Ute canopies

Hey Bruce, check out the Low Line units. I believe they are made of aluminium, so extremely tough. They have a website, but not sure of the address. Do a search and you should find it.

Hi Mark,I asked this question just a couple of weeks ago so if you look back you may get some additional information. I have been doing a bit of research and have found that, other than the aluminium ones mentioned above, you can basically get canopies made of fibreglass (ie. Flexiglass or Tourertop canopies) or a plastic type substance (ABS or Bac Pac canopies). The fibreglass ones generally have a 12 month warranty on parts and a lifetime warranty for structural damage, whilst the plastic ones only have a 1-3 year warranty. Also apparently it is easier to get parts (Aust wide)for the fibreglass ones whereas for a plastic one, you need to buy the entire part you want to replace (ie. if you break a window you can just replace the glass in the fibreglass ones whereas with the plastic ones you need to buy new window frame and all) - not sure how true this is though. Have heard that the fibreglass ones occassionally crack (but generally can be repaired) - but when I asked what happens if a plastic one cracks/gets damaged and the salesman was unsure if/how they repair a plastic one although I assume they could repair them somehow. All canopies appear to be about the same price for brand new - around $1600-$1800.

Bruce,

I opted for an aluminium canopy for my Hilux and have not regretted it. if you are prepared to pay a little extra go for a custom job, Very sturdy, not an ounce of dust gets in and loads of easy access to equipment. If your in Brissy I can put you onto a couple of guys who specialize in this sought of work.
My E-Mail is alarmtec@big.net.au

Cheers
Graham

gday bruce we had a fibreglass canopy on our 720dc for 13 years in that time i had to stengthen the hinges regass the struts the rubber boot around the rear window chaffed the paint work back to bare metal and it always came loose so i glued it on with silastic but we did subject it to excess vibrations in those years---your call