jacobconroy
Hillbilly of Leisure
About how long does it take you to install the Awning kit when on your own? Is it do-able..or a PITA?
Alu-Cab Has Landed In The USA!
- Thread starter rino
- Start date
80t0ylc
Hill & Gully Rider
I've only deployed it the one time in my back yard. It took me 1.5 hrs, but I was doing it slow on purpose to evaluate some things - it's only temporary on my Land Cruiser. I plan to move it to an off road trailer when I get it. If no wind, it is totally doable by yourself. Once you get the method of mating the long strips of velcro and placement/alignment to poles, it just zips along. I would say, normally, you could deploy awning and wall kit in 30 minutes by yourself. Wind is your biggest challenge. The stronger it's blowing, the more difficult it would be & more help you would need. If you have an experienced helper(s) you could do in less time. Main reason I haven't deployed it more is last group trip was excellent sunny weather and we kept moving camp every morning & late arrival at next camp, so - awning was enough. Knowing that and being by myself, I decided that it was too time consuming & unnecessary to deploy room. I'm hoping to get more opportunities soon! If in a camp for more than a day, I would definitely set it up, even alone. When you deploy, take care and watch how it's packed in it's bag and when you pack up your site, it should fold up and easily go back into it's bag for traveling.
rino
Supporting Sponsor - OK4WD
OK, yeah...I'm the type of guy that replies to his own post.I received my Shadow awning and installed it. After doing some measuring, there is hope for an enclosed wall kit. This is what I'm thinking (using the wall kit that we can buy from Alu Cab):
View attachment 442513
Sorry for my childish annotation. I don't do it often. This would be good for privacy (bathroom or change clothing). It would also leave my kitchen open. The large window might wrap around the corner a bit (I've tried to draw that)...but I could live with it. Would also need to fab something to close off the space above the north wall in the picture. Some light fab would be necessary. The math is pretty close. I think it will work.
Anyone know how tall the walls are on this kit? I didn't find it on the Interwebs.
Not sure it would work, but really like where your head is at design wise. That would actually make a bug room much easier to produce and not have the need for rear gate zips.
rino
Supporting Sponsor - OK4WD
Dig the tarps, another option I've found is CGEAR sand mats. Not cheap, but really work well! https://www.cgear-sandfree.com/coll...on/products/sand-free-mat?variant=47191026375
80t0ylc
Hill & Gully Rider
Nice! Too bad they don't make a custom 'L' shaped one for the Shadow. They claim "reversible", so they wouldn't have to make 2 - one size fits both.
Chris Boyd
Explorer
OK, yeah...I'm the type of guy that replies to his own post.
View attachment 442513
Sorry for my childish annotation. I don't do it often. This would be good for privacy (bathroom or change clothing). It would also leave my kitchen open. The large window might wrap around the corner a bit (I've tried to draw that)...but I could live with it. Would also need to fab something to close off the space above the north wall in the picture. Some light fab would be necessary. The math is pretty close. I think it will work.
Anyone know how tall the walls are on this kit? I didn't find it on the Interwebs.
Not sure it would work, but really like where your head is at design wise. That would actually make a bug room much easier to produce and not have the need for rear gate zips.
I’m thinking to have some walls built out of sail cloth or canvas similar to RTT material, closer to the shape of the fox wing tapered wall. I really like the space that it gives you at the bottom for storage of boxes and other stuff that gets offloaded from the truck during a stay. They would also function as wind breaks and could be deployed on any side individually.
In fact since the top mount is velcro, wonder if the fox wing wall would just work!? I haven’t seen one recently.adding Velcro to it would easily if it didn’t already have it. I did something similar with my RV-5 Oztent and their caravan connector. Added Velcro to the whole length so my Oztent “boots-up” to the Shadow Awn.
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Just installed my alucab shadow awning and fridge slide, top notch kit! I will say the the ALUCAB instructions are severely lacking though, but take a gander at them and you will figure it out.
