Truck Shell Opinions

[LMT10mm]

Friends,


I'm curious to get feedback from those of you that have added a shell to your rigs. With the addition of our new son and 2 dogs, I hate to say that we are out growing my truck. I have a lot of work into it and it's paid off, so I'd like to keep it, but am thinking a shell would give us more flexibility?!?!? I've been looking at Leer and snugtop and for the prices they want, I'd figure I'd do some research. For those of y'all that have one:

1. Do you miss access to an open bed?

2. For those that have the rail mounts, any issues?

3. Loaded question, but what brand did u go with. And what shop did you use/recommend.

4. If you could do it over again, would you?

Read More

 

[Kruel J]

Friends don't let friends put canopies on their trucks.

Just kidding, but it sure seems like the market has shrunk for them and they are harder to find. Good luck!

 

[LMT10mm]

Your a damn good friend... I'm struggling with the decision!

 

[11Charlie]

I wouldn't put one on my truck if you paid me.

 

[JJ1911A1]

I went with Century Canopy for my 06 full size Dodge and its works well. The price was quite a bit less than other brands but the quality seems to be on par. I did not buy mine until 4 years ago and have had the truck since new, so they had to actually make one for me. Don't miss the open bed but I do have 2 trucks so that really isn't an issue.

 

[11Charlie]

The only reason I would put one on my truck is to sleep in it during hunting season.

 

[JJ1911A1]

That was the only reason I got it , plus you can pack all your gear in and hall bubblegum to elk camp without it flying out on 84 or getting wet !!!!

 

[11Charlie]

That was the only reason I got it , plus you can pack all your gear in and hall bubblegum to elk camp without it flying out on 84 or getting wet !!!!

I put a hard shell cover on my truck for that. I love it just can't sleep in it. But I have a crew cab so I could make do if I needed to.

 

[teflon6string]

Fiberglass shells matching the color of the pickup seem the norm on most everything I see out there. It's good your truck is white so you don't have to deal with fancy two-tone factory paint that changes tints from different angles, etc. (or maybe gelcoat on fiberglass, like a boat) to match everything up.

Probably not the ideal ticket for your nice truck, but maybe for others here... I use aluminum. My truck is old, so plain aluminum is not a detractor for me (though I've also seen aluminum in white). I dig aluminum because it's super light - easy to lift on and off with just one helper. In an emergency I could muscle it myself, and at least get it off the truck if I suddenly needed to haul a motorcycle or something tall. The fiberglass tops I had before were 2-3 times as heavy and subject to scrapes if not careful.

Regardless of what material you choose, 2 of my buddies enjoy a feature on theirs that I will not do without on the next shell I buy. Instead of sliding windows on the sides, their dark tinted windows flip up. So when they realize they need something buried in the truck, they don't have to go crawling inside for it. I have to keep a 6' wooden pole with a hook lying in my bed.

And yes, size really does matter. This chart of dimensions by brand/model might be handy for everyone here.

Pickup Truck Bed Size Dimensions

Pickup Truck Bed Size Dimensions on Raybuck Auto Body Parts. Cross-reference chart for Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, etc, pickup truck bed size dimensions.

raybuck.com

A shell on your truck is also a great excuse for not being able to move other people's refrigerators and other tall stuff. "Sorry... can't help you."

Let's see pics when you get it!

 

[kmk1012]

Earlier this year I had a VERY negative experience with SnugTop. Three canopies and almost five months I finally got my money back. The canopies (toppers) kept showing up with sanding completely through the paint into the white underneath.

 

[Camelfilter]

I like the looks of a topper, AND it doesn't affect OUR use-ability, but we have a trailer if hauling needs to get done. YMMV.

As to type/brand, I've only bought used.

Have saved literally thousands doing so, and that's only on 2 toppers. Granted, the current one is a "special" pop-up camper. However, I still would not buy new for just a topper.

Sold the first regular topper for cost, and quite quickly.

Wouldn't sell the camper.

Used topper:



Used camper/topper:

 

[Ura-Ki]

I run a LEER fiberglass Canopy on my Gen 1 Dodge and love it! I have no issues accessing the bed, I don't haul dirt or any thing loose like that that needs to be loaded from above, I use a trailer! I insulated mine and use it to camp from time to time and haul stuff I need to keep dry!

 

[Certaindeaf]

I put a new poly or something Brahma on my pu around 30 years ago.. just sold them both. Hey, it's Oregon and it rains, a lot, I loved it. I fabbed a rack for it good enough for ladders and stuff too.
My "new" pu has a fiberglass shell and rack on it too.
I'd look for a used one.. they don't wear out.

 

[KKG]

IMHO I would NOT bother putting a Canopy on anything other than an 8' box and then it would need to be a 36" one. IMHO

 

[teflon6string]

I see these around, too. Don't actually know anybody who has one, but it seems maybe possible to install/remove without help if that's appealing. And maybe store small when it's off.

 

[WAYNO]

I've owned dozens of aluminum canopies. It's the first accessory I install on any new pickup.

Aluminum remains the cheapest, but cheap is now relative. What used to be a $350 canopy in the seventies is now $1300+ . But that's still cheaper than the plastic or fiberglass versions. Keeps my stuff dry, and accessible. Sure, bulk stuff like dirt or rocks can't be dumped in, but that's what a trailer is for. I can sleep in it, and I keep a lot of survival items and clothing in it.

