Celestial Silver Metallic Thread

Bone stock 2WD SR5 Florida street warrior.

 

This bed cap, but 5ft version, same finish, just went up for sale locally for $2000. Is it worth it? Or keep saving for a alucab? Looks good on there.

 

Depends on your personal preference I guess. I bought this used for $1800. Came with screened windoors on both sides and roof rack/bars which is exactly what I was looking for. Personally, I don't think the alucabs and other high end aluminum styles are worth that much more for my usage (which is just for camping/sleeping in and holding my fly rod holder), but some people have their reasons for going with aluminum toppers. I also don't wheel much at all to the point where I need that aspect of a topper.

 

I looked into buying an Alucab or similar, then I looked into buying Leer's reinforced topper. Finally, I went with Leer's standard topper and spent my extra money on the windoors. In my experience, for wheeling you'll be fine with a standard fiberglass topper. Where people get into trouble is when they put weight on the topper then take it offroad because the vibrations caused by offroading naturally make the fiberglass want to flex. But, if you have, say a RTT on the roof it restricts the fiberglass from flexing and thereby encourages cracking. You'll be fine as long as you don't max out the weight rating.

I had a fiberglass topper on my old truck for almost 10 years and drove washboard a ton and no problems. Once, I hit a rut in the road at 30mph and popped a tire, destroyed my steering box, and cracked a handle on the topper, but nothing else. My point is that I think fiberglass toppers are more stout than people credit them. Just don't load weight on the roof and go flying down a washboard road.

Since a post is meaningless without pictures, I included a pair. I think a well-designed fiberglass topper looks better than an aluminum topper anyday. Honestly, I think aluminum toppers look like someone picked up a big black metal box off the side of the road and plopped it on the bed. But, hey, that's just me.

 

Thank you for that. Your cap is perfect on there, I just cant seem to find one for a reasonable price. If I'm paying close to $4k for one, then I'll be going with an aluminum or stainless cap. If I can get one like yours for $2k, then I'm all in!

 

Thanks for the compliment. I love the way it looks, and I think the windoors give it a utilitarian look that compliments the Tacoma. Buuut, I know some people like the black aluminum overlanding look. I would shop around and look at other toppers, either at a showroom or on someone else's truck. It's a lot of money and it sucks to spend that type of cash and then have regrets about it. There are good used ones out there, but you gotta look in the right places. I'd say, if your serious about used, treat looking for one like a part-time job. And if you plan on getting a rtt, definitely go aluminum or reinforced fiberglass. Otherwise, if you don't mind the black topper look, buying the topper like czukie has sounds like a good deal. I went standard fiberglass since I decided the only thing I really carry on my roof is paddleboards and the occasional bike. All my camping gear goes in the bed.

Last time I bought a new shell was in 2008 or 2009. It was a Leer fiberglass shell with headliner and was $1100 out the door. This time round, I bought that shell in Oct 2023 and, with a rebate, it came in at $3800. Yikes! Shit's gotten expensive. Though, without the windoors or the roof racks it would've been closer to 2.5k. On my last shell I installed Yakima roof racks myself about 6 years after I bought it. This time, I paid the dealer $500 to do it, since cracking the new shell while drilling is always a concern. I'm cheap in some ways, but when it comes to the topper I'm one of these suckers who will pony up to pay for it. For me, it easily pays for itself. On an aluminum shell, with all options I wanted, I think it would've been around 1k more expensive than what I went with. However, things add up fast and my perfect blinged-out shell was 8k! Nice, but just a teensy bit out of my price range.

Post back in and let us know what you ended up going with. Would love to see some pics, too.

 

Worth it will always be up to you of course. There’s so many good options out there these days. Used will make it a bit tricky to find what you want, when you want it. So I’d say figure out what all would fulfill your need the best.

I went with an Alu-Cab Contour. I really like the boxy utilitarian look. It gives the truck a different feel. They are more expensive, but not too much more than a Leer or ARE painted to match. Someone makes a two tone version that is part black and part matchy-matchy. Those look pretty cool. But, a lot of why I went with Ali-Cab was the weight and strength. It’s funny it looked more “work truck” till I got my lift and tires on. I am loving how it turned out and I love looking at it as I walk away and return to it.

Having said all that, don’t feel like you need to have brand “X” to have fun and do things you enjoy. I try to remind myself that I’ll probably be dead or close to it in 25 years, so get the things you want and enjoy it while you can.

Back in 2020 my brother bought his dream car. A 2020 Dodge Challenger Manual R/T Scat PAC Wide-Body Edition. He talked about that vehicle a few years before he bought it. He was so happy with it. Mid-life crisis car? Maybe. He didn’t know that he wouldn’t see 2024. Cancer had other plans. And although you can’t take it with you, he got to enjoy his dream car for 3 years before he died. Had he put it off, it would be a missed opportunity.

