What Shell Would You Recommend

Today I ordered my first Tacoma. 2017 Grey TRD Off-Road. I have 2-3 weeks until it arrives, but am thinking of putting a shell on it. I have never had a shell before so looking for some advice. I am currently considering the Leer 100XL and the ARE Z Series simply based on appearance. Based on my needs, what shell or Brand would you reccomend? FYI: The closest SnugTop dealer is 800 miles away. Also, I am thinking of installing a BedRug.

What matters to me:
1.) Sleek appearance to match the Truck's aesthetic. Will the paint match exactly?
2.) Water proof. I don't want wet gear. I will also sleep back there.
3.) Secure. I'll have tools and camping gear in the back.
4.) Minor off-road capability. I will not be rock crawling, but the occasional camping trail ride will happen.

 

It seems, from what I've gathered in my own research, that Snugtop truly makes the best shell. But they tend to cost more and are harder to find dealers.

The others (Leer vs ARE) are about the same and everybody sells their stuff.

 

That having been said. I hear Snugtops are better for keeping water out. However, even my Snugtop dealer points out that the plastic bed rails (one the 2nd gen) allow water to infiltrate.

 

All three companies you mentioned make good quality shells.The paint should match, some colors match better than others. Sometimes the paint match is perfect,sometimes not,but it is real close.Most people won't see a difference. The trick to getting a good seal, is a good installer. I would get a tailgate seal as well,this is where a lot of water comes in. I have had shells on all my trucks,it will not be as water tight as an SUV,nature of the beast. Spend as much on a shell as you can afford,the top tier ones will have better fit and finish. Remember the installer is key.

 

PS. Do a search on here, shells,caps,canopies.

 

Like my 2nd gen snugtop, but when the back window is up and it's raining, water drools in around the ends of the hinge. Not sure if other designs are better, though. On the plus side, I've short/slow tripped about 300# of lumber on yakima roofracks on the cap, so I know it's pretty sturdy.

 

My Leer does the same thing! I would bet they all do.

 

My ARE does the same thing.

Make sure you visit the manufactures web site. Both Leer and ARE always have coupons for free stuff.

 

I have a Leer 100R on a 2nd gen. Paint matches great, body lines fit fantastically, interior looks very nice with the carpet, holds weight well on the rack (Thule tracks), seal could be better. The only complaint I have (besides the aforementioned drool when the window is up) is the lack of replacement parts for the rear hatch. I have an issue with the one-piece hinge being slightly bent by the previous owner, and the only part that Leer carries to fix this is the entire $400 rear hatch and glass assembly. Overall, its great! Just do not damage that rear hatch in any way.

 

My first choice would be a snugtop. I have a leer on mine, but its because it was a good deal i found on craigslist. I personally like caps that cover the bed caps, so this was something i was looking at when purchasing. I noticed that A.R.E shells were the ones with this, so i avoided them. Its all personal preference though.

Heres an example of what i am describing when i say i dont like the bed caps to show on the sides.



As far as your uses for it.. since you plan on sleeping back there some i would recommend a high top shell, especially if you want to add a sleeping platform with storage under it later. i wish my leer was just a little taller inside so i could have added a platform. Had to scratch that idea, but i got a good deal on the shell, so im good with it.

 

Well, I can say the ARE has been superb. Ive owned several caps and frankly pretty much beaten the shit out of this one and amazingly zero issues

 

Thanks for the input. I did a little more reviewing and see that my local ARE dealer also sells Century. Any thoughts on Century's quality?

Also, how do you clean between the truck cap and cab? It seems like it would get packed full of acorns, pine needles and pollen.

 

You either make the smart choice and shell out the money for the drop down front slider window that allows you to clean that area or you make the dumb choice (like I did) and you have to take the shell off to clean it well. Mine has been on since 2006 so it's pretty damn nasty. LOL

Other options- get either sliding screened windows or even better, sliding, screened windoors. You want the carpet liner in the top; it provides minimal insulation but it does act as a noise damper and more importantly it stops condensation from dripping on you at night. Order the options you want and spend the money up front, it's harder and typically much more expensive to retrofit them later. Yakima or Thule rails can be an exception; you can find deal on the tracks and mount them yourself.

Not sure what rjbiii is talking about,ARE shells are available in either over the edge or not styles. Mine goes over the edge. His point about getting a taller shell is a very valid one though if you plan to camp out of it and doubly so if you want a raised sleeping platform. A smaller sleeping area is tolerable if that's all you are doing but get stuck in the back all day waiting on weather to clear or wanting to change clothes during bad weather or wanting to get funky, etc. and you'll appreciate the extra height. Being able to sit up and move around, cook, read, or watch movies on a laptop during bad weather is worth its weight in gold in my experience.

 

On a previous truck I removed the rear cab window completely (the cap had no front window) and just a rubber gasket between the cap and cab making for a completely open pass through with a curtain separating the two. I want to do this with this set-up, too but haven't gotten around to it (7 years later) Good luck with whatever you decide

 

I have an ARE Z Series. It looks good, paint finish and match are good. The remote actuated rear latch is really handy. It doesn't leak water ... as others have said, this is all in the prep and installation. The bed is now mostly sealed but the tailgate is still far from dust proof. But I don't recommend it. Here's why:
- on the 3rd gen, the lip on the rear hatch just doesn't overlap the tailgate enough to prevent the tailgate opening. Sure you can lock the tailgate but at least on the '16, that required a key which was a hassle. I have now got a PopLoc but I still think that's a design flaw.
- more critical for me, is that the sleek sloped rear hatch plus the huge "internal" hinges really restrict carrying capacity with my already short 5' bed. That may be unique to my needs as I carry mountain bikes inside, front wheels removed with fork mounts on the bed floor, facing backwards. The hinges look beefy but I think the design is way overkill and they juts take up space right where my handlebars need to go. Even if you don't carry bikes like I do, the hinges protrude down into the hatch opening quite a bit and would limit the ability to load a tall boxy object. And the ARE location for the dome light is attached to the rear hatch frame between the hinges, blocking even more access ... and it's a flimsy plastic thing that probably won't hold up to many impacts. I took it off. To be honest, every shell I've looked at is pretty poor quality (design and finish) compared to our trucks. I'd love to see what Toyota could offer with their engineering, manufacturing and tooling capabilities.

 

I like SnugTops. I'm currently on my third. But you're right, I think the water seal with the plastic bed rails will leak in an extreme rain. Here in CA I would have said, even recently, that rain hasn't been a problem (with our drought), but lately we've been getting soaked. I did notice that my shell leaked a bit toward the back by the tailgate, but that was a pretty good downpour. I couldn't tell if it was the bed that was to blame or the rear window seal.

I think it comes down to getting a good brand that has a dealer near by. I know people that have Leers and like them, but I have also heard that all the brands occasionally have had lemons.

 

I had a GT Spoiler made by GlasTec in the mid 80s on a '73 Datsun custom truck. I had the back of the cab and front of the bed cut out and installed a 'walk-through' conversion. It seemed like a good idea but made the cab really noisy, since you could hear everything from the bed. My ex called it the 'parade float'. I guess the paint WAS a little bright!

 

My Leer has the same leak on the passenger side, other than that i love it. Great color match, great fit, covers the bed rails so not alot of water leaks in through the sides. Only paid 600 bucks through craigslist even for a longbed in dark blue

 

I still want to do that to mine but I won't. Do you remember the longrider?

 

Nice color. I love the dark blue. $600? You got a steal and half!