Camper Top Idiot

its a vista

 

Did you piss off the wife.. again

 

haha either way i always enjoy going to the mountains just living out of my truck did it for 2 weeks last summer at a camp i was workin at for sure legit at least i think

 

So is my wife.. when she gets in her moods i disappear.. and then re-appear when she is happy and h****y

 

What model is this? Rebel or xtra vision

 

Chris I really do like yours all you need is an out house on a little tow behind trailer

 

My landlord and I both have Jensons (or whatever company starts with J) and we both tell people to stay away from them. Nothing has gone wrong with either of ours really, but we both don't love them.

 

I have always used and would highly recommend A.R.E. CX series caps. Windoors IMHO for any application are an absolute must. The CX (formerly CH series) are supposed to be reinforced at the corners. I have personally loaded these caps for work FAR beyond the ratings with the rear door open many times and NEVER had a problem. We bought a cheepo blow up mattress from Walmart years ago and despite the layers of duct tape applied to it throughout the years are always quite comfortable on it. Our butts are getting way too old to sleep on the ground any more and for weekends at the race track it saves us carrying and setting up a tent. I just paid OTD 2 months ago in NC $1800 for this cap on a 2009 Taco long bed with windoors and a sliding front window with a Yakima rack system. I can post pics in the next couple of days if you need but right now my upstairs office where my main computer lives has had the air conditioning go out and I'm not going up there till it's fixed!!! It's been hoovering around 100 degrees in Raleigh the last few days and I'm sure it's at least 120 up there right now so nope not going up there, can't make me!

 

Isocoee...Wow, just noticed that the original post was fro April 2009...what kind of Camper top idiot am I?!?!?!

Well I hope you made a good choice by now...

 

ARE "Z" series, and yes they are proud of their product. Look to spend 1800 to 1900 for this model. The seller on this topper for me was the way that ARE designed the rear door. I liked it over the LEER design and I could not find a Snugtop dealer here on the east coast to even look at what they offer.

 

I paid around $2,000 for an ARE MX Series brand new. I got it with 1 windoor and just a regular sliding window on the other side and in the front. Plus a yakima rack up top. I suck at bargaining, so didn't really try. But the dealer I worked with didn't seem in any mood to bargain anyway, so not sure how much you'll be able to talk them down.

As for features you need, depends. I'll tell you that the windoor is awesome, and very useful. I maybe regret not getting another windoor for the passenger side, but my thinking was I didn't want it affecting my view on that side. After seeing what the windoor looks like, I'm not sure it would have affected it. But definitely at least get one windoor. The folding window up front I personally don't see a need for, but I think I'm in the minority there. I haul my mutt around back there so a bed rug wasn't going to work for me, but they look nice.

Anyway, I love the topper. It's required gear for how I use my truck, and I've been very happy with my choice.

*One small thing that happened though I should mention. I don't know if it's just the extra height of the MX series, the weight of my boat (about 75lbs), how the topper was initially installed, or what, but after the first time I hauled my kayak I noticed that the shell shifted back about an inch. So it was no longer sitting flush. There was no danger of it coming completely off or anything because of the stops in the rail system, but it was a noticeable shift. The dealer was very apologetic and offered a few solutions including just bolting it down with two bolts in the back (right near the tailgate). And since I don't plan on taking the topper off an on -- it's on there for good -- that's what we did. No problems since.

 

I spent 6 months trying to find a used one. They were all around 700-800 on craigslist. I would have had to paint it to be happy with the looks. Finally bit the bullet and ordered a leer 100r (basic cab hi). Color matched to the truck, fold down sliding front window, and vented windoors on both sides. I paid 1592 after california sales tax of .0825 percent. The windoors option was 175 per side, expensive but very well worth it. If you are going to sleep back there and be loading the truck from the side they are well worth it and I doubt you will find them on a used unit. Mine has standard framed glass in the rear door, but I believe you can order frameless and still have windoors.

One thing to be aware of on the leer windoors-they do not fit the molded window recess in the side of the shell exactly. I knew this going in and went with the leer anyway. Snugtop was too pricey and I'm not sure if their windoors fit different or not. ARE windoors fit perfect, but I did not like their latch system on the rear door.

 

Wow! We dug up an old thread. Good info for someone else though. I know I read a lot on here before I bought mine.

 

I like it! Do the windows slide open?

 

Nice, good choice OP. Looks great.