I had a well built canopy on my old patrol, which was built very well. I went cheaper on my new canopy on my truck and the build quality is noticeable. Your old one and my new one I call them toolboxes. Your new one and my old one I call them canopies. U have a canopy for any conditions now👏
Wow I was actually deciding whether to go a cheaper canopy and get one of these imports but you pretty much sold me and makes sense with the strut positioning, multiple joins etc. Cheers mate 👍
Love the video mate. In the process of deciding on a set up for my Navara. I live in the Pilbara so i deal with lots of corrugations water and dust and was already leaning towards something like a norweld. The comparison is great to see real damages from real use not just someone sticking to the black top.
I work for the company that built your old canopy. I will definitely say the old Chinese made products are not good at all. But now all the products are now built very differently. The company now has complete control over the build process, unlike the old gear made in China. New design, thicker ally, better welding and just all round better quality.
I have one of those checker plate canopies- must be one of the later models as it is well built. Extremely braced under the canopy floor as it is a jack off style, roof is crazy braced also. Don’t want to jinx myself been up to Cape York twice with the atrocious corrigations and countless camping trips everywhere else without too many dramas.
Must be said that old canopy is the bottom end of the Chinese built units there are some that are a lot better built with a full one piece roof and internal frame. As you've said mate its all up to your budget great upload mate keep them coming.👍
Cheers mate 👍🏼 Yeah definitely different levels of build quality out there, could only run the camera over what I had and talk about my own experience though!
They gotta be proud of that smoketest dont they?! Good on you cam and the lads should be proud of this. Support them aussies wherever you can i reckon!
Hi mate thanks for the review I've just put a deposit on one of these canopies. I'm looking forward to seeing how I go with it. Guess I'll do a video on it as well if I have any issues
Keep it up please fella I have lernt a hell of a lot watching your video’s nice to see unbiased equipment reviews love the way you and the family tell it how it is ! Be happy to see you on the road anytime
Great vid mate great to see what a low end and a high end are of canopy’s, keep working ur ass off mate good to see u get rewards along the way keep up the good work!!!
They make an awesome canopy. Mine is on its last legs. I need to get another 10 months before hopefully upgrading to the new Ranger. I will be considering these guys for sure for the next one.
Very well done to you and good on Thunderfab for publishing their pricing on their website unlike many nimrods (not to mention the mobs who attempt to market via Facebook). Cheers
You talked about the mounting for the gas struts but missed the comparison of the 2.. the old ones had the box end mounted high, just below the hinges which puts massive pressure against the frame (ha, the cracking proved that) where the Thunderfab has the door end of the strut close to the hinge.. with the pressure pushing directly down. The correct way to make it. look at 20:20 and you can see the two. Great comparison video and a bloody good example of the work by Thunderfab.
I received a quote today for $41,000 for a basic tray and canopy on a Ford Ranger. I nearly fell over. Is this an unregulated industry feeding off the cravings of the recently retired, cashed up, Aussie bloke? I think the competition will increase as the years roll on, bringing the prices down. The present handful of operators who are getting their work too easily will begin to struggle when the consumer is able to price-shop with more competitors.
Great video showing the differences! I’ll be in touch with the boys for some changes to our Chassis mount Canopy going on 21 BT-50 Dual Cab. Liking the idea of the rear light panel.
I was checking out this sweet looking canopy on a Ute turning off the Hwy yesterday on my way to Bunbury, last thing I looked at was the number plate and realised it was you. It looks great and think it would be much more practical for use than the tub and fibreglass canopy. But as you say, live within your means. One day…. Happy new year. I look forward to following your adventures in 2022.
The cheap one is actually not bad. You basically just need to weld a couple of frame bars in the middle to strength up the whole canopy. It is a easy job and save you heaps of money.
Hi ....great video & very informative Ho my goodness!, your old checker plate canopy is like mine on my 2018 bt50 to look at & must admit I did go for the somewhat cheaper in keeping with the budget we had. Mine's kinda different... internally as it has more bracing inside the canopy & doors & a heavy duty roof rack & from MRT canopy in Yatala (near the gold coast).... to be honest I never had a problem with mine & it does what i want ..Mind you I don't do very aggressive 4w driving as such only occasionally Fraser island... anyway... Your New canopy looks awesome! Cheers.
Hi Cam, Great job on the comparison 👍 Quick question, any chance of knowing a ball park figure on what the cost of the canopy basic empty would be? I know it ends up like 'how long is a piece of string' but as you did when you first got it. add on as you can afford. But having a solid base makes life easy. Nice job, well done😉
Cheers mate! You can work out exactly what it’ll cost and weigh from their website. All prices/weights/dimensions and options are there. Www.thunderfab.com.au But for reference, my complete canopy is 18k powdercoated with central locking and tool boxes. Internal fitout, water tank, jerry can holder, spare wheel brackets, outboard slide and boat rack bring it up to around 25k.
They are definitely an Investment... I have been saving for 3 yrs now ( Im no tradie, and cant claim it on Tax ) for a decent setup, Not even gonna try a cheap canopy! But its very easy to set a budget for example of say 15K, then realise you probably need X & Y, so it now blows out to 20K, then you need the electrical ( Lithium ) etc ... and realise you need to save more..... Now that i am close to that mark, im unsure who i want to give my hard saved money too, Lol
Yeah you're bang on. Price can definitely blow out when you start ticking all the boxes for add ons! Good on you for saving for it though, its such a good feeling knowing YOU own your gear, not the bank!
