Best topper/camper shell features

nice job,gonna have a happy dog. looks real good!

 

I should have included a picture of mine installed too. Also bonus puppy pics!

 

nice topper,good looking hounds,there liking the new dog house i'm sure.

 

I have two extra dog beds that fit perfectly between the wheel wells. They love it.

 

Nice Pointers (at least one is), and topper Bannerman. Love your light bar setup too. I was going to do a big brush guard, but am leaning toward your setup. Don't want to screw with the stock "mean" look of that front end.

Will take my dog into the swamps soon, but am waiting for a few more cool days to reduce the gator factor some. Gotta remember to upload pictures like you did. Good job!!!

 

you make it to nice back there they won't ever want to ride up front,lol.

 

Don't wait too long to get in the swamp! One of mine went though the ice one day. Super scary, had to keep him running to keep him warm.

 

Loving the RMEF sticker (Missoula is the headquarters)! Thanks for the insight on the locks, theres like 4 different options. Does each one have a lock? If so, is it a pain?

 

Roof rack for sure although the thule rack they mention that comes with the Leer has been discontinued (according to thule) so i'll have to see what the newer option in. Also, there a ton of coups going on right now but the free headliner seems like the no brainer.

 

My truck has to work with me sometimes... Windoors are a must. Actually, one of the reasons I have a Tacoma instead of of a Silverado is so that I can reach over the bed wall and actually get stuff in the bed of my truck. and when we go to the beach it would be a pain to get everything in and out without the Windoors.

 

Did you opt for the screen protectors inside to keep the dogs from pushing in the screens?

 

I bought used so I didn't have the option, I would have though, I know they will poke their noses through one day.

 

The slight added cost of one handle vs two will be so worth it when you can open the back with one hand instead of two. And their are still two latches so I would not think it was any less secure. You only have one handle for your tailgate, why would you want two handles for your topper?

 

Didn't opt for the pet screen since it'll be so easy for me to do it myself if necessary. On five trips so far, no issues. My dog hasn't pressed his nose against the non-Pet Screen yet. However, it was so warm in FL during the holidays I didn't leave him in the bed during trips to the store where he'll be more likely to press against the screen.
Another thing is that I got concerned about the warmth back there during a traffic jam on I-4 with the temp at 87 degrees (on December 28th no less). I didn't think about the warmth under the shell during transit and will be keeping an eye on that.

 

Definitely will be keeping an eye on heat back there. Guess it would be pretty easy to fab something up later on.

Exploring Century toppers as well, haven't heard anything about them on this site yet.

 

How do you get the boards under your cap? Do you have help?

 

If I were buying a brand new shell, I'd look long and hard at the SnugTop Super Sport....

My $.02

 

I have a similar setup and slide my 2x4 "rails" under the cap by crawling into the bed and lifting it slightly with my back, which sounds harder than it really is.

 

I was very happy with the one I had on my 1st Gen, so I was all about putting one on my 2nd Gen. Then, I comparison shopped.

The final "candidates" from which I chose were a Snugtop Super Sport, Leer 100XL, and an ARE Z-Series. IMO, they're all good choices and offer similar features. In the end, however, I went with ARE for the following reasons. First, price - Snugtop was ~20% more expensive than Leer and ARE, which were within ~$50 of each other. ARE's hinges appear to be the biggest/strongest of the bunch. ARE's tip-out window and rear door glass have the "cleanest" appearance, with no externally-visible rivets/connectors. ARE's warranty is a little better/longer.

 

This is exactly what I do.