Aussie Canopy Alternative // Feedback

I'm working w/ a fabricator buddy to build a simple, cost-effective DIY storage solution to mimic the functionality of more expensive Tray+Canopy solutions offered by MITS, Dirtbox, Bowen Customs, etc.

This ideal is a simple, self-assembly kit that ships flat-packed to keep cost down, but provides secure, weather and dust-proof storage, plus the structural integrity to add load bars, an RTT, awning, shower cube, etc.



I've been through many rigs and set-up's over the years, and they all had their Pros & Cons. The vision here is to have a daily driver Tacoma (or Colorado, Ranger, Etc.) that is low, light, and nimble...but has a ton of highly configurable storage capacity.

This unit will bolt to the OEM bed rail T-slots and be a self-enclosed structure leaving the bed below open for storage. Two 27 gallon + one 57 gallon storage totes fit perfectly in the bed below, or you could do a bed-slide and give up 4-5" of vertical space for the convenience of having a slide-out.

The Molle plate on the back will secured by rivnuts to make it easy to remove and add accessories like fuel / water can mounts, propane mounts, etc.



We should have the prototype built by end of Q4. Just posting for general feedback and comments on the design and market viability.

Target price range would be $4-5k depending on divider and storage drawer options

 

Seems like a cool idea. That’s going to be a lot of weight on the bedsides, or at least more than most campers. It might be a good idea to add supports down to the bed floor. How will the tailgate open with that on? Or will it not cover the tailgate?

 

This is far less weight than an Alu-Cab canopy camper or GFC, both of which reside on the bed rails. The tailgate won't be affected at all...it wil still function as normal

 

Drawers are expensive to make, waste internal volume(dividers, slides), noisy.

Shelves are cheaper to make, can be a structural member of the entire camper, so you can use thinner gauge material to save weight. Less wasted volume, more versatile/flexible to hold larger items. Use pull-out trays if you need to.

 

Lighter than a gfc? Interesting. My observation was that you have the platform and drawers on the bedsides, plus whatever is inside of and on top of the drawers. All that weight will be on the bedsides.

Regarding the tailgate, is the back panel spaced above or in front of the tailgate? I was thinking about how most campers you have to open the rear hatch to open the tailgate if they overlap.

 

I don't disagree on the drawers wasting space comment...and after muling this over more, we may edit the design to have the drawers open directly to the outside rather than trying to contain them in the canopy. As for cost and complexity, we're solving that by making them glide using PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) sheets vs. ball bearing slides. I did this on another build and it works very well....the drawers slide nicely, the space is maximized, and they are not noisy

The tailgate will retain it's normal function. This canopy will have clearance between the canopy floor and tailgate