Overlanding aficionados starting a new vehicle build are often faced with a dilemma – SUV or pickup truck?! So, here’s an adventure enthusiast, who has already chosen to go down the sport utility road with a rooftop tent solution, checking up on a friend’s new pickup ride – a Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 equipped with Alu-Cab's Canopy Camper.
While a simple canopy and rooftop tent setup are usually hard to beat in terms of space, ease of installation, convenience, and payload capacity, pickup users encounter some limitations when it comes to the available vertical space.
Alu-Cab, a South African safari specialist, decided it could apply its experience in building custom rides for these types of experiences onto the overlanding market as well, bringing to light its Canopy Camper solution – a “lightweight, versatile, and modular” design. It was specifically developed to suit all types of DIY needs, especially for midsize pickup truck users.
As such, it’s available on a wide range of models, including the U.S. trio of Jeep’s Gladiator, Ford’s Ranger, and the Chevrolet Colorado. Speaking of the latter, we have come across a neat walkaround shot by Casey, the host of the Coyote Works YouTube channel, of a friend’s Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 packing Alu-Cab's Canopy Camper.
According to the owner, the overlanding rig was just added to the pickup truck, having ordered the Canopy Camper back in March (around the same time Alu-Cab announced it on its own YouTube channel, the video is also embedded below) and the installation was completed sometime in September.
With a half-dozen trips already complete, the Alu-Cab has had its maiden voyage – we even noticed a few scratch marks while the two nature enthusiasts were checking up on the Canopy Camper.
One thing is for sure, the Jeep owner wasn’t disappointed at the end, as he mentioned from the get-go he was “dying” to check up on this relatively rare camper option, especially in combination with the diesel-powered and highly off-road capable Chevy Colorado ZR2.
We tend to agree – the ZR2 and the Alu-Cab Canopy Camper look neat together, the former packing both a hulking 2.8-liter Duramax turbo mill capable of delivering 308 hp and an available maximum payload rating of 1,357 lbs. (615 kg).
The latter isn’t too shabby either, especially when it comes to ease of use and creature comforts – such as the ability to stand up inside the bed or quickly install the large awning.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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