It’s brilliant, it’s from @pmcanvasproducts (on Instagram). Velcros to marine carpet that’s stuck to the door with glue. I’ll probs cover it in more detail in a video coming soon 👍🏼
Shish everytime I see your canopy, I want one. But have to decide what I'm doing, updating my dmax, getting something different. But it is a schmiko looking box... Cheers Mark...
Beautiful piece of workmanship 👍👍 Funny thing is I’m camping in Mandurah now and have one of your old style canopies right next to me, can’t c any cracks though 😂😂😂
I’ve got a budget stonegate industries 1000mm canopy I got for 1000. Unfortunately while trying to save for a house deposit, and my current 2018 colorado not going to be a long term car (4-5years or more) it’s not worth the money to spend on a full build.
Happy New Year guys. Thunderfab, what a great canopy. Beautiful workmanship, well thought out, very professional. Looking at the video though you could say those guys would never make it as used car salesmen. 😁
I'm on the hunt for a set up for my work ute as a carpenter. I only need it for work though but it's so hard to know where to buy from as there are so many options out there. I don't want to waste my money on something cheap to only break. But some set ups are also so expensive.
Its a tough call... If it was just a work rig and never left the tarmac then I'd risk a cheapy. But id be putting some better latches on it to keep the crooks out!!!!
Probably started with some hairline cracks in the centre of a few welds about 2-3 years in. I don’t for a second think that every Chinese made canopy is going to have the same fate though. You may get 10 good years out of yours with no dramas. I’ve had a Chinese camper trailer and caravan that did thousands of kms of rough tracks with no probs 👍🏼
Great comparison cam gota love the home grown West Aussie products it's definitely a AAA+++ product and your a great ambassador for them . All the best in 2022 to you and family mate Cheers caveman
It’s from a Perth business @pmcanvasproducts on Instagram. He does custom canvas work from home and can post aus wide, I’ve got a few things from him and his work is brilliant.
Sorry Cam but your comparing apples with oranges. Don't get me wrong. The new canopy is built very well. But to compare a brand new canopy with one that's done unknown km,corrugations and the like. Of coarse a brand new canopy with brand new seals is going to beat one we all new had cracks and worn seal. The new canopy weight is less but you forgot it's 200mm smaller also it only has two doors no three. Would be good to see a three door version and how they design the rear section. Who fitted you cheap canopy was it fitted so it could move or bolted ridged. you did say you wouldn't review anything till you gave it a good world test. But this looks like it was done before it's first outing. It seems as if this was just a push for a company that gave you a new canopy. Please don't go down that road I appreciate your honest opinions on item that you have test. Andy
Andy I can only run a camera over what I’ve got my hands on. I’d love to have a shed full of new canopies to make videos for you mate, but I don’t. I guess the point of the video was not a review of any canopy, but to highlight the differences between a really cheap crappy import canopy and something decent (regardless of brand) for people (like me a few years ago), that don’t understand how two ally boxes made out of 2.5mm sheet, with gull wing doors, latches, hinges and seals can look similar but perform quite differently. I didn’t forget to mention that the canopy was shorter, I absolutely mentioned it was 1600mm. I spoke about why I opted for something shorter, and Steve spoke about why they don’t do 1800mm canopies for dual cabs. This was filmed some time ago, because it was the only opportunity I had to run a camera over both canopies in the workshop at the same time. But the new canopy has been on my vehicle for nearly 8 months, and has done just under 20,000kms before posting this- including the worst corrugations I’ve ever done (Dirk Hartog island, with 110kgs of tinny on top). But regardless, as I said this wasn’t a review of the canopy. I’ve kept the smoke machine and will do a proper review including the same smoke test after a period of time.
Hey Mate just want to say it’s a brilliant set up and well thought out very impressive but there is one thing I really have my eye on and that’s the canvas organiser on your fridge I have a 130 bushman’s and I’ll love to know where I can purchase one like that for mine??
Cheers Jayden, It’s from a Perth business @pmcanvasproducts on Instagram. He does custom canvas work from home and can post aus wide, I’ve got a few things from him and his work is brilliant.
It’s made by @pmcanvasproducts (Instagram). He does custom canvas work from home in Perth and ships all over aus. I’ve got a few bits and pieces from him and it’s all fantastic!
Great comparison , think alot of people get fooled on these checkerplate 'canopys' including myself first trip and 2 broken welds , like you say fine around town but they are no more than a big toolbox
Hey Cam, I haven't read any comment as yet about the guys using 316 Stainless for the mounts to aluminium. There may be an omission in how the lads put it all together. Being that everything else is so shmick, can we assume that they powder coat everything or perhaps use some type of insulative mounting hardware between the two dissimilar metals to isolate from corrosion?
The canopy rails and the mounting brackets themselves are both powder-coated. And between the mounts and the chassis they’ve used HDPE blocks. I think that’s what they said they were anyway... This is not MY area of expertise but both fabbies and engineer have backgrounds in the resource sector- so lots of experience with aluminium/ stainless work for marine and underground applications 👍🏼
Can I ask, how do you determine the correct hydraulic arm struts for the canopy wing doors or are they all set at the same resistance? We've had issues at our work where staff are injuring their shoulders pulling down the canopy wing door which we believe to be caused by the resistance on the hydraulic struts and the arm being above the head.
