a definite bounce happening between the concrete seams and feels awful. The rear-end just keeps bouncing and the spacing never allows it to soak it up. Luckily we don't have a lot of concrete highways around here but sections of I-95 were annoying when traveling down a few weeks ago.

Anybody else experience these types of things with the AEV DualSport? Would the hellwig swaybar help with issue #1?

Currently, the alu-cab is just an empty slate. I'm going to be installing my cabinets soon which will add to the base weight and 2nd battery.

Love to hear other's thoughts/experiences.

The Hellwig sway will help some, it did on mine. I also added the MetalCloak rear sway bar brackets also to reinforce the sway bar mounts. When I drove to Jeep Beach the section of I95 around SC/GA was brutal! I think it was more the road than a bad setup on the truck. I have the Dobinson blue/teal springs and Fox 2.5 shocks. I have not found another section of road that has made the truck drive that bad.

 

[SCDerby]

The Hellwig sway will help some, it did on mine. I also added the MetalCloak rear sway bar brackets also to reinforce the sway bar mounts. When I drove to Jeep Beach the section of I95 around SC/GA was brutal! I think it was more the road than a bad setup on the truck. I have the Dobinson blue/teal springs and Fox 2.5 shocks. I have not found another section of road that has made the truck drive that bad.

Thanks! That is the same section but I did not experience this 4mos prior when I drove to FL w/o the camper/suspension setup so leaning toward that being a pretty big contributor. Again, I don't have many sections like that and is not a problem day-day but there is another section on HWY 76 in TN that is worse because it goes for miles...I'll take a look at the MetalCloak rear sway bar brackets too. I'm thinking this will stabilize things overall.

 

[Steven_B]

I've had my setup now for a few months and I'm noticing a couple things with my suspension combo with Alu-cab. Wondering if this is to be expected for those that are running the same setup. I'm running the AEV 2.5" Dualsport suspension for ecoDiesel with the new Dobinson 3" high capacity springs.
1. Going over rough terrain, it feels tippy/wobbly w/ a lot of post-sway. I feels overall stable on pretty diverse trails (rocks, ruts, etc) but even my riding groups made comments about how tippy it looks.

2. On concrete highways, at above 55-60mph, I get a definite bounce happening between the concrete seams and feels awful. The rear-end just keeps bouncing and the spacing never allows it to soak it up. Luckily we don't have a lot of concrete highways around here but sections of I-95 were annoying when traveling down a few weeks ago.

Anybody else experience these types of things with the AEV DualSport? Would the hellwig swaybar help with issue #1?

Currently, the alu-cab is just an empty slate. I'm going to be installing my cabinets soon which will add to the base weight and 2nd battery.

Love to hear other's thoughts/experiences.

Are the Dobinson springs dual rate?

I have the AEV setup with the the AEV 3" high capacity diesel springs front and rear with a Hellwig anti-sway bar. I dont feel tippy at all, but I have been driving Jeeps most of my life and prefer a low height and soft suspension setup. I do get a post sway movement (back and forth) but not bad. I plan to help remedy this with adjustable shocks. I was hoping OME would have their JT BP-51s out by now but I don't think that is going to happen so I may look at getting a Teraflex setup.

As for the uneven road movement, I feel them also, but not like you are describing. The second stage of the coil springs seems to kick in prevents too much bounce and movement. I think adjustable shocks would help with this also. The Bilistein shocks thats come with the kit are not tuned for the weight or spring rates we are running.

 

[flipboltz]

Are the Dobinson springs dual rate?

I have the AEV setup with the the AEV 3" high capacity diesel springs front and rear with a Hellwig anti-sway bar. I dont feel tippy at all, but I have been driving Jeeps most of my life and prefer a low height and soft suspension setup. I do get a post sway movement (back and forth) but not bad. I plan to help remedy this with adjustable shocks. I was hoping OME would have their JT BP-51s out by now but I don't think that is going to happen so I may look at getting a Teraflex setup.

As for the uneven road movement, I feel them also, but not like you are describing. The second stage of the coil springs seems to kick in prevents too much bounce and movement. I think adjustable shocks would help with this also. The Bilistein shocks thats come with the kit are not tuned for the weight or spring rates we are running.

