Alu-Cab Canopy Camper Roll Call

[813 Fabrication & Design]

Not having the truck here at the momemt, I can't check, but couldn't you drill another hole into the handle close to the pivot bold and secure that with a padlock?

The thing is, as soon as someone comes with an angle grinder, all bets are off anyways. It's probably also very likely that you could force the diminutive locks in the side doors with a screwdriver. If someone knows what they're doing, they are in. This isn't a hardened security shell. It would probably take me about 60 seconds with a cordless driver ...

Very possible yes.

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[MarkOnTheMap.com]

One of several new products going on the website this week is our new filler plate for under the rear door. This is one of those “I never knew I needed it until I had it” products! I have a solid version as well as a version to mount your rear camera. The Jeep Gladiator has two different cameras depending on your options, so there are two different hole patterns to fit both cameras, depending on which one you have. I also have extension cables available to purchase along with the filler panel if you choose to mount your camera. Made from 1/8” aluminum and texture powder coated so it should last as long as your Alu-Cab Canopy Camper.

https://www.813fabrication.com/prod...y-camper-rear-filler-panel-for-jeep-gladiator

How do you let the spare tire down?

 

[813 Fabrication & Design]

How do you let the spare tire down?

Keep the included 4mm wrench with your tire change kit if you have the spare tire in the factory location. The filler plate intentionally covers the tool insertion opening needed to access your spare tire. You will need to remove the five screws holding the filler plate in place (very quick and easy) and sit it on the bumper while removing your spare from under the truck. Since the filler plate is designed to have a clean appearance, I did not include a hole in the filler plate to accommodate insertion of the spare tire tool.

 

[Steven_B]

Has anyone tapped into the factory bed light circuit and repurposed it for something? For us who have cabinet systems, it's useless, so I'm brainstorming some ideas of possibly scene lights or a-pillar lights to utilize the factory switch and harness.

 

[cug]

Keep the included 4mm wrench with your tire change kit

Ah, another 4mm hex key - LOL, can't have enough of these if you work with 25 Series 80/20. I have about a dozen by now ... ;-)

Got the filler plate today and so far it looks good. Not yet installed, just prepped the camera and will likely install the filler tomorrow. Looking forward to a more finished look.

 

[Free2roam]

Probably out of the realm of possibilities. But here's a company who makes security fasteners in the USA. Maybe you @813 Fabrication & Design can strike some sort of deal with them
https://www.brycefastener.com/

 

[813 Fabrication & Design]

Probably out of the realm of possibilities. But here's a company who makes security fasteners in the USA. Maybe you @813 Fabrication & Design can strike some sort of deal with them
https://www.brycefastener.com/

Thx! I’ll look into it

 

[813 Fabrication & Design]

Ah, another 4mm hex key - LOL, can't have enough of these if you work with 25 Series 80/20. I have about a dozen by now ... ;-)

Got the filler plate today and so far it looks good. Not yet installed, just prepped the camera and will likely install the filler tomorrow. Looking forward to a more finished look.

Haha, yea, 4mm wrenches everywhere! Let me know what you think once it is mounted!

 

[Benbean66]

Has anyone tapped into the factory bed light circuit and repurposed it for something? For us who have cabinet systems, it's useless, so I'm brainstorming some ideas of possibly scene lights or a-pillar lights to utilize the factory switch and harness.

I tapped into mine and use it to trigger my Oracle Sidetrack lights (puddle lights). It's nice having the option to turn them on and off without having to open the door.

 

[cug]

Ah, another 4mm hex key - LOL, can't have enough of these if you work with 25 Series 80/20

Just some fun impression ... it's a miracle I haven't had a 4mm hex wrench grow out of my hand ...

 

[fourfa]

Has anyone had the plywood bed platform off? Wondering how it's secured to the frame. I assume sheet metal screws through the plywood, into the frame from above, then carpeted afterward and tucked under the edge with a tool...

Background is, I'm looking at building a seat delete platform and doing something other than plywood for weight savings (FRP, aerolam, fiberglass honeycomb laminate etc). I'm going to look for building supply surplus, and if I score extra, it might be possible to replace the plywood bed platform at the same time and save ~50 lbs at the highest, worst place for weight. Inspired a bit by the recent videos by @Dan Grec

 

[cug]

Background is, I'm looking at building a seat delete platform and doing something other than plywood for weight savings

I'm not sure it's worth the effort going to exotic (and expensive) materials. Our platform (both sides together) is around 16.5kg or around 36.4lbs.

We could have saved more weight by going with a low platform and no tracks, that would have made the minimum weight about 13.2kg (~29lbs)

This is the pure platform:

We added some stuff to make it work for us:

I'm not sure how much you can realistically save if you build a platform with at least some usable space underneath, since brackets and "legs" and fasteners make up a good amount of the total weight.

The wood only is just under 9kg or 20lbs for 12mm baltic birch or similar 1/2" marine grade plywood. So, again, how much do you think you can realistically save? And is that worth the additional effort in sourcing material and the potential other issues with that?

 

[fourfa]

Thanks - that will be useful data to scope the rear seat project. The info I'm currently collecting is the 4x8 sheet weight of various options - like for instance a common 0.36" thick corrugated-core fiberglass laminate is 27 lbs per sheet, compared to 48 lbs for 1/2" baltic birch. About the same for .062 aluminum sheet. If the possible savings is only half, that would probably be a pretty expensive and laborious weight savings compared to other options.

The bed platform problem is actually a lot simpler than the seat delete problem, since there's already a lovely metal frame in place and all the top surface has to do is not punch thru or bend under a single-knee load. And the payoff is higher, since it's so high up and far back. (rear seat platform is low and centered, much less impact on driving dynamics)

 

[cug]

Right, I was mainly commenting on the "looking at building a seat delete platform and doing something other than plywood for weight savings" part. I can see that there are some possible weight savings on the bed platform (you mean the "sleeping bed", not the "truck bed", right?). Same is true for the actual truck bed.

Baltic Birch is around 7.02 kg/m2 to my knowledge and that means a 2400x1200mm sheet is about 44lbs, not 48lbs. But I guess it depends on which Baltic Birch, there are 4x8 sheets that are different from the typical 5x5 original baltic birch sheets, although I'm not quite clear on the differences, we started with 5x5 European BB and stuck to it in various thicknesses (6mm, 9mm, and 12mm).

 

[fourfa]

I guess to restate the root problem here, I'm running at what I feel is close to a bare minimum loadout and the total weight is not where I want it to be. If a relatively small project like this, doable with the shop tools I have available, could save 25 lbs here and 25 lbs there, that would probably be worth it to me

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