ARE truck cap

I am thinking of putting one on my 22 . I am looking at the V series. Does anyone have one of these on your Tacoma as I have a cover now but believe the cap would come in handy camping/ hunting. What is your opinion of this brand , Pros/Cons of putting the actual top on. Price? It looks good almost like an SUV but I have never had one before just wanted some opinions before I spent the money. Thanks for any help!

 

@Road_Warrior has one.... he can fills you in. But the lead time could be so long... I don't know about now.

 

Thanks! A guy took it off a 21 MGM , matches mine perfect. He took it off because he hauls way more than he thought and it was a hassle. Thinking of getting it if I can get the right deal.

 

Oh.. you want to get an used cap.. I thought you want a brand new one... Windoors on sides are best option. Hope that cap has windoors which he sells it to you.

 

I had one on my 2nd gen. Wanted one for my 3rd gen, but $$$ The one I had on 2nd gen bought used for a super deal, 2yrs old for $700. Can't find one for 3rd gen under 2k, plus LB's are hard to come by.

 

I've put a cap on every truck I've owned going back to the 1970's. Wouldn't want a truck without one. They don't cost much more than a good tonneau cover but are much more useful. I've traveled everywhere between Miami, Maine and Montana on camping/hunting trips with my gear secure and dry in the back. I rarely sleep in the back of the truck but that too is an option.

Unlike a SUV you can still haul trash, mulch and all sorts of dirty stuff in the bed and hose it out afterwards. Plus, the cost of a truck+cap is still a lot less than a comparable SUV. Unless you need a 3rd row of seats a crew cab truck with a cap on it is the most versatile vehicle I've owned.

Some guys take them on and off as needed. I don't advise that. Mine hasn't been off my Tacoma in nearly 16 years. I do slide it back a couple of times a year to clean the back of the truck and front of the cap.

Downsides.

They will weigh 180-200 lbs and reduce payload by that amount. If you want to tow that will reduce the weight of a trailer you can tow by 1000 lbs or more. And you may find some large bulky items won't fit in the bed with a cap on.

When I downsized from a 1/2 ton truck the 1st thing I did was buy a utility trailer. You aren't going to put much in the bed of a Tacoma even without a cap. Weight or volume. The trailer solves that. I can carry 3X more firewood in my trailer than I could put in the bed and the trailer is easier to load/unload. And I don't beat up the truck.

Brand:

ARE has a good reputation, but I've never owned one. A lot depends on the local dealer. Where I live Leer is just a lot easier to get and that is what I've used. If there were a local ARE dealer I'd just have to compare prices and features, but I think either are good quality.

 

I don’t have the V series, I have the ARE Classic. I love it though, best purchase I’ve made for the truck by far and totally worth the price.

 

I got my Leer cap back in '19... I am lucky. Leer went downhill after COVID pandemic lockdown. Which members posted bad reviews about Leer such as faded paint, paint flaking, etc. I think Leer rushed the orders out to the dealer without testing them. Maybe this year may be better who knows.

 

My bad.. I thought you had V but now I remember this time.

 

haha no worries man! I’m sure they’re all pretty similar anyways

 

I have a Z series ARE. I love it, wouldn't want a truck without one. The main downside is the weight, expect your ass to sag about 1/2" once installed.

 

I just got quote on an A.R.E. Overland from local dealer and they told me it was 4 to 6 weeks at the moment.

 

I have a ARE CX series on my 18.
Very pleased with it so far.
Color match is very good.
Stays fairly dry inside.
Purchased truck used with it.
Not sure I’d have purchased one?

 

Not to push you into a purchase, but finding one used is difficult in my experience. I've been looking since 2019 and when one shows up on Craiglist, Facebook Marketplace or here it disappears quick.

 

I understand but someone from TW ordered one but took months before he got one.

 

Wow. It took almost 6 months for mine to arrive from the day I ordered it. I would check with another dealer and make sure that quote is accurate because that sounds fishy.

 

Yeah, sorry I wasn't meaning to contradict you. I should have added "for what its worth" to my initial post.

I'm probably going to put an order in for one I want on Monday. I need/want the cap for trip out west in May, so we'll see what happens!

 

Oof that sucks. Yeah I'm definitely going to do that now.

 

No problem. Good luck.

 

My ass?

[looking at the mirror in the bathroom to see my ass sagging] Nope it is not.