Introducing the “NEW” Alu-Cab Canopy Camper

[MR E30]

That is really promising. I think I'm at that position now where I need a custom pack so I've been looking around for feedback. I might have to give them a call and understand more their process. Thanks for the feedback.

Give em a call. It's a pretty straightforward system. Fill out a sheet online, telling them what truck you have and what you want the truck to do.

$1,000 flat fee + $10 for every hundred pounds of requested capacity. Shipping was ~$120 (iirc) to Phoenix. They'll make you custom U-Bolts too, but I can't speak to price as I already had a shackle flip kit that had long enough U-Bolts.

 

[Flyelk1]

I would second the Alcan springs. I have an Alu Cabin on my Tundra and went with Alcan for my leafs. Good set up.

 

[Aleja_333]

I would second the Alcan springs. I have an Alu Cabin on my Tundra and went with Alcan for my leafs. Good set up.

Good to know. I submitted my information and will be giving them a call later today.

 

[MR E30]

Update with some action shots:

The camper held up to a serious pounding. Over 290 miles of continuous offroad driving, 30 degrees of roll as indicated on the dash, the whole nine.

Every system worked flawlessly the entire time. Only time will tell how rugged it actually is, but this was the hardest I will wheel the truck, and I couldn't be happier.

_MG_3730 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_4021 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_4034 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_4038 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_4109 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_4188 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_4201 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_4303 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_4429 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

_MG_4472 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

 

[JBinAZ]

I was unaware this thread existed here on Expo, excited to see an active discussion about the best camper out there!

Here are my two cents about my experiences with my Canopy Camper:

ACCC #644 on a 2021 Tacoma TRDOR DCLB.

Install:

I did the install myself, after having the camper delivered to a friends work, as they had a forklift. They package it very well for shipping, so it came in unscathed. Even has a metal exoskeleton/frame to prevent damage

Install took ~24 hours total, by myself.

I have mine 'water/dustproof'. I use quotations because the Sikaflex tends to shrink as the temperature changes (even though I applied it in November), causing small holes to form, where dust can penetrate. Word of warning, Sikaflex is great, but it is super messy. As soon as it gets on you, or you have to wipe up excess with a rag, it will get everywhere if you are not careful. It's miserable to work with, and I dread every time I have to pull it out.

Waterproofing is as follows:
- Bed rail caps to fender
- Bed bolts to bed floor
- Bedside cubby doors fully glued shut.
- Bedside cubbies removed and sealed to composite bed
- Bedside mounting tracks removed, composite bed to metal fender sealed, and then track sealed to composite bed.
- The rear of the ACCC sealed to the end of the bed, both inside and outside.
- The front of the ACCC sealed to the front of the bed. Rubber pieces wedged into the two larger gaps, and Sikaflex around those. This is sealed from both the inside and the outside.
- The ACCC sealed to the bed rail caps, both inside and outside.
- All ACCC pieces sealed to one another (rear door, tailgate portion, etc.) both inside and outside.

I used 3 tubes total to seal the camper to the truck.

I have driven in 5+ vehicle convoys in really dusty environments, and while the inside of the truck is dusty as hell, the inside of the camper is always as clean as when we set off for the day.

I had zero fitment issues with my entire camper. I did notice some small curled pieces of aluminum throughout the camper, but I have zero broken rivets on my camper. My upper bed light was installed crooked though.

*After 8 months one of my USB charging blocks, in the side channel of the bed portion of the tent, died. Short lifespan, however, the camper is in Phoenix, AZ and in the summer (when it broke) the exterior of the camper gets so hot that I cannot touch it for more than a few seconds. So that little charging block is getting cooked. If only I had a 10 ft tall garage!

Driving Characteristics:

Applicable modifications to truck:
- Full steel armor + sliders
- Steel hybrid (plate and tube) front bumper with Warn winch
- 255/85/R16's (skinny 33's), 10-ply, 60 lb each
- Archive Hammer Hangers, shackles, and cross brace
- 2.5" Radflos, custom valved, 700 lb coils, at 2" lift, paired with custom Alcan leafs, with 2" lift, at 1,200 lb of extra weight
- No front swaybar due to gusseted spindles
- Can carry up to an additional 27 gallons of liquid (water and gas) in built-in systems.

