Commercial shells, especially on DCSB?

This thread is awesome. Im now going to bail on the $1,700 ARE and just keep looking for a contractor cap to rebuild

 

I just got one. ARE commercial cap with Kargo Master rack. It’s heavy duty. I’m looking for build ideas. We have a 2wd vintage Sportsmobile so I’m not sure I need to go rack top tent, but I want a good trail, travel and camping oriented rig. I’m into kayaking and cycling too.

 

My model #

 

A few from my recent trip to Death Valley

 

This one on FB market place is awesome.

 

Does the rack feel stable when you have weight on it forward of the cab? I have the same setup except with the factory ARE rack and I want to either get a cab rack or a
cantilever style like yours. My only concern is that's a lot of stress on the composite bed.

 

ARE DCU (26" above the bed)....only had it for a few hours but I'm liking it so far.

 

I saw earlier mention that on these contractor style caps 2nd and 3rd gen are universal fit. Maybe just swapping out the tailgate trim. Anyone tried that? I have a 3rd gen but chances of finding a 2nd gen shell are much higher.

 

I thought this was the case but I bought a second hand ARE dcu camper shell off of a 2nd gen to mount on my 3rd gen but regardless of the back door trim the back door is too long that it will still get caught on our tailgate. For me the only way it would’ve worked is if I cut 1/2” or so off the rear door so that it’d close all the way. Ended up selling it and now on the hunt for a 3rd gen one

 

Drove nearly 8 hours round trip to score this ARE DCU yesterday from a seller in Rural Hall, NC (near Winston-Salem). Price was $575. For what it's worth, they had another in the lot, and I believe it was also for a 3rd gen. longbed.

Only problem is the side door locks. The ARE brand key they gave me only works on the rear door. I determined this pre-sale, but decided to go for it anyway. Now I'm discovering that solving this may not be as simple as contacting ARE for a replacement. Does anyone have any experience with either mis-matched locks or (more likely) replacing a BOLT cylinder and programming it for a 2019 Tacoma SR5 key? I'm seeing some indication that BOLT tumblers don't work (yet?) with my truck's keys.

[EDIT: Evidently I had it backwards. Word back from BOLT suggests that SR and SR5 are *only* 3rd Gen Tacomas that their cylinders work with, presumably cylinder # 7023482. Will report back with results. See post #178 below]

 

my heart kind of sank a little when i saw/read your post. Ive been speaking to that guy for a few weeks now about the other shell you speak of. He has been holding it for me we just haven't been able to get a time where we are both available yet. Shooting for this Saturday.

 

Aw, man. Sorry. I worried about that very thing, but I've seen other folks alerting members to available deals out there, and figured it was good karma. I'll edit out the link and make people do their own sleuthing. FWIW, ,J.T. (or T.J.?) was good to deal with and helpful in getting mine on.

 

No worries man he has been more then good to be holding the shell for as long as he has. Saturday morning at 9am is the day i hope! Keep us posted on the lock situation because i may end up needing to figure something out for the one im getting.

also for guys interested in a cap when i originally talked to this guy he said he gets a lot of commercial caps. Soneone he knows apparently has a car lot and buys a lot of company vehicles and then this guy buys all the shells off the company vehicles. So keep your eyes on the winston salem craigs list. Theres a good chance he will get some more in.

 

really nice

 

Will do. Already made a mistake by not carefully reading the FAQ on the BOLT site before ordering replacement cylinders. Caveat emptor on this, as i believe ARE charges a ton for them. I specifically missed this section:

I bought a used tonneau/bed topper that has a BOLT Lock, how can I get the locks to work with my truck key?

It depends on which tonneau/topper you have. Brand FX cap, Knaphide truck bodies or a Leer cap all use our standard cylinders. You can order a replacement directly one of our trusted online partners.

If you have an ARE work body, an Extang Encore, or an Undercover Elite, you will need to contact the manufacturer to get a replacement cylinder. ARE uses a modified cylinder, and on the Extang and Undercover thumb turns, the cylinder is integrated directly into the thumb turn. We do supply both with extra cylinders as replacement parts for their products.

[Edit: this Amazon reviews leaves me a little hopeful that the standard Tacoma cylinder might still work]

 

Picked up my shell today.

 

utility/camper top

one for sale near Charlotte NC if anyone is looking.


https://charlotte.craigslist.org/pts/d/alexis-utility-camper-top/7052655523.html

 

Good news. It's a piece a cake to replace the BOLT cylinders on these shells. You just have to retain 4 things from the old cylinder -- the nut holding the lock on, the black outer sleeve that interfaces with the inside of the T-handle (and blocks it from operating when locked), the rubber washer/gasket between the cylinder's ring and outside face of the door (waterproofs the hole, mine was a little brittle so baby it off), and the little retaining ring that that holds the sleeve onto the cylinder. I loosened these with light hammer taps on a well-placed screwdriver, then removed the ring with needle nose. If you don't do what I did and drop it onto your gravel driveway, the whole thing should only take a couple minutes.

I waited until the install was finished to re-key the lock, but I don't see why you couldn't do it pre install. Worked great, as least for my SR5. Cylinder # 7023482.
Best price I found was $14.61 from Etrailer: https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories-and-Parts/Bolt/BL7023482.html

For reference, here's the email I got back from BOLT when I asked about 3rd gen Tacoma keys. I guess it would be worth checking with them if you have a Sport or Off Road.

------------------------------------------------
Good morning xxxx,

Yes, our locks are compatible with the new Toyota Tacomas, but only the SR and SR5 models. So yours should work with the Toyota cylinder.

Thanks much,
Crystal Wiken
BOLT LOCK
E-Mail - crystal@boltlock.com

 

Is that the 20” tall version?

 

I believe so. I know its the shortest version.