New Roof Conversion Option

[LeftCoastOverland]

New Roof conversion competition with Alucab:

View: https://youtu.be/nOyQL7Q6ddc?si=oXHRD1cC-JePeJ9j

 

[Michael H.]

Previously posted here …

Thread 'Headspace roof conversion!'
https://www.theineosforum.com/threads/headspace-roof-conversion.12420946/

 

[Nadir5]

Watched a bit of that video just now - nice conversion.

 

[LeftCoastOverland]

Watched a bit of that video just now - nice conversion.

I like the lowprofile design when compared to the Silenus

 

[AaronS]

I like this conversion.

 

[TCMColorado]

I like the lowprofile design when compared to the Silenus

It not just lower profile than the Alucab conversion it is also lighter. The documented weight of the Alucab top is 267lb/121.36kg per Brian Fulton the owner of Goose Gear.com. He put his Grenadier on a scale before and after the conversion while confirming the exact same payload and posted images to Instagram. Per Headspace their conversion is 187lb/85kg. That is a difference of 80lb/36.36kg. Not an unsubstantial sum especially as a roof load.

 

[KristinaM]

FWIW ours was right about 90 Kg before adding a roof rack, solar array, and a set of MaxTrax so I suspect there is a fair amount of variance in the mass figures I’ve seen thrown around for roof conversions.

 

[TCMColorado]

FWIW ours was right about 90 Kg before adding a roof rack, solar array, and a set of MaxTrax so I suspect there is a fair amount of variance in the mass figures I’ve seen thrown around for roof conversions.

Interesting. Not sure why there would be a big variance. Alucab themselves specify an estimated weight of 100kg. The weight I quoted is based on Insta posts which are linked below. I know Brian personally and these are not fudged numbers. Obviously nothing else can change when weighing the vehicle, ie cargo, fuel, seats etc.

This is not to disparage the Alucab conversion in any way. It is a fantastic product. Choices are good right .

Weight before Alucab Conversion

Weight After Alucab Conversion

 

[Rob_Grenny]

New Roof conversion competition with Alucab:

View: https://youtu.be/nOyQL7Q6ddc?si=oXHRD1cC-JePeJ9j

Hi, this is my car that was converted, I spent a week in it over xmas to test it out, all I can say is that it is a game changer for sure as I’m planning a year road trip in July. It’s easy to put up and down and doesn’t squeak or make any noise at all. The quality is superb and yes they are about to partner up with a US supplier. The under mount water tanks can be used as both water or fuel.

Any questions feel free to ask

 

[Rob_Grenny]

Hi, this is my car that was converted, I spent a week in it over xmas to test it out, all I can say is that it is a game changer for sure as I’m planning a year road trip in July. It’s easy to put up and down and doesn’t squeak or make any noise at all. The quality is superb and yes they are about to partner up with a US supplier. The under mount water tanks can be used as both water or fuel.

Any questions feel free to ask

 

[LeftCoastOverland]

It’s a nice looking rig. Do you mind my asking what it cost?

 

[TheDocAUS]

I think this is the premium model. This does have more accessories than the earlier one.


View: https://youtu.be/gClxiSmBCe8

 

[Nadir5]

It really appears to be a great set up. I wonder how well it would work in (very) inclement weather, say in snow or sleet (for the world-traveling crowd who can't stay out of bad weather).

 

[Logsplitter]

It really appears to be a great set up. I wonder how well it would work in (very) inclement weather, say in snow or sleet (for the world-traveling crowd who can't stay out of bad weather).

We’ve got the Alucab conversion and we can attest that it works very well in inclement weather. We’ve been camping in a combination of very wet, very cold and windy weather in Eastern Europe and no issues as yet.

 

[KristinaM]

@Logsplitter - Likewise. We’ve camped within the Mt. Hood National Forest under freezing cold, snow, rain, and wind storms without any issue. I’m not sure how well the Headspace camper would handle the climates within the NW region of the US…

Surviving Inclement weather without failure ( leakage etc. ) is one of the reasons why we opted for the Alu-Cab variant over another approach.

 

[TCMColorado]

Nothing about the Headspace conversion suggests that it would be less appropriate for inclement weather than the AluCab.

 

[KristinaM]

Nothing about the Headspace conversion suggests that it would be less appropriate for inclement weather than the AluCab.

Disagree. Blowing wind and snow comes to mind. The tent canvas looks a bit thinner as well. Honestly the lack of riveting appears to be the only advantage Headspace has over Alu-Cab on that particular front.

 

[TCMColorado]

You own the AluCab so you have a vested interest in assuming it is better. Headspace does have a bit more canvas surface area. That is not a disqualification for bad better. As for canvas thickness hard to know without feeling both in hand.

 

[KristinaM]

You own the AluCab so you have a vested interest in assuming it is better. Headspace does have a bit more canvas surface area. That is not a disqualification for bad better. As for canvas thickness hard to know without feeling both in hand.

Trust me. I don’t have any vested interest in either variant. Both of them are great. I strongly considered waiting for Headspace but the following issues were enough to steer me in the direction of Alu-Cab for our RTT setup:

(a) Not having a US dealer nearby to deal with any install / manufacturing issues or general wear and tear over time.
(b) Liner layout and storage design - I think Alu-Cab does this better.
(c) Tent canvass and rainfly design - I think Alu-Cab does this one better but it comes at the cost of cosmetic appeal.
(d) Special touches ( sealing for instance ) at the installer side since they were aware of our particular use case.
(e) Roof rack / BLOX solar panel support ( totally personal I suppose ).
(f) Interior integration - I liked the less invasive approach Alu-Cab took but you’re ripping the roof off in either case so go with whatever you prefer!