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Truck toppers and bed caps are both great products that can help you save a lot of time by providing storage space for all your things. There are many different brands on the market, but not all of them will suit your needs. In this article, we will review some of the best truck toppers and bed caps on the market so that you can find one that suits your specific requirements.
1. A.R.E (4are) Overland Series
If you’ve been looking for a way to bring some protection and style to your vehicle, the 4are Overland Series truck caps is just what you need. They designed this versatile cap with large rear doors and half slider windows that fold up for easy closing off access during off-road adventures.
Additionally, the coating ensures no chipping or scratching as well as giving it an extra level of strength in areas where your truck takes on more stress than most cars would. The paint jobs are chosen from among 100 colors. They guarantee one of them will fit your needs perfectly!
This is by far my personal favorite on this list (why its at the top I guess), as the unique paint job makes it stand out from the rest. I actually saw one of these on a truck recently, and was impressed at how great it looked on the truck. Now I wish that soft bed toppers (like this one) looked as cool
Advertisement –2. ATC LHR Mid-Rise Truck Cap
Protect your truck’s cargo and give yourself protection while adding a little bit of style with this iconic ATC LHR Mid-Rise Truck Cap. The oversized side windows allow unencumbered airflow, the heavy-duty rear door will secure anything from dirt to groceries, and when combined with tinted glass for privacy and clear glass windows which provide protection from sunlight, you can drive in peace.
Additionally, the high quality paint job is meant to seamlessly match your truck’s color patterns (if they have one) so that the attachment looks clean. Additionally not only does it stay secure but the third brake light on top alerts any onlookers where you might be slowing down!
I really like this mid-rise style, as it allows for considerably more room in the bed of your truck, and way more windows.
One cool thing about having a truck bed topper in general, is that you can utilize carpeting (like this stuff) in the bed of your truck, as these are for the most part water tight.
Advertisement –3. Jason TREK XD Truck Cap
The Jason TREK XD Truck Cap includes features like two oversized side windows with screens and tinted glass that provides you privacy. The aluminum frame rear door has double T-handles for accessibility while the auto-tinting 3rd brake light will get everyone’s attention on the back of your truck.
It also has a cap that’s custom fit to match your tailgate is included, so whether you want an oversize window or just some protection from sun exposure, this cap has what it takes during any time of day.
For all around strength and durability this Truck Cap has a thick tri-cell honeycomb reinforced roof to keep you safe and secure in case anything eventful happens on the road ahead.
4. Leer 100XQ SPORT
Affordable, durable, and stylish: this Leer 100XQ SPORT Truck Cap is the ideal truck cap for anyone concerned with strength. Don’t worry about a soft sided cap bringing up your vehicle, its skirted sides provide structural support during cargo-loading or inclement weather conditions, and it has tons of storage room inside.
The recessed third brake light provides visibility in the event of an emergency— something you certainly should never compromise on! This affordable product comes with Limited Lifetime Warranty to keep your peace of mind intact.
That’s why the Leer 100XQ SPORT Truck Cap takes off our worries so we can enjoy life outside as much as we want while feeling safe from a company
I really do like the fact that the windows on the side are complete with no breaks on it, while they are not able to open, they are sleek and make the truck look great, and like the topper is an extension of the vehicle itself.
A quick note! If you plan on ever storing something on top a topper, make sure you get some of these rails!
Advertisement –5. Ranch ICON / PREMIER
The Ranch ICON / PREMIER Truck Cap is a sleek, frameless truck cap. It has tinted windows and a third brake light to get you noticed on the road.
The Ranch ICON pack features strong tri-cell honeycomb reinforced roof for strength and durability with its sleek side tip outs and allglass rear. This Ranch make the perfect accessory to any vehicle looking to look like new or keep cool under through the desert heat!
With the rear third window on the sides, I really like that it allows for air flow, perfect for dogs to get some air, but not be able to get out of the back of the bed!
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- What Do You Call A Truck Without Bed?
