Canvas Canopy vs Aluminium Canopy

Canvas Canopy vs Aliminium Canopy

So, you’re looking to add a canopy to your ute, but you’re not sure whether to go for something made from canvas or solid aluminium plate. Luckily, there’s helpful guides around like this to help you make the right choice!

It’s always important to do your research before you go seeking out vehicle modifications. This is especially true if you’re going to be outfitting your vehicle for work purposes AND you want it to satisfy your adventurous spirit on the weekend. 

While there are plenty of benefits to choosing both types of canopies, one may be more suitable for you than the other, depending on your unique needs and requirements. To help you in deciding whether a canvas or aluminium canopy would better suit your needs, we’ve compared a few important factors down below:

Price

If price is a major factor for you to consider, you may want to look at getting a canvas canopy, as these are often less expensive than a solid aluminium alternative. 

Ease of Installation

Canvas canopies are also a lot simpler to install and remove than a solid aluminium canopy, which also contributes towards their lower price. If you one day decide you don’t want a canopy on your vehicle anymore, you will be able to remove the cover and canopy frame quickly and easily. 

Weight

Canvas Canopy

Aluminium may be a lightweight material, but a solid canopy weighs a lot more than a canvas canopy. Canvas canopies are a great option to keep your weight down and will allow you to carry more. 

Corrosion-Resistance

Aluminium has anti-corrosive properties, which is what makes it such a popular choice of material for so many different applications. From high-rise infrastructure and public transport to spacecrafts, appliances and so much more, the corrosion resistant qualities of aluminium make it perfect for use in a variety of environments. The same goes with aluminium canopies, which guarantee to hold up well even when exposed to humid and wet conditions. On the other hand, canvas canopies are not as resistant when being constantly exposed to harsh environments. Which is why it is important to note that although we refer to them as canvas canopies, in fact, the covers are actually made from marine hooding material. This is the same fabric used for boat canopies and has many advantages over old-school canvas. 

Marine hooding –

  • Doesn’t shrink as much as canvas and so the cover can be made to fit more firmly without risk of blowing out the zips
  • UV resistant
  • Mould resistant
  • PVC backed so it doesn’t need to be water proofed in the future
  • Same tensile strength as canvas 

Security & Protection

This is where the solid aluminium canopy trumps the canvas canopy as they are lockable. BUT WHAT IF THERE WAS A HYBRID OF THE TWO OPTIONS? A canopy that is aluminium, lightweight, lockable AND with a canvas cover so you can safely store all your tools and equipment during the week and then go off-road adventuring on the weekend. You can even sleep in the canopy or transport your hairy best mate. I know it’s pretty late to throw a curve ball option but it’s one that ticks the work/play boxes more than either of the other two.

Locking Cage Canopies

Dog Cage Canopy

Cage canopies are lightweight but strong with framing throughout and fully welded. Some aluminium canopies make great tool boxes, but take them off road and you may quickly realise why they only tick the ‘work’ box. Unless it is designed for off road use, there is a tendency for some canopies to crack if taken along corrugated roads. Cage canopies, on the other hand, are designed for this type of use.

Cage canopies are customisable with the option of 2 or 3 doors, tray sides on or off, stainless steel bent tongue locks or chrome whale tail locks, removable mesh dividers, added shelving, spare tyre/gas bottle/jerry can holders etc. You can also increase your carrying capacity with a range of different roof rack solutions.

So, which one should you choose? Feel free to contact us for more information to ensure you get the best type of canopy to suit your needs.

Choose Great Racks for Purpose-Built Canopies in Perth

At Great Racks, we make purpose-built canopies that Perth tradies, outdoor enthusiasts, and all other utility vehicle owners can trust for great value and long-lasting performance. Whether you need a cage, canvas or aluminium canopy fitted for storing essential tools, specialised gear or carrying long and bulky materials, you can rely on our experienced team to deliver a canopy that ticks all the boxes. 

Think quality, think durability. With locally made canopies built from high quality materials with fast turnaround times, you can choose Great Racks time and time again with confidence. 

