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Turn Your Pickup Into a Full-Featured Overlander with Alu-Cab’s Canopy Camper

By Mike Richard Apr 20, 2021 11:34 PM

Long before social distancing became a fact of everyday life, many of us appreciated regular escapes from civilization. That’s why overlanding has exploded in popularity in the last decade. Unfortunately, when you factor in the required gear, technology, and a properly outfitted vehicle, it can prove to be a rather expensive hobby. One clever outfitter recently announced an affordable solution designed to convert most stock pickups into full-featured campers.

The Canopy Camper from Cape Town’s Alu-Cab is a plug-and-play camping solution that slots neatly into the bed of many popular pickups. The modular design features a sealed main area that can be used to stow cargo or as an extra sleep space. All three access doors — an easy-access vertical door at the rear and one on each side — are weather-sealed to protect the contents or occupants from sand, dust, and rain. The entire area is lockable from both inside and out. A heavy-duty, swing-out hinge at the rear is capable of mounting up to a 33-inch spare tire. The interior is lined with storage pockets for easy organization of camping gear, tools, and vehicle maintenance equipment.

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Alu-Cab canopy camper — Alu-Cab

Alu-Cab canopy camper — Alu-Cab

Alu-Cab canopy camper — Alu-Cab

Alu-Cab canopy camper — Alu-Cab

Alu-Cab canopy camper — Alu-Cab

Atop the Canopy Camper sits the main sleeping quarters — a pop-up rooftop tent made from dual-layer, UV-resistant canvas. Inside is a massive space with a 100 x 54-inch two-piece elevated mattress setup. The bedding remains in place whether the pop-top is up or down, making for easy setup and breakdown at camp. An integrated rack system also maximizes roof space for attaching a solar-cell system or stowing bikes, kayaks, and other outdoor toys.

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The Canopy Camper is among Alu-Cab’s newest products. However, the company has hand-built some of the most rugged, canopy-style campers and related add-ons for the overland market for years. Tough enough to handles conditions from the Atlantic Coast to the African bush, all are designed and tested in South Africa’s notoriously harsh weather conditions.

Pricing for the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper depends on the vehicle model, though most start north of $9,000. It’s compatible with more than a dozen truck models from Chevy, Ford, Toyota, and more. All are built to order direct through Alu-Cab.com.

If vanlife is more your speed, the PlugVan module converts most vans into full-fledged campers in about five minutes.

Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He’s kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South… Read Full Bio

Is the BMW XM a perfect blend of practicality and performance

Car, Transportation, Vehicle

The BMW XM has received a bit of a mixed response, but there’s a strong argument that it’s a logical next step on from the BMW M5. Think about it, the M5 is special because it combines practicality with exceptional performance. The BMW XM does the same thing, though you’re trading a little handling quality for far more practicality.

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Is the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 the best sports coupe on the market?

Side view of a Mercedes-AMG GT 63

When it comes to entertaining vehicles, it’s hard to beat a good sports coupe. And, despite it being a competitive segment, there’s an argument that the Mercedes-AMG deserves a spot close to the top of the sports coupe table.

In terms of direct rivals, the AMG sits in a similar bracket to the Porsche 911, Maserati Granturismo, and the BMW M8 Competition. All of which offer a lot of power, excellent handling, and an eye catching exterior.

McLaren and Motul develop bespoke lubricant to keep them on top

Auto Racing, Car, Formula One

My first vehicle was a 1988 Ford Ranger. It was small, reliable, and the perfect first car. However, I wasn’t allowed to park it in the driveway at home because it went through as much oil as it did gas. The leak was bad enough that I had to check and refill the oil once a week. The same cadence as the gas tank. That was where I learned the importance of fluids for cars. McLaren hits the Formula 1 tracks across the globe with that importance at the forefront of mind as they compete for the championship, and will now be teaming with Motul to take their collaboration for the world’s most reliable lubricant to the world of endurance racing. From the high stress of speed in Formula 1 to the endurance of long-distance racing, the perfect bespoke lubricant is on the way.

McLaren was already using a very high-performance transmission fluid, with an extremely high level of requirements. Our challenge was to go even further: decrease friction losses even more while ensuring lubricant durability over time. The formulation developed with McLaren Racing has been validated to maintain its performance over several thousand kilometers under Formula 1 conditions. And this is only the beginning: in F1, cars are constantly evolving, and the formulation will continue to progress as well. – Julien Plet, Head of R&D at Motul.