Century vs. Leer topper, anyone with pics?

Was considering the 180 for the extra head room, especially when camping but really didn't like the looks on my DCSB. Think the 180 looks great on the long box model though.

 

Despite the possible "repainting" of a used cap, I pursued the buy and promised some photos after the install.
I had the new Leer 100XQ installed on my 2013 Tacoma DCSB.
Cost: $2,800 including three 'add-ons'. Had the Thule Tracker II rack added, a full removable slider front window, and the electronic remote entry pop & lock that secures tail gate and back window using same truck remote (really liked this add). Installation at the dealer was the only drawback. A bunch of amateurs at Leonard Leer in Manassas, VA. They scratched the cap during installation and failed to properly wire my third brake light and interior LED dome light. Manager plans to credit my bill for $300 + tomorrow. Super happy with the cap despite install experience. Ignore the dirt on the interior photo. Its still ugly after the storm here.

 

I got a Century cap about a month after I bought my 14 Double cab long box.
I have no complaints about the cap at all and the main reason I chose this was it was the best bang for the buck.
They included the LED lights and carpet liner as well.
It fits great and dealer has been great to deal with.

 

I have had a Leer, and now have an ARE. Both were bought used.

Found the Leer 100XR for 450 that matched the color of my truck (blue at the time) perfectly. It had sliding side windows. I do wish I had access through those windows. I didn't like the cable mechanism for the rear latch. It caused problems with my dogs. The dachshund could open from the inside when locked. The Leer was also a bit heavier than my current ARE.

ARE MX series found for 200$ on Craigslist. It was Slush puppie blue on my white DCSB. I love the headroom in the MX, and prefer that as an option. It looks better than I thought it would, but didn't care for a 200$ topper in excellent shape. The locking mechanism on the ARE fits my needs better, as the weiner can't pop it open going down the road. It also has sliding access to my cab. I've found this to be handy.

If I buy another in the future it will definitely have extra headroom. Other than the mechanism on the rear hatch I found both to be great. Also, the mounting and bracketing process for the ARE was a little more cumbersome, but better for security sake.

*I see you bought it. Looks awesome with the rack. Love that color Yota.

 

Looks great man, thanks for posting the pics. Any issues with your Century?

 

No issues so far but I've only had it for 4 days.

 

Leer 100xr
Sliding /removable rear window
Carpted
Framless rear window
$3012 Canadian installed

Remember to check the web page for coupons

 

I have the Leer on my long box. I quite like the fit and finish. Perhaps with the favourable exchange rate on US currency, looking north of the border might also be a viable option for you, depending on how close to Canada you are.

 

I like the look of the 180 on the Access Cab or the DCLB much better than the DCSB. The rise angle is less on the front making it look more streamlined. Having said that, I went with it anyway purely due to the extra headroom. It does make a TON of difference in the DCSB.

 

Great pics man, your truck is super nice! Still a few hours from Canada, but not an option I really considered...I'll have to look into it for sure.

 

Thank you, sir. If you find something new or used up here, I think the exchange rate would be somewhere in the 22-23% range in your favor. Not sure if it makes up for the drive or your time.

 

Looking to do something similar with my topper and a rack. What kind of rack do you have. Looks great.

 

It's a Yakima Rack System:

Artificial Rain Gutters - the flat pieces that mount to the cap
1A Rain Gutter Towers w/Locks
50" bars

The dealer where I purchased the cap & rack installed it all for me the day he installed the cap. If I had to do it over, I think I'd get the track system installed from the factory as I think it is more versatile as it allows for more adjustment and attachments.

I this photo I have the Yakima Gunwale brackets, but I've since removed them as I have multiple canoes of varying lengths & widths. Now I simply use some 6" sections of some marine grade tubing that had a 1 1/8" ID to match the OD of the bars. I can slide them along each bar to rest under the gunwale.

 

how did you get the Century logo off of the side of the cap?? Looks a lot cleaner without them. I've been looking at Century myself and like the Royal but they don't offer the Windoor in the "frameless" models...all in all...are you happy with the Century??

 

The logo just peels off, its a rubber like sticker. To be fair I grabbed my off CL so it was whatever I could find for a short bed that was decent. Its a nice topper, I had to take some extra steps to seal off the backside of the topper. But overall its a decent topper

 

So I finally decided to pull the trigger on a Century Ultra. Had it installed two weeks ago and love it so far. Decided on Century because it was several hundred dollars cheaper than Leer and Snugtop where I live and just didn't get too excited about the AREs on our trucks. Went with headliner, removable front slider, vented windoors, thule tracker II with crossbars, and dual battery operated LEDs. Here are a couple crappy cell phone pics.

 

Does anyone have any experience with Ranch toppers? There's a dealer in my area, but it seems shady at best. Their website has mostly CGI images and not of real trucks and that bothers me......

 

I picked up a Century topper for my 13 Sport short box yesterday on cl. What do they usually install on the front of the box to fill the gap? It took over a year to find one but I didn't want to spend 2,000 plus for it.