Dual Cab Ute Canopies: Discover the Advantages of Canopy Storage Solutions
Dual cab ute owners understand that choosing the right canopy is all about compromise. With typically only 1600mm – 1800mm of tray space at their disposal, their loading areas can be up to 800mm shorter than their single cab counterparts, which means that their canopies have to make even better use of the space that’s available.
Striking a compromise on space doesn’t mean that quality or capability needs to be sacrificed in the process, though. In fact, it’s just the opposite. A shorter canopy effectively obligates you to optimize your fit-out, and depending on how and where you drive your ute, the combination of an optimized fit-out with better weight distribution can give you some advantages that your single cab mates don’t have.
Innovative Dual Cab Canopies are the Perfect Solution for Your Ute
It doesn’t matter if you’re setting up your ute to be the faithful family holiday hauler or strictly for tradie duties, the fact that you’re driving a dual cab can expose you to a wealth of innovatively engineered dual cab canopies and storage solutions that you might not have considered otherwise. You can’t just slap any old canopy on the tail: a 2400mm is too large, and a mishmash of smaller, do-it-all canopies can end up creating more problems than they’ll ever solve. You need a solid, well built canopy solution that does it all; and that’s precisely what the latest range of 1600mm and 1800mm 4-point jack off canopies have to offer.
Quality has to be the first consideration, especially with lift-offs, and these modern dual cab canopies for sale satisfy that requirement completely. Super strong, marine grade 2.5mm aluminium flat or checker plate construction gives these mid-sized canopies the tough corrosion-resistant outer shell they need, while supporting it with a sturdy aluminium skeleton that features:
- Full seam, TIG-welded construction;
- RHS reinforced walls and roof section;
- A fully reinforced and enclosed aluminium floor;
- Added corner reinforcement for extra rigidity; and,
- A choice of matte, polished, or powder-coated finish.
With a static load rating of 350kg for both 1600mm and 1800mm models, these dual cab aluminium canopy configurations even boast the same base cargo capacity as 2400mm models, but with a 40kg – 60kg weight savings. It’s an impressive specification for a lift-off canopy, and it’s one that you can use to your benefit when optimizing your fit-out.
Canopy Configurations That are Built to Keep Your Gear Safe
Let’s be honest: you can have a canopy with all the bells and whistles in the world, but if you’re not comfortable with how well you’re able to secure and access the contents, it’s all for nil. Fortunately, dual cab variants come in both standard 2 door canopy, and full-access 3 door canopy models, giving you unrestricted admittance to your gear when you need it, while making sure that everything stays safe and secure until you do.
Regardless of how you intend to use your canopy, everything comes down to the reliability of your canopy’s doors and locks, and premium quality dual cab ute canopy configurations come with an array of features that include:
- Reinforced, gull-wing styled aluminium doors;
- Premium quality weather-, and dust-proof rubber door seals;
- Full-length, 304 stainless steel piano-type hinges;
- Adjustable, heavy-duty gas struts; and,
- 3-point keyed locks, with stainless steel whale tail type handles.
Full-length doors, particularly on 2-door aluminium canopy configurations, are especially useful if you’re considering fitting your canopy with drawers, tool boxes, or other powered or unpowered accessories. 2 doors make it possible to maximize the full length of your canopy, without worrying about gear migrating toward the centre of the unit, or how well protected your contents are from either the elements or sticky fingers.
You can even purchase a 4-door dual cab aluminium canopy for sale with a ¼ compartment dog cage. These perforated, and fully silicone-sealed transport compartments help to round out the ideal compromise for maximizing the dual cab’s tray, while still leaving plenty of space to bring a pet, as well as a full complement of gear along.
Make Up for Lost Cargo Volume by Utilizing More Features
Functionality is arguably one of the most impressive qualities that dual cab canopy configurations have. While they may concede up to 1.5m³ of cargo volume to larger canopies, they make up for it decisively with expanded cargo features and options that include:
- Heavy duty, TIG welded tray and roof racks;
- Optional side awning and rooftop tent kits; and,
- Provisions for ladder racks and trade racks.
Ideally though, what a good dual cab canopy for sale gives up in tray-level capacity, it compensates for in rooftop capacity. This also means that with more of the canopy’s weight residing closer to your vehicle’s centre of gravity, you’re going to have an infinitely more stable combination for off roading, especially if your ute happens to have a short wheelbase. With a proper amount of suspension lift and tyres, the weight distribution advantage that a good dual cab and canopy setup has to offer for off-roading is going to put longer, tail-heavy utes to shame. And if that’s not enough, then the lift-off canopy alternative makes these configurations even more appealing.
You Get Maximum Flexibility From Lift-Off Canopies
Jack off canopies offer the perfect measure of flexibility that every ute owner wants at some point: the option to remove their canopy and utilize the tray’s full loading area. Make no mistake: there are going to be times when you’re going to want to transport a load of timber, a few motorbikes, or a pallet of cement, and having the ability to temporarily remove your canopy is going to make all the difference.
Once a canopy’s been disconnected, adjustable height jack-off legs are all that’s needed to effectively raise the canopy off the tray, and to drive your ute from under it; and a set of 4 jack-off legs with wind-up handles feature:
- Thick, galvanized steel construction with fully welded joints;
- A maximum supported weight capacity of 500kg; and,
- A maximum lift of 300mm, and a maximum raised height of 1720mm.
And with the ease of configuration that’s possible with mid-sized canopy configurations, it’s even possible to utilize one canopy exclusively for work, and another entirely for recreation. It’s just a matter of finding the best dual cab ute canopy for sale for your precise vehicle, investing in two of them, and respectively setting each one up the way you want.
The Final Word
At the end of the day, if you’ve traded your dual cab tub for a tray, you already know that your tray-top real estate needs to be managed carefully. And while you may not have as much free space as you’d have expected, you’re going to be surprised by just how much space a bit of careful planning and the right canopy can give you.
With innovatively engineered 1600mm and 1800mm dual cab canopies and storage solutions, not only can you optimize your cargo capacity, you’re going to benefit from opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible without them. You won’t have to sacrifice anything to gain some real advantages.