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

Forgot to mention one more important downside of the Alu-Cab over the RSI SmartCap -- the fact that it doesn't come apart and is welded. I mean, I'm not sure how to the leak-proofing in RSI works, but on the flip side, there are very few leaks in the Alu-Cab.

But yeah, transporting or placing the Alu-Cab isn't very easy. This is what it looked like in its box:

 

green long bed ftw! (there actually aren't that many pics of long beds w Alu-Cabs that i've seen.) and a UT alum, no less.


yeah, the various window options are what kept me looking at RSI/RLD, as much as i like the Alu. i suppose if i wanted to wait for a special order from SA....

 

I helped a buddy install an alucab and thought the mounting brackets were overly complicated. Below are the brackets for my RSI

 

:-D :-D hook 'em horns!

I did not realize that RSI had the "flush bonded sliding front window" whereas Alu-Cab did not. That's a blessing for campers. Perhaps I should consider selling my Alu-Cab eventually once they have the new version in production in Jan '22, and get a silver SmartCap EVOa

 

I did the lighting install of Alu-Cab today, finishing the electrical installation. I wonder if, with a cap that is flush with the body like an RSI, the wires can be provided to plug into the old bed light / third brake-light; but on the Alu-Cab, the wires are just left without instructions or connectors.

The dome lights were not a hard install. I used the same connector used by the OEM bed lighting kit (which is accessed behind the tail light assembly), to wire the bed light supply into a PWM dimmer:

$11 Hiletgo 3pcs DC12-24V 8Amp 0%-100% PWM Dimming Controller for LED Lights, Ribbon Lights,Tape Lights,Dimmer is compatible with Hilight, LEDwholesaler, fillite, and others' strips

https://www.amazon.com/Hiletgo-DC12-24V-Controller-compatible-LEDwholesaler/dp/B073R7H52B
I took the output of the PWM dimmer and supplied it to the Alu-Cab dome light connection.

A neat feature of the Alu-Cab is that each dome light LED strip has its own switch. One minor complaint is that the light is not distributed evenly through the cabin. I now have dimmable lights in the cabin.

 

Alu-cab is adding a sliding front glass option or did i read that wrong?

 

i think you read it wrong.

as i understand, any "extras" on Alu-cabs must be ordered from the manufacturer, in SA.

 

BTW, a friend borrowed the truck for a few days in the snow this week and could not stop complaining about the latches on the Alu-Cab. He tried everything he could short of blowing hot air at the locks -- silicone spray, WD40, antifreeze spray, hand sanitizer (poor man's antifreeze+lubricant), even "keyhole deicer" -- and they were still absolutely miserable. He also broke a key trying to operate the locks once. He explained that he had to "plan ahead for his latch use strategy" to balance being able to protect his gear from theft and being unable to access it.

I called up the place that sold me the shell and they told me Alu-Cab now makes a new kind of dust cover with rubber seal around the edge of the cap, so the moisture can't get in and freeze out the locks. I'm very skeptical that this simple solution will rescue these hopeless locks, but I do plan to give it a try. I also plan to acquire a 12V hair dryer / heat gun with a long-ranged extension cord as additional insurance.

In short, it looks like the latches on the south African--made truck canopies are terrible at handling North American winters. Be prepared with a solid strategy for how you will open your canopy!

 

If you read that from what I wrote, I'm afraid you did read wrong. RSI does have a sliding front glass, standard, from what their website says -- and doesn't have the "snow accumulation" gap that RLD and Alu-Cab have.

Some day, we would have an RSI-like canopy with RLD-like latches and AluCab-like lightness + nut slot system. Until then, we get to complain about our canopies.

 

Installing my RLD V3 Tuesday at Rhino Adventure in San Marcos. I will be running the Rhino low profile crossbars and my Roofnest Falcon, so I will report back with installation pics and feedback.

 

More on Alu-Cab latches in freezing weather. I recently purchased a couple of these:
https://ok4wd.com/alu-cab-push-button-lock-cover-each-alua-pb-cov

They are better than leaving the locks uncovered, but it looks like their method of operation is to prevent moisture from going into the locks. If you already have moisture, nothing changes. So the hope is that you vent them out when you see the sun and then close them up before moisture gets in.

So my impression is that they aren’t perfect, but they help. I have two data points so far. First when I installed them and encountered freezing temps, they didn’t work. I then popped them open the next day when it was warmer to find a bunch of moisture in one, which I cleaned out before closing them. Later it snowed, and while the other locks froze, the covered ones didn’t. So my impression is they won’t fully insure you against being locked out of your canopy, but looks like they reduce the probability that you’ll be locked out.

I’ve found that keyhole deicer is the last resort that has worked each time. I haven’t tried an electric defroster yet.

 

I now have many data points from the freezing temperatures in Washington state over December end. I'm pleased to report that these covers probably work ~90% of the time. So I got myself a full suite to install. With this, I think the main quip I had with the Alu-Cab is largely gone, and I'm liking it.

 

I know this thread is a year old now but I have to ask, is you RLD cap color matched in these photos or is it the stock grey that RLD has?

 

One more point on the Alu-Cab: Pay heed to the note that says "Mounting bolts must be regularly checked". I found that one of my mounting bolts was basically loose to the point of being screwable with my fingers. Tightened them with a 1.5ft breaker bar. If anyone knows a torque spec on the mounting bolts, I am all ears.

Granted, I remember now that I had only used a short ratchet on them, and therefore the torque was not great. But even as yet. The mounting video on YouTube from TinyRigCo recommends using a thread tamper indicator paint (e.g.

$8 Vibra-TITE Viz-Torque Tamper Detection Marker Red (20241)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Q84FX6K/) so that you can easily spot loose bolts. I think this is a good idea.

 

I'm curious, what prevents lateral movement along the length of the vehicle with this mounting system? In other words, what prevents the RSI from slipping back and forth upon braking / acceleration?

 

i have no idea what the torque spec is for those bolts, but i really don't think it wants a breaker bar's worth.

 

The bolts are torqued to spec and then the friction between the rubber bulb seal and the bed caps keeps it from sliding.

 

That’s the stock grey. That lighting definitely makes it look better but I still think it looks good.

 

Interested in the update on this, did you get the RLD?