I think the engineer that designed the canopy was able to workout the force that was required based on weight, angle, opening measurement ect… There’s some info here on a simple way to work it out : www.tghmarine.co.nz/stainless-gas-struts/how-to-calculate-gas-strut-lengthforce-required-and-positioning For your application you might be able to get your struts regassed to the right pressure. If you’re in Perth there’s a mob called Strut West that do it. I’m sure there’s plenty of other places elsewhere!
@@WildTouring Thanks so much for the reply! I'm based in Sydney but I'll look into the tips you've mentioned and see if we can get the problem sorted, cheers
A tray plus a canopy will equal just a lil less than this aussie made canopy. Thats the trap people fall into saying things are cheaper, but they are paying just about the same money for a good one as they do for something cheap. Said it before, these small manuafactuers shoot themselves in the foot with poor advertising, if i knew these guys existed in perth i would of been all over them for my build. Having said that... i want to buy those guards and tool boxes and possibly the lights lol, your right mate they will sell well.
Yeah you’re bang on. And you end up paying twice when it falls apart like I have anyway. ThunderFab only just started building canopies in 2021, so they may not have been around when you were looking?
@@WildTouring bugger I hope they take off and become one of the premier manufacturers in Perth. They probably were not around your right. But having said that tho not many guys beside word of mouth would know these guys if it were not for youtube so let's hope ur advertising for these guys pay off. Has their been any correlation between when u featured them to their business sales. I would imagine TH-cam has given these guys a massive kick start to the point lead times will start to mount up. Happy for them for sure. As a tradie you put that guy on the spot asking him to comment publicly on others manufacturing not sure trades like to slag off others work but inside himself he would of had all kinds of thoughts lol. Nice video.
The Chinese canopy is toolbox ( I had one for 5years , not a issue with it ) but I would not consider using it as a touring canopy. That’s why it’s about 85 percent cheaper. It’s a bit pointless your comparison!
You’ve basically surmised exactly what the ‘point’ of the video is. Both canopies are 2.5mm plate, similar dimensions, have latches, seals and hinges. Both appear to look similar on face value. But one is not suitable for touring because it’s poorly made and falls apart. Lots of people (myself included a few years ago) don’t know what! And don’t understand why there is a huge price difference. This video is for those people..
Bit unfair on the weight, the new one wasn't mounted to a tray, apples for apples. And on the smoke front, the old chequer plate canopy has a few more miles on it.
The new one is chassis mount, doesn’t require a tray to sit on. The old one HAS to have a tray to be mounted. Both were weighed at the same point- the point at which they’re ready to be bolted straight onto the vehicle. I don’t know anyway I could have compared that any fairer? I’ve kept the smoke machine to do it again after 10’s of thousands of hard kms 👍🏼
just wondering , do you think there is much difference between the upright fridge and the drawer fridge you had before ? I cant decide which way to go for my setup . Thanks
My drawer fridges were really struggling up north in high temps, cycling non stop and chewing heaps of power. Having said that, I’ve heard they’ve improved their latest ones- but they’ve also doubled in price (I bought two for $550ea when they first came out). But ultimately the reason for going with an upright over a drawer fridge or a chest fridge came down to weight, capacity, overall size and convenience. For 85l of capacity the upright is 26kgs, vs 40l engel on a drop slide which takes up more room and weighs twice as much for half the capacity. Drawer fridge is also half the capacity (40l) and weighs 30kgs. I also like that bottles of milk/wine/soft drinks can Stand up in the upright, and the little 9l freezer has been really handy - right now it’s got 1kg of chicken and 1kg of fish in it 👍🏼 So far, it’s been a good move for us.
Only on Patreon. The weigh in and the smoke out were in other vids and probably why you thought you may have seen this? I don’t like to reuse footage, and it wasn’t to pad this out, but the other 23mins is all unseen/new footage and I felt like I needed to show the weight and the smoke out test to cover all bases!
We've done a similar build and mod to a VW Amarok about a year ago. My question to you now you've built and done extensive mods also Cam. What experience have you had getting Vehicle Insurance ? So also your subscribers experience ? With getting quotes and difficulty getting insurance companies to understand the complex nature of modifications and legal GVM's etc. Do you have any general advice?
Unfortunately RAC canceled my policy because I’d spent more on the vehicle than they would cover, I believe they said they only cover 10k of accessories. I’ve ended up with club4x4 but it’s very expensive and they’re not very flexible. Many people suggested Shannon’s but they were more expensive again and wouldn’t allow me to increase excess to decrease premium. So I’ve stuck it out with club 4x4 for the time being. But interestingly I had a good chat with a tow truck driver that worked in a remote area and did offroad recoveries for insurance companies. He said AAMI were the best insurer in his opinion for not squabbling over details and would always release money quickly to get recoveries and repairs underway asap.
@@WildTouring That is interesting. We are getting quotes right now and both Club4x4 and AAMI are included in that process. I had one insurer who refused to cover a roof top James Baroud Tent ! Go figure the risk in that compared to the other $50000 We've spent on the upgrades and Mods. Any way thanks for sharing Cam. Best wishes to your family and Happy New Year.
