Anyone Have One Of Those New Style Truck Caps?

Eric Patterson

Eric Patterson

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Staff member
You know the type I'm talking about. The boxy metal ones with side doors. Not work boxes like a repairman uses, rather more for camping and off-roading. Some of the popular brands are Alu-Cab, GoFastCamper, Smartcap and RLD Designs. I'm in the market for a camper and am probably going with a traditional fiberglass model like Leer or ARE, but these new black boxy metal ones have got me thinking maybe there is a better mousetrap now available. Below is a flyer in case you don't know what I'm talking about. Curious if anyone here can compare one of these tops to ones that have been around for decades.


Alu-Cab Top
 
I've never seen one up close, but the side doors and cool accessories in the catalog make me want to check them out. Kind of a small selection of truck models, I wonder why?
 
SJ

I think amongst the different brands they cover a large part of the truck market. The link below is one of the brand I mentioned above and it looks to cover most late model trucks.

The one thing I'm wrestling with is will not having side glass and loss of visibility be problematic? I want as much visibility as possible because backing up in the dark at who knows what unimproved ramp seems to create that need. Not to mention I do a fair amount of trailering of equipment so the view behind and to the sides is important.

www.na.rsismartcap.com

Truck Caps, Pick-Up Truck Canopy & Camper Shells

SmartCap is the world's first modular stainless steel truck canopy system. Its 5-piece design lets you customize your truck's camper shell.
www.na.rsismartcap.com www.na.rsismartcap.com
 
Eric Patterson said:
SJ

I think amongst the different brands they cover a large part of the truck market. The link below is one of the brand I mentioned above and it looks to cover most late model trucks.

The one thing I'm wrestling with is will not having side glass and loss of visibility be problematic? I want as much visibility as possible because backing up in the dark at who knows what unimproved ramp seems to create that need. Not to mention I do a fair amount of trailering of equipment so the view behind and to the sides is important.

www.na.rsismartcap.com

Truck Caps, Pick-Up Truck Canopy & Camper Shells

SmartCap is the world's first modular stainless steel truck canopy system. Its 5-piece design lets you customize your truck's camper shell.
www.na.rsismartcap.com www.na.rsismartcap.com
Click to expand...

The pros is that you wouldn't have to worry about color match, which I seldom see to be perfect in painted caps (especially ARE, but also LEER).

I don't think you will miss the side windows. I had them in my current LEER for my F250 (bought them for ventilation), but I put blackout curtains on them from day 1 and they have not come off. I've never looked through cap side windows backing.

Black would be a tough sell for me. I had a black truck - once.
 
Eric,
Like Tod, I rarely look through the side windows. I also don't like that they make my stuff visible to bad guys, so i wouldnt miss them. My pickups have extended mirrors with parabolics, for me they're adequate for backing. If you can get past the backing issue, I bet you'll like these new style caps.
 
Eric Patterson said:
The one thing I'm wrestling with is will not having side glass and loss of visibility be problematic?
Click to expand...
Eric,
Unless I am reading it wrong the side panels can be had with sliding windows. Looks like everything is modular so you have your choice of a window in the gull wing side panel or no window.

Features Include: Integrated Roof Rails, Positive Pressure Air Vent, Front Flush-Bonded Slider Window, Gullwing Side Doors w/Flush-Bonded Slider Windows, Rear Half-Door w/Flush-Bonded Fixed Window, Third Brake Light* and Matte-Black Automotive Paint. *Third Brake light not included on the Jeep Gladiator

FWIW; I like the slider windows for ventilation when I'm camping in my current fiberglass A.R.E. brand topper. I have tint on the inside of the side windows. Lowers the temperature inside as well as lower visibility looking into the topper. Still can see what's going on outside the topper when I'm inside sleeping. getting dressed, eating a meal. etc.
 
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Dave

That is correct, but it adds considerably to the cost for glass side windows. I am also seeing a lot of reviews stating the gull wing windows leak and the latches are crappy. Now I'm leaning towards an ARE. Leer no longer makes a top for my truck other than an aluminum repairman style. I am going to call a few dealers tomorrow and get the cost numbers. That my be the deciding factor.
 
As a 6'3" guy in the market for a small truck, the very idea of a truck cap being used as a sleeping shelter is now off the table. I can sleep uncomfortably in 6' truck bed; with a bed 5' or 5' 6", it's not an option. Apparently two-seat trucks in the Ranger/Frontier/Tacoma/Colorado size range are now rarer than hens teeth and as far as I can tell would limit me to only the Tacoma as a truck choice--and even that leaves me with just a 6' bed.
 
I have an ARE cap on my F150 short bed. I had the same style on my old Ram 2500 as well. I tried a tonneau cover, but it wasn't optimal for gear storage. My ARE cap has the side windows that slide open and have screens. I find they are great for ventilating the bed space.
 
Just back from 10 days in the Maine woods, and the roof top soft-sided tents seem to be all the rage. The downside would be if you are travelling in grizzly country and can't use it in sites that only allow hard shell campers. And it seems fine for a tent, but not much use for anything else. I did see a couple of absolutely ridiculously tricked out rigs with tents up top and all sorts of ridiculous gear strapped on the side--extra fuel tanks, various traction aids, jerry cans for water, fuel and perhaps booze. (Just guessing on the booze, there were three different 5 gallon cans in three different colors--red, blue, and purple.) All this at a commercial campground that was 15 miles off pavement on a well-maintained logging road. The guy in the next campsite to them arrived in a Prius with a little backpacking tent and a one burner propane stove.
 