6. Snugtop Super Sport
The Snugtop Super Sport Truck Cap is the ultimate pickup truck accessory. This durable hard-shell cap has a sleek aerodynamic style that helps save gas, a sturdy design that’ll last for years, and tons of space to carry all your stuff!
The truck cap features flush-mounted all glass side windows, pop-out rear side windows, and an SNUGRUG interior shell headliner for protection against soggy sandwiches.
It also includes special channeled rain gutters to easily drain water off the roof; rotary latches on the tailgate with stainless steel rods for foolproof opening or closing quick stop without looking; multiple roof rack options so you can find just what you need.
7. Unicover Aluminum Model 1100
A truck cap for a daily worker. With style and durability each Unicover aluminum MODEL1100 Truck Cap provides modern safety. Several Heights are available, plus there’s enough room for your bike, tools and other gear with the 12-volt dome light that shines bright day or night.
The battery operated model won’t let you down either! This 4’10” cab sized aluminum canvas also includes utility rack options (2) to transport all your little helpers on the job site, this is up to 6 design colors of paint to match any work truck color scheme while still being treated against rust!
From front sliding windows and tip-down ones that easily clean up after heavy rainstorms, everything about this offer delivers durability at a great price.
Truck Topper Buying Guide
Materials
This is probably the top thing to keep an eye on when shopping for your new bed cap. These can be made of fiberglass, aluminum, and even canvas.
Fiberglass tends to be extremely durable, can easily be painted the same color as your truck, and can come in many different styles. However they are extremely heavy, and take quite a bit of work to remove, or put on.
Aluminum shells tend to be lightweight, and durable, however they don’t tend to always look all that great.
Canvas versions are extremely portable, easy to put on and take off of the truck with ease. However they definitely struggle with durability.
Style of topper
Before you go too much farther, you also want to make sure you are getting the style you want. This means if you want one that is flush with the cab of your truck (Cab-high), or if you want it slightly above for a bit more storage (Mid-rise), or even if you want it to slope way above your cab for maximum storage (High-Rise).
Sizing
Before you ever buy a truck cap, topper, or whatever you want to call it, you need to make sure to take all measurements of your pickup’s bed. This will keep you from buying the wrong one!
Ever see those trucks where the topper is either hanging off the back too far, or not covering it completely? This is why.
This is especially important if you are buying a unit used, as you won’t have a tool to figure out which one you need when buying it that way.
Color
Truck caps are a large part of a pickup, and will likely stay on there for a good portion of its life! Because of this, you need to make sure you either find a topper that has a complementing color to the truck, or is body colored.
This will leave you truck looking great, while being even more usable than before.
If you can’t find, or afford a topper that has the same color as your truck, I tend to recommend getting a black topper, or even think about using something like Plasti Dip on it to change the color to what you want.
Windows or no windows
Removing the windows in a truck cap are a smart addition if you’re looking for a bit of extra storage. This is especially true if you have something like a truck bed that needs to be covered up, as having windows make it so you can’t stack things up quite as high, and they also let people look in.
However if you don’t plan on needing that much storage, windows do tend to look much nicer on your truck.
Locking mechanisms
Keeping your pickup truck locked up is really important, as you likely will be keeping valuables underneath of this topper. So make sure it has the type of lock that you like, and know you will want to use on a daily basis.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are truck toppers also called?
Truck toppers can be called many, many different things, such as bed cap, truck canopy, shell, box cap, truck cap, camper shell, and canopy.
Do truck toppers affect gas mileage?
From my research, a truck topper should not affect your gas mileage up or down due to aerodynamics, as they are made to allow air to flow by. However the weight of heavier units like fiberglass may slightly affect your mileage, although it will be negligible.
How much do truck toppers weigh?
Generally speaking, a topper will weight just under 200 pounds. However The weight of a truck topper can vary depending on the material it is made from, what what style you are getting.
Conclusion
I hope this article not only answered a couple questions you had about truck shells, but also helped you find exactly what you wanted to buy!
If I had to buy one right now (I currently have a tonneau cover on my truck), it would definitely be the 4are Overland Series, as I am liking this overlanding style craze going on right now, and it just looks so cool.