What i am baffled at is why they do not pre drill the canopy cover and install some type of rivet insert like you see on tarps. Seems like a no brainer to me. I had to drill two new holes in the back of the canopy to get my bomber products mounts to work with the awning. It is installed on the ALUCab load bars, not sure if two of them is going to be enough. I may add in a third/4th just to make sure that sucker isn't coming off. this is a serious piece of kit and blows all other awnings out of the water. I had it set up today outside walmart while I was doing some food processing on the tailgate so I wasn't dragging a pile of waste with me and I must have had about 6 people come over and be like where did you get that.
The fridge slide came to me with a bent lip at the front of the slide(where the spring latch goes into). i wasn't able to open or close it. let the dealer know it was damaged (box was not damaged, actually I was surprised at how well it was packed), and we decided try bending back into shape. It worked we were worried about breaking the metal, although after bending it back into shape I realized how ductile this metal is the slide is made out of, not a bad think, if it was hard metal, I envision it would be brittle and would break easy as well on rough roads as it wouldn't take the abuse?
Install took me two hours to instal it in the parking lot of Motel 6. Yeah I wasn't camping, my RTT was a no go as it couldn't get to me in time so I canceled it. Not sure what I am going to do in the long run, but i pick up a cabbalas deluxe cot tent here today and that sucker is nearly the size of a RTT all packed up, needless to say my space is limited in the taco now., I stuck it in the back seat, will strap it to the roof here in a few days time to get it out of the back seat. Sorry bit off track there. The install took a bit as I had to crawl into the storage compartment to fasten the fridge slide down, was not an easy task, I am by no means a small person 6foot, 255lbs former powerlifter and rugby player. I rounded up the local smoker at the hotel and asked him to hold the bolt while I fastened the but inside the storage compartment. I could have used some grease or small child to throw in there instead. It is installed and is a seriously nice piece of kit, the tilt down feature had me smiling from ear to ear as I can no access my element fridge in the back of the truck without either standing on my tippy toes or just reaching in and playing fear factor and trying to guess what you have your hands on. Doesn't seem to be an issue with cold BEvERages though.
SO far, the canopy, awning and fridge slide I have installed are all great pieces of kit. Now to decide on the RTT or go to ask oztent or equivalent for the long run.
What i am baffled at is why they do not pre drill the canopy cover and install some type of rivet insert like you see on tarps. Seems like a no brainer to me. I had to drill two new holes in the back of the canopy to get my bomber products mounts to work with the awning. It is installed on the ALUCab load bars, not sure if two of them is going to be enough. I may add in a third/4th just to make sure that sucker isn't coming off. this is a serious piece of kit and blows all other awnings out of the water. I had it set up today outside walmart while I was doing some food processing on the tailgate so I wasn't dragging a pile of waste with me and I must have had about 6 people come over and be like where did you get that.
The fridge slide came to me with a bent lip at the front of the slide(where the spring latch goes into). i wasn't able to open or close it. let the dealer know it was damaged (box was not damaged, actually I was surprised at how well it was packed), and we decided try bending back into shape. It worked we were worried about breaking the metal, although after bending it back into shape I realized how ductile this metal is the slide is made out of, not a bad think, if it was hard metal, I envision it would be brittle and would break easy as well on rough roads as it wouldn't take the abuse?
Install took me two hours to instal it in the parking lot of Motel 6. Yeah I wasn't camping, my RTT was a no go as it couldn't get to me in time so I canceled it. Not sure what I am going to do in the long run, but i pick up a cabbalas deluxe cot tent here today and that sucker is nearly the size of a RTT all packed up, needless to say my space is limited in the taco now., I stuck it in the back seat, will strap it to the roof here in a few days time to get it out of the back seat. Sorry bit off track there. The install took a bit as I had to crawl into the storage compartment to fasten the fridge slide down, was not an easy task, I am by no means a small person 6foot, 255lbs former powerlifter and rugby player. I rounded up the local smoker at the hotel and asked him to hold the bolt while I fastened the but inside the storage compartment. I could have used some grease or small child to throw in there instead. It is installed and is a seriously nice piece of kit, the tilt down feature had me smiling from ear to ear as I can no access my element fridge in the back of the truck without either standing on my tippy toes or just reaching in and playing fear factor and trying to guess what you have your hands on. Doesn't seem to be an issue with cold BEvERages though.
