Do Connect-It Aluminium Joiners LAST?!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 ก.ย. 2024
- I've been using Connect-It Aluminium joiners in my diy canopy projects for years, and they've allowed me to build some custom canopy setups that really suit my needs - but do they last?? Today we're pulling apart my diy canopy kitchen build to find out!
💻 www.explorebou...
📸 @explorebound on Insta for pics of the setup/camping trips.
#diy #4wd #setup
Hi, check out Flexliner Tubeconnectors.....Perth based I think....essentially the same except made from tougher nylon....slightly different aluminium square tubing dimensions , available from aluminium suppliers....cheaper than bunnings. The different connectors also come in white sometimes available from Stratco. Not compatible with connect-it. I haven't bought them for more than 12 months but assume they are still available. Cheers
Thanks, as always, for your open and honest attitude in this update.
Good update. I prefer to use aluminium extrusions. I used them for my crossbars for my RTT and they work a treat. But the aluminium channels of my RTT itself makes bolting something to it easy. The problem I have is where to get them in person. I have nowhere near my local area where I can get them from. For some reason, Bunnings do not sell any aluminium extrusions whatsoever.
I used these for a platform/false floor in my wagon. I figured they would get absolutely pounded and destroyed so I end up using 90 degree angle steel brackets to reinforce them on the inside corners. You need to drill the holes to screw/bolt them in before assembly otherwise you won't have room to do so.
Anyway, the platform is still going strong 4 years later
Thanks for sharing this as I was going to ask you how they were faring. It was great that you showed the alternative as well.
Bunnings is exxy go to an aluminium supplier like capral. If you use some composite panel should strengthen it
I have used this stuff a lot in various scenarios shed, car and in the house within cupboards. In each scenario when they are braced with another material they are a lot more capable for example in a car make your frame but reinforce with ply surrounds. If shelves but a sheet of ply in to fit then make it snug. What’s that saying of psychics for every action there is a reaction. If you enable it to move (bouncing in a car it will react and in this case crack. 😉 just a thought! Love your content
Thanks for your honesty. Looking at this id still heavily consider using them, just think what i sit on top i guess.
Not to mention, tye moment one breaks, its adding so much more pressure onto the surrounding joiners.
I find this failure quite interesting. My whole canopy set up is made the same way, but for the most part has composite panel over the overside which I think adds a lot more strength.
Its been 3 years, with multiple trips up the Gibb River Road among many other tracks and not a drama. Some extra bracing/support might help that weaker edge for you as well?
Definitely better methods out there, but this worked for me at the time.
Yeah I agree some form of bracing would have made a big difference - something I'll look at adding to mine. 🙂
Good update. Thanks for sharing. I feel like a big part of that failure may also have to do with the long run in the tube. I think if you had shorter runs with more cross bars you would eliminate this failure point. But, there always needs to be a weak point somewhere and this being it is probably a good thing rather than something harder to remove.
That's a good point and no doubt a contributing factor - especially when you consider the other joiners were still fine after the same abuse 👍
I used the 4 slot aluminium extrusion you showed toward the end of the video for the internals of my canopy fitout, works super well, but yeah a bit more expensive
Good job. Thanks for the update.
I've come late to the party! Didn't know about the joiners and have a couple of projects I'll take my chances and use them on. Thanks for the tip.
I have found that the aluminium extrusion is difficult to source locally in Perth, pretty much order online was the only option and I haven't made up my mind on which one to go for. Cheers for the update 🍻
I have had the same experience. The joins that take direct load failed in my last build. For my current build I used alluminium chanel instead.
I wonder if they'd go better with a bit of cross bracing, like a plywood/MDF sheet that's screwed into the 4 square tube pieces, so it spreads the load out instead of concentrating it in the corners.
The Connect-It are available in 'Solid' Heavy duty versions...you've used the hollow Light Duty ones...hardly surprising they broken under abuse.
Are the heavy-duty versions available in Australia? I'd not heard of them or seen them before
G'day mate, I've been watching a lot of your videos lately as I am planning a canopy build of my own, first of all I wanna say thanks for your great honest views on products & techniques ect. & also congratulate you on the quality of your content your doing a great job.
I have a question to ask you about your legs for lifting off your canopy. Do you ever travel with these & if so have you found an effective storage solution for them? It would be great to lift off the canopy once camp is set up and be able to go for a drive, which obviously requires the legs, just wondering how you store these when on the road mate? Thanks mate, keep up the good work 👍
Izac.
Thanks mate, glad you've been enjoying the vids! Regarding the legs, with my previous canopy which was much larger I used to take them away on trips where I wanted to be able to leave camp and head off 4wding, but they were quite annoying to store and I never really found an effective storage solution for them. This canopy is a fair bit smaller so a bigger struggle to get them to fit comfortably - so I've never bought them along for that reason. I have seen people store them in the storage drawer under the tray which is a great option if they fit for your particular build, but mine are slightly too large unfortunately.
@explorebound No Problem mate, thanks for your feed back. Once I work out a good solution I will be sure to share it with you. Wishing you Safe & Happy travels in the Mighty D-Max 👍
It’s recommended to drill and pop rivet the joins 🙌
I believe that's to prevent them coming loose which is definitely worthwhile, but it doesn't affect the strength unfortunately.
Hi mate fantastic looking car can I ask what size rims and off set you run as well as tyres and if ok to ask what colour is that thanks
Thanks mate! The tyres are Maxxis AT811s (285 x 70 R17) on King Wheels "Snatch" rims (17x9 +12 offset).
Any ideas on how to reinforce that area of the frame to prevent it happening again?
Adding panels to the back/sides adds a great amount of strength to constructions like these. The way I built mine, most of the load from bumps/corrogations is put straight through the plastic joiners, whereas back/side panels would absorb a lot of that force and prolong the life of the joiners. 👍
More good oil mate 👍👍
Hi...tip!!...get yourself some waterbases epoxy and fill the joiners before use.
Casting resin?
Who did you purchase the joiners from?
I got mine from Bunnings 🙂
I think we all know when those connectors really broke! A certain beach jump, maybe!! 😁 If you know you know. #dukesofhazzard
Haha love this!! I'll have to keep some spare connectors in the glove box for the next time Bianca feels like driving. 😂
you can get metal ones now
where?