Camper Shells - brands, styles and mods

[greg mgm]

I bought an ARE for my Tundra....love it. Decided against the windoors, but did buy Yakima tracks, bedrug and rail system. I'd buy it all again in a heartbeat.







No drilling to mount the shell-

[Colby Jack]

I have an ARE MX topper that is just slightly taller than the cab of my truck. I ordered the built in tool box system on the drivers side, which incorporates a Yakima track system on top, and a windoor on the passenger side with sliding center and bug screen. I had my back window plinked with a BB this winter-- Shattered glass everywhere, and ARE was easy to deal with through my insurance and local dealer.

I am a contractor, and thus carry lumber, sheetrock, tyvek, etc. on a daily basis. I never trusted the Yakima system. It bowed greatly with just a few bits of heavy lumber. I even went so far as to add another rack on top of the cab for ladders to extend to. The reality is that Yakima truly makes a rack system for recreational, not industrial, use.

I now have a true ladder and lumber rack by Kargo Master that mounts to the bed rails, and extends around and over my topper. It's working well so far.

Sorry to be long winded. You just mentioned that the topper would be used for work and recreation. If I could go back, I would not do the tool box. I'd rather get windoors on both sides, and build a cabinet inside. The tool box intrudes on the cargo space way to much in my opinion.

Colby Jack

[CCH]

I've owned Snugtop and Leer, both were mid to high end models at the time. I liked the Snugtop but didn't like the glass door on the Leer. It simply wouldn't seal well. Need a new one and am looking at an A.R.E. XV. Their "value" line XV is at about as low a price point as I can find, but the construction is supposed to be equal to the higher line models, just less bells and whistles. Definitely going for windoors!

[Box Rocket]

Snugtop XTR. Dome light, sliding, folding rear window. Thule load bars, hilift, shovel.

[Hokie]

I really like some of these Snugtops, but when I enter my zip onto their website, it gives me one distributor that is in Missouri ...... and I am Georgia. I even tried it with an old zip code from Virginia and got the same thing.

Do they not have east coast distribution or am I missing something here?

[bat]

Century makes a nice shell

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[DesertBoater]

I'll put my two cents in for Century as well. Mine is a base model, not lined on the inside, no windoors (wish I had gotten them) and they offer thule or yakima rails. I had a similar experience to Colby Jack, and have since switched to an industrial ladder rack. The biggest thing that I notice about the Century as opposed to the others, is that it is a skirted cap. There is a strip of fiberglass that hangs down over the bedsides on the outside to seal out moisture, and as such it is a very very dry topper. I have not had any issues with it leaking.

[4xdog]

bat --

What model of Century shell is that? It looks nice, but I didn't see one that had that profile on the Century Fiberglass, Inc. website.

Thanks in advance,

Don

[bat]

4xdog
It is the High C model just looks different in the website picture.The century brand has been for the most part a midwest company until Leer purchased it. I like the overlap on the rails and the side walls seem stronger.

[Colby Jack]

Wow, there are a ton of great photographers on this site, and a lot of good looking rigs! Though I like a few aspects of my ARE mx such as windoors with sliding, screened center window and carpeted headliner, One part that I just hate is the sloping top at the rear gate that lets rain and snow fall directly into my bed, which is the whole reason I have a topper!!! I know some people on here have made bungee corded awning type contraptions, but it's not something that interests me.

I'm not trying to sound like a grumpy old man ( it comes without effort), I just hate spending this type of money on a product, then seeing huge flaws in design. I realize that there are other styles of topper, and a little more research could have saved me some ulcers. I just thought that the OP would like to know one of the drawbacks that these aerodynamic toppers present.

Colby Jack