BeardedVermonter
Member
PM sent
Alu Cab Expedition 3 RTT wear and tear
- Thread starter BeardedVermonter
- Start date
PM sent
mooktotter
New member
How is this all playing out? Is alucab being terrible to deal with in the US? Are they producing an inferior product for the US market? I am very close to pulling the trigger on a Ikamper or a alucab expedition 3. I know they are very different tents but... those are the two.
emulous74
Well-known member
OK4WD is the US Distributor for Alu-Cab, if you see the earlier posts, they reached out to me after my dealings with a shady vendor. They worked really hard to earn my trust and rectify the situation. That being said, you really need to investigate if they Alu-Cab is the right RTT for you. You are correct that the iKamper is a different beast than the Alu-Cab and they really don't compare. Alu-Cab is based out of S. Africa and iKamper is out of S. Korea, they really chose different distribution in selling their products in the US. OK4WD is the point of all US sales through it's selected vendors. iKamper has screwed over it's US vendors as they really push selling direct off their website. OK4WD has been upstanding in the problems that I've had with my RTT and working with me to get them corrected. I also pre-ordered iKamper's new X-Cover, was one of the first 20 that ordered one. I still don't have my X-Cover and some people that ordered after me already have theirs. However I was able to physically see the product at Expo West and the difference between the two are night and day.
IMO, the Alu-Cab RTT is much better built, think of the difference of a Tank and a passenger Vehicle, it is much heavier duty and will withstand a lot more abuse and will last much longer than the iKamper. The Alu-Cab is limited in space. I think it's great for one person, 2 is tight. But just like a Tank isn't a great family vehicle to drive on the street, the Alu-Cab may not be the best tent for you. If you aren't traversing through tight trails and through all kinds of weather for prolonged periods and intend to only own one tent for the rest of your life, and if you need/want more space, a lighter form factor and it's truly for occasional recreation, than I think the iKamper products are probably better suited to you.
I intend to use the Alu-Cab for solo and/or short trips when I'm not using my trailer. The X-Cover will be used when I have more than myself and I'm using my trailer and not going in harsh environments.
Alu-cab is not producing inferior products, they are a small company that has grown and the tents and other products are more hand built/designed products to cater to a specific audience. iKamper is designed/developed to be a mass market product, while it is still a relatively small company they are building and designing products for a different part of the market.