Contact us now for a free measure and quote on cage, canvas and aluminium canopies! 

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Google Rating
5.0
Based on 256 reviews
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Linc Downward
Linc Downward
1728095762
Right from the first contact with Celeste, Great Racks were awesome to deal with.The product is perfect being a lockable aluminium cage/canopy with a marine grade cover and an extended roof rack.I had difficulties finding a canopy for my Silverado but I am more than happy with the quality and workmanship provided by all those at Great Racks.
Mitchell Stewart
Mitchell Stewart
1728023491
Absolutely wrapped with great racks !Prompt service and fantastic workmanshipHighly recommend
Primo Pools
Primo Pools
1728018078
This is the second rack these guys have custom made for me and I've been super impressed on both occasions!! Great job and great ppl to deal with, and the free loan ute is very handy being a tradie.
steve schuller
steve schuller
1726887839
BLOODY STOKED WITH MY CANOPY THANKS CELESTE AND GREAT RACKS
Charlie Elphick
Charlie Elphick
1724044583
The perfect name for the company.Just had two tradesman racks installed on our Utes.Very professional job!!Thank you
andrew roy
andrew roy
1723202684
Celeste and the team did a great job on my custom rack suited to a plumber, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back for further work and recommend them to anyone in the future!10/10 same day service and courtesy Ute provided with tool box and rack
thomas male
thomas male
1722504334
Great customer service start to finish - excellent workmanship and easy to deal with will recommend to anyone looking for roof racks
Tyson Carey
Tyson Carey
1721877129
We used Great Racks to set up our work utes, they worked with us to ensure that our business was impacted for the shortest possible time frame, whilst the work was getting completed. We will use this business again and recommend it to anyone looking for some "Great Racks"
Graham Bruce
Graham Bruce
1719291794
I have had these guys fit full tradesman roof racks on multiple company vehicles. Celeste is always great to deal with and the boys in the workshop do a great job. Id give them a 10 out of 10.
Nick Matthews
Nick Matthews
1718617353
Great teamSuper friendlyGreat pricingAwesome quality productAll round highly recommend 👌
Tiarnan van Osch
Tiarnan van Osch
1716805744
Very happy with my canopy and surf rack, good quality work and top customer service.
Tom Grimes
Tom Grimes
1716381587
Couldn’t fault at all, great communication leading up to the booking, very easy and adaptive team.Rack was custom made perfect to suit my needs,Exceptional service and fabrication.Thanks guys !
bodi stockley
bodi stockley
1716364645
Julian PPWA
Julian PPWA
1716085503
I highly recommend Great Racks. Celeste’s friendly, helpful and prompt communication from start to finish of the job was fantastic. The team did a quality, professional job on the truck racks with a fast turnaround. The courtesy Ute was a great service too. The whole process was easy and I can’t fault their customer service. Quality product and a great business.
John Perrett
John Perrett
1715841543
Great workmanship, superb attitude, delivered finished job on time, highly recommended
Sonya Bozikovic
Sonya Bozikovic
1715245475
We would like to thank Celeste and the team at Great Racks for the excellent job in getting the ute ready, to get a canopy fitted to it. We asked if they could repair a dent and they did at no extra cost. So easy to deal with a company that made it hassle free and accommodating. Thanks to all the team.
Ben Davies
Ben Davies
1715236770
Top company!Good price, top job, no fuss,These guys just get it done.Just helpful people
Kaeli farrelly
Kaeli farrelly
1714720114
Absolutely love my new racks! The team at Great Racks were so friendly and helpful, and they knew exactly what I was looking for. They did an amazing job, couldn’t be happier
Matthew Rowe
Matthew Rowe
1714607755
Great Racks done an awesome job fabricating my aluminium pipe rack! The staff are all very helpful and they look like a great team! They also gave me a free courtesy car while my rack was getting made which kept my business going. Thanks a lot Great Racks, I’ll be back again no doubt!
Dane H
Dane H
1714097385
Great customer serviceGreat quality custom jobWelding is qualityThey installed the solar panel location aswell
Andy Bradshaw
Andy Bradshaw
1712240530
From the office to the workshop floor, professional, courteous and very easy to deal with.The workmanship was 'top notch' with the finish goods exceptional.Recommended for your Ali' work for sure.
