Let's see those Alu-cab setups

I purchased a Alu-Cab Contour and will be picking it up soon. I have a few questions and I tried finding the answer on TW with hand no luck?

1. What is the best way to get power to the lights, ive seen people mention wire harness adapters, that someone sell here on TW?

2. Outside of sealing the bulk head do I need to seal anything else?

3. Are the bed stiffeners a must have item?

 

1. I used a generic auxiliary light adapter harness off Amazon. Popped out the cubby, attached it to the back (inside the fender well) with a hole and some zip ties, grounded to the frame, and ran the power through the truck up to the battery.

2. If you shim correctly, no. Rarely guys will have some water intrusion in the tailgate area but it doesn't happen often.

3. I would if you plan on putting anything on the roof. The composite bed/bed rails aren't really made to be load bearing. It's cheap insurance when you've already spent 3k on a cap. For reference, there are guys on here who've reported cracking the bed just by wheeling too hard or often.

 

update on my order. i ordered a contour sometime in june, maybe june 14? i dont remember. they said it might be here maybe august or september.

called today. still no cap. no real updates. they say they would keep me in the loop. haven't called since mid august so i don't feel like im pestering or anything.

oh well. guess thats just how this goes?

anyone else in the same boat? or order after me and get it already?

 

fuggin supply chain boolsheet!

how dare you order something and want to know when or if it's actually available.

 

I will say I am the exception, called my local Off-Road store and they had one in stock and tagged it for me. I honestly thought I would be put on a 3 month waiting list.

 

Waiting on mine also. I was told mid-October, so fingers crossed.

 

Still planning on adding a solar setup, panels on the RRT and controller, inverter, and batteries in the bed. The wood setup is lightweight and 2 pieces, can be just the platform or both together or both taken out. Still trying to figure out how to open the contour canopy from inside if the bed and top are closed. But everything’s working great driving from Ohio to California with a total weight of 10700 trailer and truck…mpg leaves something to be desired in the Rockies and Sierra Nevad Mtns though

 

I ordered through OK4WD in august and called just a few days ago to check on things. I have been told they expect their new shipment to hit port on the 17th of October, and said it usually takes a week or two to go though customs. So I am hoping end of October maybe early November.

 

1. Brake lights: T-tap harness, run into bed and tie into your tops wiring as you see fit. I added weatherpack connectors on this connection so I could remove the top easily if I had to.https://fbchs.square.site/
^TW vendor.
Dome lights: I ran a 14g fused wire to the battery and grounded on the frame below the taillights. The three lights are all individually switched with a low and high output setting. Independent power is nice so you don’t have to go into the cab to cut the lights on, or hit the unlock if they time out. Also terminated with weather packs on the connection to the alucab.

I consider this temporary as I’m mounting a fuse panel behind the taillight with a lagunasolutions housing, and switch panel in the bed. I plan on putting them on a three way switch, off, on with bed lights, independent on.

2. I used butyl marine tape on the bed rails, not sure it does anything. Only spot I have water intrusion is the bulkhead which is minimal.

3. jury’s still out on these IMO. I’m no engineer, I added some just because…And it gave me more tie down options. Went stainless steel so I don’t need to worry about corrosion.

 

Does anybody have a lead on a replacement for the third brake light? Recently picked up a pretty old Explorer canopy and upon wiring up the brake light I discovered that about half of the LEDs are out. I tried searching the forum/google/Amazon and couldn't find anything besides a European website selling them for $$$$. Also, bonus question before I hit up Alu-Cab directly: this has the really old metal latches that are a bit of a pain to open. Does anyone know if they can be replaced/are a direct fit with the slam latches that come on the newer models?

Thanks in advance.

 

I am a structural engineer, and I am currently working on a white paper as to the efficacy of bed stiffeners (though no ETA to its completion at this time), but I'll say this: Get them. The higher up they go the better, TC makes the best ones so far. I have a Canopy Camper, which is a lot better at translating the forces down to the frame than a Contour Cap, and I still run bed stiffeners.

Also, you will need to seal more than just your bed rails if you really want to keep water and dust out. I spent ~20 hours sealing my bed, and I don't even have a tailgate to deal with. If you don't care that much about dust or water than you can get away with a lot less. However, if you want to really keep it clean in there then you need to do more. I live in my Tacoma and it is paramount that it stays as dust free inside as possible, hence the time I put into sealing it.

 

I also had the TC stiffeners before my ACCC and removed them for install. It looks like I can just open up the holes on the stiffeners sides and bolt them on top of the camper door plate. Is that what you did with existing bolts?

 

Yes, this is how i modified mine as well. I added a washer to the hole nearest the center of the bed, where the camper door plate isn't, so it was all level.

 

Any chance on a photo? I may have overlooked something? Does the inner cover get mounted again or are your stiffeners too wide to allow it be on? This is likely the 3rd or 4th time I've asked MR E30 for photos on his tweaks and ideas.

 

It doesn't appear that I took a photo of the stiffener when I originally installed it, but let me go take one now to share with you. I don't know if I'll be able to get a full picture, due to all of the things I have installed, but I'll do my best.

 

I just finished your last post in https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/another-around-the-world-tacoma.746226/page-13. Made a good number of notes. Before I read the post about your sand mats, I was going to suggest them to you. They are a huge came changer in dry areas.

Very much look forward to your write up on adding a 2nd house battery, something I'm planning in my future.

 

Here is the photo of my stiffener, pardon for the close proximity. i misspoke earlier, and I didn't install a washer underneath the end of the stiffener that is nearest the center of the bed. The stiffeners I have (Victory 4x4) fit well with the back sill plate of the Canopy Camper, so any twisting or unevenness is not a concern I needed to deal with.

Upgrades - Oct 2023 by Michael Rickerd, on Flickr

I will get to updating my build thread now actually. It's almost time to leave Phoenix, so might as well get caught up before we get back on the road.

Edit: It is dirty in there. I need to clean that up!

 

Finally got my Contour Canopy. Really nice. Big thanks to the guys @ Roko.

 

how long from ordering until you got it?

 

got mine via Roko too. Awesome experience and good dudes.