Bed cap/shell storage

Hey guys Im going to be buying a bed cap soon and I was wondering if anyone had a good way for storaging it besides taking up space on the floor... Ive tried to search TW but Ive only been able to find ideas on google. mostly pulley systems. Thanks! Pics would be helpful.- Swanny..

 

I've only seen a few in people garages elevated on 2x4's up by the ceilings.

 

i used to take mine off for the summer. I used 2X4's on the ceiling bolted with lag bolts spaced like the bedsides. flip it upside down and ratchet it up in 1 foot increments. two across and one lengthwise with eye bolts in the 2X4's. it's a pain in the ass and you need 3 guys to do it so it depends on how often you will take it down but it worked for the 6 months i didn't use it.

 

I'm in the same boat as you - looking for ideas. I love having the cap most of the time, but there's the odd time I'd rather throw the dirtbike into the box instead of onto the trailer. In the spirit of doing this on-demand, I'm looking to make this a one-man operation.

I've got a factory installed Thule rack rails on my Leer 100XL and was thinking about using the roof racks to lift from, but not sure of load capacity in that scenario (especially long term - over the summer). So instead of that, I'm thinking about a rail system that I'd slide in under the cap on top of the bed rails and lift from the 4 corners - with a chainfall or pulley system from the ceiling is what I'm picturing...

 

I'm 17 and I just hop in the bed, put my back against the inside of the topper and stand up and carry it off the bed. Leer isn't very heavy, I've put it on and taken it off myself quite a few times.

 

I just put some eye bolts through the ceiling joists and use some ratchet straps to lift it off the bed. Mine pretty much stays on all the time. I've only taken it off 3-4 times in the 2 years I've had it. If I need to haul something tall, I usually just use my trailer.

 

Good to know, Blackhills!

And Macgyver, you're living up to the name! Awesome setup - simple but perfectly effective! I like this! My biggest issue would be that I'd like to hang the cap in an old barn - it's 30 feet up, so I'm going to have to build something to hang those eye bolts a little...closer to the ground.

Cheers,
Marc

 

I built a frame in the shape of an "I" out of 2x4s. Hung straps from the frame that loop around the topper. Eyebolt in the frame, pulleys on the garage ceiling, wire cable running through pulleys to a harbor freight hand crank on the wall.
15-20 minutes by myself, top on or off

 

Year round storage

 

This fuking guys garage

 

You can find some useful info in this thread: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/98994-anyone-have-truck-cap-topper-shell-hoist.html

I thought about putting some type of system in my garage, but then I realized I'd likely never use it and shelved the idea.

 

Lol