SO far, the canopy, awning and fridge slide I have installed are all great pieces of kit. Now to decide on the RTT or go to ask oztent or equivalent for the long run.
Scoutman
Explorer
Pre-hole'ing (new word there) the canopy cover doesn't make sense considering all the different mounting hole options there are in the mounting channel. One person may need the forward most set of holes and another may need the rear most set. Each application is going to be different and they left the cover intact for that reason. Having any unused holes in that cover will get water inside.
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Crazy Schooner
Fortune's A Mistress
Can anyone with an Alu Cab RTT do me a favor and measure where the mounting rails sit under the tent. There is very little information online from Alu Cab which is rather annoying.
I did see they have a bracket that bolts to the side rail and to the side of the RTT. Is that the standard bracket? If it is, can I get measurements on the width of the brackets mounting hole?
Debating getting one of these but instead of a standard mounting system they have that oddball system which means I have to either drill into my rack to fit a longer bolt from top to bottom or get some tabs welded on that will allow me to just bolt the tent onto the side rail itself. I'd like to prep my rack beforehand so the tent can just bolted on quickly.
I did see they have a bracket that bolts to the side rail and to the side of the RTT. Is that the standard bracket? If it is, can I get measurements on the width of the brackets mounting hole?
Debating getting one of these but instead of a standard mounting system they have that oddball system which means I have to either drill into my rack to fit a longer bolt from top to bottom or get some tabs welded on that will allow me to just bolt the tent onto the side rail itself. I'd like to prep my rack beforehand so the tent can just bolted on quickly.
s.e.charles
Well-known member
I haven't the energy to read all 44 pages . . . but has anyone purchased just a cap, canopy, shell, without the tent option?
thanks
thanks
I see there is more info on the often elusive Khaya camper. Living with Khaya has been posted and seems to be a bit different than what I had seen at Expo East last year. New additional fold down upstairs for the bed besides the main bed, electrics have moved to the other side compartment, some mounts changed and a few other bits. Still no word on the full sized one for the regular beds. I was hoping there would have been news from Expo West but perhaps production at the factory is swamped and they are just trying to fill orders before they take on a new size.
Diesel Junkie
Observer
Does anyone have recommendations on how to protect the awning bag from the sun? Mine is starting to look a bit haggard. Not sure if i should use wax, or sunscreen, or olive oil, or what.
80t0ylc
Hill & Gully Rider
How old is your awning? Pics of bag showing your concerns would help. Are you sure it's sun damage? Hopefully Rin or Alu Cab rep can see your question and chime in with some help. Be nice to know if this is going to be a problem after owning one for just over a year, now and seeing other awning brands with bag issues.
Diesel Junkie
Observer
My first Awning is about as old as this thread.
I dont have any pictures today, it just doesnt have the same sheen that it once did. It is degrading.
Nothing lasts in the sun forever, any kind of fabric will have a much shorter sun exposure life than the paint on your car, or the shingles on your roof. Hopefully someday soon i will get a car cover, or build a shaded parking area, but until then, I want to do what I can to maintain and protect the awning bags.
I dont have any pictures today, it just doesnt have the same sheen that it once did. It is degrading.
Nothing lasts in the sun forever, any kind of fabric will have a much shorter sun exposure life than the paint on your car, or the shingles on your roof. Hopefully someday soon i will get a car cover, or build a shaded parking area, but until then, I want to do what I can to maintain and protect the awning bags.