Jake Dawson
Jake Dawson
1711066696
Great experience with the team at Great Racks, from the planning stage with Celeste to the build stage with Mark.Started to organise the canopy for my ute while it was on order, no confusion 8 months later when it was ready to book in.Professional, quality work and a pleasure to deal with.
Martin Haesli
Martin Haesli
1709716424
I'd give great racks 6 stars if I could, they fitted a platform to my existing tray for a solar panel and roof top tent set up, they nailed it I'm fussy and I can't fault their work and communication 👏
Tim Stephens
Tim Stephens
1709163220
As in the name, Great Racks, Great Service and Great people. The job they completed for me was a complete custom and a bit tricky but they took it on and did an awesome job. Thank you.
mark alderson
mark alderson
1708311625
I have to say I'm so pleased with the rear bar I had fitted to my commodore ute at GreatRacks. Celeste in the office did such a great job with the paperwork, and I couldn't be more pleased with the end result. The rear bar looks great, fitted exactly where I wanted it and has worked beautifully. The use of the courtesy car was much appreciated and I'd thoroughly recommend this company. Great quality workmanship from the workshop!!
Connor Woodford
Connor Woodford
1707213559
Had racks put on my ute today and everything looks great.Great service also, staff were lovely and gave my partner a ride to work after dropping the Ute off and then dropped the Ute back at her workplace in the arvo.We really appreciate the smooth process guys. Thanks again. 😁
Carolyn Stephen
Carolyn Stephen
1706573173
These guys provide outstanding service from the very first phone call to the final outcome - we highly recommend them! Celeste went over and above to accommodate our order even outsourcing another local supplier to make a mattress and cover to fit in the back of the Ute tray. The canopy is super stylish as well as excellent quality. Love supporting this small business that is keeping production alive in Western Australia.
Jake Ziere
Jake Ziere
1700484288
Great Racks have done a fantastic job creating a custom roof rack to suit our needs. From start to finish, the process was easy. The company provides excellent customer service, a courtesy car on the day, and a great end product. Would use Great Racks again and recommend to anyone looking to get a well-made roof rack.
Christian Bamford
Christian Bamford
1698228043
Absolutely stoked with the customer service, Celeste Nash pointed me in the right direction, and the quality of workmanship is second to none!!!
Craig Brolsma
Craig Brolsma
1697214730
Great little friendly family business, good product ,good workmanship and well priced , thanks guys
wayne winchester
wayne winchester
1696982462
Brilliant service and exceptional quality. From the moment of my very first contact, I knew this was going to be a good experience. My custom made rack was designed, built and fitted to ensure it was sturdy and fit for purpose. The fact that it looks so great is an added bonus. Celeste, Mark, Jack and the whole team at this small family run business were an absolute pleasure to deal with. Nothing was too much trouble and their quality of workmanship was testament to the pride they have in their work and their business. They were friendly, honest and committed to ensuring we received the outcome we needed. I am a very stoked customer and could not be happier with everything they’ve done.
RONAN flanagan
RONAN flanagan
1696853287
Celeste and the guys at great racks were excellent and easy to work with. Quick to return my calls and installed an excellent rack to my van. Highly recommend Great Racks to anyone.
Thomas Vanek
Thomas Vanek
1694401779
Quality product with a fast turn around and great customer service. Thanks Celeste and crew. 5 star
Blake Archer
Blake Archer
1693821371
Good old fashioned service with quality of product to match. Great Racks could not have done anything better. Refreshing change from what else is out there.
alan allberry
alan allberry
1692662774
The team at Great Racks have been awesome to deal with. Celeste was very helpful and always quick to get back to me and answer any of my questions. The quality of the canopy installed is excellent and my ute looks much better and is more secure than before. I would highly recommend their product to anyone in the market for a ute canopy
Emilie
Emilie
1691623888