@@WildTouring So insurance wise AAMI have been more reluctant to insure modified add on items than is practical. So Club 4x4 is best for this years insurance.
Having looked at and compared a heap of the cheaper ones. I have to say that cheap one you had looks downright nasty. There would definitely be better ones out there for budget conscious people. They may still have a limit to what they can handle though
Has anyone weighed their stock tub and compared it to the weight of one of these canopies? I am curious of what the overall weight increase from a stock rig.
From memory I think it was about 130kgs for empty tub (no fibreglass canopy or liner ect). That’s going back a while now though, so hopefully someone else chimes in that’s weighed one recently!
Using the Isuzu spec sheet for the latest DMax, there is 125 kg difference between the tares of the Ls-M 4X4 auto Ute (with tub) and the cab chassis model
what's with the pop rivets showing on the lift panels... makes it look cheap... most of the high end quality builds that I have seen don't have exposed pop rivets on the lift panels... its ugly IMO
Do you mean the bolts securing the door frames to the doors? Many other brands plug weld them on but the heat distorts the panels somewhat. Looks are subjective I guess, I love it!
and another... th-cam.com/video/DoRl3InCU48/w-d-xo.html I havnt seen any quality builds with distorted panels... not sure why your guy needed to bolt/screw the lift panels on... you have to admit the other builds look better with clean skin panels...
Probably not you by the sounds of it, but realistically- many many people. I’ve certainly never left a vehicle stock, I’ve built them to suit our needs, make them more capable for touring and more comfortable to live out of remotely. Different strokes!
A decent canopy will always fit on the next 2 or 3 vehicles. My canopy which I made myself is on its 3rd ute now. I got over 15 years out of it. Good investment if you ask me.
The same reason that people spend 50k on a vehicle and then kit it out with better tyres, bar work, snorkel and evey other thing that we pour money into. A canopy is really just another item that people will buy as they can afford it
Yeah, I hear you. These look awesome but the price is very high. The work and materials that go into making a canopy like this can probably justify it, plus they're in business to make money, not gift canopies for charity. I wonder what the middle ground is like. So better than the cheap shitty ones but not at this upper price range.
![ILLSLICK - KILLSHOT REMIX [FULL VERSION]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/RIK8RrqIAzE/mqdefault.jpg)
I had a well built canopy on my old patrol, which was built very well. I went cheaper on my new canopy on my truck and the build quality is noticeable. Your old one and my new one I call them toolboxes. Your new one and my old one I call them canopies. U have a canopy for any conditions now👏
Yeah you’re bang on mate!
Wow I was actually deciding whether to go a cheaper canopy and get one of these imports but you pretty much sold me and makes sense with the strut positioning, multiple joins etc. Cheers mate 👍
No worries mate, happy to help 👍🏼
Love the video mate. In the process of deciding on a set up for my Navara. I live in the Pilbara so i deal with lots of corrugations water and dust and was already leaning towards something like a norweld. The comparison is great to see real damages from real use not just someone sticking to the black top.
Always great to see a comparison like this. Well done
Thanks mate!
I work for the company that built your old canopy. I will definitely say the old Chinese made products are not good at all. But now all the products are now built very differently. The company now has complete control over the build process, unlike the old gear made in China.
New design, thicker ally, better welding and just all round better quality.
I have one of those checker plate canopies- must be one of the later models as it is well built. Extremely braced under the canopy floor as it is a jack off style, roof is crazy braced also. Don’t want to jinx myself been up to Cape York twice with the atrocious corrigations and countless camping trips everywhere else without too many dramas.
Yeh right
@@adrianmoule1389 You said without too many dramas, what dramas did you have ?, I'm thinking it's an MRT canopy ?
Must be said that old canopy is the bottom end of the Chinese built units there are some that are a lot better built with a full one piece roof and internal frame. As you've said mate its all up to your budget great upload mate keep them coming.👍
Cheers mate 👍🏼
Yeah definitely different levels of build quality out there, could only run the camera over what I had and talk about my own experience though!
Very impressed with standard of workmanship. These guys obviously know what they are on about. Got me thinking and counting my pennies.
They do a bloody good job!
They gotta be proud of that smoketest dont they?! Good on you cam and the lads should be proud of this. Support them aussies wherever you can i reckon!
Cheers Pete, they were proud as punch mate, and have every right to be! 🇦🇺 🇦🇺 🇦🇺
Happy New Year mate, looking forward to a beer in 2022 with ya!
@@WildTouring you know it my man!
Hi mate thanks for the review I've just put a deposit on one of these canopies. I'm looking forward to seeing how I go with it. Guess I'll do a video on it as well if I have any issues
Keep it up please fella I have lernt a hell of a lot watching your video’s nice to see unbiased equipment reviews love the way you and the family tell it how it is !
Be happy to see you on the road anytime
Cheers Graham, appreciate the support mate 👍🏼
Great vid mate great to see what a low end and a high end are of canopy’s, keep working ur ass off mate good to see u get rewards along the way keep up the good work!!!
Cheers Blake, appreciate the support mate. Happy New Year!! 🍻
Looking forward to the quote from Thunderfab. Thanks for the content. Cheers
They make an awesome canopy. Mine is on its last legs. I need to get another 10 months before hopefully upgrading to the new Ranger. I will be considering these guys for sure for the next one.
