The Getaway...Crom's build and adventures

What made you choose the high top camper shell vs a standard? I actually like the look on these trucks and am about to order one.

 

I personally like the look a lot. I know some don't.

I think it was Old man syndrome, perhaps? You know where, comfort & capacity means more than looks.

I initially had to buy the shell to store and protect a baby stroller from the elements while at the mall. lol

I looked for 6 months to find a used one and could not... I had to bite the bullet and buy new which was $2,400 with the Yakima rack.

I decided for that much money I wanted the most space I can get, and the most comfort while loading the truck.

In hind sight, I can tell you that the extra 6" of space has make all the difference in the world and has been crucial to our success as tent family campers sans trailer. It also has allowed more head space for my kids to play in the back of the truck.

Here are some sample images of what the back looks like when were gunning for a 4-5 day trip.








I contemplated getting a fridge slide at one time, so I could have a shelf above the fridge. Wife said no thank you. She likes it the way it is. Sometimes I put soft gear on top of the fridge.

All in all, I think the shell is probably one of the most functional, useful mods you can to do to a truck--if that's what you need.

 

Here is a funny picture I found in one of my albums.

With +12v power, I temporarily turned the back of the truck into a mobile sound studio.

The Yamaha keyboard runs natively on 12v so I made a jumper cable for it. lol

 

Go for it. There have been plenty of times the extra 6" would have allowed me to fit what I needed to fit. Actually, just last week I had to carry a baby bed. My standard height shell was about 2" too short. Not that hooking up my trailer is a pain, but it is one extra step that wouldn't be needed with a high-top shell. Embrace the old man syndrome. It'll come in handy.

 

Oh and Crom, the pics of your latest trip were awesome, as always. I will make it out west one day. Until then, I live through your pics. ha ha. Keep them coming.

 

I'd suggest looking at the aluminum ones from tradesman too. They are light and can be ordered with a subtle increase in height from the cab. I'd like to have one for normal use when I'm not hauling my camper. The one below is a good example but they have tapered versions so it isn't vertical just past the cab. I wouldn't want the doors in the back either, just the normal shell window for me.

 

I looked at a used Gen2 with a Tradesman cap. I passed on the truck, but was very impressed with the shell. The seller said he had offers of $2K for the shell alone. Rack, win doors (if I remember correctly) but not much in the way of other add-ones.

 

I've considered getting one in this exact configuration. I use the bed too much to justify it, but I think they look damn cool.

 

Yeah those commercial caps are stout. Very strong. Since my truck is already built, I don't need one, but if I was, I'd certainly be interested in the weight difference if any, between the fiberglass recreational cap, and commercial alum one.

I never could get a strait answer on the weight of my cap from the dealer, or from A.R.E. in Ohio. Only estimates.

I know one person who does run the commercial cap on his 1st gen. He uses it well. @travis.diller

I wheeled with him one day back in Oct. 2014.



There are lots of recent pics of his rig on his Instragam: https://www.instagram.com/the_dillmicile/

 

He enjoys the hell out of his truck. Looks like he was trying to sell it at one time.
I think the weight of an aluminum shell is less than fiberglass. I almost bought a used one recently but still wasn't sure I'd be able to take it off easily when the camper would be going on the truck. If I were starting from scratch I'd probably go with the aluminum with insulation. To say you inspired me with your build wouldn't give enough praise. I think your rig is close to perfect.

 

Funny, that reminds me that I met a guy on Saturday with a silver 1st gen DCSB with an ARE commercial cap, about 3" taller than cab height. I approached him to ask about his cap as I'm seriously thinking of one; he loved it, but whipped out his phone to show me a picture of what he REALLY wanted, a FlipPac. I just sold mine (not for a 5' bed) the night before, so we were able to exchange real-owner experiences of our dream campers. Sorry, hijack off.

 

I'd take the standard type shell over a flippac any day. The torsion bar alone will give you sleepless nights if the wind blowing the tent doesn't.

 

Function over form! I like it.

 

If it were tapered up like Nick's you could use your bed just fine. If you had some reason to put an oversized object in your truck just take the shell off. I think it is in your future.

 

I wish! I had a hard tonneau cover on my last truck (F150) and it was always a PITA for me to remove, store, re-install every time I needed to carry a tall load. It always ended up getting some sort of damage when off the truck and as a result I decided against any kind of bed cover for this one. Was looking at softtoppers too because they can be folded down, but I have mixed feelings about them. Currently trying to build something custom for the bed that will allow for easy access to the full bed, but also provide some cover when camping. It's been on the backburner for a while now but the project is making it's way up my list.

 

Lower registration fees when you keep a cap on your truck.

 

In Cali? How does one take advantage of this, I just got my registration renewal notice and it's not a pretty number.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...o-reg-as-non-commercial.395457/#post-10931565

 

Thank you for the complement.

First, you have to be prepared to play a political game, and possible fight... an endurance contest perhaps.

Second, you have to be prepared by doing research and educating yourself.

And third, you can read up on how others have done it before you...

I did it back in 2013 and come this June I will have saved $320.

CA state Vehicle registration changed from "PK" to "PM", March 2013

 

Actually, the FlipPac was better in the wind than the Tepui RTT that I borrowed for my last DV trip. We had one loud night at Saline. And my torsion bar was kaput when I got it; some quick-release ball joints, a few lengths of EMT and it was reliable, though a bit scary to flip over solo.