And if you must load rocks or dirt, an aluminum canopy is light enough it can be easily lifted off.






Everybody in our hunting party has canopies, and they are extensively used.

 

[L84Cabo]

Most of my trucks through the years have had a shell on the back. In my younger days I spent a fair amount of time down in Baja and needed the cover to keep gear safe. Trips down south are getting less frequent though.

Most of the time the shell is just fine but occasionally you're going to want to carry/move something that is too big for the shell. How often this issue comes up really depends on individual circumstances. If it becomes a frequent event you can always rig up a pulley system in your garage for easier on/off. At least I assume you can. It's never gotten to that point for me.

I've had Leers and Snugtop. I personally think that Snugtop is a better made shell. Note that the standard load capacity is 200 lbs for Leer and 300 lbs for Snugtop. That can be important if you've got a roof rack and intend to carry stuff up top. Snugtop also has an upgrade where you can increase the load capacity to 500 lbs if you need it. I assume Leer has similar.

Note: If you're going to install any type of roof rack on the shell, I'm in favor of ordering it that way from the shop if you can...at least the rails or the parts that have to be drilled. This proved invaluable with my Leer. I ordered it with a set of Yakima rails. Ultimately what happened is that they either didn't seal the holes correctly or the silicone they used deteriorated enough to let water into the shell (Leer shells have a honeycomb type structure in the roof). The water compromised the integrity of the shell and the shell started collapsing. So Leer replaced the shell for free...twice! After the second time I switched over to Snugtop and haven't had any issues.

I also order my shells with flip up side windows. This is money VERY well spent in my opinion. It pretty much allows full access to the contents of the bed without having crawl inside. Something I've REALLY appreciated as I've gotten older. However, it looks like you've got a quad cab with a smaller bed so this may not be as big an issue for you.

On my next truck I will probably skip the shell and go with a Diamondback cover. But I'm still thinking about that one.

Heavy Duty, Hard Tonneau Covers | DiamondBack Covers

Be ready for the next adventure and protect your gear in the bed with DiamondBack. The toughest, most secure truck bed cover that’s built in the USA and comes with a lifetime warranty.

diamondbackcovers.com

Do note that the shell keeps things mostly dry but it isn't perfect. I've got a 2011 Tacoma. And unless Toyota sealed their tailgates on their latest gen Tacomas, you could drive a Mack truck through the gaps in the gate. Water can also enter in through the drain holes in the bed. These holes/gaps also let a fair amount of dust and dirt in. So if this is important to you, you'll need to spend a little time sealing the bed.

And if you get a shell, do yourself a favor and go to the auto parts store and pickup a couple convex mirrors to attach to your side mirrors. Those things are absolutely invaluable as you lose a lot of visibility once the shell goes on.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Canopy is pretty helpful for rainy locations. Over here not so much.
The cloth ones are cool.
But I'd use it only when needed then put it away. But there expensive

 

[The Heretic]

Wrong person to ask. The first thing I did after I bought my Toyota was take the top off and in the 6 years I've had it I have not had reason to put it back on.

I use my trucks as work trucks on my property and I haul too much stuff in them for a top to be useful.



I had a top on my Datsun, but it was my only vehicle. In college I sometimes lived in the back of it while looking for a cheap place to live, and sometimes I went camping in it, and then it was useful, but sometimes it got in the way when I wanted to haul things. To me, that is what my trucks are for, hauling things - and getting around in the woods where my SUV would get banged up.

I found that tops will collect condensation when you sleep in the back and it is cool out at night. I had a Brahma top on my Datsun and found that the plastic ribs inside would crack if I laid on top of the top - they couldn't hold my 200 pounds of weight despite the their claims to being tough. If you want to haul something on top of the top, then you have to put a frame around them that goes down to the bed somehow and keeps the weight off the top.

Also, if you want to put something inside them that you want secure, then tint the windows with privacy glass, and/or have a secure bed thing, like a Truck Vault, to put your items in. I found out the hard way that pickups with canopies are a favorite for thieves as they can see stuff, they are easy to break into and there is often valuable things inside.

To a degree, they are better than a tent - depending on the size of the truck and how many people you want it to hold.

 

[Chaffee]

My info is dated, as it's been 30 years since I've sold them, but fiberglass is the way to go, and snugtop was the best! I've sold Century, Leer, Snugtop, Raven, Guidon, as well as plastic and aluminum. I've seen most of them Crack, yes Leer had a lifetime warranty, but you had to use it. Snugtop was the best, I would actually have one on the ground on 2x4s so that I could jump on it like a trampoline, I would invite the customer up on it with me too, feeling how strong they were pretty much sold them. But which ever brand you buy just remember, we had at least two people a week that would come in with a broken back door, it was usually thieves or that they left the door open when backing out of the garage. Don't count on them for security, all you have to do with most of them is grab the back door and pull, or a few seconds with a paperclip and you are in. I had a carpet kit in mine, I remember sleeping in it a time or two, and it was nice for going to the drive in movies, like I said, 30 years ago.