overpaying for a used Topper?

Been hunting for a topper for a LONNGG time at this point and admittedly getting a little impatient... I found one today that is damn near perfect, Leer 100 XR, color matched, has roof rack tracks.. pretty much everything I want... the only hold up is they want 1600 dollars. I feel like that's about 600 more than it should be but I'm getting kind of frustrated at this point and am considering just pulling the trigger. I'm seeking some advice from yall as I feel like my own judgment is a bit clouded atm.

 

Nobody will be able to answer your dilemna for you. Either you need/want it badly enough that you are willing to part with the money, or you can be patient enough and it isn't an absolute necessity where you can wait. Look inwards.

 

Today? $1,600 is a bargain

 

^this

1600$ is about average in this area. Some sell for much less and some sell for twice that. Price Ultimately depends on condition and options. I’ve been looking for over a year and haven’t found anything local to me. I can count on one hand how many 040 dclb canopies I’ve seen for sale over that time. 2 were less than that. One was in that ball park. 2 were more. All were over a 5 hour drive away one way.

ultimately like mentioned above only you can answer how much is too much for you to spend on a cap.

 

The trifecta is Time, Cost & Quality. We’re typically prioritizing 2 out of 3 when making a purchase. In your situation, Quality is constant if you have 1+ brands that are acceptable. So you have to decide between time & money. No one else can make that decision for you.

 

Nothing is wrong with that... That's good deal depending on what the topper has.

The dealer sold the new topper to me for $3k with the options I want.

If you want it, go for it. Don't wait otherwise someone else will grab it before you head there. In that case, you were too late and you will have hard time finding one based on the budget you look for.

 

This pretty much nails it.

 

Finding them in general is difficult. Finding one in the color you want and with the opions you want is nearly impossible. If the condition is good I'd say you're getting one that you don't have to spend more money one to make it what you want and matches the color of your truck. Buy it.

 

I never had to search for a cap as I purchased with, but I’d be in the same boat. If all the rubber, seals, paint look good and it’s in great condition I’d go for it.

 

Color matched and everything you want, $1,600 is a fair price. It's not a bargain but it's fair.

 

I would think as long as it’s $1600 and it’s your money, you should buy it and move on.

 

Update: well I bought it... got it for 1587 installed... Wasn't AS nice as in person as it looked in the pictures but its looks pretty much perfect from 10 ft away. It was a 4 hour drive to get down there so I was pretty much committed to buying it. The windows, locks and everything are fine... the paint is cracked on the rear corner and the right side looks like it might have fallen off the pallet during shipping or something... all fairly minor damage but not great... However what I'm most upset about is probably the roof rack track system... I assumed it was factory but upon getting it home it clearly wasn't due to the fact that the tracks are slightly offset to the driver's side, the screws are drilled through the headliner and the rubber end caps are actually hanging over the rear of the cap... see pics:

Not really sure how I could remedy this situation... I wanted to get a cross bar style roof rack but I know the offset towers would just piss me off... not sure if something like a prinsu rack can me mounted offset towards the passenger side?

 

Yep, the feet can be offset to one side.

See the install guides on Prinsu's website, most important part is here:

 

It looks like you could easily remove it, trim about an inch off the end of the track and reinstall it so the cap isn't overhanging.

 

Thanks for posting this.
Glad you scored a suitable topper.
the market for used gen 3 canopies is very strong, especially with integrated roof rack etc.
sellers demand top $$$.
this is the way it is in Canada and US; not just a local issue.
ive been looking on craigslist for a ‘deal’ for a few months.
if you are a newbie like me, watch for scammers.
i got the sense that a few sellers appear to be trying to sell a gen 2 canopy as gen 3. they’ll post vague photos and reference a gen 3 model year.
i needed a crash course in gen 2 vs gen 3 tailgate shape and fitment issues, etc to avoid needless long trip.
use caution. sketchy sellers might use the supply/ demand issues to dupe the unwary.

 

I enlarged the interior pic to 8.5 x 11, and would suggest if that bothers you, remove one of the inside fasteners (plastic covered wingnuts?) and a solution will appear. (possibly clipping the machine screw a little and reattaching the removed nut). It's often possible to "invent a better mousetrap."

 

Saw two for $1200 each
A Leer 100XR and snugtop equivalent

not really interested in paying more than that

 

That's a good idea... I did notice towards the rear of the track there is a widened pocket, I assume that is the entry/exit point for the feet of the crossbar towers ect. so I probably wouldn't want to cut that bit off I'm guessing? Also wondering what the function of the end caps are... is it simply a trim piece or is it an anti theft measure to disable someone from simple sliding the towers out of the back of the track? could I simply remove them?

 

That's two persons job... you need a friend or relative to help you to loose/tight the nuts. I mean you get on top of topper, someone get in the bed hold the nut in the ceiling with a tool. So you can loose it then adjust the rail... then tight them down.

End caps are for decoration... they look odd without the end caps. You can remove end caps so you can insert aftermarket racks/mounts into the tracking rails such as Prinsu, Awning, cameras, etc. Once done, put end caps back on.