RSI vs RLD vs Alu-Cab guys. Please weigh in on your experiences

I had a lead on an RLD canopy that fell thru..now I'm back to square one as far as choosing from 1 of these 3.

Anyone who has the above 3 shells, I'm looking for some real (unbiased/unsponsored) reviews and feedback. Do you have any regrets? Do wish you went with a different manufacturer? There's not much out there on Youtube, and the few that I've seen..I don't get the vibe that they paid out of their own pocket. I've looked over the threads on TW, just looking for a bit more info and first hand experience/s.

I know the general consensus is that almost all canopies/shells have some sort of water issues, how has yours held up against the elements?

Photos on your truck are always appreciated!

Thanks!

 

I'm a very recent Alu-Cab Explorer canopy customer. Haven't even used it on a trip yet so I can really only speak to the purchase and install experience which has been positive through OK4WD. I picked Alu-Cab because I could get it quickly (1 week from order to delivery), I liked the looks, and the ammo box slide will work great with the front runner wolf packs we use.

OK4WD regularly stocks smooth sided explorer canopies in black and silver. They luckily had a black Tacoma long bed in stock when I called them along with the load bars for the RTT. The ammo box slide is not in stock in their warehouse so I'm waiting for it to show up from SA. No biggie they were up front about this. The fit on the 3rd gen long bed is pretty good, I think the door design will be water tight and with the rain we've had recently it seems to be:
Alu-Cab Explorer Canopy by chris tsay, on Flickr

Untitled by chris tsay, on Flickr

Untitled by chris tsay, on Flickr

All of the caps will have to overcome the gaps and unevenness at the front of our beds. The D-rubber that Alu-Cab uses seemed to do well with this. I did have to pack the gaps between the side rail and the header rail with butyl and looking at the RSI instructions you'd need to do the same thing. The RSI cap seems to also use a similar D-rubber for the canopy to bed interface.

I haven't experienced any leaks from the canopy itself, I did have to do some more plugging of the front header to side rail interface after the first rain. I also laid butyl tape underneath the bedrail caps, the header bar, as well as the cap on the tailgate.

The install instructions for the bracket assembly aren't 100% accurate but they also not terribly complex. I do like that it comes pre-assembled including the D-rubber gasket.

Door locks are just as fiddly as any other small lock I've dealt with on a truck. It hasn't froze here so I can't speak to the lock freezing problem, if it becomes an issue I'll do the cover that they sell.

The interior and high mounted brake light wiring is unterminated in the Alucab, interior lights on the left side of the door and brake light on the right side of the door. I used Deutsch DTM 2-position connectors on each side running the wiring into the bed from the taillight cavities with no drilling required. I did have to pass the bare sockets/pins through and then assemble the DTM as it's a small gap. RSI supplies a harness to plug into the brake light, I had to create my own but that's pretty simple. I tapped the bedight circuit for the interior lights.

Since the RTT will be taking up the entire roof I won't be installing any other accessories up top. I am tempted by both the chair carrier and the table mount that Alu-Cab sells. I think RSI and RLD both sell a similar table at a similar price (i.e. high).

 

It's snowing in Texas today, I'll see how bad the lock freezing issue is if I venture outside!

 

Subd'
Also interested in any RLD / RSI feedback

 

Thanks @christsay for the writeup and pictures.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CKM6erlnhB6/?igshid=2tfinaf8glwx

with this being released and the rsi announcing the adventure model as well...it makes things harder to decide

 

Subd to hear as well

 

Subd. I should be receiving my V3 RLD canopy come March. Color matching.

 

I was fortunate enough to pick up a used Alu-Cab for my DCSB at the end of last year. I previously had my RTT mounted on a BAMF low profile rack and I can say compared to how much that leaked this thing is awesome :-D For the price I picked it up at I would never complain, it has windows installed in the side doors that I was told are from the factory, but I can't be for sure, they are my only complaint as they tend to drain inside the doors when you open them and it rains on your head. Overall I'm impressed with the build quality, and the added security around the city is nice. I park outside with no covering 100%, the locks have iced up, but nothing more than I was able to free up with a little elbow grease, I found that once I adjusted their tension on the door that also helped to pop them past a little ice. The flap on the rear also hold on to water a bit more than I'd like, but it does keep it from entering the bed.

 

I've had my RLD canopy around 8 months now.

 

Which one is "easiest" to remove?

I'll have mine on 90% of the time but I move a lot of furniture and need to be able to remove it somewhat easily.

 

I'd bet they are all about the same to remove. The Alu-Cab is secured at six places to the factory bedrail system and you'll need a 13mm socket and a 13mm wrench for the fasteners. If you have a tall enough garage and can setup a hoist it could even be a one-person job. My wife and I were able to mount ours without any drama. Definitely way easier than the fiberglass topper I had on the first gen.

 

I removed and replaced the fiberglass shell I used to have on my 3rd gen several times. Removal is pretty straightforward, even solo, if you have the overhead room and straps/hoist etc. But reinstallation always seemed tougher, specifically to align it just right and not damage the gasket. Not sure one of these would be much different.

 

Just installed my RSI evo yesterday. Quality is good, fits very nicely.

personally I liked this one over the RDL bc of the smoother look of the side hatches. Also larger side windows.

 

Have you received your RLD yet? How was the color match?

 

I have not unfortunately. Tomorrow it’ll be 4 months since I purchased it.

 

I’ve had an Alu Cab for two years now. Overall I’m impressed with it and haven’t had any issues besides a few small things. Latches get dusty or icy but I just got their covers installed so hopefully that helps. I keep them lubed up with Triflow and that seems to really help. Second thing is the dust intrusion, which isn’t specific to Alucab although others like RLD have a solution with the positive pressure vent. About a year ago I cut a hole in the top and installed a vent that can open either facing forwards or backwards. With that open I get zero dust in the back.

The entire time I’ve had it there has been a 150lb Autohome Maggiolina RTT mounted. No issues with the weight or shifting or anything like that.

I prefer the boxier look of the Alu Cab and the weight savings is nice over the other options.

 

Thanks for posting the pics of the vent - I’ll be replicating that on mine. I ordered the last Alu-Cab from OK4WD last week. Trucks w/ canopies, all suffer from some type of dust (sometimes water) intrusion, solely based on my past ownership of Chevy, Ford & Toyota. I have a CVT Mt Hood that will be on it for 6 months of the year. That’s around 200lbs. Hopefully my experience is as good as yours.

 

Are you being facetious or have the photos been removed? I'm looking at an explorer and would like to know a bit more about your positive pressure mod, @nvnv .

 

He might have seen the pics from another post but here it is:

Bought the vent on eBay.