Alu-Cab Has Landed In The USA!

trabs00

Lifetime Social Distancer
The original eight tents we first imported were the first Gen III tents manufactured and they had rivets in the tread plate section above the headliner. All eight eventually had leaks and were replaced for the customers back in 2015. It was a mistake, but we learned from it and we feel the Gen III sealing surface makes it nearly impossible for water or dust intrusion.

As per the guy who was told that by Alu-Cab, I find that highly unlikely coming from HQ and would be happy to chat with him. Like mentioned below, you will need to air it from time to time especially if you are in a damp environment where it may be being put away wet. Since it is sealed completely with a rubber gasket, how you put it away is how it stays and if wet you could get mold or mildew if not aired out when conditions improve.
Rin, I received my alu-cab RTT in 2016 and had the leaking and some water damage (stains). I was told by you through here to just put silicone on the rivet heads which I did. Worked for a while but the sun and conditions ate it away over time and had a wet winter this year which soaked the tent.

In your message here are you saying the rivets were replaced and sealed on these tents, tents replaced, or you just added silicone to them?
Travis
 

80t0ylc

Hill & Gully Rider
Yes we offer spares of all our tent fabrics, DIY?
Rin,
I have some questions about the Alu Cab Shadow wall kits that were sold through OK4WD. I purchased a Shadow awning and wall kit back in late May/early June of 2017 and as you might remember was quite dismayed that Alu Cab did not provide a back wall to provide for insect protection. I'll admit I've been quite vocal about it on this forum and you have provided answers to my questions as the info became available from Alu Cab. You also sent me a seam sealer kit for the reinforcement patch.

Anyway, I was on Alu Cab's Shadow website, to get some info to help out another potential customer and noticed this info:

****
Tent Side Walls
By adding the optional side walls, the awning can be extended even more. The side walls with doors, several windows, and mosquito nets are fastened to the awning by Velcro straps. Two extra tent poles in the corners make sure than the tent stays in position.
The side walls are made of water-proof, tear-resistant, acrylic-coated fabric that weigh approximately 190g/m². (highlighting added)
****

I have no idea how many wall kits are being sold for their awnings - I can't imagine it would be a lot here in the states, but why haven't existing wall kit owners been at least notified that Alu Cab now has a solution to the problem? Is there an upgrade kit available? It would go a long way, P.R. - wise, to let us know!
 

rino

Supporting Sponsor - OK4WD
Rin,
I have some questions about the Alu Cab Shadow wall kits that were sold through OK4WD. I purchased a Shadow awning and wall kit back in late May/early June of 2017 and as you might remember was quite dismayed that Alu Cab did not provide a back wall to provide for insect protection. I'll admit I've been quite vocal about it on this forum and you have provided answers to my questions as the info became available from Alu Cab. You also sent me a seam sealer kit for the reinforcement patch.

Anyway, I was on Alu Cab's Shadow website, to get some info to help out another potential customer and noticed this info:

****
Tent Side Walls
By adding the optional side walls, the awning can be extended even more. The side walls with doors, several windows, and mosquito nets are fastened to the awning by Velcro straps. Two extra tent poles in the corners make sure than the tent stays in position.
The side walls are made of water-proof, tear-resistant, acrylic-coated fabric that weigh approximately 190g/m². (highlighting added)
****

I have no idea how many wall kits are being sold for their awnings - I can't imagine it would be a lot here in the states, but why haven't existing wall kit owners been at least notified that Alu Cab now has a solution to the problem? Is there an upgrade kit available? It would go a long way, P.R. - wise, to let us know!

Hey man! I think you are misunderstanding the German Alu-Cab page via google translation. They are saying the walls have a door, several windows which have mosquito netting and they attach to the velcro on the awning. They are the same wall kits we have always offered. LMK if you have any questions on it.
 

rino

Supporting Sponsor - OK4WD
Rin, I received my alu-cab RTT in 2016 and had the leaking and some water damage (stains). I was told by you through here to just put silicone on the rivet heads which I did. Worked for a while but the sun and conditions ate it away over time and had a wet winter this year which soaked the tent.

In your message here are you saying the rivets were replaced and sealed on these tents, tents replaced, or you just added silicone to them?
Travis

Hey! Drop me an email to rino@ok4wd.com and we will get it straightened out for you.
 

80t0ylc

Hill & Gully Rider
Hey man! I think you are misunderstanding the German Alu-Cab page via google translation. They are saying the walls have a door, several windows which have mosquito netting and they attach to the velcro on the awning. They are the same wall kits we have always offered. LMK if you have any questions on it.
Yeah, same old bs. Didn't realize it was German website, since the text was in English. Let's not blame Google for this! Whether it's called mosquito netting or screen in the windows is not the point. It offers about as much protection against ANY insect as waving at them. As far as questions about the wall kits, in case you missed it - I own one. I just jump at any chance to make it more useful. I will never understand why any company would build a wall kit that you cannot seal for protection from insects and weather.
 

Beowulf

Expedition Leader
Are there any rumors of Alu-cab coming out with a compact version of the Shadow awning? Something about 2m to 2.2m?
 

rino

Supporting Sponsor - OK4WD
Yeah, same old bs. Didn't realize it was German website, since the text was in English. Let's not blame Google for this! Whether it's called mosquito netting or screen in the windows is not the point. It offers about as much protection against ANY insect as waving at them. As far as questions about the wall kits, in case you missed it - I own one. I just jump at any chance to make it more useful. I will never understand why any company would build a wall kit that you cannot seal for protection from insects and weather.

I remember, you were upset about it a bit back. This kit is for weather protection, but is not a complete room as every vehicle and trailer would require a custom net to access doors and rear hatches. I believe this is why no company sells a 270 awning room as described, unless i'm mistaken.

