2016 tacoma best cap for the bed? Are there any manuf. I should avoid?

Yep that's me. I got exactly what I wanted and it was great for a couple years. I take care of it, but I also use it as I should be able to. There's a lifetime paint warranty that I've been thinking about, but now I'm in Texas and snugtop dealers are few and far between. Not to mention I'd have to give it up for god knows how long and then go pick it up again from wherever. That's if they decided to play nice on the warranty.

I got snugtop because it looks the best (still think this) and I thought they were the best quality. It may be true for the fiberglass and headliner but eventually I'll be replacing the other parts after they piss me off enough. New struts, latches, hinges, seals, locking mechanism, latch catches for the front slider I guess I'll have to JB weld a piece of steel to in order to cover up where the latch mech has eaten through, etc probably looking at $400-500++ just to get back to where it should be.

 

Lifetime paint sounds nice, but also like a probable pain in the ass.

If they arranged for a repaint at a local paint shop and covered the bill then it'd be awesome, though I'm sure it's not even remotely close to being that easy - especially if you have to pay for shipping to and from SnugTop for them to paint it, which I bet is the case.

 

I can't imagine them not wanting it back to be done wherever they paint the new ones

 

Cool story, bro. OP asked for opinions about caps not 2016 Tacomas. I gave my experience with MY Snugtop XV. Your rebel is probably 6 months old at the most. That's how these theads work. Someone says here's my experience, someone else says here's my experience. It's nothing personal for anyone

I never said I hate snugtop. I love the looks. My particular, single snugtop leaves a lot to be desired in the quality of the components and paint. It's only my experience.

Congrats on your 2016 tacoma

 

Yep, I agree the snug top to me look the best as well... not by much though. I gotta go for function with mine... and as much as I love the straight back look (especially snug tops), I gotta go with the sloped up back. IT IS WAY easier to get in and out, provides way more clearance if you are sleeping back there and have a raised bed. So when you go raised back none of them look as nice as the straight but I think Snug top looks the best.

BEWARE... the dealer told me today these are going up Mar1... Also, the Leer ones are going up then as well. He seemed to think it was around a 5 % raise. Not trivial.
and yes, these are expensive as ever... $2500 out the door like another person posted. The latch seems a bit better, but the lock is the same, the dampners the same, the screens the same, the windows the same. Now the upper cap light is now LED and looks much better in quality than the total piece mine came with. The seal looks decent... but so did mine and it leaked. These pigs only come with a 12 month warranty on the entire thing... but a lifetime on the structure. But the structure is not what folks complain about.

Bottom line. Someone is making a killing off these... buy stock in them if you can. There is absolutely no way on earth these cost lets say half the MSRP, in my case $1250 to build I would say they make them for maybe $500... and 90% of that is the shell and glass. the rest is literally wall mart quality after 12 months. Id be ashamed to put my name on some of the associated bits... expecially the upper light mine came with for example.

I dont think the story is any better with the other manuf... leer, ARE (spelling), or Century... unless someone wants to chime in.

The snug top and leer were about the same price.

 

I just picked up (after waiting almost 2 months) an ARE Z-Series, which is their top of the line shell. Personally if I had to do it again, I'd avoid ARE like the plague. I'm happy with the shell now that I have it, and the quality so far (although it's only been about a week) seems very nice. I like the way the windows more like an OEM vehicle instead of a cheap rubber gasket that goes around them like on other shells. I really wanted windoors also, but again, didn't want to deal with leaky gaskets and windows, etc. I do like how the Z-Series windows have a nice crank that allows the rear portion to open like a fish gill and they are easily opened and closed by just reaching in from the outside of the truck instead of crawling in if it was a slider. They must have solved the crooked window issue that a previous poster mentioned because my windows line up perfectly. Also really like the hardware on the rear window of the Z-Series. Very burly and flush, unlike the LEER top of the line rear window that has the four raised sections where it's mounted to the glass. That's really the only thing ARE has over LEER are slightly better rear window hinges.

However, the ordering process and dealing with ARE through the dealer was awful. In all fairness it was a combination of lack of communication and apparent lack of 'giving a crap' between both ARE and the dealer I went through. I tried to reach out to ARE to get some questions answered and find out why it was taking so long and not once EVER heard back from them. If it wasn't for a pretty decent discount from the dealer in the end, I would have easily walked away, but I got the Z-Series for a white a bit less than I could have picked up a LEER 100XQ for, and a ton less than what I could have got a SnugTop SuperSport.

