Truck toppers/shells

[Martinjmpr]

You got some great deals there, Martin! Love Craigslist, I buy, rent and sell through CL a lot.

Every used topper I've bought has needed a little work. The ARE needed a rear glass ($250 or so). The white one on the Tacoma had locks but no keys. So I took one of the lock cores to Englewood Lock and Safe and they made me a couple of keys in about 15 minutes. The gold one on my Mazda had non-functioning gas struts for the lift gate. I bought replacement gas struts at Windish RV and installed them in a minute or two.

There are lots of toppers available on CL for the more common trucks (Tacoma, Ranger, Silverado, F150, etc.) The less common trucks like Nissan, S10, etc, or older trucks are sometimes harder to find and more expensive when you do.

[fly boy]

Please explain to me the allure of getting a truck and turning it into a Suburban. Not tring to start a poo fest, I am really curious.

Thats what I always wondered too! Ya put a topper on a truck and ya might as well just go out and get yourself an SUV!

This was the reason I actually did it. I had a truck and a growing family - both with Pets and Kids. Instead of buying an SUV and sinking money into a new car payment, and all that fun stuff, I spent $1300 and turned my truck into one. I toss the luggage and dog's in the covered bed, and in cab is free and clear with plenty of room. After doing it on the first truck, I will not have a truck without it. And if push comes to shove, I can have a buddy over and put the topper on the ground and voila - truck again if truly needed. I try my hardest to keep it on and call my truck an SUV.

just my experience.

[rondog]

Y'all got me thinkin' I need one now.

[Martinjmpr]

Y'all got me thinkin' I need one now.

If you never carry anything in your truck then I wouldn't think you need one. As the saying goes "an empty barn doesn't need a roof."

Some people rig up fancy hoists in their garage so they can lift the topper off when they don't need it. I've seen people do the same thing with hard-topped Jeeps.

Nowadays it seems like most pickups are either extended cab or double cab - those are basically like a big car with a large, open trunk. I can understand people not getting a topper on those since they can easily throw their groceries in the back seat or in the extended cab portion. But as you can see by the picture I posted earlier in the thread, my little Mazda is a compact, single-cab. If the wife and I go somewhere and buy anything it has to go in the back because there's no room for it in the cab.

[Marine24]

I've been planning on purchasing the Fold-a-Cover tonneau. Little more convenient when I need to haul oversized items, easy access to the back of the cab but not as weather tight as a traditional topper. After seeing that Leer-Browning Special edition, it has me rethinking this option but that is an expensive $600 option on top of the topper.

[fly boy]

I've been planning on purchasing the Fold-a-Cover tonneau. Little more convenient when I need to haul oversized items, easy access to the back of the cab but not as weather tight as a traditional topper. After seeing that Leer-Browning Special edition, it has me rethinking this option but that is an expensive $600 option on top of the topper.

I bought a Tonneau first for the luggage when I had my titan - but that was pre-kids. Worked great, kept the luggage clean and dry even running 3 hours in a Colorado blizzard.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Some people rig up fancy hoists in their garage so they can lift the topper off when they don't need it. I've seen people do the same thing with hard-topped Jeeps.

Several companies sell these ready-made for jeeps, including powered ones.
I had one for my 4 door Wrangler, but it is still a massive PITA to use and no amount of reinforcement ever made me completely trust it.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Oh, and for tonneau, I had a Retrax tonneau for my 2007 CTD. It was lockable as was the tailgate. It rolled into a box at the cab end of the bed so you could have an open bed if you desired. It ate up a ~1' by 1' section at the top half of the cab end of the bed, but that was well worth it as it was mostly waterproof except the most crazy of carwashes, etc.

Now I just have a cloth "American tonneau" that folds into 3s on the '13 Tacoma and it sucks. It'll be gone when my new truck eventually comes in.

No idea if I'll like the topper, but I personally take no offense to the wagon comment. I have a station wagon too. This just sort of separates things and can keep the dogs safely in back. I won't have the room I did in the CTD.

[sniper_tim]

$300 topper from craigs, matches, looks good, keeps the weather out. I take it off/on multiple times during summer, that's what teenagers are for. Previously had a tonneau, prefer the shell. Sorry I can't be helpful of brand specifics.

Cheers,
Tim

[Guylee]

I was considering getting one for my move here from Georgia to easily weatherproof and secure all my stuff, until I saw the price tag.

I went to walmart and got a tarp.