Alu-cab canopy Jeep Gladiator #001

[MeanMachine]

i bought through Eric from https://ashevillevehicleoutfitters.com/. he's an alu-cab dealer through ok4wd I believe is how it works.

Eric was SUPER DUPER patient with me, as i've been asking for photos, and questions for about 4 months.

I got the sliding rear window, 1- 750mm cupboard with the mesh recovery kitting. The sliding side prep table, the folding table and mount, and the 1250mm load bar kit with both low profile and normal profile mounts.

I think the top itself was like $300 more than it should be and the table was $200 too much, otherwise, it seemed EXPENSIVE, but pretty much what I was expecting.

Congrats!! When does it come in? Can't wait to see pictures. Still waiting for my color matched RLD...

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[steffen707]

Congrats!! When does it come in? Can't wait to see pictures. Still waiting for my color matched RLD...

i have no idea. I told my wearhouse manager friend whos receiving the shipment that it'll be there in 0-12 weeks. That way i'm covered. The window will be worse than Spectrum TV repair times. =)

 

[mcolbyb]

Here is #001 Alu-Cab Canopy. I am very happy with how it fits and the craftsmanship is awesome.

yep now me and every other Sting-ray grey JT know what we need haha. Looks awesome.

 

[PhantomChameleon]

I'm holding out for the RSI Smart Canopy I think, I love the weight of the Alucab but not the biggest fan of the looks...I've been told the RSI will be well designed to match the Gladiator.

 

[madduck]

dont understand something on this cap.
is the hinge portion for the side doors, ala the pics in post 29, that rubber strip?
or is there a metal hinge embedded inside the strip?

i've never had a cap with side access like these. if it's just the strip how well does it hold up over time? i live in the desert so UV degradation here is high. as i've posted somewhere else, i like this cap best, so far. one of the big things i prefer with the alucab vs others was this weather strip type material running the length of the door so water wont drain towards the cab when it's open.

thanks to all who answer all the questions for those of us in the dark.
cheers to all y'all!

 

[LifesaverJT]

dont understand something on this cap.
is the hinge portion for the side doors, ala the pics in post 29, that rubber strip?
or is there a metal hinge embedded inside the strip?
I to was initially concerned with this and after contacting the company they said that these hinges are nothing new for them and they have had zero issues with them. The guys said we do run these in Africa in some of the hottest climates and they are used on a daily basis. So with that being said we will see. They did say god forbid there is an issue those can be unbolted and replaced. That was another thing that I liked is doors, hinges, and seals are all available. I will keep everyone posted as time goes on.

i've never had a cap with side access like these. if it's just the strip how well does it hold up over time? i live in the desert so UV degradation here is high. as i've posted somewhere else, i like this cap best, so far. one of the big things i prefer with the alucab vs others was this weather strip type material running the length of the door so water wont drain towards the cab when it's open.

thanks to all who answer all the questions for those of us in the dark.
cheers to all y'all!

 

[steffen707]

Sounds like they have good support after the sale. Hopefully rld and smart cap are similar.

 

[JohnGjeep]

dont understand something on this cap.
is the hinge portion for the side doors, ala the pics in post 29, that rubber strip?
or is there a metal hinge embedded inside the strip?

i've never had a cap with side access like these. if it's just the strip how well does it hold up over time? i live in the desert so UV degradation here is high. as i've posted somewhere else, i like this cap best, so far. one of the big things i prefer with the alucab vs others was this weather strip type material running the length of the door so water wont drain towards the cab when it's open.

thanks to all who answer all the questions for those of us in the dark.
cheers to all y'all!

We just got photos of that. It's just a plastic strip. There's no real hinge. Worries me a little. The new version of the RDL seems more robust and a little more sleek all around. I definitely get the water running down thing I just wonder how much that would actually happen...

 

[PhantomChameleon]

We just got photos of that. It's just a plastic strip. There's no real hinge. Worries me a little. The new version of the RDL seems more robust and a little more sleek all around. I definitely get the water running down thing I just wonder how much that would actually happen...

I talked with an RLD rep a little bit, and they informed me that the way the seals/doors are set up there is no real issue with water running into the bed. I suspect if its pouring rain super hard there would likely be some moisture getting in but I think in most cases there would be no real issues.

 

[JohnGjeep]

I talked with an RLD rep a little bit, and they informed me that the way the seals/doors are set up there is no real issue with water running into the bed. I suspect if its pouring rain super hard there would likely be some moisture getting in but I think in most cases there would be no real issues.

That's kind of what I imagine as well, so it's good to get some more information. I'm not terribly comfortable with a strip of plastic as a hinge regardless of the maybe water protection. I open and close my canopy doors a lot. I think a real metal hinge would be preferable.

 

[madduck]

yeah. my luck, when it's time for the plastic to go, it'll the first night of my trip out on the trail. now, if it's an easy fix and you can carry extra rubber to fix it quickly, everything has a trade off. i may take that option over metal hinges. if you cant easily and quickly remove and replace the strip, i'm now leaning towards hinges.

 

[Rokon]

I talked with an RLD rep a little bit, and they informed me that the way the seals/doors are set up there is no real issue with water running into the bed. I suspect if its pouring rain super hard there would likely be some moisture getting in but I think in most cases there would be no real issues.

Looking at this picture you can see how much gap there is when the hatch is open. The seal is on the hatch. There is a lip on the hatch frame that hopefully channels water around to the sides when the hatch is open. I thinks about all the ancient coolers I've had that all had plastic flex hinges that never failed. I imagine the hinges are riveted in place so they won't be impossible to replace.

 

[madduck]

if it's replaceable at home i'm ok with that. when it starts to show wear ya replace it before the next trip.
i've already got a rivet gun, that'd be a legit option.

 

[JohnGjeep]

Looking at this picture you can see how much gap there is when the hatch is open. The seal is on the hatch. There is a lip on the hatch frame that hopefully channels water around to the sides when the hatch is open. I thinks about all the ancient coolers I've had that all had plastic flex hinges that never failed. I imagine the hinges are riveted in place so they won't be impossible to replace.

To me, it looks like that really pronounced lip around the door opening will channel any water runoff around the opening. You'd have to really be sitting there in heavy rain for it not to. Just my observation I guess.

 

[smlobx]

dont understand something on this cap.
is the hinge portion for the side doors, ala the pics in post 29, that rubber strip?
or is there a metal hinge embedded inside the strip?

i've never had a cap with side access like these. if it's just the strip how well does it hold up over time? i live in the desert so UV degradation here is high. as i've posted somewhere else, i like this cap best, so far. one of the big things i prefer with the alucab vs others was this weather strip type material running the length of the door so water wont drain towards the cab when it's open.

thanks to all who answer all the questions for those of us in the dark.
cheers to all y'all!

So I was surprised to see this in-depth discussion on the hinge that Alu-Cab uses. In the times I’ve used this cap in the African bush it has just worked and to tell you the truth I never thought about it. I do know that the Alu-Cab canopy outlasts the 79 Series truck that they put them on as I had a brand new 79 on our last trip but noticed that the cap wasn’t new. I asked the rental guy and he said they usually get 2 to 3 trucks used before they have to replace the cap..(That’s about 250,000 to 300,000 km of use, 90% of which is Offroad)

I just Googled “Centre Flex Waterproof Hinge” and all sorts of hits came up testifying to the hinge’s strength and durability.
This video states that the manufacturer tests their hinges through 20,000 cycles (and it should go beyond that. So long story short I’m not too worried and very happy with the performance...

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