questions about truck cap and tailgate

I have a 2009 Tacoma Double Cab with the short bed and am thinking of getting a cap for the bed. The threads in this forum have been very informative but there were a few questions that I could not find answers to. This is the first truck I've owned, always had compact cars in the past, so I'm starting from scratch in terms of knowledge.

A friend told me that the tailgate is easily stolen if I do not have a lock on it. If I get a cap with a locking rear door, will the door overhang prevent the tailgate from being opened so that I do not have to install a lock on the tailgate as well? Or will the tailgate still be open-able and I still need to get a tailgate lock to prevent someone from taking the tailgate?

What are the plusses and minuses of framed rear doors and frameless rear doors on the truck caps? I like the way the frameless ones look better, but was wondering which is more secure and which type of hinge is less likely to break.

In one of the threads I read, someone said ARE caps do not use the bed rail system to install. How are they attached then?

For those caps that do install using the bed rail system, can I still use the D rings from the dealer that fit in the rails if I get one of those caps?

Does adding a truck cap require drilling any holes in the truck?

If I get a sliding fold down window, will the bars of the sliding window on the cap match up with the bars of the sliding windows on the truck? Does that vary from brand to brand? Leer and ARE are sold locally and there is a Snugtop dealership about 2 hours away.

I did go and talk with a dealer that sold Leer and ARE truck caps, but the salesman was kind of vague in his answers, e.g. didn't know if the sliding window bars would match up with the sliding window of the truck, so I wasn't sure how dependable his answers were.

Also, the salesman told me that the bolts that bolt bed rail system to the side of the bed are the same bolts that hold the bed together. That if I tried to take the rails off, the entire bed and fenders would come apart. I wasn't planning on taking the rails off, but was wondering if this is true, that those bolts are holding the fenders on? So then there is not a metal bed under the plastic? The plastic is the actual bed?

Thanks in advance!

 

I think you'd find a cap very useful. I certainly like mine.

 

^^^^That pretty much sums it up. My ARE clamps to the bed rails. You don't have to drill any holes to mount it to the truck. I can still use the D rings on the bed rails, just have to move them around the clamps sometimes.

 

And welcome to TW

 

i have the leer 100 R it uses the bed rails for mounting. and the front slider window is a single peice slider like the tacomas rear window. however, it doesn't open up 100% as far as the truck window. but still better then having the split in the middle

 

i have removed one of the rails, i think the pics are uploaded, and it does stiffen the fenders, but they wont just fall off. note that i did not drive with it off.

 

I've got an ARE MX on a short bed and the window lines up pretty well with the rear window of the truck. You can get a window that folds down into the bed of the truck to wash the rear truck window if you want.
You may not be able to get sliding "windoors"- windows that flip all the way up and slide. I couldn't with my model for a short bed anyway. I went windoor on the drivers side for stowing stuff and a slider on the passenger side so i could have one open for the dog while driving.
No holes required. There's 4 little C clamps that slide into the rail system and clamp the shell to the truck bed. Very easy on and off.
Hope this helps.
I'm very happy with my ARE MX.

 

The fold down front window on my SnugTop SuperSport has a slider and it matches up with the truck's sliding window perfectly. The rear window/door over hangs the top of the tailgate....good theft protection. I can still use the bed rail clamps anywhere on the rails.

 

Ditto for the Leer 100XR Cap, I chose it because it has the framed sliding windows with screens and was about $400 less than the solid side windows, I just couldn't justify the additional cost. But this cap lines up Perfectly and the removable front slider is very nice as you can clean the back window of the truck, the one difference is that the window in the truck and the cap slide the opposite direction but are of almost exactly the same size. The bolts that are used in the rails are very small so not too much conflict unless you need the cleats or rings on the other side of the cap mount.

 

Love my SnugTop XV.
Easy access to rail systems.
Fold down front slider.
Sliding side windows and screens.
Frameless rear window with 1.5" tailgate overhang for extra security.
Wired for 12v.
Overhead cubbies.

 

Hi Everyone, Thanks a lot for your replies and for all of the information!!

I have a better idea now what I should ask the dealer about now when I go back. The closest Snugtop dealer is about 2 hours away and I'm not sure if I want to drive that far, so I've been considering the Leer 100R or 100XR -- as far as I can tell the main difference between them is the rear door.

When buying a cap, do those dealers expect you to haggle for the price, or is their quote the final price. I wasn't sure if this was like car dealerships where they expect you to negotiate so they will quote high.

 

I read somewhere that they need to hook up a third brake light when the install the cap. Can they do that without drilling?

 

no drilling required.

 

I won't drive off with the rails off now that I know that they actually provide some significant support!

Actually, I had wondered how securely the caps could be held on using the rail system before, when I thought those rails were just an added accessory. It makes more sense now that they use that, if they are structural.

 

Is your door low enough that you don't need to get an extra lock for the tailgate?

 

Great, thanks!

 

I have a BakFlip F1 and it is lockable and still able to use the bed like when the cap is off with the F1 folded up against the cab.

GL,
Des

 

If you decide on a Snug Top I bet your Toyota dealership could have one ordered...I know mine does since that top is so popular with these trucks. I think you could haggle the price down a bit with the dealer also. At my dealership's part counter I can get them to lower the price on just about anything they sell...good luck!

 

Most dealers have connections with truck accessory shops. You might even be able to get it at their dealer discount price.

 

Yep, the door covers the top of the tailgate by 1 1/2". Since the tailgate thief protection mod only costs a couple bucks I went ahead and did it (hose clamp on hinge and large washers over the tailgate cables) just to be on the safe side.

here's a write-up for the mod...

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/technical-chat/27829-tailgate-theft-how-prevent.html