If you go that way Tim, they’ll look after you 👍🏼
New ranger will be exciting mate!! Happy New year 🍻
Very well done to you and good on Thunderfab for publishing their pricing on their website unlike many nimrods (not to mention the mobs who attempt to market via Facebook). Cheers
You talked about the mounting for the gas struts but missed the comparison of the 2.. the old ones had the box end mounted high, just below the hinges which puts massive pressure against the frame (ha, the cracking proved that) where the Thunderfab has the door end of the strut close to the hinge.. with the pressure pushing directly down.
The correct way to make it. look at 20:20 and you can see the two.
Great comparison video and a bloody good example of the work by Thunderfab.
Cheers mate, I meant to mention it on the new one but got side tracked at some point 😂
Happy new year mate 👍🏼
I received a quote today for $41,000 for a basic tray and canopy on a Ford Ranger. I nearly fell over. Is this an unregulated industry feeding off the cravings of the recently retired, cashed up, Aussie bloke?
I think the competition will increase as the years roll on, bringing the prices down. The present handful of operators who are getting their work too easily will begin to struggle when the consumer is able to price-shop with more competitors.
Could say the same about the car and caravan industry as a whole too! 😏
Yeah mate. It’s a complete piss take.
Great video showing the differences! I’ll be in touch with the boys for some changes to our Chassis mount Canopy going on 21 BT-50 Dual Cab. Liking the idea of the rear light panel.
They’ll sort you out 👍🏼
I was checking out this sweet looking canopy on a Ute turning off the Hwy yesterday on my way to Bunbury, last thing I looked at was the number plate and realised it was you.
It looks great and think it would be much more practical for use than the tub and fibreglass canopy. But as you say, live within your means. One day….
Happy new year. I look forward to following your adventures in 2022.
Haha small world Adam!! Happy new year mate 👍🏼
The cheap one is actually not bad. You basically just need to weld a couple of frame bars in the middle to strength up the whole canopy. It is a easy job and save you heaps of money.
That's some nice workmanship!
Hi ....great video & very informative
Ho my goodness!, your old checker plate canopy is like mine on my 2018 bt50 to look at & must admit I did go for the somewhat cheaper in keeping with the budget we had.
Mine's kinda different... internally as it has more bracing inside the canopy & doors & a heavy duty roof rack & from MRT canopy in Yatala (near the gold coast)....
to be honest I never had a problem with mine & it does what i want ..Mind you I don't do very aggressive 4w driving as such only occasionally Fraser island... anyway...
Your New canopy looks awesome!
Cheers.
good Aussie craftsmanship, I love it.
😂😂😂 one looks like a Kiwi to me 😉
Hi Cam, Great job on the comparison 👍 Quick question, any chance of knowing a ball park figure on what the cost of the canopy basic empty would be? I know it ends up like 'how long is a piece of string' but as you did when you first got it. add on as you can afford. But having a solid base makes life easy. Nice job, well done😉
Cheers mate!
You can work out exactly what it’ll cost and weigh from their website. All prices/weights/dimensions and options are there.
Www.thunderfab.com.au
But for reference, my complete canopy is 18k powdercoated with central locking and tool boxes.
Internal fitout, water tank, jerry can holder, spare wheel brackets, outboard slide and boat rack bring it up to around 25k.
Looks mint. 👌🏻 Ken is a legend.
Nice to see quality
Absolutely! Happy New Year mate 👍🏼
Hey what's the storage on the front of the fridge? Love that Canopy by the way.
Cheers mate, it’s custom made by @pmcanvasproducts they take orders on Instagram 👍🏼
They are definitely an Investment... I have been saving for 3 yrs now ( Im no tradie, and cant claim it on Tax ) for a decent setup, Not even gonna try a cheap canopy! But its very easy to set a budget for example of say 15K, then realise you probably need X & Y, so it now blows out to 20K, then you need the electrical ( Lithium ) etc ... and realise you need to save more..... Now that i am close to that mark, im unsure who i want to give my hard saved money too, Lol
Yeah you're bang on. Price can definitely blow out when you start ticking all the boxes for add ons! Good on you for saving for it though, its such a good feeling knowing YOU own your gear, not the bank!
Fridge organiser looks great maybe you should do a video on there gear.
How did you fix it to the fridge
Cheers Don
It’s brilliant, it’s from @pmcanvasproducts (on Instagram). Velcros to marine carpet that’s stuck to the door with glue.
I’ll probs cover it in more detail in a video coming soon 👍🏼
Shish everytime I see your canopy, I want one. But have to decide what I'm doing, updating my dmax, getting something different. But it is a schmiko looking box...
Cheers Mark...
Cheers Mark
Looking at replacing My Patrol's Fiberglass Canopy in a couple of years . . . Shame I'm in Sydney.
Beautiful piece of workmanship 👍👍
Funny thing is I’m camping in Mandurah now and have one of your old style canopies right next to me, can’t c any cracks though 😂😂😂
Cheers Louis, where are ya mate? Heron point, Belvedere??
I’ve got a budget stonegate industries 1000mm canopy I got for 1000.
Unfortunately while trying to save for a house deposit, and my current 2018 colorado not going to be a long term car (4-5years or more) it’s not worth the money to spend on a full build.
