Hesitant to purchase a topper

Wait until you see how much the guys are paying for the Overlanding looking modular ones that don't even fit right on the truck lol.

I paid $3300 5 years ago for mine and it's been worth every gold plated penny.

 

I recommend not getting a lot of add ons that toss the price way up. With muddy wet dogs you don't want a headliner. I like the Leer 100R with the only accessory being the removable front sliding glass. I have had 100r shells now on four trucks. What I like about them is they have wide opening side windows for when I have my dogs back there. This model also has simple dual latches and a recessed framed back glass that are all trouble free. They also fit and look good. I paid $1569 plus tax with installation included in 2019 for my 2018. I then kept the shell when I traded my red 2018 for a red 2022. I often go places where my large dogs get very wet and muddy. Every so often I hose down the bed area. I use interconnecting foam 2'x2' floor squares trimmed to fit for padding for the dogs.

 

Toppers can look good, but regardless, they’re just damn practical.

They have skyrocketed in price new, more than doubled. My best advice is to find someone selling their Tacoma that has a topper on it and offer to buy the topper for a fair price. Sell the idea to the current owner. It’s extra money in their pocket, the topper (whether they like it or not) is not adding much value to their truck for sale, except for a very specific buyer. You buy the topper for X amount, they list their truck for the same amount and they make that much extra in the sale. If they don’t want to mess with it before the truck sells, just mention you’d be interested in it if the buyer doesn’t want it.

This is how I bought my cement colored long bed topper. Offered the guy a decent price and he said the guy interested in buying the truck mentioned he didn’t even want the topper, so he waited for the buyer to commit and I came in and swiped the topper for $1,500 and the seller gave the buyer $500 off the deal. So everyone won.

Here’s mine in Cement, wish I had better for ya.



Here’s where I’d like to go with it:

 

ARE Overland. $3700-ish with all the options I picked out. Do not regret it for one second.

 

I've seen the floorplan of your house. Put it in the room with all those stupid neon signs you buy

 

Thanks! The Tacoma is small enough inside that camping with the family was a nightmare trying to pack all the gear before I got the shell. Anything in the bed was a constant worry about being stolen when we went into a town. I used to cable lock my cooler, gear totes, and even the baby stroller to my bed stiffeners. Now with the shell, I toss it in there, lock it up and never give it a second thought. Plus I never have to worry about something blowing out on the interstate.

I wanted Windoors, but for $1,800 I got a paint matched shell, sliding windows, removable rear window, carpeted interior, dome lighting, Leer lock, etc. so I REALLY can't complain. The seller was an awesome member on here and even met me halfway.

I'd buy it again without a shadow of a doubt, even at full price new.

 

This is almost exactly what I want to do with mine! Great stuff!

 

For those of you with fiberglass toppers, did you have to change your leaf packs or install AAL/sumos/airbags? Or was there not enough sag to worry about it? The weight has always been part of my hesitancy (besides $$).

 

You can get by without any suspension mods, but the topper will sag the back about .5”, so you won’t have much rake left for hauling stuff. It looks ok still with an empty bed, but I often have 300-400 lbs of gear for work back there, so I would be squatting if I didn’t do something. I ended up getting a 3 leaf AAL and I like it, but… The problem is most AALs give 1.5” of lift, so after the shell and the AAL, I ended up 1” higher than stock i the back and had twice as much rake as before. So I had to lift the front 1” to even it out. Now I sit 1” higher all around after the shell (and maintained the factory rake of about 1”). I’m happy with the end result.

 

I love my shell I found it on market place for 600 I talked him down to 500 but I had to drive 200 miles to get it. If you keep your eyes open you can find decent deals.