The website uses a Google translate app, wasn't blaming google just explaining the reason for the broken English on the German dealer's site.
 

rino

Supporting Sponsor - OK4WD
Are there any rumors of Alu-cab coming out with a compact version of the Shadow awning? Something about 2m to 2.2m?

We played around with a few concepts but the loss of coverage ultimately makes a shorter 270 not really effective in our own opinion.
 

Bigc3031

Member
Yeah, same old bs. Didn't realize it was German website, since the text was in English. Let's not blame Google for this! Whether it's called mosquito netting or screen in the windows is not the point. It offers about as much protection against ANY insect as waving at them. As far as questions about the wall kits, in case you missed it - I own one. I just jump at any chance to make it more useful. I will never understand why any company would build a wall kit that you cannot seal for protection from insects and weather.


Check out this supplier and you can make your own, that’s what I plan on doing as well. https://mosquitonetsusa.com/collections/mosquito-netting
 

80t0ylc

Hill & Gully Rider
I remember, you were upset about it a bit back. This kit is for weather protection, but is not a complete room as every vehicle and trailer would require a custom net to access doors and rear hatches. I believe this is why no company sells a 270 awning room as described, unless i'm mistaken..................
I know full well, Alu Cab's excuse. You told me in this thread, back in post #600 on page 40, (12-23-17) Maybe you missed it, but in post #619 on page 42, (2-11-18) which you never commented on, I posted a link for a video that shows a Foxwing 270 awning that does have a back wall. Here's the link if you want to watch and show to Alu-Cab: Foxwing wallkit video The doors on the back wall are generic - not customized to any rig, but would allow access, if needed. And as it's designed, you don't even have to use the back wall, if it's in the way. But, if you want to seal it up, for bugs or weather, you have that option. Concerning Alu Cab's wall kit, to say "This kit is for weather protection", I have to say......maybe. If it's just a mild rain and the wind is not blowing too hard. It helps block the wind from 2 directions, but because it's not sealed from the back, if the wind is coming from the back side or front (vehicle front), you've got little protection. The wind swirls under and over the rig and into the room. And because you have the poles staked as well as the walls with the provided stakes, it is not easy to change direction of your rig. You'd have to pull stakes up & the walls down to move your rig.
 

rino

Supporting Sponsor - OK4WD
I can see that being quite a pain for vehicles like my JKU and trying to simply get a beverage from the fridge in the back and sealing it all back up.

Honestly the mosquito netting two posts up with some magnets covering from below the door line of your vehicle to the ground would allow great access to the truck and bug protection.
 

80t0ylc

Hill & Gully Rider
I can see that being quite a pain for vehicles like my JKU and trying to simply get a beverage from the fridge in the back and sealing it all back up........
Yeah, any access to a vehicle would be inconvenient, but I would rather have that "pain" than the "pain" of dealing with aggressive insects.

..........Honestly the mosquito netting two posts up with some magnets covering from below the door line of your vehicle to the ground would allow great access to the truck and bug protection.
Mosquito netting below the door line is only part of the issue. There is more significant gaps that need addressing such as above the roof line. The gaps that exist at the ends of the walls that tie to the vehicle. The walls attach to the awning by velcro and also zipper together, which seals fine, but in the upper corners there are gaps not sealed to allow the awning support arms to attach to the supporting poles. It's obvious to me that the wall kit was never designed to be a sealed room. Insect protection is only 1/2 of the issue. Weather protection is also my concern. The 270* room in the video link I provided looked like a good attempt to provide both. However, they did not show if there was a sealed floor provided. I guess what I'm looking for and what I assumed should be standard for a room under a 270* awning is a room that has the features of the ARB 2500 room. IMHO, why else do you have a room with walls - especially when you have windows with screens? My rant is not aimed at you, Rin. But at 1/2 assed attempts by quality awning manufacturers at rooms and their wall kits. Alu Cab is not my only target. As you already said: "I believe this is why no company sells a 270 awning room as described, unless i'm mistaken......."

Anyway, thank you for your replies, concerns and suggestions, Rin!
 
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rino

Supporting Sponsor - OK4WD
Yeah, any access to a vehicle would be inconvenient, but I would rather have that "pain" than the "pain" of dealing with aggressive insects.

Mosquito netting below the door line is only part of the issue. There is more significant gaps that need addressing such as above the roof line. The gaps that exist at the ends of the walls that tie to the vehicle. The walls attach to the awning by velcro and also zipper together, which seals fine, but in the upper corners there are gaps not sealed to allow the awning support arms to attach to the supporting poles. It's obvious to me that the wall kit was never designed to be a sealed room. Insect protection is only 1/2 of the issue. Weather protection is also my concern. The 270* room in the video link I provided looked like a good attempt to provide both. However, they did not show if there was a sealed floor provided. I guess what I'm looking for and what I assumed should be standard for a room under an awning is a 270* room that has the features if the ARB 2500 room. IMHO, why else do you have a room with walls - especially when you have windows with screens? My rant is not aimed at you, Rin. But at 1/2 assed attempts by quality awning manufacturers at rooms and their wall kits. Alu Cab is not my only target. As you already said: "I believe this is why no company sells a 270 awning room as described, unless i'm mistaken......."

Anyway, thank you for your replies, concerns and suggestions, Rin!

no worries man, just trying to help and note your ideas to pitch for future projects. if you do make progress with any DIY stuff please shoot it my way and i would be happy to pass it on to HQ.
 

yoda4r

New member
@rino im also curious about the side awning and how they connect. I recently installed the gen 3 and after 5 nights in it, I can say I love it. Only things I would add are the side awning for the door, a telescoping ladder, and a better mattress. Gonna try the exped MegaMat and order a ladder off amazon. Ill be contacting Mudraks to see about availability on the entrance awning.
 

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