I got an estimate for the smartcap. It comes in at $5000 with the glass side doors plus tax. I can save $500 if I do the install myself. I read it is a full 8-hour day to install one and it is a two-man job unless you have an overhead hoist. The ARE is looking really good about now.
 
I have an 15 year old A.R.E. with a slider window on one side and a complete side window that flips open on the driver side. The hinge (two pieces of c channel aluminum extrusion than rotate within themselves) wore out after 10 years. It was handy when it worked for accessing things in the front of the truck bed (I am partial to 8 foot beds). On the other side just a sliding window but you have to get into the bed of the truck to open it. The tailgate window is now a sheet of plywood. Last year on my annual pilgrimage to Alberta the whole glass and bottom aluminum frame departed the cap in the middle of I-90. Apparently the glass fits in a channel and the bottom aluminum frame was just a friction fit in the channel. No mechanical or even chemical attachment. All of the windows are aluminum frames screwed into the fiberglass cap. They are sealed with some sort of sealant like 5200. The side windows don't leak. The tailgate window has always leaked and funnels water into the truck bed when you open it.

My newer Lear cap has recessed windows and the rear 1/4 opens and is screened. I can reach the opening mechanism without crawling into the truck bed. They are not the windows that flex or bend to open. I haven't noticed them leaking but I just checked after 2 days of rain and the "carpet" liner under the windows feels a bit damp. The rear window on the Lear is recessed so it channels water (mostly) around the sides when I open it. Those my bed stays drier on rainy days.

Sleeping in the truck bed works as long as you can get above the corrugated bed. But crawling in and out and operating tailgate and rear window isn't much fun. I find it easier to put up a tent and use the truck tailgate and bed as work space and storage areas respectively.
 
Brad

I've always heard Leer is just a tad better than ARE but unfortunately Leer doesn't make a cap for my Tacoma. It is a standard cab and not many were made. In fact they discontinued it altogether in 2014 so it has been 10 years since Toyota made one and they were not that common after the access cab was introduced. I'm about 90% convinced I'll go with the the ARE while I can still get one. I think the smartcap, although nice, is too expensive and I probably will never make use of the features and accessories that go with it.
 
As far as LEER vs ARE... ARE are better as far as the hardware and fit and finish of the high end models (ARE top end models are nicer than LEER top end). On mid level models, I like the LEERs better. I don't like the frameless glass, so I buy the LEERs, since they are a better value.

LEER unquestionably has a better paint match, but they are FAR from perfect on match. Dealer support is important in my experience, they have to be willing to fight for you if the paint match sucks. My last LEER the paint match was horrible, but the dealer said it was "within parameters", the cap also had pinholes and the CSM telegraphed through the paint in places, so I was able to send it back, but wouldn't have based on the bad paint match. The finish and paint was good the second time.

Buying one and painting to match would be a good option if you can find one used.
 
tod osier said:
Buying one and painting to match would be a good option if you can find one used.
Click to expand...

I've been looking for MONTHS. Reg cab caps are rare. I thought I found one a couple weeks ago. Last Friday I drove all the way to La Follette, TN to buy one that the owner said was for a reg cap. He was WRONG! Ten hours WASTED on the road. The cab angle is different between a reg cab and access/double cab on Toyotas. I asked him for a model or serial #, so I could verify, and he said it didn't have one (Ranch brand), but he assured me it was indeed for a reg cab. It wasn't! I will never set foot out the door without PROOF and I pretty much made my mind up on the ride home I wasn't wasting any more time with a used top because most of the used tops I see on MP the owners don't know what they are for and only provide length and width. If they do know it is always for an access/double cab.

One more thing, Chattanooga traffic SUCKS!!!!!! I will avoid that city like the plague from here on out. I've been there many times over the years and it keeps getting worse.
 
Eric Patterson said:
I've been looking for MONTHS. Reg cab caps are rare. I thought I found one a couple weeks ago. Last Friday I drove all the way to La Follette, TN to buy one that the owner said was for a reg cap. He was WRONG! Ten hours WASTED on the road. The cab angle is different between a reg cab and access/double cab on Toyotas. I asked him for a model or serial #, so I could verify, and he said it didn't have one (Ranch brand), but he assured me it was indeed for a reg cab. It wasn't! I will never set foot out the door without PROOF and I pretty much made my mind up on the ride home I wasn't wasting any more time with a used top because most of the used tops I see on MP the owners don't know what they are for and only provide length and width. If they do know it is always for an access/double cab.
Click to expand...

10 hours - that counts as an official boondoggle. Wow.
 
Tod

I'm still pissed about it. I blame myself but didn't leave before telling the seller they should have paid attention to the details and given me correct information to base my decision. I think he didn't know there was a difference between an access cab and regular cab. But I was very specific when I corresponded with him that I was after a cap for a regular cab and asked the very question.
 
eric,

i actually have this one
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1862519007...clFK/P3cMsZgRY0gmM7SQKNDs=|tkp:Bk9SR5SQ08v8Yw
on my tundra. I had an are on a previous tundra, and a hard tonneau as well.

The cap with the side openings is nice, but mine leaks a little. I plan to try to reseal with black caulking. it leaks where the pre fab sections are bolted together with a gasket between them. If the price was the same as a glass one, not sure which way i'd lean. The glass ones with rounded corners definitely had less wind noise. But hey i look cool !!! (PS i bought my truck used with this top already installed)
 
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