Let's See Some Softoppers

Sorry for the bad situation you're being put in... that being said, I sleep in mine, but be aware of how tall you are. I'm 6'4" and have a 5' bed, so I have to keep the tailgate down, and I crafted up a piece of canvas with velcro to attach to the topper rear flap (inspired by @GHOST SHIP , and droop over the tailgate and sides of tailgate to keep my feet cozy. Be aware that they do leak in water through the straps though. The fold up straps get soaked from rain, and once the straps can't hold anymore water, they drip inside the bed where they hang off the topper. Found that one out the hard way.

 

Plenty of room to sleep in. As said, the straps will leak water once soaked. I use a bed rug and a sleeping mat. With the right bags, plenty warm in cold nights. I use some plano cases to keep my gear in when not in use to keep dry and dust out.

 

@Dirtyleg @mynameismudflap @Sixthelement Thank you guys!!

 

Good luck dude!

 

I’m going to disagree with the above posts, but only because you’re in CO in a mountain town. The softoppers are fine to sleep in most of the time, but they have very little insulation from the cold. I’ve slept in mine plenty on camping trips, but man, when it gets cold it doesn’t hold heat. It does well enough against the wind and snow, but that rear window will crack in the cold, so you’d need to get a canvas front and rear replacement. I haven’t tried insulation on mine, so that may help.
Still, for sleeping in the back of you’re truck in the high county winters, I’d definitely get a hard shell.

 

I’d hold out for a hard topper if you can. Locking rear window is key if your going to be living out of it. Also weather proofing and insulating is much easier with a hard shell. Your have a second gen so used toppers should be plentiful at a reasonable price. Not sure how the market is in CO though. I regularly see them popup here in AZ on Offer Up.

 

I have slept in mine in below freezing conditions both with and without the insulation and weather sealing of the tailgate. It outright sucks without insulation. With insulation it was tolerable. With insulation and my Mr. Buddy heater it was toasty. I heavily seam sealed the entire topper, and saturated the straps. Although it still slightly leaks it isn't so bad. My raised sleeping platform keeps me above any water that may collect. Much of how comfortable you are gonna be is also about your tolerance and past experiences. From the sounds of your past you can survive the struggle.

 

That insulation posted above by @powder1134 makes all the difference. I have the same for mine. Plus BedMat. With the proper sleeping bags, I slept in the back up in mountains in CO in the fall before they closed the passes. Did the Alpine loop and Imogene and a few others. You cant quite insulate as well as a hard shell. But gets pretty good.

 

I've been thinking about making a mount for my mr. Heater Buddy

 

Did you remove/ unstitched the side patches where it said softopper?

 

I am currently making a new mount with a shelf above the heater to deflect the heat from the topper. The fabric gets a bit warm when I have Mr. Buddy cranking on the mount in the pic.

 

Work:


Party:

 

i did not. the patches are intact and visible on the passenger side.

 

Like everything else in this state, the market for toppers is pricey to say the least.

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/fs-tan-soft-topper-dclb.707746/#post-25131086

$500

 

Can you tell me which light bar on the Prinsu that is? How do you like it?

 

How well does the Softopper hold up for extended use with all the sides rolled up?
I pretty much just want to use it as a safari bikini top 90% of the time to keep my tools mostly dry and allow me easy access to everything without the feeling of being inside a cave.

Also how well does it hold up to high pressure car washes? I don't care about water tightness, just don't want to worry about it getting damaged.

 

Don't take it through a car wash. Should hold up fine in safari mode. I've taken a few trips like that without issue. The dog enjoys the shade back there

 

The plastic clips are really the weak point that are going to fail from UV exposure. This post has a solve for those if you're interested.

 

I left mine rolled up for most of the summer and I ended up with some fading of the gray underside as well as a little discoloration on the outside where yellow pollen had gotten into the rolled up fabric. Most of the pollen discoloration is gone now. As for the carwash I use a touchless car wash about once a week in the winter time and I haven't had any issues.