Happy New Year guys. Thunderfab, what a great canopy. Beautiful workmanship, well thought out, very professional. Looking at the video though you could say those guys would never make it as used car salesmen. 😁
Haha nah they’re bloody good fabbies, but they’re too honest to be salesmen 😂
WOW It looks amazing it makes your whole rig look a million dollars, you must be stoked with that Cam
Absolutely stoked!
Awesome stuff .. Support the local guys 👍🏻
Thanks Cam & have a great New Year
I'm on the hunt for a set up for my work ute as a carpenter. I only need it for work though but it's so hard to know where to buy from as there are so many options out there.
I don't want to waste my money on something cheap to only break. But some set ups are also so expensive.
Its a tough call... If it was just a work rig and never left the tarmac then I'd risk a cheapy. But id be putting some better latches on it to keep the crooks out!!!!
@@WildTouring I really appreciate the advice. That makes sense, I'll look at doing that then.
My cheapo Chinese Canopy has lasted over 2 years no problems so far...how long was it after you noticed the welds cracking?
Probably started with some hairline cracks in the centre of a few welds about 2-3 years in. I don’t for a second think that every Chinese made canopy is going to have the same fate though. You may get 10 good years out of yours with no dramas. I’ve had a Chinese camper trailer and caravan that did thousands of kms of rough tracks with no probs 👍🏼
@@WildTouring Cheers mate, bloody hope so🍻👍
looks like a nice canopy, i dont like these visible rivets everywhere tho.
Great episode Cam, definitely the option I will be taking for the dream touring setup. Thundrfab do a fantastic job 👍🍻🍻
Cheers Luke, happy new year mate 👍🏼
Happy New year to you and the family, can't wait for more episodes 👍🍻
Great comparison cam gota love the home grown West Aussie products it's definitely a AAA+++ product and your a great ambassador for them .
All the best in 2022 to you and family mate
Cheers caveman
Cheers Caveman, happy new year mate!
Great vid mate. Where did you get the bushman door organiser?
It’s from a Perth business @pmcanvasproducts on Instagram. He does custom canvas work from home and can post aus wide, I’ve got a few things from him and his work is brilliant.
Sorry Cam but your comparing apples with oranges.
Don't get me wrong. The new canopy is built very well. But to compare a brand new canopy with one that's done unknown km,corrugations and the like.
Of coarse a brand new canopy with brand new seals is going to beat one we all new had cracks and worn seal. The new canopy weight is less but you forgot it's 200mm smaller also it only has two doors no three.
Would be good to see a three door version and how they design the rear section.
Who fitted you cheap canopy was it fitted so it could move or bolted ridged.
you did say you wouldn't review anything till you gave it a good world test. But this looks like it was done before it's first outing.
It seems as if this was just a push for a company that gave you a new canopy. Please don't go down that road I appreciate your honest opinions on item that you have test.
Andy
Andy I can only run a camera over what I’ve got my hands on. I’d love to have a shed full of new canopies to make videos for you mate, but I don’t.
I guess the point of the video was not a review of any canopy, but to highlight the differences between a really cheap crappy import canopy and something decent (regardless of brand) for people (like me a few years ago), that don’t understand how two ally boxes made out of 2.5mm sheet, with gull wing doors, latches, hinges and seals can look similar but perform quite differently.
I didn’t forget to mention that the canopy was shorter, I absolutely mentioned it was 1600mm. I spoke about why I opted for something shorter, and Steve spoke about why they don’t do 1800mm canopies for dual cabs.
This was filmed some time ago, because it was the only opportunity I had to run a camera over both canopies in the workshop at the same time. But the new canopy has been on my vehicle for nearly 8 months, and has done just under 20,000kms before posting this- including the worst corrugations I’ve ever done (Dirk Hartog island, with 110kgs of tinny on top). But regardless, as I said this wasn’t a review of the canopy. I’ve kept the smoke machine and will do a proper review including the same smoke test after a period of time.
Hey Mate just want to say it’s a brilliant set up and well thought out very impressive but there is one thing I really have my eye on and that’s the canvas organiser on your fridge I have a 130 bushman’s and I’ll love to know where I can purchase one like that for mine??
Cheers Jayden, It’s from a Perth business @pmcanvasproducts on Instagram. He does custom canvas work from home and can post aus wide, I’ve got a few things from him and his work is brilliant.
Great vid! Where did you get the organiser that’s stuck into the fridge?
Cheers
Cheers Nath.
It’s from @pmcanvasproducts (Instagram) 👍🏼
Great video mate! What’s the name of the organiser on the front of your fridge?
It’s made by @pmcanvasproducts (Instagram).
He does custom canvas work from home in Perth and ships all over aus. I’ve got a few bits and pieces from him and it’s all fantastic!
@@WildTouring getting one !!! 😎🤙🏼
very informative, thanks. what are the dimensions on this canopy, it looks like it has much more internal height than the Chinese one.
Great comparison , think alot of people get fooled on these checkerplate 'canopys' including myself first trip and 2 broken welds , like you say fine around town but they are no more than a big toolbox
Cheers mate. Yeah me too, Pretty disappointing hey!
