Truck Cap / Topper suggestions

[escpen]

I have been in the research stage of purchasing a cap for my truck (2016 F-150 SuperCrew with 5.5' bed) for quite some time and am finally in the position to make a purchase.  For those of you who have caps on your trucks, I would love to hear your thoughts on things that you like about your cap, things that you dislike, options that you now wish you had purchased, options that you purchased but could do without, etc.

I have narrowed my options down to offerings from A.R.E. and Leer because of local support (I live in the Syracuse area).  The ARE caps seem to be very highly regarded and I'm leaning in that direction right now.  

Any input you may have is greatly appreciated!

 

 

[52 farmer]

I have had the Leer brand caps, bought new and used.IMO they are a top quality product little pricey but you get what you pay for.The color was a perfect match with my truck, fit and general appearance were great.Only thing i would suggest is side windows that open for ventilation.

The A.R.E. caps seem to also be of high quality, and i believe were pretty close in price .

[escpen]

16 minutes ago, 52 farmer said:

Only thing i would suggest is side windows that open for ventilation.

Excellent, thank you!  I was actually thinking about getting the fold up "windoor" type windows on the sides of the cap for ease of access to the bed.  

Have you experienced any frustration with not being able to easily access the bed contents?

 

[Buckmaster7600]

I have had a cap for every truck I have owned but only 1 was fiberglass it was an a.r.e. Seemed to be a quality product but traded it almost immediately for an aluminum. Aluminum caps are ugly but I can take them off and put them on by myself. I don't like having a cap on all the time so I'm always taking it on and off.


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[Sambuca]

I have an ARE on my 2011 Silverado.  I spent the extra money for side windows that flip open.  It was worth every penny to be able to reach in from the sides.  You wont regret it.

[BigVal]

My truck came with a leer on it. It's a nice cap and does the job I guess but the con for me is I have it on for maybe a couple months out of the year because I always need to use my bed for ATVs, sleds, etc. The cap tends to be a pain more than a help. BUT when it's on and I don't need the bed for that type of stuff I love it, like my ice sled or stuff that can fit under the cap. I like not having to worry about the stuff in the bed. 

[bugsNbows]

Gave up on caps. My latest "like" are the Diamondback covers. Easy to install. Easy to fold or remove. The HD models can carry up to 1600 hundred pounds on top. 

[The_Real_TCIII]

I just got a Tonno Pro hard trifold cover. I’ve had several soft ones this is the first I’ve had with the aluminum underneath, 300lb weight capacity


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[escpen]

Gave up on caps. My latest "like" are the Diamondback covers. Easy to install. Easy to fold or remove. The HD models can carry up to 1600 hundred pounds on top. 

 

I have a tri-fold aluminum tonneau cover by bakflip on my truck now and, while it has worked out well, I find myself wanting extra cargo space while still keeping that cargo out of the elements.

 

If you don’t mind me asking, what didn’t you like about having a cap?

 

Thank you!

 

 

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[escpen]

I guess but the con for me is I have it on for maybe a couple months out of the year because I always need to use my bed for ATVs, sleds, etc. 

Good point! Fortunately I have a trailer that I use to tow around the ATV and other equipment when needed. I don’t think any of that stuff would fit in my short box anyway!



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[Steuben Jerry]

I've had a cap on every pickup I've owned until my current Tundra. I thought I'd only keep it for a couple of years so I went with a soft tonneau. Still driving the truck 7 years later and I've come to really like the tonneau. It's convenient when I have to carry something taller than the bed.

I'll be upgrading the truck next year, but I think I'll go with another tonneau.

[bugsNbows]

10 hours ago, escpen said:

 

I have a tri-fold aluminum tonneau cover by bakflip on my truck now and, while it has worked out well, I find myself wanting extra cargo space while still keeping that cargo out of the elements.

 

If you don’t mind me asking, what didn’t you like about having a cap?

 

Thank you!

 

 

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It seemed like everything I wanted to carry would just not quite fit under the cover. Additionally, on the early ones, it was a PIA trying to keep the back truck window clean. On my last cap (however) I was able to get a fold down rear window. That was great, so that problem actually went away. I also had leakage problems, wiring issues and cosmetic issues (apparently related to the hot Florida sun). Those are the main reasons I went away from caps. 