Highly impressed with the workmanship and service I received. My car is a bit odd and they had never done one before, turned out to be no problem for them, they made things uncomplicated and helped me figure out exactly what I needed. The end product looks so classy. Also thanks for mounting the useless little light in the back :)
Dahanara Munroe
Dahanara Munroe
1691391067
Had the most amazing customer experience with Great Racks and couldn’t recommend them more! Nothing beats a small family run business.Celeste and Mark were super helpful and accomodating for our needs, providing us with custom solutions for any issues that arose with making our canopy, including a dent in the Ute tray! Mark is a true aluminium specialist and artist. Very quick turnaround, at a great price and the service car was an added bonus. Thanks legends, we love the end result.
Brett Peterson
Brett Peterson
1690887130
From start to finish mark and celest helped me with the design of my canopy. I could not be happier with the finished job and the price was fantastic. I highly recommend great racks for your rack and canopy needs. A very professional team very prompt service
jamie wheatcroft
jamie wheatcroft
1690629685
Great bunch of guys did a great job on my 79 series single cab would highly recommend quality work and at a great price thanks for your hard work to the young fella who worked through his breaks to get it done in time after i was late to drop it off cheers 🍻
Dr J
Dr J
1687518602
Amazing customer care, superbly efficient communication, top quality skills and materials, a can do attitude and so friendly and helpful with advice. They sorted a canopy and cover in two days, Ute looks mint. Can’t praise them enough - highly recommend supporting this WA family business.
Dursina Alexandru
Dursina Alexandru
1686646345
Great job done by the team , I'm happy with my canopy, fair price and good information for what I need it done
David Wilson
David Wilson
1686456332
Couldn’t be happier with the works great racks have done on a couple of my hilux tray back utes, tool boxes & ladder racks. Service is fantastic, and the works are done quickly to minimise down time for my vehicle 👏 thanks
Ivo Baptista
Ivo Baptista
1686299370
Very rare these days to get what you paid for. In this case I definitely got my moneys worth. I cannot fault the service and the professionalism throughout the entire process. Celeste was a pleasure to deal with and her knowledge was outstanding. Received my canopy on schedule and the final result was more that what I expected. Having a loan vehicle was a blessing as I live 50 minutes away from the workshop. My sincere thank you to Celeste, Mark and the team for a job very well done.Outstanding quality of work and a well deserved review.
Josh O'Brien
Josh O'Brien
1683678742
Great company and excellent work. Will be back!
Louis Koen
Louis Koen
1683237104
This place is a perfect example on how to run a business, great customer service, honest and upfront pricing, the finishing product was top quality.One of the easiest businesses I’ve dealt with, very polite and Celeste is a legend.Curtesy car as a bonus, made life as a tradie easy.My roof rack came up a treat, I’ll definitely be using great racks again. If I could give them 10 stars I would. Thanks again
Daniel Momsen
Daniel Momsen
1682667332
Good old fashion service! great product, thank you!
Brodie Della
Brodie Della
1682605269
Absolute professional, honest, knowledgeable and helpful throughout the entire process. From walking in and designing the rack to 4 days later dropping the car off to be completed. Courtesy car was a lifesaver for a tradesman, and my car was back to me the same day.Absolutely stoked with the workmanship and care that's gone into the rack itself, and the way the entire team treated me from start to finish.Couldn't have picked a better company.
Hamid Heydari
Hamid Heydari
1681900837
Celeste & the team are absolute professionals, prompt & friendly, I very highly recommend to anyone looking to getting any work done, They have just completed our 79 series & previously done our hilux,Thanks again & looking forward to the next one.Hamid
Brett Caton
Brett Caton
1680256761
Fantastic people to deal with and a 1st class product . Extremely happy with my custom rack.
christopher bell
christopher bell
1679521599
Absolutely the best customer service in town. The time frame was amazing, the guys had a cancellation so I slotted in the next day. Had a courtesy car 🚗 and the job was done to spec . Great vibe, great service & yes they are Great racks
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