Are these the Bilstein 5100 or the 8100? I was thinking of going for the 8100 but the price increase may be too much.

 

[Steven_B]

Are these the Bilstein 5100 or the 8100? I was thinking of going for the 8100 but the price increase may be too much.

The 5100s. The 8100s weren't out when I ordered my kit.

 

[Steven_B]

Thinking outside the box a bit here. While working on some google ad campaigns (I work in the off-road industry) I saw a photo of a Wrangler Spare Tire rack and thought "wonder how that would work on the back of the canopy camper."

Since most of us don't install a spare tire on the rear door, we have a lot of wasted space. Currently, I have a Trasharoo there and that's about it. It would be nice to have a solution off the back for lightweight or dirty gear. Or even for storing a bit of firewood.

Thoughts or ideas? Or let me see what you have mounted on the back to give me more ideas lol.

 

[Mac Attack]

Thinking outside the box a bit here. While working on some google ad campaigns (I work in the off-road industry) I saw a photo of a Wrangler Spare Tire rack and thought "wonder how that would work on the back of the canopy camper."

Since most of us don't install a spare tire on the rear door, we have a lot of wasted space. Currently, I have a Trasharoo there and that's about it. It would be nice to have a solution off the back for lightweight or dirty gear. Or even for storing a bit of firewood.

Thoughts or ideas? Or let me see what you have mounted on the back to give me more ideas lol.

Good thought; but I definitely would not mount with a spare, as you stated. Since it would not have a spare, would you be better off having similar mount with a larger cage? Like you stated; dirty/wet clothes, tents, rain fly, shoes, etc.; fire wood; hitch hikers that can't fit in the vehicle...and, of course, road kill!

 

[LAJEEPR]

Thinking outside the box a bit here. While working on some google ad campaigns (I work in the off-road industry) I saw a photo of a Wrangler Spare Tire rack and thought "wonder how that would work on the back of the canopy camper."

Since most of us don't install a spare tire on the rear door, we have a lot of wasted space. Currently, I have a Trasharoo there and that's about it. It would be nice to have a solution off the back for lightweight or dirty gear. Or even for storing a bit of firewood.

Thoughts or ideas? Or let me see what you have mounted on the back to give me more ideas lol.

Great idea. I’ve been thinking of an aluminum box for fluids, wood, etc. Would love to see more ideas beyond the spare tire here.

 

[Steven_B]

Great idea. I’ve been thinking of an aluminum box for fluids, wood, etc. Would love to see more ideas beyond the spare tire here.

I was thinking about a box as well, like what you see off the back of some of the vans. As long as its not crazy heavy might not be bad.

 

[Mtpisgah]

Thanks! That is the same section but I did not experience this 4mos prior when I drove to FL w/o the camper/suspension setup so leaning toward that being a pretty big contributor. Again, I don't have many sections like that and is not a problem day-day but there is another section on HWY 76 in TN that is worse because it goes for miles...I'll take a look at the MetalCloak rear sway bar brackets too. I'm thinking this will stabilize things overall.

I get the same bounce. It pushed me to switch from the Mojave shocks to Fox 2.5 adjustables on the rear. It helped but not enough. Then I went to Dobinsons Hd on the rear, keeping the JKS standard on the front. It helped but I still get some. I need to go adjustable or tuned on the front.

I wonder if a dual or triple rate coil would have helped more. I think the Dobinsons are single rate.


Seeing that you are in Clemson and I am in Greenvile, and we are both engineers, we need to get a beer and talk Jeeps and Alucabs sometime.

 

[SCDerby]

I get the same bounce. It pushed me to switch from the Mojave shocks to Fox 2.5 adjustables on the rear. It helped but not enough. Then I went to Dobinsons Hd on the rear, keeping the JKS standard on the front. It helped but I still get some. I need to go adjustable or tuned on the front.

I wonder if a dual or triple rate coil would have helped more. I think the Dobinsons are single rate.


Seeing that you are in Clemson and I am in Greenvile, and we are both engineers, we need to get a beer and talk Jeeps and Alucabs sometime.

Mtpisgah, Thanks for the insight...I'm definitely going to do some tweaking to the system to try and reign it in a bit. Thanks for the feedback.

I'm game for a beer and an excuse to talk jeeps/ACCC!

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