Stop and go traffic around town, shorter trips (45 mph) = 12.5 mpg
Around town driving, longer drives (45 mph) = 17 mpg
Freeway driving at 65 mph = 17.5 mpg
Freeway driving at ~72 mph = 11.5 mpg
Freeway driving above 75 mph = 9.8 mpg

Fully loaded (as I was a couple of weeks ago for a 9-day trip to The Maze), you can feel the added weight, big time, on the 7.5 hour freeway/highway drive there. Clickers cranked full stiff, it is still a heavy beast that leans its way through the bends. It is stable and easy to drive on everything other than the moderately twisty bits.

On the trail, you honestly forget you are carrying an entire house back there. With my setup, the truck doesn't even care about the weight as it crawls over rocks and drops down ledges.

I will sometimes get the subtle vibrations another poster mentioned, though it only happens around ~50 mph plus or minus 2 or 3 mph. This only happens when the truck is really empty (no water on-board, bed empty, no bikes on the rack, etc.)

Other than that, I have no complaints. I did drive it around for two months while waiting for my suspension to be ready. Even with an empty camper, the OEM suspension was severely inadequate for the weight of the ACCC.

Why I Chose the Canopy Camper: (This will be my house on wheels, so I did my research with that in mind. It needs to be as easy to use as possible, day in, day out.)

- You can store a ton of bedding up in the tent. This was one of my heaviest weighted requirements.
- The tent is super easy to open. Just two latches. I prefer the wedge life as well.
- Lead time is non-existent. This was also one of my heaviest weighted requirements. My build process will probably take 1.5 years, I couldn't wait an additional 1.5 years just to get the thing.
- The tent fabric is secured to the lid inside of the outer edge. Makes it easier to put away and less rain gets on the fabric during normal rain events
- The actual frame of the camper itself gives you so many options for mounting things. You have more than just flat sheets of metal (GFC), no round tubes that are hard to mount to (GFC again)
- You have very easy side access with the side doors. This is crucial IMO. Climbing up and into the bed every time you need something gets old fast.
- The extra things you can buy, while pricey AF, are nice IMO. Well made and they work well together.
- The extra ~18" of tent space you get over the similar competitors. This makes it feel a lot more spacious up there. It's easy to spend all day inside of the tent.
- The fabric for the tent is very nice, and very thick, relative to the competitors. Full sun outside feels like pre-dawn inside. On my friends GFC's the fabric is almost see though. It block no sun light, and even the light from cell phone screens can be noticed at night.
- Both portions of the bedding flooring simply pivot up and out of the way, with struts to hold them in place. This is wayyyy better than the individual, movable, panels of the similar competitors.
- It isn't a slide in. Slide in's waste too much of the precious bed space IMO, and are too heavy.
- The rear door looks super cool. Plus it stores your spare effectively (OEM location is no longer viable due to Hammer Hangers (a must do mod IMO)). Also, the rear door is always vertical. Meaning you can permanently mount things to it. The other campers that leave the tailgate put you in a tricky spot. The tailgate has to be both horizontal and vertical, as does the rear door. This makes it hard to effectively use this space. Not to mention, everything in the bed of your truck is an additional ~18" away from you. Sliding drawers help you best this drawback, but sliding setups are heavy.

Photo Time:

LM - Day 2 - 40 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

LM - Day 3 - 03 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

LM - Day 3 - 18 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

LM - Day 5 - 07 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

LM - Day 8 - 10 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

7-23 weekend by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

An outdated photo of some of the interior buildout. All custom. More custom storage is 50% done as of today.

ACCC Interior by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

Long story short, I love this thing. If you're on the fence, get one. If you're on the fence about which brand to get, and you can afford the ACCC, get it. All my friends with GFC's agree that the ACCC is the better product for the more serious adventurer, though the extra cost over the GFC's is what ultimately turned them away. If they could have afforded it, they would have got it.

Great post! I am wondering about those rotopax mounts? I have never seen them fitted in that location before. I also have the 6’ but in an access cab and am also in Phoenix.

 

[MR E30]

Great post! I am wondering about those rotopax mounts? I have never seen them fitted in that location before. I also have the 6’ but in an access cab and am also in Phoenix.

Thanks!