If I had to do it again, there is no doubt in my mind that I'd go with LEER. I have spoken to there dealers and they all say that the quality between LEER and ARE are great and both provide a great product, however ARE's customer service is basically nonexistent and warranty claims tae forever to get resolved. One dealer dropped ARE because of their awful customer service. The dealer I went through also told me )after I bought the shell) that they have had issues with ARE in the past. One example they gave me was they would receive shells with the incorrect wiring harness from the factory, and it would take forever to hear back from ARE in order to get the correct harness, leaving the customs waiting while their brand new shell just sits there.

It sucks. I do like the shell so far, but have a bitter taste in my mouth about the company. In hindsight I should have just bailed when I had the chance and gone with another company. SnugTop makes a nice product as well, but have also been told that their customer service sucks after the fact and you need warranty service. Also, if you're east of the Mississippi and need warranty service you're screwed since they are only distributed out west. So if you live out west but down the line move east, just cross your fingers and hope you never need anything. If you need a part you apparently can't order it directly from them, you have to go through a dealer, but back east there are no dealers.

I'll say it again, go with LEER!

 

Go with Leer. Hum, well, I cant really argue with that. I got quotes on the two and they were about the same price as Snugtop. I was inside the snug top today cleaning it well before the sale. The carpet held up well and the fiberglass, but not the window frames, anything electrical, the screens, the seals. The paint was decent, the lock and shocks both were replaced. it was amazing to see how cheap the window frames were. They just roll bent the corners of extruded profile aluminum... which is really not meant to bend that way... it makes a non flat surface and very uneven to be going in as a window frame. I suppose they try to make it up in flexible compliant seals inside for the window and outside for the fiberglass... but it seems prone to leak like mine shows.

I think one lesson from these is buy stock in the company. All these companies prey on folks that have trucks that simply need covers for the bed. For the most part we dont have a choice but to purchase one of them. They can get away with terrible customer service, crappy hardware, terrible manuf engineering designs (at least with anything older than 10 years). They have learned they can make a $400 part and sell it for $2500... and we all have no choice really but to pay it. I can make lots of things but not really a decent truck cap.

They dont care if they sell ridiculously cheap hardware, associated bits, or if they get a terrible reputation for customer service cause the owners and stock holders are making a killing... likely the poor dealer makes some money too but seems like many times deals with hassles from the companies.

I suppose I just need to decide on the one and get it. Again, I expect the fiberglass to be quite good and strong and the rack, but some of the associated bits are just cheap and not worthy of a $2500 tag... oh well. AT least they are not made in china, in which case the fiberglass would be crap as well.

 

I have a LEER 180 and I love it. I think the quality is excellent. The paint is an exact match to my truck and has held up really well so far. (4 years)

 

I had a Snugtop Rebel on my '14. It worked perfect, and I had zero problems. Still trying to figure out which one to buy for my '16. I am just not convinced I like the look of the Rebel on the '16

 

Curious, does Leer or ARE offer the auto-locking latches. Wired into the locks with the truck. I like having it. I'll assume they do?
Oh, and here's a few more pics fer ya.

 

Nice looking rig, clean lines.

 

Hey, Thanks. Im seriously considering removing the TRD 4X4 Off Road stickers, and getting new different ones. Will allow lowering of said stickers.

 

I also wanted to mention, Snugtop has designed the region around the rear door with a great deal of sill depth ideally prohibiting leaks. Have driven in torrential rains, sat stationary in same rains, and has been washed multiple times, dry as a bone inside. SO FAR, it's been free of flaws. SO FAR. (Have to add all the SO FARS to CMA.)

 

I got the Leer 180, no problems at all. It was kind of expensive (2500$), but I love it.
I have a 2014, but I know they make it for the 2016's too.

 

Your truck looks great!

 

I had a Snug Top on my 1998 Tacoma. Sold it in 2011 and it was still in great shape except rock chips. Had to replace the "pop lock" once. Bought a Snug Top for my 2010 Tacoma. Piece of garbage. Windows started leaking right after warranty expired. At this point all the windows leak really bad (live in western Oregon, rain is an issue), seal has failed in the door, from fold down window latches have failed, had to replace the bed seal,and liner is peeling out because of water infiltration. Dealer said I should buy a new one instead of replace. He's right, I'll be getting a Leer.

 

Wow, thanks for that information. This is good feedback. The folks that respond and have only had their cap for a year or two are for the most part irrelevant. I would expect any manuf to hold up for a few years. But what I was really after was how well do they hold up for the long haul. As I expected after a few years these things basically start to leak. Sadly, from what I can gather they all charge about the same amount. I have quotes on ARE, Leer and Snugtop and they all come in around $2500. I think proximity to a good dealer is the only thing to hang on to. Dont buy something with the dealer a long drive away, dont buy one if the dealer has a bad reputation. Otherwise all these companies make a $400 part and sell if for 6 times that amount. Sad, but true.

 

The new Leers look the best because the lines of the windows match the windows on the truck.