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RSI Smartcap

SmartCap

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Ordered mine July 10. Have communicated between RSI and my dealer. Despite the statement earlier on this thread that they were getting shipments in every two weeks for Gladiator caps, I was told today by RSI that a large shipment is expected December 25 and another one the week after that. So my new expected delivery date is now in January.

Given the statement before about shipments every two weeks, now being told no shipments until December 25, is anyone else getting frustrated? I wouldn’t mind if the original December date had been given, but there’s a clear difference in what’s being stated to customers.

Would love to hear as other people do get their caps.
When we make statements on this forum, in emails, etc, the information we communicate is 100% accurate to what we know at the given time. We are in no way trying to mislead. As of a few days ago, there were shipments coming in approximately every 2 weeks. Then… yesterday we were informed of shipping changes. Two Ships that set sail weeks apart from one another are now estimated to arrive on the same day. That inventory will be available approximately around December 25th. The positive news is we still have a shipment that is set to come in early December that appears to be unhampered. Now, we have to caution you and say "fingers crossed!"

Please know, we want you to have an awesome experience and are doing our very best to feed you accurate information as soon as we get it. Bear with us and we promise to keep you informed along the way. We are in this for the long haul and want to build lasting relationships with our customers.
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SmartCap

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Yes, I'm getting this from Offroad Alliance as well. But to be fair, I think they're really coming from RSI in the end. It is very frustrating. I'm going on a road trip soon and was hoping to have it by then.
As mentioned, they are not coming from us direct. SmartCap is sold 100% through distribution in North America. Also as mentioned, we are not privy to individual customer (consumer or dealer) orders.
 

PhantomChameleon

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Thank you for your patience. We were able to conduct the fitment on our Gladiator and have concluded that adding 9/16th (14.25mm) rubber blocks near the tailgate will correct the issue (see attached diagram and videos).

We replaced our d-gasket before testing to ensure that our results would match yours. Adding rubber blocks in the positions we indicated elevated the back of the SmartCap just enough to make opening and closing the rear door easy—eliminating excessive wear and tear on the d-gasket.

Dense rubber material is standard and should be easily found in a local hardware store. It should be roughly 1” square by 9/16th tall. If you have any questions, please let us know.

Adding a Pad By Tailgate.png
Thanks guys! I'll try to get ahold of this and try it out. Appreciate your work in figuring out a solution.

Would this cause any kind of slant in the topper that might affect a rooftop tent mounted on top of it?
 

SmartCap

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Thanks guys! I'll try to get ahold of this and try it out. Appreciate your work in figuring out a solution.

Would this cause any kind of slant in the topper that might affect a rooftop tent mounted on top of it?
Not really. There are already 10mm pads in place on the sides, so we are really talking about raising it in the rear an additional 1/8". It should be imperceivable.
 

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TheHops

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Frontrunner rack is up and running on my SmartCap. Fitment is perfect.

Be advised that the RSI channels are narrower than other manufacturers. Frontrunner makes RSI specific brackets for the mounting feet that aren't available on their site, so be sure to call or chat with them if any of you plan on going a similar route. I also went with the tall foot kit, to provide clearance for the RSI vent and Frontrunner wind fairing.

Up next is mounting my RTT brackets and test fitting the ikamper. I have a plan in place for the roof rack lighting, but I likely won't execute that until the front roof rack is on as well.

Jeep Gladiator RSI Smartcap 20201126_093320
Jeep Gladiator RSI Smartcap 20201126_093329
Jeep Gladiator RSI Smartcap 20201126_093340
Jeep Gladiator RSI Smartcap 20201126_093355
Jeep Gladiator RSI Smartcap 20201126_093445
Jeep Gladiator RSI Smartcap 20201126_093454


20201126_093320.jpg


20201126_093329.jpg
 

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These toppers look good and - based on specs - are really strong. However, I hear that the latches on all the South African toppers (AluCab, RSI, RLD) freeze shut quite easily. Numerous complaints about this on Tacoma World (forum). Some report that it doesn’t require freezing rain or snow to freeze them shut, and that frozen condensation is enough. Guys report having to carry a bottle of rubbing alcohol, or lock de-icer, and another guy says he had to use a knife when caught by surprise. These latches seem designed to create a great seal, and seem well-suited to desert climates. I don’t think they are a good fit for New England, the Mid-West, the Rockies, or the mountains of the PNW. Maybe the good folks at RSI or one of the other brands could weigh in, and describe any plans to address the issue. I will add, that the old school twist locks on American-made toppers can also freeze, but it seems that it happens much more readily with the RSI, AluCab, RLD latches.
 

