Alu-Cab RTT and Shadow Awning

[alirawk]

After a thorough consideration of the tents available at Overland Expo, and holy cow were there A LOT to choose from, I finally pulled the trigger and picked up this beauty up. Just finished installing. Kind of a nightmare, largely because there are no instructions available, and nothing on the internet to help. Largely did it on my own, except for a few clutch moments with loading the tent on the roof and taking the awning off to put on the cover, then putting it back on.

Nevertheless, I'm pretty stoked on it and would definitely recommend. If any of you pick one up and need any insights about how to mount, definitely reach out. It's one of those things that you figure out only to likely never have to need knowing how to do again.

 

[RyanEJ25]

How tall are you? I see these and can't imagine fitting inside. I'm 6"2' and never been inside one though.

 

[SixthSnail]

Looks good! Also curious about height

Also, how much was this after shipping overseas and what not

 

[LawnDart]

They're about 7' long by 5' wide. You can easily fit two people inside, or one person spaciously + doggo.

 

[jerad]

Looks fantastic!

Any photos of the awning fully deployed and the liftgate open??

 

[08runnertjb]

Nice rig. Interested on the same above and the dry weight of that tent.

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[LawnDart]

Nice rig. Interested on the same above and the dry weight of that tent.

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176'ish lbs.

 

[alirawk]

Looks fantastic!

Any photos of the awning fully deployed and the liftgate open??

I'll post in couple days. Watched a youtube video of a guy who quite simply added a couple pieces of aluminum to the brackets to raise the awning. He wasn't trying to clear the hatch, but the concept will work just the same. He added a full 12-inches, which is more than needed for the hatch.

I'm actually doing this Monday. Will post pics as soon as I do. But it really is a super simple solution. A 6-inch piece of 3/16 steel for both the front and rear awning brackets. And boom. Problem solved. It's so obvious, I'm surprised others haven't thought of it before. Or perhaps, because it's so obvious?

 

[alirawk]

Looks fantastic!

Any photos of the awning fully deployed and the liftgate open??

Just finished making and mounting the risers. They work perfectly. happy to share specs and a few obstacles encountered to watch for if interested. Now there's no interference at all. In fact, the awning deploys exactly above the open lift gate.

 

[TheRainMan]

[MENTION=135875]alirawk[/MENTION] thanks so much for the post. This RTT is on my short list - between this and Bundatec. Can I ask who you purchased this from? Good experience?


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[jerad]

Just finished making and mounting the risers. They work perfectly. happy to share specs and a few obstacles encountered to watch for if interested. Now there's no interference at all. In fact, the awning deploys exactly above the open lift gate.

Looks fantastic!!! Great job, simple solution. If you were ok opening and closing the awning with the tailgate closed it looks like it could even be a couple inches shorter, or maybe the photos just don't show it clearly.

Either way, really like it!

 

[alirawk]

[MENTION=135875]alirawk[/MENTION] thanks so much for the post. This RTT is on my short list - between this and Bundatec. Can I ask who you purchased this from? Good experience?


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It's a great tent. I went this over the Bundatec for a few reasons, mostly though it was the internal height. Alu-cab is about 17" taller inside when open. That's a lot. And only a few hundred bucks more.

I actually made a chart comparing the various RTT's I was interested in, take a look here if you're interested.

I bought through Ok4wd. Great guys. I think one of only a couple dealers in the states. Goose Gear is another excellent option. Note though: there are absolutely no instructions any where on how to assemble, mount, install. Definitely a two-person job. Happy to share experience if you decide to go with alu-cab.

 

[TheRainMan]

It's a great tent. I went this over the Bundatec for a few reasons, mostly though it was the internal height. Alu-cab is about 17" taller inside when open. That's a lot. And only a few hundred bucks more.



I actually made a chart comparing the various RTT's I was interested in, take a look here if you're interested.



I bought through Ok4wd. Great guys. I think one of only a couple dealers in the states. Goose Gear is another excellent option. Note though: there are absolutely no instructions any where on how to assemble, mount, install. Definitely a two-person job. Happy to share experience if you decide to go with alu-cab.

So so helpful. Thanks so much.


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[tigerdrvr]

That is really slick!

 

[jayfredweb]

Any problems with the PrinSu rack with all that weight (tent and awning)? Or wind/buffeting problems caused specifically by the rack with that setup? That looks sick!!!

 

[alirawk]

Any problems with the PrinSu rack with all that weight (tent and awning)? Or wind/buffeting problems caused specifically by the rack with that setup? That looks sick!!!

Nope. All is well. The rack well handles the weight. The bulk of the weight for the RTT is actually on the rear, where the Prinsu is tied into the stock roof threads. I added a third pair of brackets to the front of the RTT to reduce a little bouncing that I was experiencing.

I don't notice any wind issues. But frankly, I'm not sure I paid much attention to it before, so I can't be certain about comparison.

Obviously gas mileage takes a hit, but that is to be expected with any rack and RTT. However, only of the reason I went with this set up is because it does result in the lowest profile of pretty much any combination, and the alu-cab is just slightly aerodynamic in shape. What difference it's shape makes -- can't be sure, but I imagine it's got to be a little better than the standard RTT cube most of the soft shells offer.

 

[alirawk]

Also, I've taken the rig over all sorts of terrain and ran it through some severe paces, and there has been no rattling, moving, or displacement of the RTT.

 

[VIIIFe]

Reviving this a bit. I have a Prinsu rack on my FJ and am grabbing an Alucab tent in the next few days. Any suggestions on mounting it to the rack?

I've been told to search out some 1/4" grade 8 carriage bolts in 3/4" length plus split washers and nuts to mount it to the 80/20 cross bars. I'm a little concerned about the Prinsu 80/20 cross bars sitting below the roof rack side rails and interfering with the Alucab tent's mounting brackets. Any suggestions or pictures you could throw up would be very much appreciated.

 

[VIIIFe]

Now that I've seen the actual mounting brackets, it isn't difficult at all. I am sourcing some 1" wide by 0.25" thick aluminum bar to make some spacers on top of the 80/20 so the Prinsu side rails don't interfere with the Alucab brackets.

 

[alirawk]

Yes, the Prinsu cross bars are just a tiny bit lower than the side rails. To compensate I just used two washers to fill in that gap. Works perfect. No need to fabricate anything. Bolt up through T-slot in cross bars, two washers, through bracket, locking washers, and nut. Haven't had a problem at all.

The one thing I say is that it's a good idea to get a third par of brackets for the front as there was quite a bit rattle. Also, the damn thing is so heavy, I just felt better with those extra connection points.

Let me know how it goes.