Ascent Canopy

One must have of our new ute was security for any camping gear or livestock that would find its way into the tub of the ute. Enter the ARB Ascent canopy.

Colour coded with the ute and featuring synchronised keyless entry it met my requirements for security and styling. It is seamless with the styling of the ute itself and appears almost standard with the tinted glass windows and sensational curves. Hidden buttons for opening the side lift up windows keep unnecessary bits hidden away which adds to the sleek look. A roof top vent for pressurising the tub limits dust ingress, it does its best but certainly does not fix the dust issue. If you keep a trunk monkey with allergies in the back you may want to consider a tailgate sealing kit.

I also had a steel tradies rack fitted which sees the window frames work with the bone structure of the rack for extra strength. The ends of the rack are open to allow longer items to be loaded which in my case would be kayaks, fishing rods and my clown stilts. ARB can option them with rollers to assist with loading bigger or heavier items.

Grasping onto the cross bars is a set of Yakima snow ski clamps which I use for kayak paddles and fishing rods. They come in all sizes to suit however many skis or snowboards you need. In my case 4 fishing rods will comfortably fit. These come with keys for security to lock down what goods you have clamped in using the simple ratcheting mechanism.

Clinging onto the side of the rack is the heavy and slightly awkward Foxwing awning Its not a cheap choice to add on and have found its weaknesses creating limited genuine opportunities for use. The span of the awning creates good coverage from rain and sun, extending from the rear tailgate right around to the front passenger door. The awning can be awkward to set up on your own due to the pressures put on the hinging knuckles as the poles droop prior to securing the support poles in place.

The bad.... sometimes things don’t always work perfectly, like an Australian Political party aspects become stubborn, worn out, leaky and can cost you more than they’re worth.

The canopy has suffered the breakdown of the soft seals around the windows which caused some leaking during rain, this was sorted by cleaning up the dead seals and resealing. The rear window which works off a single centrally mounted soft touch button can become stubborn with mechanisms on each side taking turns to refuse to release. I was always careful not to just yank at it as I have heard a few stories of people shattering the rear windows this way. I also suffered from a side window that would at random decided to pop open whilst driving however this was sorted with some fine adjusting of the mechanism.

The rack... for a steel tradies rack it has seemed surprisingly easy to damage the surface of it causing opportunities for rust to move in like a uni student reclaiming their childhood bedroom. The fasteners atop the rack along with small areas of the rack have become rusty over time probably sped up thanks to a life on the coast.

Parenting win: Note the Crown Lager Holder

The Foxwings true failing is its hatred of wind, a strong fart will lift the awning from the support poles sending them falling to the ground and a giant flapping wing flailing about like a wacky, waving inflatable flailing arm flailing tube man which in turn will snap those plastic knuckles. This can be sorted if you take the time to secure it with included guy ropes and pegs. I have had mine setup and tightly secured during significant coastal wind and came away unscathed. These poles and pegs are stored separately within the tub but are at least very lightweight.

The Fox wing has seen oxidisation of the joint holding the knuckles and spots of mould that form on the cover which is always open to the elements. Water does find its way inside the cover so after rain its best to open it up to properly dry out so mould doesn’t form on the wing itself. Looking now the products from Darche seem really great for this style of awning and appear sturdy and better at self supporting. Other offerings are available from the sub 100 dollar pullout awnings from 4wd Supacentre to in excess of a thousand for some wing style ones.

Knowing now just how much we love camping if I had my time again I think a custom alloy canopy would be the way to go but for now I’m happy modifying it myself to suit our needs, stay tuned for the inside setup. So that’s my canopy and it’s associated fittings, I will talk about what's on the inside soon.

Tip: Plan ahead before buying or fitting parts and do it right the first time. Make sure your end goals are in mind so you're not buying twice.

The nuts 'n' bolts:

What: ARB Ascent canopy

Features: Integrated remote locking, pop up windows, hidden window release buttons, canopy vent.

Where: ARB dealer or request from car dealer.

Cost: About $3750

Cons: Small side windows limit access, stubborn window latches, failing seals lead to leaks.

What: ARB steel tradies rack

Features: Sturdy steel open ended rack with support linked to window frames of canopy.

Where: ARB dealer or request from car dealer.

Cost: $1100 fitted

Cons: Heavy, rust and cracking paint.

What: Yakima snow ski clamps

Features: Cushioned rubber pads, one hand easy operating, key locks. Clamps to round or blade style racks.

Where: Automotive stores or online at sites like roof rack city or Yakima.com.au

Cost: Around $250 (cheaper knockoff eBay ones available)

Cons: Lost my keys, take up valuable real estate on the rack.

What: Oztent Foxwing Awning

Features: Lightweight alloy poles, supplied pegs and ropes. Rip stop canvas, 2.5m radius (great shade).

Where: Online retailers, Anaconda, Tentworld.

Cost: We paid around $650( 2 years ago) with another $100 fitting kit.

Cons: 18kg, water ingress through cover, struggles in wind without effort of attaching guy ropes, awkward one person set up, expensive.