Cap brand recommendations

I have a PreRunner on order. I plan on getting a hard-shell cap on it for camping. Any recommendations on the best brand(s) of cap for it?

Thanks!

 

Well, i can tell you that I an NOT a big fan of Leer. Bought their highest end cap 5 years ago and it was garbage. The center latch mechanism was shot in 6 months and the brackts that secured the back hatch when closed were screced into a very small piece of sheet metal that was secured into fiberglass. broke within 6 months also. I highly suggest that whatever you buy you look at it and the craftsmanship before you buy it. I also suggets getting handles on both sides of nthe rear hatch rather than one in the middle.

 

You should google a local cap place near you since not all brands are available everywhere. I have an ARE which I bought used and am very happy with it so far. I have no idea how old it is but it came off a 2005 so worst case 6 years old. It's easy to install / remove and is finished off nice in my opinion. I've got some pics in my gallery if you want to take a look. Mine's the MX series.

 

A friend of mine has a ARE on his nissan. It is one of their high end ones. It is very good quality,paint matches perfect,dont leak and fits perfect. The windows look like the rear windows of a suv....not the old school looking ones! His frontier looks like a pathfinder if u didnt know better! He loves it so i.say ARE

 

I bought a Leer and regret it. I wish I would have gone with ARE. They look better, and I'd do anything to get away from my crappy ass POS rear window locks on my Leer. Stupid things always get stuck locked, or stuck unlocked and the canopy place I got it from wont do anything about it. In one week, my locks froze up 5 or 6 times. In that week, I used a whole bottle of deicer. Now that it's not as cold, I realize it wasn't just icing up that was doing it. The locks are absolute shit.

ARE

 

Well you are going to find issues with Leer, ARE, and Snug-Top if you search for them. Seen posts about mold problems and broken back window frames and side window leaks on ARE, similar things on LEER, and similar things on Snug-Top. I've had 2 Leer's, first one was bought new and sold cause I didn't like the boot instead of sliding window between the cab. The current one was bought used 2 years old, no problems at all and got it for about 50% off MSRP.

My advice is pick one from each company you like that is in your budget. Research their warranty, and local dealer network. Then decide. If your not in a rush look around on craigslist for a used one, they pop up all the time.

Picture thread:

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/13598-show-me-your-shell.html

 

A.R.E. CX I am happy with mine & have had none of the issues mentioned with it. It's on my truck 8 months out of the year & was well worth the $ to me.

 

I LIKE ARE THE BEST

 

Just put a snugtop super sport on my DC shortbed and so far im loving it!

 

I have a LEER 100XQ and love it. I've had mine for 2 1/2 years now and no issues at all. Would buy it again in a heart beat.

Many of the issues I read above about LEER could be attributed to the quality of the dealer install. The latches take a lot of work to get adjusted properly, but once they are adjusted and working correctly, you should be good to go. Like I said, 2 years and not one problem.

 

I have had a LEER 100XQ also. I bought it in Oct 2009. Fit and finish are excellent...I recommend LEER also.

IMHO, caps complete the look of the DCSB.

Do your research and go to all of your local dealers that are close to you. I would buy the cap from the dealer that will provide the best support for you, just in case. If you look hard enough, you can find bad reviews of all cap manufacturers that are on the market today. It seems like more people will post a bad review when they are mad about something, than people who will post a good review because they are pleased with a product.

 

i have a ARE and love it,,,it is 2 yrs old

 

I have a Leer 100R on mine. I got the optional vented windoors on it. Those windoors do not match the recessed area of the fiberglass where the standard windows would go. I also had to add about a 1 inch bead of black RTV to the seam in one of the windoor frames and also some silicone at the leading edge of the factory bed rail caps. Since then, no leaks even in a hard downpour. I have the standard rear door that has two T handles on it. Probably not as secure as the center latching version with frameless glass, but no issues with locks or anything. And the paint match is darn near perfect. Would prob be perfect except the truck was already four years old when i got the shell.

 

Snugtop and done.

 

I have a leer 100xr, and have had nothing but good luck with it. looks great, does not leak, no issues locking or unlocking. Great addition, and really does make the dcsb look right.

 

I've got the Leer 100XR, no problems and the paint match is perfect.

 

Did you get it in Canada ?

 

LEER 100XQ is what I have and in my mind is the best one on the market, also love the look of it with the one piece glass siding on it!

 

[FONT=verdana,tahoma,arial]A.R.E. model CX with the "Outdoorsmen" option is THE best cap you can have if your camping out of your truck.

http://www.4are.com/product/cx/

[/FONT]

 

I like my ARE. I would get the double handle locks instead of the single. It offers better resistance to theft. I wish mine had windoors, but am happy with the sliders.
Make sure they do a good job on the seals. Take it through the car wash and look for leaks. Take back if unsat.