The mounts are straight from Rotopax. My friend Will was hanging out in my garage one day and we were discussing where to store extra fuel. He grabbed one of my containers and placed it there. It is very very close to a perfect fit.

Both of my Fuelpax came with the spinning part that holds the container, but they also came with these round mounting plates. So I positioned those and drilled through the camper wall. Big fender washers on the backside help avoid distortion.

So far it has worked out great. Let me know if that description doesn't make sense and I will get a photo of it.

I have not seen another CC on a Tacoma, though I did see one on a Tundra.

I am up near the 51 and the 101. I'd enjoy seeing another Tacoma with an AluCab on it, if you are ever nearby!

 

[LunarErik]

_MG_4429 by Brent Prater, on Flickr

I see the Dickinson poking out but wondering where your LP cylinder is located? Most mount theirs to the rear Molle panels. Unless you retrofitted the solid fuel Dickinson stove (a thought that has crossed my mind)

 

[MR E30]

I see the Dickinson poking out but wondering where your LP cylinder is located? Most mount theirs to the rear Molle panels. Unless you retrofitted the solid fuel Dickinson stove (a thought that has crossed my mind)

I have the P9000 mounted to the camper.

The full size tank lives in the bed of the truck, inside of an 80/20 framed structure near the fridge and the water tank.

I did this for a few reasons:

- I didn't want to penetrate the camper anymore than is absolutely necessary (weatherproofing)
- I didn't want any of my hoses or connections to be exposed to the elements (longevity of components)
- I need a full size tank so that swapping it out is as convenient as possible (this will be my house, so I incorporate things with that in mind)
- I need a full size tank so that it lasts as long as possible (again, house thing, I don't want to be worrying about getting propane every two weeks)

I have a CO monitor in the truck, hardwired (it's always on) and to test it I closed up the camper and opened one of the valves on the stove just a bit (to simulate a slow leak) and within 8 seconds, before I could barely smell the propane, the monitor spiked and started beeping like crazy.

That's good enough for me. I'll get a photo of that setup once I finish framing the bed storage with the 80/20.

 

[LunarErik]

I have the P9000 mounted to the camper.

The full size tank lives in the bed of the truck, inside of an 80/20 framed structure near the fridge and the water tank.

I did this for a few reasons:

- I didn't want to penetrate the camper anymore than is absolutely necessary (weatherproofing)
- I didn't want any of my hoses or connections to be exposed to the elements (longevity of components)
- I need a full size tank so that swapping it out is as convenient as possible (this will be my house, so I incorporate things with that in mind)
- I need a full size tank so that it lasts as long as possible (again, house thing, I don't want to be worrying about getting propane every two weeks)

I have a CO monitor in the truck, hardwired (it's always on) and to test it I closed up the camper and opened one of the valves on the stove just a bit (to simulate a slow leak) and within 8 seconds, before I could barely smell the propane, the monitor spiked and started beeping like crazy.

That's good enough for me. I'll get a photo of that setup once I finish framing the bed storage with the 80/20.

Good planning! Makes perfect sense. I wish I was more proficient in the design and use of 80/20. My bed is currently still a blank canvas while I try to plan out the build. 80/20 seems like a viable option over just building a setup out of plywood and pocket screws. While the Goose stuff is nice looking, I refuse to pay like $6k to outfit my bed. Time to get creative!

 

[MR E30]

Good planning! Makes perfect sense. I wish I was more proficient in the design and use of 80/20. My bed is currently still a blank canvas while I try to plan out the build. 80/20 seems like a viable option over just building a setup out of plywood and pocket screws. While the Goose stuff is nice looking, I refuse to pay like $6k to outfit my bed. Time to get creative!

I have the same thought. I'm trying to be as space efficient as possible, and the Goose stuff is just too heavy, and not as space efficient as I would like it to be. So I'm going full custom. No drawers, and as few panels as possible.

80/20 is super intuitive. Just start playing with it and you will quickly be able to build whatever you want with it. Plus, a regular old chop saw with a wood blade can slice through it with ease.

 

[LunarErik]

I have the same thought. I'm trying to be as space efficient as possible, and the Goose stuff is just too heavy, and not as space efficient as I would like it to be. So I'm going full custom. No drawers, and as few panels as possible.

