Alu-cab grenadier

[Noddy]

I have a pop top on my Defender (not AluCab), which is great, but the Defender is very different, structurally, to the IG.

Putting aside the structural integrity issues, which are significant, you then need to deal with the roof console and the factory loom which runs to it. Before attacking a factory loom, you would want to have done some serious investigations. I am going to be interested to understand how they will incorporate the roof console into their design, I cannot quite see it myself.

 

[DenisM]

Why reduce the roof design load capacity just to sleep inside the car when there are far better roof design options that don't! (like alloy hard shell)?

Agree in respect of the IG station wagon!
However, apart from sleeping, the utility of the conversion is the ability to stand up and move about inside the vehicle, especially in extreme weather ... Also, many hitherto constraints on interior storage layout are removed. For example, the usual rear access "drawer" system can be done-away with and cabinets installed along each side, up to the roof line with a "passageway" in the middle. There are some amazing LC Troopy and classic Defender conversions on YouTube...

All that aside, (IMHO) rather than trying to deconstruct the IG station wagon, Alu-cab would be better positioned to concentrate their engineering development resources and adapt their "canopy camper" ( https://www.alu-cab.com/product/canopy-camper/) to the forthcoming Ineos dual cab.

The Australian company "Trayon camper" got busy early and in 2021 published an article on their website "why Australia needs the Ineos Grenadier"...they were obviously excited about it and even mocked up the IG dual cab with one of their camper products! https://www.trayon.com/blog/2021-ineos-grenadier-4x4/

The next couple of years will be interesting indeed!

 

[DaveB]

Wow, so the uninsured continue to get away scot-free, while us responsible ones shoulder more costs!

Copy that. It would be easier here in the USA if everyone played by the same rules.

Everyone has to pay registration or they can't drive their cars on the road.
Maybe a few let it lapse but cop cars have camera recognition now and it scans car rego plates as they are driving
Any vehicle unregistered alarms instantly
So I think it is about $130 of your rego fees covers the insurance and you get to chose which company it is with.

 

[DenisM]

Everyone has to pay registration or they can't drive their cars on the road.
Maybe a few let it lapse but cop cars have camera recognition now and it scans car rego plates as they are driving
Any vehicle unregistered alarms instantly
So I think it is about $130 of your rego fees covers the insurance and you get to chose which company it is with.

The insurance Dave is referring to is the compulsory third party injury liability insurance. Vehicle damage insurance is additional...many people don't bother with it and it's a pain $$$ if they become involved in an accident with your vehicular pride and joy

 

[DaveB]

The insurance Dave is referring to is the compulsory third party injury liability insurance. Vehicle damage insurance is additional...many people don't bother with it and it's a pain $$$ if they become involved in an accident with your vehicular pride and joy

Exactly
At least it covers your injuries' and hospital/rehab if they crash into you
Some vehicle owners get basic insurance on top which covers the vehicle they hit but not their own vehicle.
Your own insurance will cover your car with maybe a small fee if you don't get their details.

 

[DCPU]

100%
Pretty sure I posted this a year or so ago but..........
A 4WD club I used to be in had an information night with insurance companies.
If you had any damage on your vehicle, that wasn't reported to your insurance company, regardless of if you were making a claim or not, then your insurance was void.
If you were undertaking any kind of competition or event you were not covered
If the vehicle was being used outside of the manufacturers specifications or design, you were not covered.
If you had made any modifications, that were not reported to your insurance company, you were not covered.
If certain modifications, say to electrical system, were done by a person not qualified or certified to do that work, you were not covered.
If anything was done that did not comply to the Australian design rules for vehicles, or road worthy laws, you were not covered.

As a simple example this vehicles driving lights are mounted in an illegal location and so the vehicle is not road worthy.
The insurance company could easily refuse to honour any insurance claim
View attachment 7804964

I think things are different in the UK/EU.

There have been a few cases where the materiality of a modification to the vehicle has been questioned in terms of the cause and outcomes of the insurance claim; and the court has ruled that insurance cannot be voided.

Slightly different circumstances but still the same principle:

https://www.mib.org.uk/mib-insight/eu-ruling-raises-importance-of-mib-services/

 

[cheswick]

Great product for the Troopy/Defender... BUT: the LC/Troopy and Classic Defender are structurally very different from the Grenadier in terms how their respective roof "assembly" contributes to the rigidity of the body structure overall . The Alucab approach to fitting its product to the Troopy/Defender (i.e. literally get the angle grinder and cut the top off the "sardine can") is not "fit for purpose" when applied to the Grenadier because of how the roof skeletal frame structure of the Grenadier is integral to the torsional rigidity of the body as a whole and contributes significantly to its 490kg static roof loading limit. My observation FWIW is that any Alu-Cab modification will require many many hrs of engineering rework to provide an equivalent structural integrity model which will allow them to get a certificate of compliance equivalent to that pertaining to the original ...or not!....... lots of "food for thought"!

If you think that the Alu-cab conversion involves taking an angle grinder to the roof and taking the lid off of “the tin can” you’re not speaking from an informed perspective. You can search for install videos on YouTube, have a look at those and you’ll see that structural members and bracing are maintained. How do I know? I actually installed one.

 

[DenisM]

If you think that the Alu-cab conversion involves taking an angle grinder to the roof and taking the lid off of “the tin can” you’re not speaking from an informed perspective. You can search for install videos on YouTube, have a look at those and you’ll see that structural members and bracing are maintained. How do I know? I actually installed one.

