Show me your shell!

Looks great, can you show a pix. of the interior? Thx

 

Looks great! I haven't seen a mid rise on a short bed cement yet. I just ordered a Leer 180 for mine last week.

 

Went to home depot yesterday and built a simple sleeping platform for about $45 in materials. If anyone wants the dimensions of the cuts and types of lumber used I can post that up. Took a few hours from store to finish since I only had a hand saw to make cuts at near the tailgate. Inspiration and full credit came from a few other threads like this: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...cheap-works-great.108524/page-7#post-21505194

This is from the tailgate:



This one is looking in from the drivers side windoor:



Another from the drivers side windoor:


Looking in from the back cab window with the folding glass of the shell flipped down:

 

I like the Leer model too. Great options all around with ARE / Leer / SnugTop... post up some pictures when you get it on!

 

Help, please.

Can anyone with an A.R.E. shell, with the interior carpeting, tell me if you get dust from the carpet when running your hand over it? I'm suspecting that the interior fiberglass of my shell wasn't sealed before adding the carpet. What about those without the carpeting; is the interior of your shell sealed?

I plan to sleep in the back for camping, and I don't want to get that crap into my lungs.

I'm wondering what I should do...? Remove the carpet, seal, then reinstall it once I hose it down and dry it...? Or should I hose down the interior, in case it's just some particles caught in the carpeting?

Thanks.

 

The carpeting on my snugtop releases some crap also. I'm telling myself it is just short carpet "hairs", and try to ignore it.

 

Thanks, the carpet fit looks great!

 

Thanks! I think all shells should be carpet lined IMO, just makes everything clean looking. They carpet line every topper at my dealer I went to.

 

Thanks. I had an older A.R.E. shell on my previous truck, and never had this issue.

I'll take a shop vac to it, and then see what to do next.

 

Leer 100R

 

Still have my soft topper but happened upon this Leer in matching Barcelona Red for $150. I had to buy it for that cost.

 

You stole it! Congratulations, good find.

 

Or the guys who sold it to you did....Congrats on the find!

 

We've all seen those news stories where someone was charging a phone or a tablet (or something with Lithium ion batteries) and it caught fire. I've been thinking about that a lot as I charge a variety of things inside my truck while sleeping... So, a friend pointed out these fire proof bags online, about $15, and lots of options out there. Might be worth a look!

$13 COLCASE Fireproof Explosionproof Lipo Safe Bag for Lipo Battery Storage and Charging, Large Space Highly Sturdy Double Zipper Lipo Battery Guard (8.46x5.7x6.5 in)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0719H46PF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

Just so you know, the majority of exploding lithium batteries have been root-caused and tied directly back to the charger &/or cable--with a large percentage of fires & explosions happening during the charging process, or in the minutes after.

If you buy a chinesium knock-off charger or cable, you're gambling that these devices have been engineered according to approved industry standards & practices, have gone through rigorous quality assurance testing & reporting, and are being made from quality components and materials, to exacting OEM specs. That's a lot to expect from a $4 charger and $2 cable, that realistically sell for $10 - $30 each, and have been designed, built & tested with safety and reliability as the overarching goal.

Plus, that bag isn't going to do anything against a Li-Ion battery; these types of batteries detonate, violently. It's why transportation of these batteries is so strictly regulated--they are required to be in hardened containers.

On the other hand, LiFePo4 (Lithium Iron Phosphate) batteries don't explode or create large balls of fire; rather they "gas" and expand the casing, until rupture, and even then, there is no fireball or detonation (however, the gas will kill you, and quite properly.) LiFePo4 batteries fall in the middle of the spectrum, both for energy density, and for safety, with AGM at the bottom (safest, but lowest energy density) and Li-Ion at the top.

 

My Leer 100R does the same thing. Is your carpeting developing gaps in it as in coming loose from the cap surface? What I am seeing. My guess, adhesive that is 17-18 years old in my case. I sliced the liner in a few small areas to spray some adhesive in there in order to tack up the spots coming loose. Shell surface looked fine - don't think its fiberglass.

Either give it a good vacuuming when you detail the truck or you could pull the liner and re-do everything.

 

I just got a brand new ARE carpeted shell this last spring and had the exact same concerns. I vacuumed the hell out of it which seemed to help but not totally solve the problem. The first two or three nights spent camping in it I would get itchy eyes if laying on my back looking up towards the carpet.

After a couple weeks it did go away and it seems completely fine now. I think it just takes a bit of time for everything to shake out.

 

I had to order my shell, so it's brand new from A.R.E. --the carpeting (or whatever that is) is firmly glued to the shell, and there are no areas where I can see the inside of the shell itself.

I may try to pry up a corner of the carpeting, to see if it's just dust from the manufacturing process...

Thanks.

 

That's good to know, thanks. I'll do a good vacuum job on it, and if I can get a space heater & fan--to dry it out, I may just hose it down as well.

I appreciate the information, thanks.

 

Brain fart moment - thought you had an older shell. If its a recent purchase I'd call the dealer or ARE customer service. See what they say. New caps are a lot of coin, don't settle and don't void your warranty by pulling the liner up.

Could also try taking a leaf blower to the interior and follow with a good vac.