Bed Cover VS. Camper Shell

Looking for some thoughts on bed cover vs camper shell. Starting to narrow it down between the Snugtop Rebbel or Toyota G4 Elite Fold-a-Cover - 6ft 1in. Can not find pricing on the Snugtop without contacting a dealer. The Fold-a-Cover is $764.

Will be going on a white 2013 Tacoma TRD Baja. Also live in Tahoe with sunny summers and a lot of snow in the winter (except the last 2 years). I take my mountain bike around in summer and skis in the winter.

What are pro/cons/thoughts? Also read if you put a shelling the truck you can register it as an SUV vs truck in CA. That anyone would pay for the shell over the years.

Thanks in advance.

 

Considering you MTB and ski I'd go with a shell. A shell wouldn't change your registration; CA will still view it as a truck.

 

I put an undercover flex on my truck and love it. Have access to entire bed when needed and a hard cover all the other times.

 

Bed cover is the way I'd go, but I'm fine with bare bed. Having a custom topper on my old fullsize got old when I wasn't camping.

Also have you checked used? I remember seeing several deals when I first got my taco.

 

Had a tonneau on my last truck but when it came time, i looked at everything on the market and went with a ARE topper. The extra space and being able to lock it helps, and helps keep everything dry and out of the weather.

 

I have the Backflip G2. It is ok for concealing stuff in your bed and keeping the weather off. I find it to be more of a pain in the butt then good. I am wanting to get a shell. I would like to be able to sleep in the bed on quick weekend camping trips. If you got bikes that you pack around, I would go with the shell. There will be a big price differance. Probably double. Good Luck!

 

I went the snugtop rebel route, mostly for the dogs, but I love it. Custom truck accessories in Reno are great to deal with, that's where I bought mine.
Also I have read on here where people have been able to register their truck differently with a shell and it was cheaper.
Read here on reg. Stuff. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/of...camper-shells-trucks-california-dmv-fees.html

 

Had a shell on my old Silverado and loved it. Kept it on during the fall and winter (hunting) and took it off while I was fishing in the summer and spring. Loved it. I'm not a fan of the covers myself.

 

Thanks for the info. Will contact them to see what their price is. Made up my mind I want a camper (if the price is right).

 

I am a big fan of camper shells- I have had one on just about every truck I have owned. But the price has doubled on them since the last one I bought. I do not camp out of one anymore, do not drag a dog around anymore, etc., etc., so I really have not needed one with this truck. But I do miss the extra lockable, weather proof storage area. That being said, Diamondback makes a tonneau cover that has caught my eye. The LT version, or entry level cover they say is not rated to haul on top like their other covers. But for bikes, skis, surfboards, etc., no worries.
I plan on mounting the bike mounts over the door of the tonneau cover near the cab, with the bikes mounted side to side. That way, with the bikes on top, I still have access to the bed via the rear door of the tonneau. This cover seems to be more secure then most other tonneau covers on the market, as well as camper shells for that matter, and at $899 with free shipping I feel its a great deal. My two cents

 

For mountain biking and skiing/snowboarding a camper shell is the way to go. In addition to all the extra weather-proof, lockable storage you have a spot for all your wet and muddy gear and a place to sit and change out of the elements. It's nice to be able to sit under the camper shell and change out clothes... or wait out a storm... or get out of the hot sun and not have to worry about getting the interior wet or dirty.

Be prepared for sticker shock on shell prices, they just went up again this past Jan. I got a Leer 100XR with carpet headliner, front drop down slider, pet screens, and roof rack (track only) for around $1870 installed. Leer/Century regularly run some promo for a free headliner or cash off. Leer and Century use the same molds, just slightly different options. If I was a smarter man I could have saved an additional $100 by going with the same Century model and would have been just as happy.

 

Keep an eye on Craigslist and other sites, I got my Leer 100R for $500 used and it was in pretty good shape - just needed to re-seal the rack mounts and fix a screen.

 

I also have a shell. I shopped around and got a perfect one for 100 dollars.I sanded it down and prepped it then my dad shot it with the sprayer.

Its great for many things, but Im starting to get tired of it. No matter how much I air it out it smells like hell in there. I also feel it looks like an old man truck. If It had cooler wheels and tires it wouldn't look like that..but for now it does.
I can't fit many big things back there...we almost brought a couch back from Nevada but it wouldn't fit because of the shell. My quad won't fit now either. I got it for my dogs mostly, and for winter too. Idk...I really just want it off.

I think its nuts paying so much for a brand new one, so shopping around and searching for a few months led me to the right one. I even went to many used camper shell places but no one had one for my truck because it was so popular.

 

Don't know if you saw this one.
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/buy-sell-trade/269229-snugtop-supersport-05-tacoma.html

 

I have become a big fan of my Pace Edwards bedlocker. It is electric and can stop in any position via a remote control. I too had a camper for many years, but wanted the clean look of my truck back. I highly recommend this model.

 

If you are mainly using it for hauling bikes/skiis, I would go with a bedcover. It would be a nuisance to climb in/out to mount the bikes or grab supplies vs. jumping in a bed. May lose a little MPG with a camper shell due to weight along with rear view vision. Been happy with my Bakflip.

 

Shell allows you to carry a large amount of stuff and keep it covered, but like an SUV, it is visible. Shell also obstructs your rear and side vision. I think they look better.
Tonneau allows you to carry less stuff, but keeps it out of sight. My Leer tonneau is about as weather proof as it gets and does not obstruct any visibility. Covers get dirty and wet. If you wear nice clean clothes, opening and closing a cover becomes an issue. Love my tonneau but miss my shell.