Looking at camper tops, any buying advice?

hello,

i've owned a tacoma for about a month now, first post.

i'm interested in getting a shell for sleeping in the bed of the truck while camping this summer. after a lot of internet research, i'm leaning towards the ARE MX series with vented side win-doors, sliding tilt down front window, carpet lining, and yakima rack.

looking for buying advice:

anyone purchased one recently that can give me an idea on what price to expect?

any other ARE factory options you have found useful that i should consider?

anyone regret purchasing the ARE MX?

other considerations?

thanks in advance

 

i have an older ARE. all the options you listed. the tilting window is my fav..cleaning glass is much easier. i still have pieces of flaky fiberglass stuck all over the carpet liner from the original owner drilling in the yakima rack attachments. i need to shopvac it.

i hope they rethought the lighting. i have the 12v hookup lights in front and in back (by the opening). i have smashed that back light a myriad of times. it is in the dumbest location ever. it is so vulnerable to cargo damage. i am going to buy a different light and move to a side.

 

tAKomaRC13,

I ordered the exact same topper a couple of weeks ago. (ARE MX, Vented Windoors, Sliding Tilt-Down Front Window, Carpet lining, and Yakima Track Rack.)

I can help you out with pricing. I am paying $1,975 before tax. Installation is free. The only thing additional thing I added that's included in this price is an aftermarket 12-volt LED interior light. The dealer I'm buying from said their aftermarket LED interior light was superior to the one that ARE offers. The price was exactly the same for either light, so I went with the aftermarket version since I have heard some not-so-glowing comments about ARE's interior lights. Other then the interior lights, I've heard nothing but awesome comments about the ARE MX.

I live in Colorado and negotiated the price with 5 different ARE dealers. There was a significant difference in pricing, ranging up to a $350 difference. I also did quite a bit of research to see if one dealer was favored over another, and choose the one that not only offered the second-best price, but great customer service as well. Being in Alaska, you may or may not have as many ARE dealers to work with, so it might be a little harder for you to negotiate a deal.

I should have it installed in a week or so. If I can offer you any other help or if you need any real-world measurements, let me know.

Hope this helps,
Bryan

 

i'd love to see a pic of the light. neither of mine are working.

 

thanks for the replies everyone.

sounds like the ARE lights are not very impressive; i'll ask about aftermarket alternatives.

Bryan, what kind of turn around time did they give you for ordering and then installing the top?

 

They quoted 3 weeks for the topper to arrive and it took exactly that. (It arrived today.) I have an appointment to get it installed on Friday and they said it will take about one hour.

I imagine that it may take an extra week or two since you live in Alaska. Out of curiosity, let us know how it goes.

Bryan

 

I'd be interested in knowing what kind of rear height drop to expect (if any), but the off-road edition wouldn't be an apple to apple comparison with my reg cab. also, can't wait for the pictures you will surely share this weekend.

any reg cab owners do a before and after height measurement with adding an ARE MX camper top?

 

Mine is a Leer. Has carpet inside, tinted sliding screen windows, sliding glass in front, box built into the top inside with lock. Came with the truck only have this pic of it.

 

thanks again for your posts everyone.

went by the only ARE dealer in Anchorage today. the total price was $2600 for mx series with 2 vented windoors, tilt sliding front, carpet lining, and yakima tracks. will take 3-5 weeks to get here. i'll post some pics once it's installed.

get yours installed Bryan?

 

I did! And I love it. I've been preparing to move, so I haven't had a chance to take any pictures yet. But I will soon...

Congrats on getting one on order! You're going to love it. And man oh man, Alaska is the place to be with a Tacoma...

Bryan

 

did you have a chance to take pictures yet? I have an MX coming for my Access Cab with the Walk-In Door. This made the shell significantly more expensive but I felt it was worth it. I am curious as well, did you experience any rear drop? I wouldn't imagine you would due to it being fiberglass.

 

Don't know if it's too late but when I bought my leer topper I made sure to order Powerlocks with it. (Rear glass locks/unlocks with the key fob). Don't know if ARE has this option tho but I absolutely love it!