[WNYBuckHunter]

I had a Leer on a truck years ago, it was a great cap. Ive done the tonneau cover thing, cant say as I like it at all. My current truck Ive been running without anything for 5 years, and its been fine, but Ive been thinking of putting something on so that I can keep things dry in the bed. I have been looking at the ARE caps, and they are very nice. Id go so far as to say they seem to be better built than the Leer I had, but thats comparing a new cap to one I had 20 years ago. One of the main reasons I started looking at the ARE caps is because theres a dealer right around the corner from me.

[t_barb]

I have an Extang Trifecta 2.0 folding tonneau cover on my F250.   I really love it..   I have had caps in the past, but I tend to use my truck more like a "truck", so it gives me the flexibility to carry a almost full load in the bed or hook up my goose neck by simply folding it back.   Real happy with the way it has worked out and the quality of the product (and it only cost me about $350)... 

[G-Man]

I have never understood closing up the back of a truck..I bought it to haul stuff.. not snap or fold a top on and off and limit what I could put in it.. if I wanted that I'd get a surburban or out back or blazer.. pay money for something so you can pay more money to close it up...makes no sence

[bugsNbows]

It's nice to be able to lock-up / secure loads in back. 

[escpen]

2 hours ago, G-Man said:

I have never understood closing up the back of a truck..I bought it to haul stuff.. not snap or fold a top on and off and limit what I could put in it.. if I wanted that I'd get a surburban or out back or blazer.. pay money for something so you can pay more money to close it up...makes no sence

 

56 minutes ago, bugsNbows said:

It's nice to be able to lock-up / secure loads in back. 

Exactly.  90+% of the time, anything I need to transport in the back of the truck will fit inside the cap.  I have a trailer for hauling larger equipment and, in rare cases where I need to haul large items in the back of the truck, I'll suffer through uninstalling the cap and reinstalling after I'm done.  

Security for hunting equipment and other miscellaneous cargo while also providing more  space that is readily accessible is my main motivation behind getting a cap.

[WNYBuckHunter]

Caps are pretty easy to take off and put back on, so if you need to haul something that wont fit inside the cap, just take it off temporarily.

[G-Man]

1 hour ago, escpen said:

 

Exactly.  90+% of the time, anything I need to transport in the back of the truck will fit inside the cap.  I have a trailer for hauling larger equipment and, in rare cases where I need to haul large items in the back of the truck, I'll suffer through uninstalling the cap and reinstalling after I'm done.  

Security for hunting equipment and other miscellaneous cargo while also providing more  space that is readily accessible is my main motivation behind getting a cap.

Suburban is same price same room and cost same...you get truck and pay more to close it up.same way...

[The_Real_TCIII]

10 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Suburban is same price same room and cost same...you get truck and pay more to close it up.same way...

A Suburban starts at $60k

[escpen]

49 minutes ago, G-Man said:

Suburban is same price same room and cost same...you get truck and pay more to close it up.same way...

I don't have the option of taking a cap off the back of the suburban in the cases where I need that extra cargo space.

 

Anyway, I appreciate the feedback but I already have the truck (it's not going anywhere for a while) and have determined that a cap would be very beneficial for my use case.  I'm just curious about which accessories are / are not worth considering on a cap from those members that have experience with them.

[52 farmer]

Dark tinted windows and back window also, so no one can see what your hauling.Sliding front window if your pickup has a slider

[Lawdwaz]

I have a ARE Z Series on my 2011 Tacoma since new.  Overall I guess it's been fine although the rear glass/hatch handle sucks.  That said, my experience with Century, Leer and now ARE hatches all suck.  Sealing the rails bed to cap has always been a issue although this ARE isn't as horrid.

I don't think I could ever use a truck with a tonneau cover.  I'd rather go with (uggh) an SUV instead with a big enclosed rear area. 

As always, YMMV

[NonTypical]

I had an ARE on my full size Dodge for 15 years. No complaints here. I did get the fold down window so that I could clean the rear window occasionally. 

[escpen]

21 minutes ago, Lawdwaz said:

I have a ARE Z Series on my 2011 Tacoma since new.  Overall I guess it's been fine although the rear glass/hatch handle sucks.  That said, my experience with Century, Leer and now ARE hatches all suck.  Sealing the rails bed to cap has always been a issue although this ARE isn't as horrid.

Can you elaborate on this a bit further?  What don't you like about the rear hatch handle?  Does your cap have the single handle or the dual handle option?

Do you have a good feel for why sealing the rail beds to the cap is so difficult?  I wonder if there are things that I can request up front to prevent this from being an issue.