2016 Camper Shell Feedback

Thinking about getting a camper shell for a double cab, short bed. Does anyone have an experience in this area. Snug top, Leer, ARE.

Here are some questions:
How much do these run:
Any preference in shell brand:
Does the shell come with matching paint color:

If you have any suggestions or pictures that would be helpful.

 

bump

 

I had a ARE on my 2001, a Leer on my 2011 and a Leer on my 2013.

I liked the ARE the best, but both brands were an excellent product and the only reason I went with a leer was because it was a tad cheaper.

I paid 2500 Canadian for a carpeted ARE with sliders with screens.

Paid 2300 for a Leer with sliders and screens carpeted.

Last one is a long bed leer without screens but carpeted. 2150.

All were paint matched.

 

Generally slightly less than $2k to slightly more than $3k for a color matched fiberglass shell. Price varies depending on model (does it have swoopy styling and big windows and nice hardware vs. none of those things) and options (options added almost $1k to mine, but I added a lot of options).

Brand preference is all over. Leer, ARE, and SnugTop seem to be the most popular using my non-scientific method of remembering what people talk about the most. I have a SnugTop on order, but that's partially because that is the only brand that has my very specific set of desired features available at this time.

They are still developing models for the 3rd gen 2016+ trucks, so not all types are available yet. The bed changed enough that the Gen 2 shells will not work.

They pretty much are all ordered with matching paint based on your truck's color code. You could probably save some money by getting a gel coat white version with no paint, but I've never even been offered that as an option.

Other alternatives to consider:
- Canvas/fabric/vinyl tops that can usually be raised and lowered easily and removed easier than a hard shell.
- bed covers (tonneau cover) are available in many types. They cost less, don't impact visibility significantly, and presumably cause less drag.

Pretty much every brand of shell has a long thread where folks are complaining about some sort of issue. I think significant problems are fairly rare, but getting them resolved is difficult because the companies seem to dump all customer service issues to the dealers. So, my take-away was to make sure you have a good dealer that is close and inspect the installation carefully before accepting the shell.

Good luck.

 

Thank you for your detailed explanation HalfWay There

Cheers.