Hey Cam, I haven't read any comment as yet about the guys using 316 Stainless for the mounts to aluminium. There may be an omission in how the lads put it all together. Being that everything else is so shmick, can we assume that they powder coat everything or perhaps use some type of insulative mounting hardware between the two dissimilar metals to isolate from corrosion?
The canopy rails and the mounting brackets themselves are both powder-coated. And between the mounts and the chassis they’ve used HDPE blocks. I think that’s what they said they were anyway... This is not MY area of expertise but both fabbies and engineer have backgrounds in the resource sector- so lots of experience with aluminium/ stainless work for marine and underground applications 👍🏼
@@WildTouring That’s awesome Cam, I really had no doubt, but just thought I’d ask 😎🙏👍🍺
Can I ask, how do you determine the correct hydraulic arm struts for the canopy wing doors or are they all set at the same resistance? We've had issues at our work where staff are injuring their shoulders pulling down the canopy wing door which we believe to be caused by the resistance on the hydraulic struts and the arm being above the head.
I think the engineer that designed the canopy was able to workout the force that was required based on weight, angle, opening measurement ect…
There’s some info here on a simple way to work it out :
www.tghmarine.co.nz/stainless-gas-struts/how-to-calculate-gas-strut-lengthforce-required-and-positioning
For your application you might be able to get your struts regassed to the right pressure. If you’re in Perth there’s a mob called Strut West that do it. I’m sure there’s plenty of other places elsewhere!
@@WildTouring Thanks so much for the reply! I'm based in Sydney but I'll look into the tips you've mentioned and see if we can get the problem sorted, cheers
A tray plus a canopy will equal just a lil less than this aussie made canopy. Thats the trap people fall into saying things are cheaper, but they are paying just about the same money for a good one as they do for something cheap.
Said it before, these small manuafactuers shoot themselves in the foot with poor advertising, if i knew these guys existed in perth i would of been all over them for my build. Having said that... i want to buy those guards and tool boxes and possibly the lights lol, your right mate they will sell well.
Yeah you’re bang on. And you end up paying twice when it falls apart like I have anyway.
ThunderFab only just started building canopies in 2021, so they may not have been around when you were looking?
@@WildTouring bugger I hope they take off and become one of the premier manufacturers in Perth. They probably were not around your right. But having said that tho not many guys beside word of mouth would know these guys if it were not for youtube so let's hope ur advertising for these guys pay off. Has their been any correlation between when u featured them to their business sales. I would imagine TH-cam has given these guys a massive kick start to the point lead times will start to mount up. Happy for them for sure. As a tradie you put that guy on the spot asking him to comment publicly on others manufacturing not sure trades like to slag off others work but inside himself he would of had all kinds of thoughts lol. Nice video.
hey mate sweet canopy. whats the organiser u have on the front of ur fridge and how do u rate it?
cheers
It’s custom made by @pmcanvasproducts (Instagram). It’s fantastic!
@@WildTouring true ok mate looks really good 👍
Do they ship interstate & do they have installers interstate? A very nice quality canopy
They do ship interstate, not sure on fitting. Shoot them an email or a msg, they’re top blokes and will sort you out 👍🏼
The Chinese canopy is toolbox ( I had one for 5years , not a issue with it ) but I would not consider using it as a touring canopy. That’s why it’s about 85 percent cheaper. It’s a bit pointless your comparison!
You’ve basically surmised exactly what the ‘point’ of the video is.
Both canopies are 2.5mm plate, similar dimensions, have latches, seals and hinges.
Both appear to look similar on face value.
But one is not suitable for touring because it’s poorly made and falls apart.
Lots of people (myself included a few years ago) don’t know what! And don’t understand why there is a huge price difference. This video is for those people..
@@WildTouring I guess it was a good video for those people. Your touring videos are good 👍🏼
Bit unfair on the weight, the new one wasn't mounted to a tray, apples for apples. And on the smoke front, the old chequer plate canopy has a few more miles on it.
The new one is chassis mount, doesn’t require a tray to sit on. The old one HAS to have a tray to be mounted. Both were weighed at the same point- the point at which they’re ready to be bolted straight onto the vehicle. I don’t know anyway I could have compared that any fairer?
I’ve kept the smoke machine to do it again after 10’s of thousands of hard kms 👍🏼
just wondering , do you think there is much difference between the upright fridge and the drawer fridge you had before ? I cant decide which way to go for my setup . Thanks
My drawer fridges were really struggling up north in high temps, cycling non stop and chewing heaps of power. Having said that, I’ve heard they’ve improved their latest ones- but they’ve also doubled in price (I bought two for $550ea when they first came out).
But ultimately the reason for going with an upright over a drawer fridge or a chest fridge came down to weight, capacity, overall size and convenience. For 85l of capacity the upright is 26kgs, vs 40l engel on a drop slide which takes up more room and weighs twice as much for half the capacity.
Drawer fridge is also half the capacity (40l) and weighs 30kgs.
I also like that bottles of milk/wine/soft drinks can Stand up in the upright, and the little 9l freezer has been really handy - right now it’s got 1kg of chicken and 1kg of fish in it 👍🏼
So far, it’s been a good move for us.
how long did you have your old one for and what sort of touring did you do?
4 or so years. Lots of long distance offroad touring, beach work and also my daily commuter to work.
Hey mate wheres the storage on the fridge from?