Hi CheJ,
This screen shot is an example what I was referring to... .OK...he used a reciprocating saw, others use a jig saw, some use an angle grinder.... My point was: there are no critical structural cross members as per the pic of the Grenadier in (Post #24) of this thread . The Troopy has pressed metal cross members mainly to retain the internal roof card. It basically relies on the roof panel for bracing the perimeter frame (the same way that a large bonded glass panel (panoramic roof) braces the roof of some modern SUVs. Once the Troopy roof is removed, it is effectively braced by the engineered perimeter base of the Alu-cab structure. Different structural setup for the Grenadier which relies on the cross-members and the roof for its strength.

 

[DaveB]

If you think that the Alu-cab conversion involves taking an angle grinder to the roof and taking the lid off of “the tin can” you’re not speaking from an informed perspective. You can search for install videos on YouTube, have a look at those and you’ll see that structural members and bracing are maintained. How do I know? I actually installed one.

This conversion includes just cutting the roof of the pneumatic shears

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VR6xXFfNA8&t=293s

 

[internal]

As I wrote in my other comment on the KRONOS Roof conversion, I flew to Cape Town to ask Alu Innovations and Alu Cab about their plans (OK, I also went to the Winelands for a few glasses ...).

Alu Cab should have received the prototype from INEOS by now. When I was there about 3 weeks ago, there was no final decision whether they would do a roof conversion at all. But they were already sure that the panel would have to be moved. Another thing they said was that if they decide to do it, they will develop a completely new roof (not just copy the existing solution for LC / Defender).

It is obvious that the roof conversion is a significant impact on the structural design of the Grenadier. So far I don't understand why the panel has to be moved (which I don't think is a good idea), but you could at least leave the original ceiling (including crossbars) until a bit behind the driver's seats, seen from below, and only then fold it up. Then you would still have standing height in the back and the bed would go over the top. All in all, it will be a very tight thing for a overland- conversion, the longer wheelbase would be nice ;-)

By the way: My impression was that AluCab is very much waiting for the pick-up. It would certainly be easier for them to adapt their existing products and offer them directly.

 

[AZGrenadier]

I would imagine they will simply cut the access portion behind the B-Pillar bracing. The Troppy pasted above they remove almost the entire roof but if you only remove the posterior 4 feet or so it still allows access, standing etc. not sure what the point would be being blue to stand on the front seats. Then again just get the safari windows and the roof is pre cut for you.

 

[Nguni]

Great product for the Troopy/Defender... BUT: the LC/Troopy and Classic Defender are structurally very different from the Grenadier in terms how their respective roof "assembly" contributes to the rigidity of the body structure overall . The Alucab approach to fitting its product to the Troopy/Defender (i.e. literally get the angle grinder and cut the top off the "sardine can") is not "fit for purpose" when applied to the Grenadier because of how the roof skeletal frame structure of the Grenadier is integral to the torsional rigidity of the body as a whole and contributes significantly to its 490kg static roof loading limit. My observation FWIW is that any Alu-Cab modification will require many many hrs of engineering rework to provide an equivalent structural integrity model which will allow them to get a certificate of compliance equivalent to that pertaining to the original ...or not!....... lots of "food for thought"!

Actually i would argue it may be quite possible - if you look at the L/C 76 series Thor conversion its quite similar to the Grenadier roof and they were able to do it by not cutting the section above the front cab and keeping a lot of the rigidity at the most important end ( front ) by keeping the cross member in the roof above the back of the front doors plus keeping the front portion of the roof panel intact ( see pic ) - It looks like the bed still pivots from the front of the windscreen as standard - that means the upper panel switches could remain in exactly the same place and maybe even the standard roof lining to that point - Alucab have already done a lot of the required R+D with the 76 series

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY2yct_CzDE


Mike

 

[MidnightCamper]

The insurance Dave is referring to is the compulsory third party injury liability insurance. Vehicle damage insurance is additional...many people don't bother with it and it's a pain $$$ if they become involved in an accident with your vehicular pride and joy

In USA if you live in or near a state without compulsory auto insurance, you are wise to carry extra against "uninsured motorists." Long ago in a VW bug, I got totaled by a horse and was covered by a $5 "collision with animals" extra.

 

[ADVAW8S]

In USA if you live in or near a state without compulsory auto insurance, you are wise to carry extra against "uninsured motorists." Long ago in a VW bug, I got totaled by a horse and was covered by a $5 "collision with animals" extra.

Bug versus horse, the horse always wins

 

[Aurans]

For what it’s worth, IA just posted a video of Jana from Alucab driving.

 

[jeremy_matrix]

For what it’s worth, IA just posted a video of Jana from Alucab driving.

Driving an IG with an AluCab lifting roof?

 

[Aurans]

Driving an IG with an AluCab lifting roof?

Unfortunately, not so much.

 

[DCPU]

For what it’s worth, IA just posted a video of Jana from Alucab driving.

You got a link?

 

[Aurans]

You got a link?

It was an Instagram reel. I don’t see the specific one.

 

[ATP]

Just thought I'd throw an update in (Admin, please move if wrong spot?)

Emailed Alu-Cab about the roof conversion for the Grenadier and got this response from the Perth Dealer:
"Alu-Cab are potentially looking at doing a roof conversion to suit this vehicle, however no decisions have been made at this point." (my highlighted text, not theirs)

Looks like Camp Kings are going to possibly get some business...