by BillMcQuade on Tue Oct 06, 2015 1:48 pm
I do a lot of hard dirt and rough roads. The OEM canopy is still holding up well, but you do have to maintain it.
I Loctite all fasteners.
I have the sliding windows, and I NEVER use the latches as handles. Use them to open the window slightly, then grab the edge of the window to slide it. Keep the tracks clean and use silicone spay for lube. I only ever slide open the tailgate end windows. Bend the metal latch tabs INWARDS slightly, which stops the windows from rattling open.
The latch on the window behind the cabin feels flimsy, but it has never popped open.
The rear glass can cause slight issues. No matter what canopy/tub you have, they all flex a bit. This can cause the odd issue with shutting the rear glass. I spent a fair bit of time adjusting the locking mechanism until I was happy. When it gets to the point where you are slamming it closed every time, it's due for an adjustment (usually every 3 months). Only once or twice it has popped open whilst off-road, which is acceptable to me. I would rather it did that than smash! If I am in real rough stuff I keep an eye on the glass, it is easy to see if it opens (the tub light goes on, it you can see that the glass has lifted). I tend to put an occy strap on the inner handle, back to one of the loops in the tray. This allows it to pop out if the canopy flexes to much, but holds it below roof height.
From a leak perspective, it didn't leak a drop for the first 2 years. It has now developed a very small weep from the P/S front corner, but only in heavy rain; no more than 50ml.
As for dust; I have the dust seal kit, which I modified to actually work. If you run a tub liner, the best bet is to cut the tailgate part to clear the seal. The bottom of the tailgate could do with better sealing, but I really don't get that much dust in there. I have been thinking about putting a small rotating ventilator on the roof to slightly pressurise the canopy area, but then you would need to filter the incoming air. Still thinking about that one.
I don't have any cracking of the canopy on mine, however it was reasonably well fitted by the dealer's panel shop.
To sum up; I am happy with my canopy. Does it suit me all the time? No, but it suits me 90% of the time. I also built a ute-tub trailer as a camping trailer, and plan on fitting a canopy to that at some stage.
White 2013 MN GLX+ manual
"Tuned by Doctor Diesel"