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These toppers look good and - based on specs - are really strong. However, I hear that the latches on all the South African toppers (AluCab, RSI, RLD) freeze shut quite easily. Numerous complaints about this on Tacoma World (forum). Some report that it doesn’t require freezing rain or snow to freeze them shut, and that frozen condensation is enough. Guys report having to carry a bottle of rubbing alcohol, or lock de-icer, and another guy says he had to use a knife when caught by surprise. These latches seem designed to create a great seal, and seem well-suited to desert climates. I don’t think they are a good fit for New England, the Mid-West, the Rockies, or the mountains of the PNW. Maybe the good folks at RSI or one of the other brands could weigh in, and describe any plans to address the issue. I will add, that the old school twist locks on American-made toppers can also freeze, but it seems that it happens much more readily with the RSI, AluCab, RLD latches.
Funny you mention that. It's been chilly here the past several days, and I was thinking about just that. One of my latches was slow to open on a 37F-ish, humid morning last week, and it got me thinking about it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that were an issue based off of their design.
 

stickshifter

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Funny you mention that. It's been chilly here the past several days, and I was thinking about just that. One of my latches was slow to open on a 37F-ish, humid morning last week, and it got me thinking about it. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that were an issue based off of their design.
Yeah - kind of a bummer, because all three of these brands make super-nice toppers / campers. I think they are desert-biased, just given their place of origin (which is understandable). I hope they develop a different latch, but I've been iced-out of my topper before, and it can be a real problem if you are stuck holding some 6-foot skis and the cab of your truck is not 6-feet in any direction :(
 

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Yeah - kind of a bummer, because all three of these brands make super-nice toppers / campers. I think they are desert-biased, just given their place of origin (which is understandable). I hope they develop a different latch, but I've been iced-out of my topper before, and it can be a real problem if you are stuck holding some 6-foot skis and the cab of your truck is not 6-feet in any direction :(
Are you able to open the tailgate separately? Not ideal, but in a pinch...
 

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stickshifter

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Are you able to open the tailgate separately? Not ideal, but in a pinch...
No - the rear door of the topper serves as an additional lock for the tailgate, which is actually a feature I like. I eventually got into the bed of the truck that day (though I was a little late for work), and now I carry lock de-icer in the cab.

It would be great to hear from folk who have an RSI/RLD/AluCab and have some winter experience...
 

briscoelab

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Frontrunner rack is up and running on my SmartCap. Fitment is perfect.

Be advised that the RSI channels are narrower than other manufacturers.
Wait, you can’t use regular foot packs on these channels? I thought normal Thule/Rhino style feet would work. Or did you mean the spacing of the mounting channels is narrower than standard for FrontRunner?

When my damaged roof panel gets fixed I’m going to need to mount my RTT and was planing on using a normal set of load bars, since the RSI still aren’t available.
 

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Wait, you can’t use regular foot packs on these channels? I thought normal Thule/Rhino style feet would work. Or did you mean the spacing of the mounting channels is narrower than standard for FrontRunner?

When my damaged roof panel gets fixed I’m going to need to mount my RTT and was planing on using a normal set of load bars, since the RSI still aren’t available.
I wish I'd taken a side-by-side picture prior to mounting...but basically, the small metal "anchors" that slide in to the tracks, which my Frontrunner rack feet then mount to, are narrower for RSI than the universal ones that were provided. By perhaps about 25% or so. Stock ones could easily be altered/ground down to work, but yes, the RSI channels are apparently narrower than the industry standard.
 

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I wish I'd taken a side-by-side picture prior to mounting...but basically, the small metal "anchors" that slide in to the tracks, which my Frontrunner rack feet then mount to, are narrower for RSI than the universal ones that were provided. By perhaps about 25% or so. Stock ones could easily be altered/ground down to work, but yes, the RSI channels are apparently narrower than the industry standard.
any chance you could measure the width? I am planning to use Yakima bars and am hoping the Landing Pad 1 channel adapters fit.
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