Pros and Cons of a Hard Topper?

Hi all

Never had one on a truck but considering it. Pros and cons? How heavy are they? Impact resale? Rear end sag? Thanks!

For clarity, like a Leer or ARE cap.

 

More space to keep stuff dry and safe from casual theft. Great for adding cap rails to carry longer items. Not much sag if empty but it's a couple hundred pounds head start on any more load so if you do add some more stuff it does get squishy. Can't reach in over the sides so unless you get windoors the back end is your only access.

 

The good is safe dry storage, a place to sleep etc .
The bad is you have to move something taller than the cap like a refrigerator you have to remove the cap and there very heavy.

 

They weigh more so the truck will sit more level, but will increase the likelyhood of worn spring or a broken spring (even the updated ones). Usually about 10 years or 100,000miles can cause the oem springs to break in a severe scenario (snow/salt and gravel roads)

The pro's are huge. You can carry a fuck ton more stuff and never have to tarp it.

Is it a short box or long box? Short box toppers look odd to me haha.

 

I'm on the fence on getting one. I've read lot of posts on other threads stating that they provide not so dry storage.

 

If a competent person actually seals the bed, it’ll be bone dry through a rain storm

 

Keep your stuff clean, dry and safe. Place to keep tools and gear without tearing up your cab (shovels, jacks, etc.), place to sleep and camp, store your camp gear, and so on.

 

In California it will reduce the tremendously over priced vehicle registration. Open bed, commercial vehicle rate. Open bed passenger vehicle rate

 

I’ll bet it’s bitchin to sleep with a mattress with rain! I think I’ve seen that thing called rain in my area once

 

Thats funny, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I LOVE the look of a short bed with a cap and think the long beds look like old men trucks...

 

I just picked up a cap locally. Colour is way off but the price was right.
We have one kid, one large German shepherd and another kid on the way so it was the only option to transport the whole family. I like it so far.

 

Mine is the wrong color too but I am using that as an excuse to learn to paint.

 

Removing and replacing can be a challenge. Limited open cargo options. Great for keeping Mother Nature out. Minimize five finger discounters.

 

Short bed needs a cap to look right. All pros , 1 con $
My boat will smash springs far before cap.

 

WTH?! See my 2002 Avatar? I kept my sliding platform bed and all my camping gear in it for most it’s life. All stock suspension, over 275k trouble free miles with a lot offroad (it was my offroad work truck too) until I sold it in 2017.

 

They tend to crack if you do a lot of offroading or rock crawling. I went with a soft top bc of the potential cracking and added weight.

 

OMG MiNe NEver HaD IT Broke.

You live in the desert re-read my post idiot.

 

I thought I had heard that once before.....Is that actually true? Just for a regular camper shell? If so, do you know the steps involved to get that discount when the registration renewal comes around?

 

Toppers should be standard issue. Every pickup I ever owned had one. I just have too much shit. Stick in an add a leaf and you are good to go with a shell and a bunch of stuff that just randomly seems to stay in there

 

I don’t see the appeal of toppers. Why not get a 4Runner?