It’s really just finding that line of what is necessary and important vs. what you are willing to sacrifice to get it. A good used topper for around $2K is going to be hard to beat. Good luck getting what you want brother.

 

Thank you for the comment, and I'm sorry to hear about your brother. Glad he got to live it up for a while before the cancer. My mother passed two years ago from bone cancer. Life is a bitch, I try to live it up as much I can within reason.

Also, I commented on your truck in one of the bed cap posts. My plan is almost exactly like yours. Love how yours turned out.

 

Sorry your mother and family had to go through that.

I really dig where my truck is at for now. It’s a sort of stock plus. Sticking to ground tents and hammocks for camping to keep things simple and light. Maybe I’ll do bumpers at some point if someone messes mine up. Thanks for the compliment man. Can’t wait to see yours.

 

There’s a RSI Smart cap for $2600 in the Colorado trading post thread here. Don’t know your location, but if you’re wanting the aluminum topper but don’t wanna pay $4k it might be worth looking at

 

Condolences about your brother. It's tough losing a sibling.

I totally agree with what you say. As I get older, I try to save my paycheck, but if there's something I want (like a 4k topper for my truck or a vacation I've always wanted to take) then I'm going for it. We need to be responsible and prepare for the future, but we also got to enjoy our lives while we're still here.

 

Thanks man. We were close and it's been a soul crusher. Plenty of hard life lessons there. We really need to make sure to make good times and not to put all your good times into a future that's not guaranteed.

But back on topic of celestial silver metallic stuff. I really like the black contrasting black on the silver truck. I dig the monochrome look. But there's not just one cool way to customize things. Otherwise, we'd all have trucks that look alike. Like, I like when I see people's built quicksand trucks, but I just can't see buying a beige vehicle on purpose. Hahahaha... But I know of at least two on here that look BAD ASS. Same thing with black tacos. I almost went with black, but a black vehicle isn't a color, it's a job! And I live in the forever-rain of the PNW. But I like silver the best anyway.

 

I'm in Maine, so that would be a rough trip and it would definitely negate any money saved lol. I appreciate you looking out though.

 

Monochrome?! Oh, that hurts! LOL. But I don't mind. I see us as a bunch of gals and guys in a bar having fun and sometimes ribbing each other.

But yeah, I was probably too harsh in my earlier comment about black toppers. I figure I have enough black on my truck that it works for me, but maybe someone else thinks I don't have enough. Ha! I wouldn't mind having your topper, but if I could get it in celestial silver. And I'm with you about the beige trucks. Everytime I see a beige taco (and green), I think that's a good color, but one I'd want my friend to have. I live in the desert southwest and, like you, want a truck that doesn't show dirt or dust. Sometimes, I get confused with how dirty my truck is, but from 20 feet out it looks clean. Not shiny, I just washed it clean, but you can't see the dirt/dust.

I originally wanted Lunar Rock but couldn't find any new ones available. Silver was my 2nd choice, and its become my favorite Taco color. I love the sparkle when the sun hits it just right. I think the only color I may prefer more than silver, is cement. But I think I'm rambling again. LOL.

 

"We really need to make sure to make good times and not to put all your good times into a future that's not guaranteed."

Re-read your post and those are words to live by. Thanks for the wise words.

 

Hahah.. I was shooting for monochrome for my taco's theme. . It wasn't meant as a derogatory. I happen to dig that look. I like how your truck looks. That's the thing. I like all the different ways people customize, or even run their trucks stock. I'm in no hurry to trade mine in for something new. I like all the lines on the 3rd gen. I think they look even better in silver. When I was deciding on a color to go with it came down to three that I considered before settling on celestial silver. I too was strongly leaning towards Lunar Rock. LR and Black were tied. I was also trying to think long-term and imagine how it would look in five or six years. I read that LR is just about the thinnest of paint thicknesses. That, and I was weighing how awesome black looks when it's clean, with how hard it is to keep it that way with grime and trail pinstripes. I think 2022 was the year they switched the Silver Sky Metallic to Celestial Silver Metallic. Once I got to see one in person, it made it easy to pull the trigger on silver. I think I even changed my order from black to silver.

And yeah.. as far as the good times goes.. I have known way too many people that say they are going to do this and that after they work like a dog their entire lives, only to die a couple years after retirement. Screw that.

 

Went off road for the first time!

 

Anyone tried to match a vinyl wrap to the celestial silver 1J9 yet?
Someone on a tundra forum tried - appears they gave up though

 

I need more photos of the blue wheels on CSM!!

 

They aren’t blue, they’re arms grey