PM Canvas Products, have a look on Instagram at what they do, can message them there for orders 👍🏼
bitta sikka and shell be right
Cam, was this video up before?
Only on Patreon.
The weigh in and the smoke out were in other vids and probably why you thought you may have seen this?
I don’t like to reuse footage, and it wasn’t to pad this out, but the other 23mins is all unseen/new footage and I felt like I needed to show the weight and the smoke out test to cover all bases!
We've done a similar build and mod to a VW Amarok about a year ago. My question to you now you've built and done extensive mods also Cam. What experience have you had getting Vehicle Insurance ? So also your subscribers experience ? With getting quotes and difficulty getting insurance companies to understand the complex nature of modifications and legal GVM's etc. Do you have any general advice?
Unfortunately RAC canceled my policy because I’d spent more on the vehicle than they would cover, I believe they said they only cover 10k of accessories. I’ve ended up with club4x4 but it’s very expensive and they’re not very flexible. Many people suggested Shannon’s but they were more expensive again and wouldn’t allow me to increase excess to decrease premium.
So I’ve stuck it out with club 4x4 for the time being. But interestingly I had a good chat with a tow truck driver that worked in a remote area and did offroad recoveries for insurance companies. He said AAMI were the best insurer in his opinion for not squabbling over details and would always release money quickly to get recoveries and repairs underway asap.
@@WildTouring That is interesting. We are getting quotes right now and both Club4x4 and AAMI are included in that process. I had one insurer who refused to cover a roof top James Baroud Tent ! Go figure the risk in that compared to the other $50000 We've spent on the upgrades and Mods.
Any way thanks for sharing Cam. Best wishes to your family and Happy New Year.
@@WildTouring So insurance wise AAMI have been more reluctant to insure modified add on items than is practical. So Club 4x4 is best for this years insurance.
So how long was that old one on the car, it probably got its moneys worth.
About 3 years old when I pulled it off.
Started leaking water/dust and cracking after about 18 months.
Be perfect to throw the one mate in the back who thinks its a good idea to vape in the cab 😂
Having looked at and compared a heap of the cheaper ones. I have to say that cheap one you had looks downright nasty. There would definitely be better ones out there for budget conscious people. They may still have a limit to what they can handle though
Thanks Cam,very nice canopy. I’ll have a look on the www. Cheers and happy new year to you and family 😘😘👍👍
Cheers mate, Happy New Years to you and your loved ones!!
Has anyone weighed their stock tub and compared it to the weight of one of these canopies? I am curious of what the overall weight increase from a stock rig.
From memory I think it was about 130kgs for empty tub (no fibreglass canopy or liner ect).
That’s going back a while now though, so hopefully someone else chimes in that’s weighed one recently!
Using the Isuzu spec sheet for the latest DMax, there is 125 kg difference between the tares of the Ls-M 4X4 auto Ute (with tub) and the cab chassis model
Where was the old canopy from
Bought it second hand so not sure what brand it was.
Hi mate what model dmax is that you have?
2016 LSM
Where did you get fridge organiser from??
PM canvas products, they take orders on Instagram for custom canvas work 👍🏼
Even though the poorly made are made cheap people still ask stupid amounts $$$ for them
A poor man pays twice, that is a cheap canopy.
what's with the pop rivets showing on the lift panels... makes it look cheap... most of the high end quality builds that I have seen don't have exposed pop rivets on the lift panels... its ugly IMO
Do you mean the bolts securing the door frames to the doors? Many other brands plug weld them on but the heat distorts the panels somewhat. Looks are subjective I guess, I love it!
@@WildTouring hmmm... I havnt seen quality builds have distorted panels... for example th-cam.com/video/aAu0h_fMF5A/w-d-xo.html
@@WildTouring and another th-cam.com/video/8qKsLMxudMc/w-d-xo.html
and another... th-cam.com/video/DoRl3InCU48/w-d-xo.html
I havnt seen any quality builds with distorted panels... not sure why your guy needed to bolt/screw the lift panels on... you have to admit the other builds look better with clean skin panels...
@@WildTouring th-cam.com/video/SJlwn5VHynk/w-d-xo.html
Good job Cam. Glad to see that Chinese rubbish getting the heave ho! Replaced with great Aussie craftsmanship, well done mate. Safe travels🍺
Cheers Tim! 👍🏼
I'm always first
Cheers mate
But who wants to spend 20k on a canopy/tray when you spend 50k plus on a Ute already it's insane.
Probably not you by the sounds of it, but realistically- many many people.
I’ve certainly never left a vehicle stock, I’ve built them to suit our needs, make them more capable for touring and more comfortable to live out of remotely. Different strokes!
A decent canopy will always fit on the next 2 or 3 vehicles. My canopy which I made myself is on its 3rd ute now. I got over 15 years out of it. Good investment if you ask me.
You get what you pay for, these are obviously professionally engineered and designed well and the labour he’s to build one would be close to 200hrs
The same reason that people spend 50k on a vehicle and then kit it out with better tyres, bar work, snorkel and evey other thing that we pour money into. A canopy is really just another item that people will buy as they can afford it
Yeah, I hear you. These look awesome but the price is very high. The work and materials that go into making a canopy like this can probably justify it, plus they're in business to make money, not gift canopies for charity.
I wonder what the middle ground is like. So better than the cheap shitty ones but not at this upper price range.