RSI SmartCap 6 month Review

TLDR; It should be way better than it is.

I was initially super stoked to get my RSI SmartCap EVO Adventure mounted on 2018 long bed tacoma. Today, I believe it's my most expensive Tacoma mistake.

Pros:
1. It looks cool. Gullwing doors, high tech angles, not colormatched to the truck. Good stuff.
2. It leaks far less than the recalled third eye on the cab, and the positive pressure ventilation works well enough.
3. Double walled doors, no side windows on mine (I live where smash & grabs happen every 20 seconds and are never prosecuted).

Cons:

1. Their $4.00 Ali express compression latches are trash. Let's talk about these things, cause I'm livid about them. How is there not an open revolt followed by a recall?

• They freeze up in cold climates. Went Skiing in Tahoe, and couldn't open the cap one very cold & snowy morning. Borrowed a heat gun and some dry lubricant to fix.
  
• They don't open from inside the cap without damaging them or the door. If you sleep in the bed someone can actually lock you in. Welp, at least it's not a windowless van, I told the girlfriend.
• They aren't actually secure. A buddy who does physical security audits for companies was able to pop them open with a torque tool and some kind of rake as fast I could with the key. It was embarrassing. He was all smiles about how effortless it was...you know, unless it's chilly outside.
• The very idea of wasting time with 6 keyed locks is insane. We live in a world where even Viper is replacing car keys with smart phones, Tesla did it years ago, Ford is doing it in 4 months, and Toyota..well, they'll get around to it some decade, but the point is keys are digital in 2021, and RSI just handed us toy keys for a bake sale lock box
• I use my truck for work and adventure, but must leave it unattended in urban california environments. These locks get a fair bit of use and they need regular lubrication, and even then they aren't smooth.

RSI was SUPER uncouth about polite but firm feedback about these locks. Clearly they know there is some issue, but they don't care cause they can't make these caps fast enough to keep up with demand. I wish we as consumers would demand better, but alas.
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2. The height is just a little taller than the cab, so it ruins the roof rack lines. If you want something like a front runner rack on both the cab and cap, well, mine is just a litttttle bit off, enough to make my OCD crazy.

3. They make a stupid expensive table that hangs from the roof, and a kitchen that sits at face height on a lifted truck, but not an LED strip light. Also, no channels or cutouts for wiring, but I guess that's a nit.

4. The paint is somehow not exactly black. Is it soft paint? Is it thin? I dunno, but you can see color variation especially on corners- my detail shop pointed it out. I figure someday I'll have to put a wrap on it.



Conclusion:

It looks better than most competitors, especially ARE and LEER, but that's about all it does. ARE has way better security with robust t-bars and locking rods. Other campers have keyfob lock/unlock options stock, and still others have aftermarket electric locks. RSI has neither. It would be on brand for RSI to be a leader here, but they fail miserably.

If I were to do it again, I wouldn't. There are often tradeoffs between security and usability. With this you get neither.

I thought I was buying an elegant but tough premium product, but now it seems really third rate. I dread unlocking it instead of delight in using it. I'm really sad that this is what "good enough" looks like for adventure vehicles. This is all it takes to get people at SEMA talking? This is an OK product that should be a great product. I'm really sad they missed the mark. My wallet is sad they still sell it for "great product" price!

I've reached out to custom fabrication shops to see if they can do a "latch shave" in the same way hot rod people do door handle shaves. AutoLoc makes some hot rod bear claw latches and electric actuators, so I think I can have my wish of more security and less hassle, but its gonna cost me another couple grand and a few weeks of time.

 

Update: I discovered that at least some of these latches are supplied by a company called Furnlock. https://www.furnlock.co.za

An Ohio lock manufacturer claims they have versions of these latches that will work in the sub zero midwest winters. will update when I find a solution.

 

Thank you for this write up. I've caught the "cap bug" and had fallen for the look of the RSI for some time now.

 

I have had mine for seven months. Small corrosion issue but zero complaints. I have not gone arctic with it. Its perfect for my use. I knew what I was buying before hand so that's probably why my

 

Really appreciate the review and context, it's great to see objective feedback after substantial regular use. Just sorry you dropped the coin on something you're clearly not pleased with.

 

My EVO Adeventure has been awesome… well… aside from a useless install job by a truck parts supplier/shop.
I have had to re-torque all of the bolts/nuts three times, and aside from the first, the last two have been to curb leaks that I hadn’t had prior.

I have lubricate the locks, and the gull wing hinges need silicone spray during the hot and dry months (luckily we rarely get hot and dry).

But now… I’m getting water ingress at the front corners … appears to ingress under the rubber gasket … so out will come some fresh caulking… as I had to lift and shift the Smartcap due to a crap install in which it had been able to shift….

