A.R.E. Toppers

Awesome, I appreciate you looking anyway.

I ordered my cap with a toolbox on the driver side and just the open pass through to the bed on the passenger side. It won’t arrive for a few months but I’m already trying to decide now to organize it lol

Thanks for the compliment also! I wasn’t really looking for a black truck but I couldn’t pass up the deal when I found it. $32K out the door for a brand new SR5.

 

I don't want to say that Tacoma's look silly without toppers.

But they look so fucking good with toppers, that they kinda do look silly without them.

 

I dunno, girl at Chick-filla called my truck a Van. A Van!

I used to think the same as you, this teenage girl really made me question everything I thought I knew...



Not a Van.



A Van, I suppose.

I guess I am a Vanman now.

 

32K is buy it now pricing for the last couple of years. When I bought my truck, I paid 32.2K for it and was quite pleased. Those days are long gone now though.

I cut down some Ductwork and made my own toolbox, I have it on the passenger-side though. You will love the windoors, they make the cap IMO.

I found this pic on my computer, it's for a Ram, but maybe it will give you some helpful info.

 

I don't know, man. I think I'm definitely a van man. You? I think that girl either didn't know what she's talking about, or was trying to get under your skin.

Here's my topper before I'm going to put windows in it (so it looks more like the van in the background). Your cap says "sporty" and "gets shit done". Mine really just begs the question "is he homeless or just into overlanding?"

 

Eh, she was just being a teenage girl, I took no offense to it, it just cracked me up.

I am envious of your headroom for sure.

Serious note though, full size vans rock and I will argue their benefits over a comparable pick up until the end of time.

 

That helps a lot, thanks! That toolbox has to be magnetic based on that picture. And yeah I am so excited for the windoors. That pic is the exact set up I’ll have minus the swing out storage box.

It’s funny you found a pic of a Ram because that was my last truck. I had to get rid of it because it was a lemon. Only 60K miles on it and something else went wrong every single day (and I maintained it meticulously).

One of the reasons I started looking at bed caps for my Tacoma was because I missed the Ram boxes so much.

Totally unrelated but did you see that Reno 911 just released a new season? lol

 

Hmmm, I wasn't factoring in the appeal to drive through window teens. I need? well wanted the extra weather protected space in the back for all the important treasures I carry. I like the look of the Tacoma either way. And, I too have passed my prime for keeping a black vehicle looking clean, so, I went next best thing with the MGM:

Before


And After

 

LOL, Chick fil a serving up some golden fried PTSD. Teenage girls can be brutal.

It's OK, my neighbor called my wife's 4runner a Highlander, so I kinda know how you feel.

 

Welcome to vanlife! Looks great.

 

I have had this camper shell for 3 years and love it! I have had no problems with it.

 

Hunt for Q or something, right?

 

BTW, Windoors are expensive, but I've never regretted it. Get them.

 

I’m not sure but I watched the first episode the other night. It’s still classic Reno 911.

That’s an awesome set up, I really like the kayak/boat situation. I’ll be mounting mine on top of my cap as well, got the Yakima racks.

 

Beware, those straps can and do scuff the paint. You need them for safety, but a better strap location would be preferred.

 

I’ve got an ARE V-series with windoors and later added tracks and a roof rack. If i knew then what I know now, I think i would not have put a shell on a 5 foot tacoma. It’s okay, but with a shell on a 6 foot bed you can camp inside on a sleeping platform. I would’ve got a carpeted, mid-high rise shell on an ACLB.

Anyway, if you’re set on getting a shell, i’d recommend the reinforced HD ARE shell. Not the Overland one with the sprayed on bed liner stuff near the corner, the HD one reinforced with a skeleton inside. With that one, you can load the top up really heavy and not worry about cracking.

 

I appreciate the input! I have the “J hook” style kayak mounts that I use with cam straps, and they don’t touch the paint or the truck at all, so fortunately I don’t have to worry about that issue.

I did experience that once recently with an escaped bungee cord though.

 

Have you had any issues with the weight of that RTT + a person? I also did not get an HD series cap and I see that A.R.E kind of refuses to quote an exact load rating for the roof racks.

 

No issues…yet. I specifically bought that model tent for its low weight (90lb) because of the shell situation. ARE won’t load rate their regular shells but I know fiberglas boats can take a lot of strain so I think it should be fine unless you get a really heavy tent and regularly toss your truck around on trails