 

Have run numerous toppers on everything from 1/2, 3/4 ton and my Toyotas and never regretted any of them. Everyone here has covered the positives and potential negatives well. How it looks is pretty subjective, but it boils down to what you plan to use the truck for. Utility, for me, trumps ascetics, but I have been married a long time and not quit as concerned about it, but still enjoy a semi-attractive rig like everyone here lol. I believe they are worth the investment if you can afford it. Security is unfortunately an increasing concern, even in the backcountry. Out of sight out of mind is why I run windoors on my ARE along with wiring each door to the trucks secondary alarm viper alarm system. One of the biggest reasons also, is weather. If you spend time outdoors it limits dust and will keep your gear dry. In a pinch you can crash in back for some much-needed rest. As far as pet transport just make sure it's well ventilated. Early photos of that are posted by, volt, show that, so big thumbs up there. Remember though if you run cargo in back with the pups and you get hit by some jackass, they will have to deal with it unless you strap everything down. As far as weight, these toppers run fairly light and are a hundred or so lighter than GFC if it matters to you. I added one leaf and she still rides very nice and cosmetically sits level with cap and a load. I also have a trailer I use to haul larger items. These can be found from time to time used at a decent price. Even with no cap trailers come in real handy. Hope this helps.
P. S.
Be careful with those roof top tents on your cap and cab. Most are not rated for weight of the tent then you add the bodies and eventually something will give.

 

Don’t see a lot of red. Dang that looks sharp though

 

Canopies are awesome but they only slow down lazy thieves. I was parked right outside the front door of the Holiday Inn in Eugene, Or and some dork pried open my back window/door on my Leer canopy, and stole my daughters downhill mountain bike. I had it chained in the back. Pro tip dont put any stickers on your canopy letting people know what sports your into.

 

Yes, with the shell I tend to carry a lot of "gear/weight" in the bed at all times. After about 2 years I added airbags to level the bed and help when I tow. The bags have worked great, and seem to have solved the sag issue.

 

Went camping wednesday, best $1200 (used) I've ever spent

 

Sounds OP's main concern is how they look. IMO, his concern is valid as they do make trucks look like weird looking SUV's. And you better be good at driving with mirrors with those things on. They are also a PIA to remove and store.

Now functionality / needs is a different thing as toppers do have legit uses. Buy for those reasons, not for the looks!

 

RSI ftw. Never thought I’d be a topper guy but once I put it on I couldn’t imagine not having it. Unlike the other guy that sold his because it limited his capacity I feel the opposite. Other than hauling couches or mattresses I don’t know what I would need to haul that wouldn’t fit under the cap. Being able to put all my gear in the bed and have it protected from the elements or sticky fingers is worth its weight in gold. The side access windoors are awesome and I can open the little slider to give the pup some fresh air. 10/10 would buy again.

 

My topper doesn’t add blind spots and can still see out the back just fine unless it’s loaded up high with stuff.

Also, being able to drive and back up by mirrors should be a requirement to get a license.

 

Do it right. Do it right the first time, because...when are you ever going to have the time to do it over again? Experience with weight here. I have the air bags. They'll level it out, but in my opinion they are best for fine tuning the rake, not taking the place of the suspension. Any significant weight beyond the shell should be properly suspended, at least an AAL, if not performance shocks. I've got this kind of weight in the back of mine on stock suspension/air bags. It can be done, but why? It's only going to get heavier as I mod it. Some good struts/shocks and an AAL are in my near future. Any recommendations? That don't require me to take a loan on my house?

 

I’m pondering the same question with my new (to me) ‘20. I’ve run toppers on most of my trucks for 20+ years, and know about the benefits. I went an priced shells, and remembered how good I am at spending money. I really like the “Windoor” option, that would be a must do. I want color matched and roof rack tracks also. I have a shell on my ‘02 but it’s showing it’s age, and the windows need to be resealed. The biggest challenge is that I can’t remove it by myself without a hoist system.

Alternatively, I’ve also been looking at the Diamondback tonneau covers. The HD model can carry a lot of weight on top and is pretty quick to remove if needed. They also have a tray that can fit in the front compartment for stuff that I always carry anyway. Again I’m really good at spending money, but it’s half the price of what I’d spend on an ARE or a Leer. This option would allow a bigger budget for a utility trailer to carry heavy/oversized stuff and it’s usable for both trucks.

It’s safe to say there’s pros and cons to either option.