I do hate the keyed locks, especially when it’s pouring rain and the dogs and kids are all crying. Lol.

But it’s soooo easy to clean, the positive pressure keeps dust and dog hair out or to the back.

I just need to curb the water ingress.

 

Great write up. Thanks for revealing what I didn't know I didn't know about this cap.

Would you be able to throw up a few pics of the Evo adventure on your long bed? Was thrown off by the look of the sport on a long bed, wondering about the adventure.

Thanks!

 

Thanks for pointing out the shortcomings. I saw one on a fullsize truck last weekend and was checking it out. Looks nice enough. I was considering an RSI but went with another Alucab. The locks are likely as secure as the RSI but most theft is smash and grab and todays thieves couldn't pick a lock if their lives depended on it. I added a window grid for the rear window on my last Alucab. I was living in a smash and grab state at the time. Here those issues are countered with lead so it's not much of a problem.

 

Here's my take on these as well:

Can't disagree with the locks. Mine function fine but I hit them with CorrosionX. Not being able to open them from the inside is a huge issue but word is Januray they will have ones you can. I also am not a fan of having to unlock 6 different latches to open all of them. At least the rear ones should be able to unlock when you hit unlock on your key fob. Side windows? Not that big of a deal to not be electric as I'm not accessing them all the time.

I'm not running a cab and shell rack and knew the shell was a little bit taller and actually like the look. This is kind of a subjective complaint.

Accessories are expensive but are a nicety and not a must have for function. With the size of our beds I wouldn't ever put the kitchen or side trays in as they take up too much room in the bed. I put a Matt Gecko LED lightstrip in for a minimal price but having an option for factory lighting would be great but I bet more expensive.

This comment made me go check mine and I'm not seeing the same but know that it very well could happen.

Great feedback and sorry that you're not as happy with it. Based on my previous experience with fiberglass shells and what I could get in the market with essentially the same options on fiberglass the costs ended up about the same and the RSi had the benefit of not cracking or gouging like my previous fiberglass.

Personally, I love mine but understand where you're coming from.

 

Has anyone compared the RLD and the RSI side-by-side here?

I've seen each in person, but not together. I have to say i vastly preferred the RLD, but i've been told it has the same latch problems as the RSI, so i'm not buying either until that's fixed.

For the moment, i've got softopper and haven't looked back.

 

Glad I ordered at aluma cab over this.

 

Any update on this?

The latches are the one thing keeping from pulling the trigger on a SmartCap.

 

Thanks for the 6 month review. I've seen both the RLD and RSI caps (not side by side). They both looked pretty good but in the long run the overall security issues seem to be an issue. That coupled with with the fact that you can't lock/unlock from the inside and someone can actually lock you in are making it hard for me to choose either.

 

I've slept in mine and I just locked the back locks closed before I closed the door. It left a gap but that actually helped with getting some air into it.

Granted I have a 5' bed and won't be sleeping in the back again as it was ridiculously uncomfortable.

 

I did the same thing years back and a few trucks ago.

What I want to be able to do is crawl inside and be able to lock my cab. If someone is trying to break in I want that extra time. There are a few caps that come with security grates on the side/rear windows to prevent "smash and grab". I tend to keep stuff in my bed all the time. The security grates still enable you to open windows for airflow, so if I'm sleeping in the back I'm thinking (hoping?) that would work.

One of the reasons I ran a Diamondback Cover so long was the extra security it provided over other tonneau covers. I'm going back to a cap but security is a main priority of mine.

 

Definitely makes sense. New locks that are able to be opened from the inside are supposed to be out in January from RSi. I'm on the list to get a set when they are available. I'll let you know how they work.

 

@chuam - one of the specific concerns I have with the RSI is the fact that it's modular. IMO things that bolt together are inherently less sturdy, weatherproof and dustproof than things that are one piece: less seams = less chance of failure. Have you noticed anything along those lines?

 

No issues with dust at all so far. I drive a lot of really silty dirt roads to get to our duck club and bird hunt and the dust intrusion is significantly less since it has the positive pressure vent compared to my last fiberglass shell.

The RSi is significantly sturdier than the fiberglass too.

I live in San Diego and we've only had a little bit of rain but zero issues on water intrusion from the cap (I've ran the hose all over it several times to check it). I've had a little at the front of the bed where the front and sides meet together but that spot is notorious for leaks (bed not the shell) and I plan to do some additional waterproof work to that section when I remove the cap for the 3rd brake light recall.

 

@chuam - thanks for the feedback on the dust and water intrusion.

You mentioned above that your shell is slightly taller than the cab. By how much?

At this point I think I want a straight line from back to front so I can load longer items. That being said my options are a cab height shell or a shell with a @ 4 inch rise over cab height which would allow me to run a rack on my cab and still have a (relatively) straight line...

 

It's about 1" taller then the top of the roof