Tradesman Truck Tops commercial style topper/shell

Looks fantastic! Fun to get out and use it right away as well!

 

I’m heading out to pick mine up in a few hours,I can’t wait!

 

Someone else's was close to done.

 

Yep,all mine!

 

Lookin good.

 

Put some thin solar panels on the top of the Tradesman using RTV silicone. I was told to use it by someone who did it on their trailer a couple years ago and they are holding strong. Actually an easy instal.

A couple of these:

ALLPOWERS Solar Panel 18V 12V 50W Bendable SunPower Solar Cell Water/Shock/Dust Resistant Solar Power Charger for RV, Boat, Cabin, Tent, Car, Trailer, Camping or Any Other Irregular Surface

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B013DZWDI0?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd_title

One of these:
https://www.amazon.com/your-orders/...ryId=&returnUnitIndices=&shipmentId=D4zlH2CwN

This:
https://www.amazon.com/your-orders/...ryId=&returnUnitIndices=&shipmentId=D4zlH2CwN

This:https://www.amazon.com/your-orders/...ryId=&returnUnitIndices=&shipmentId=D4zlH2CwN

And some 10AWG wire, in-line fuse, and ring terminals coming off the battery. And split loom from controller to the panels.

The controller is attached to my fuse box with 3M double sided heavy duty Velcro

100W is MORE than plenty to keep my battery fully charged with the small draw from my Snomaster 56D fridge/freezer

 

Well I did a quick easy mod and hope it's ok to post here. I plan to use a tarp over the chuckbox and rear of the truck/shell. I didn't want the doors of the shell to cause tenting of the tarp. What I did was use 30" of 550 cord and a fisherman's knot. For the small doors it's best to use two pieces of 550 cord, one on each side. The larger doors only require one cord. Works great.

 

Has anyone else gotten a Tradesman top with insulation and interior skin ("INTERIOR SKIN COMPLETE" and "INSULATION COMPLETE") add-ons?

I'm getting quotes ~$1200 extra for those add-ons so I'm wondering if it's worth it: i'm planning on sleeping in my truck, but i've slept in plenty of truck beds / campers without insulation and it's been fine.

 

I got it, and after Parking in the 100 degree heat of Sacramento I can tell it’s cooler in the bed than the cab.
That said, if you have the time you could do it cheaper on your own.

 

Thanks! Yeah, we don't tend to camp in really hot places. Cold is more common (skiing in the winter), but I'm not sure insulation is going to make enough of a difference to be worth the extra cost.

 

Give it a run, if after a few trips it’s too cold go to Home Depot and get the foil backed foam and get after it!
I’d imagine it could be done for 400 or less with carpet.
Condensation is also something it will help with.
Did you order it yet? Man they are not cheap but so nice!

 

Yeah, to be honestly we're currently struggling with accepting the price premium. It seems extremely difficult to get good information on all these truck caps -- i went to a local LEER/ARE dealer and they weren't helpful either. It's not that clear to me what a ~$1500-$2000 premium for the Tradesman shell will get me over the LEER/ARE standard options.

 

My tradesman shell is nearly 15 years old and doesn't leak _at all_. I've owned two newer leer shells that both leaked significantly. Not trying to trash talk, just my personal experience. I'd imagine the AREs are nice, but you can't really get any custom options on those, and that's where tradesman shines is the infinite amount of customization they allow for.

As for insulation, mine is white, which helps a lot. And I have a full roof rack that shades more than 50% of the roof. The aluminum skin is felt fabric backed and in my experience that's been enough insulation for me. The frame itself actually transmits way more thermal energy than the paneling in both heat and cold. We took it to burning man two years ago and have camped in the Sierras down to about 15 degF in the snow. Neither was luxuriously comfortable, but I'm my experience that fabric backing goes a long way in insulating the shell. IfI bought a vent fan to install before burning man but ran out of time and after a week on the playa realized it wasn't going to be necessary.

 

Thank you for sharing your personal experience! Definitely seems like they're higher quality and long-term a better investment. Now just gotta decide how much we are willing to spend

 

Great looking caps....makes me want to look at one to make my covered bed more useable. I would not use mine for camping in but I like the extra height and utility of these Tradesman caps especially when you have a Prinsu on the truck.

 

I did and slept back there in hot Utah heat & winter Sierra’s cold. I’m glad I had it done.

 

Planning to do the same once I get a Batwing

 

Just put my prinsu on both the cab and the cap today, added sounddeadener while I had the head Liner down to drill the holes in the roof.

 

Pics?