80/20 is super intuitive. Just start playing with it and you will quickly be able to build whatever you want with it. Plus, a regular old chop saw with a wood blade can slice through it with ease.

Sounds easy enough! How are you doing the filler panels? Using L-brackets to mount ply or similar or are you actually using the 80/20 groove to almost picture frame a thin enough panel to slide into the grooves?

 

[givemethewillys]

I have the P9000 mounted to the camper.

The full size tank lives in the bed of the truck, inside of an 80/20 framed structure near the fridge and the water tank.

I did this for a few reasons:

- I didn't want to penetrate the camper anymore than is absolutely necessary (weatherproofing)
- I didn't want any of my hoses or connections to be exposed to the elements (longevity of components)
- I need a full size tank so that swapping it out is as convenient as possible (this will be my house, so I incorporate things with that in mind)
- I need a full size tank so that it lasts as long as possible (again, house thing, I don't want to be worrying about getting propane every two weeks)

I have a CO monitor in the truck, hardwired (it's always on) and to test it I closed up the camper and opened one of the valves on the stove just a bit (to simulate a slow leak) and within 8 seconds, before I could barely smell the propane, the monitor spiked and started beeping like crazy.

That's good enough for me. I'll get a photo of that setup once I finish framing the bed storage with the 80/20.

Isn't the biggest danger with propane being in the camper not from CO, but from leaking propane pooling in enclosed low cavities and creating an explosive danger? Your 80/20 cabinet should be vented to the outside so a spark from something as simple as your wool socks doesn't blow up your camper.

 

[MR E30]

Sounds easy enough! How are you doing the filler panels? Using L-brackets to mount ply or similar or are you actually using the 80/20 groove to almost picture frame a thin enough panel to slide into the grooves?

The 80/20 (I use the 1 inch stuff, plenty strong) has little corner brackets that are usually used longitudinally (lengthwise) to connect the lengths of 80/20 together, but they can also be rotated perpendicular and used to mount panels to.

I like the idea of a panel nestled into the small channel of the 80/20, but I think it would be too hard to pull off.

I am using 1/2" plywood for the horizontal pieces, so that we can sit on it. It will have gas struts so it can be pivoted out of the way to access the storage underneath. All vertical panels will be 26 gauge steel. Going with steel over aluminum so that we can use magnets to secure things (small pouches, cooking spice containers, etc.) to the vertical space, as we are big proponents of using vertical space as much as possible. The tiny weight difference is not a concern.

 

[MR E30]

Isn't the biggest danger with propane being in the camper not from CO, but from leaking propane pooling in enclosed low cavities and creating an explosive danger? Your 80/20 cabinet should be vented to the outside so a spark from something as simple as your wool socks doesn't blow up your camper.

It is vented to the outside, as it is not a sealed container.

Pooling may be a concern in a massive warehouse, or other large, well sealed, space, but the entirety of the camper is ~96 cubic feet, a tiny, tiny space. And opening a single hatch/door basically ventilates the entire inside within a few seconds anyways, as the size of the openings relative to the volume of air inside is massive.

If enough propane can leak out, pool, and then be ignited by a wool sock, then that's a signal to me that it was my time to go anyways, and it was either the propane or something else that was going to end me that day.

Plus, it's not like the tank being outside completely removes the chance of propane leaking into the camper. Lines with connections still have to run inside, into the enclosed space. And these are just as likely to leak as the connections at the tank, so the difference is moot.

 

[givemethewillys]

It is vented to the outside, as it is not a sealed container.

Pooling may be a concern in a massive warehouse, or other large, well sealed, space, but the entirety of the camper is ~96 cubic feet, a tiny, tiny space. And opening a single hatch/door basically ventilates the entire inside within a few seconds anyways, as the size of the openings relative to the volume of air inside is massive.

If enough propane can leak out, pool, and then be ignited by a wool sock, then that's a signal to me that it was my time to go anyways, and it was either the propane or something else that was going to end me that day.

Plus, it's not like the tank being outside completely removes the chance of propane leaking into the camper. Lines with connections still have to run inside, into the enclosed space. And these are just as likely to leak as the connections at the tank, so the difference is moot.

I took your first bullet of "minimize openings through the camper" to you have the propane canister in a sealed container inside the camper. A small bit can make a big bang, but do what you feel safe doing.